GMAT - a friend or a foe?

I hear some variation of the following often mentioned by GMAT-takers:

• "GMAT really tries to fool you."
• "GMAT is like a game of chess."
• “I often end up selecting the trap answer”

Along the same lines, test prep companies and coaches (myself included), often talk about:

• How to crack the GMAT
• How to beat the GMAT - there is even a popular forum with this name

When we say the GMAT is trying to fool us we believe the test is out there to "get" us. A 'game of chess' implies we are trying to beat an opponent who in turn is trying to beat us. 'Trap answer' indicates the GMAT is setting traps for us. Terms such as 'crack' and 'beat' imply we are trying to overcome an adversary. This paints a picture that GMAT is a foe that we need to defeat.

I do not agree.

Allow me to demonstrate.

Here's a statement copied from an official GMAT Critical Reasoning question:

"Each of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion drawn above EXCEPT:"

Notice the capitalized last word. If the test makers were trying to fool us, would they capitalize it? The reason seems so test-takers do not miss the word and thus do not end up answering a question different from what's been asked. If the test makers were trying to "fool" us, wouldn't they have the word in all lower case mentioned somewhere in the middle of the statement at which place the chances of test-takers missing it would be a lot higher?

Here's an excerpt from MBA.com (the official GMAT site by GMAC, the makers of GMAT):

"To help you achieve your best possible score, the GMAT exam gives you the flexibility to customize your exam experience so that your section order aligns with your test-taking strategy. Right before you begin the exam, three section-order options will appear on your screen."

Seems like a move toward evaluating us, and not beating us, doesn't it?

Do test-takers fall for "traps"? Do test takers get "fooled"?

Oh, for sure! However, I believe it is a leap to infer from this that the test is set to fool us and trap us. GMAT is built simply to ... test us.

Does GMAT at times make answer choices so close that unless we are precise and focused, we might miss a nuance? Does GMAT have questions in which many of us end up making assumptions that are not a part of the question?

The answer to both these questions is a resounding yes. On this basis, however, to conclude that the test is out there to "get" us is flawed. The test is simply trying to evaluate us. The test tries to evaluate how precise and focused we are with our reading. It checks how clear we are with our understanding, and whether we realize what assumptions are in play. In fact, if we start to develop focus and precision, if we become more mindful of assumptions, if we work towards building the skills that the test evaluates, we start getting more questions correct through higher clarity. Simply put, the GMAT rewards us.

Why GMAT in the first place?

If you were in-charge of admissions into a management program, how would you figure out the best students to join the program? Wouldn't you think of the abilities of a good management student, and then set up processes that evaluate those abilities?

If you were in-charge of admissions into a management program, how would you figure out the best students to join the program?

Similarly, why do most top B-schools require a GMAT score? Is it merely a formality? I'd like to believe that admission committees are made up of logical people, and the requirements they have as part of the admission process are things they believe would help them evaluate how 'ready' an applicant is to do well on their MBA program. GMAT is a part of those requirements. So, I assert that the GMAT tests certain skills that B-schools believe students need to do well in their management programs. If we develop the skills that the test truly evaluates, we'd be rewarded not only on the GMAT, but also during and after our management education.

I believe we can treat the GMAT as a foe and continue to try and find hacks to beat it, or we can treat the test as a friend and actually improve ourselves in the process. It's a matter of perspective. It's a choice.

Choose wisely.

Happy learning!