留學考試：
GMAT Scoring Quirks
對於計畫申請MBA及美國商學院的同學而言，GMAT成績是學校在篩選申請者時很重要的指標。同學們除了知道如何應考之外，如果能知道各部分分數落點對整體總分的影響，相信對於同學們
在事前準備會有很大的幫助噢。
When students are asked what part of the GMAT
scares them the most, they typically say the
Quantitative section, or even more specifically,
the Data Sufficiency questions in the
Quantitative section. Thus, most students are
surprised to find out that it's the VERBAL raw
score and percentage that drives your TOTAL
score and percentage.
Take a look at two hypothetical students. One is
a strong Quantitative student and a decent
Verbal student. She takes the test and scores
the following:
Quant: 50 (96th percentile)
Verbal: 32 (67th percentile)
The other does okay in the Quantitative section,
but really shines in the Verbal. His scores
break out as follows:
Quant: 42 (66th percentile)
Verbal: 44 (98th percentile)
Who gets the higher total score? Are they the
same? It turns out that the one with the higher
Verbal percentile gets the higher Total score,
approximately 690 vs. 670. Why is this? The
percentiles for the Quantitative and Verbal
sections were exactly the same, but switched.
Here are two possible reasons:
As American business schools draw a more
international student body, more and more
students will take the test, not all of whom
speak English as a first language. However, as
more students start taking the test, it becomes
much harder to do well on the Quantitative
section. Just eight fewer raw points drops you a
full thirty percentage points. In Verbal, you
can drop thirty percentage points, too, but the
raw point difference is twelve versus eight.
The total score is based on you as a complete
student. It is more common, given the trend in
the pool of test-takers, to do well in Quant and
okay in Verbal than it is to do well in Verbal
and okay in Quant. Thus, the latter score
COMBINATION is more rare in the total pool of
test-takers and results in a higher total
percentile. Your Verbal score and percentile is
the driver of your total score and percentile.
How does this scoring quirk affect prepping for
the GMAT? For one, it can be used as a tool to
alleviate fear of the Quantitative section.
Panic is the X-factor on the exam and can easily
paralyze a student, especially early on in the
test and especially for very high-scoring
students who are seeking perfection. If a
student understands that he/she can get a
competitive score (a.k.a. 700+) without hitting
80% in the Quantitative section, it might help
them move on when they inevitably get stuck.
Keep in mind though that many business schools
adhere to an 80/80 rule or at least benchmark,
meaning they'd like to see students hit at least
the 80th percentile in each section.
Second, it further reinforces the view that not
only is it more probable for a student to
achieve mastery in Verbal than in Quantitative
but it is also arguably more important (not
only&but also&nice!). During practice, fully
read and re-read the explanations provided in
prep material (particularly the ETS Official
Guide for GMAT Review to learn the GMAT test
writers' rules, logic and rationale).
The bottom line is that each test taker must
discover and make the most of his or her own
strengths and weaknesses. For many, the verbal
section is easier; and for others, it's the math
section. Still, it's helpful to know the trends
and have as much information as possible when
you are just getting started with your
preparation for the GMAT and Business School.
(以上資料來源
www.mba.com)
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