If you decide to enroll in a GMAT prep course, keep in mind the following points of advice: Ask about the policy for repeating the course. Insist on having the option to repeat the course at least once without charge at any time (not just within the following year). Ask about merit-based or need-based scholarships (fee reductions). If you repeat the course, be sure to arrange for a different instructor; just as with GMAT books, each GMAT instructor has his or her own teaching style, and you may derive greater benefit from a different type. The most significant benefit of a GMAT course is the live classroom, so be sure to attend as many classes as you can. Take full advantage of opportunities to meet other students and set up out-of-class study sessions. As we’ve already noted, you can learn just as much from your peers as from an instructor. GMAT AVAILABILITY AND REGISTRATION The computer-based GMAT is administered year-round at more than 500 locations, most of which are in North America. Testing centers are located at Prometric Testing Centers, Sylvan Learning Centers, certain colleges and universities, and Pearson VUE locations. The official GMAT Bulletin contains a complete list of GMAT computer-based test centers; an updated list is available at the GMAC Web site (www.mba.com). Registering for the GMAT To take the computer-based GMAT, you must schedule an appointment by using any of the following four methods: Make an appointment online via the GMAC Web site (www.mba.com). Click on “The GMAT ® ” at the top of the page. Call the test center of your choice directly. A current test center list is available at the GMAC Web site (www.mba.com/mba/thegmat). Call the central registration number: 1–800–717-GMAT (1–800-717-4628). Register by mail or fax. To do so, you must first complete the GMAT Appointment Scheduling Form, available at www.mba.com. To complete the form, you’ll need the Test Center List for Site ID numbers and the Country Code List, also available at this Web site. To fax your form from North America, dial 1–952-681-3681; go to www.mba.com for fax numbers for other countries and regions. If you’re registering by mail, send your completed form to: Pearson VUE Attention: GMAT ® Program PO Box 581907 Minneapolis, MN 55458-1907 USA Appendix A: Resources for GMAT Preparation 653 www.petersons.com Please keep in mind that it may take up to eight weeks for letters to reach the United States from some countries. You might be able to sit for the GMAT within a few days after scheduling an appointment. However, remember that popular test centers may experience a backlog of up to several weeks. Also, you might find it more difficult to schedule a weekend test date than a weekday test date. So be sure to plan ahead and schedule your GMAT early enough to meet your business school application deadlines. Mobile Testing Center GMAC, in collaboration with Pearson VUE, is now offering a limited mobile testing option, available to applicants on military bases, historically black colleges and universities, and schools that are very remote from a testing center. The Mobile Testing Center is a bus that travels throughout the United States for seven months, stopping at select locations so that students may board the bus to take the GMAT. The Mobile Testing Center launched its second GMAT bus tour in October 2007 and will visit more than fifty cities, administering hundreds of tests. To view the GMAT Mobile Calendar, go to www.gmac.com. The Mobile Testing Center can accommodate 6 test takers at one time and is wheelchair accessible. Its interior is consistent with that of a Pearson Professional Center (PPC) or Pearson-owned testing center. The testing environment is as secure as that of other GMAT test centers. For more information on registering to take the GMAT at the Mobile Testing Center, go to www.gmac.com or e-mail GMAC at gmatprogram@gmac.com. Obtaining Up-to-Date GMAT Information For detailed information about GMAT registration procedures, consult the official GMAC Web sites (www.mba.com or www.gmac.com) or refer to the printed GMAT Information Bulletin, published annually by the GMAC. This free bulletin is available directly from GMAC and through career-planning offices at most four-year colleges and universities. You can also download the Bulletin from the GMAC Web site. The official GMAC Web site and Bulletin both provide detailed and current information about: • Test center locations, telephone numbers, and hours of operation • Registration procedures • Accommodations for disabled test takers • Requirements for admission to the GMAT • Registration and reporting fees and refund policies • Repeating the test • The paper-based GMAT (availability, registration procedures, etc.) • Official scoring criteria for the AWA essays • How GMAT scores should be used by the institutions The GMAT Bulletin is published only once a year, so for the most up-to-date official information, be sure to check the GMAC Web site. 654 APPENDIXES www.petersons.com Contacting the Testing Service To obtain the Bulletin or for other information about the GMAT, you can contact GMAC using any of the following methods: Telephone (in the Americas): 1–800-717-4628 (toll-free within the U.S. and Canada only), 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time Telephone: 1–952-681-3680, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time Fax: 1–952-681-3681 E-mail: GMATCandidateServicesAmericas@pearson.com World Wide Web: www.mba.com www.gmac.com Mail: Pearson VUE Attention: GMAT ® Program PO Box 581907 Minneapolis, MN 55458-1907 USA Appendix A: Resources for GMAT Preparation 655 www.petersons.com Determining Your Score CAN YOU PREDICT YOUR GMAT SCORE? The short answer is “no.” Because the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test, it’s not possible to accurately predict your actual GMAT score based on how you perform on the Practice Tests in this book. However, you can use the scoring table below to get a general idea of how you performed on the Practice Tests and how they might reflect your GMAT score were you taking the actual computerized test. To calculate your score on the Practice Tests, first count the number of correct answers you have in each section. Then find that number in the left column (labeled “C”) on the table. Directly across from that number, in the corresponding column labeled “S,” you’ll see an aproximation of your GMAT score. Quantitative Subscore (C 5 Correct; S 5 Score) CS CS CS CS CS 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 60 60 58 56 54 52 50 48 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Verbal Subscore (C 5 Correct; S 5 Score) CS CS CS CS CS CS 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 60 60 58 56 54 52 50 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 34 32 30 28 26 24 22 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 appendix b 657 GMAT Score (C 5 Correct; S 5 Score) CS CS CS CS CS 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 800 800 800 790 780 770 760 750 740 730 720 710 700 690 680 670 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 660 650 640 630 620 610 600 590 580 570 560 550 540 530 520 510 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 500 490 480 470 460 450 440 430 420 410 400 390 380 370 360 350 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 340 330 320 310 300 290 280 270 260 250 240 230 220 200 200 200 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 658 APPENDIXES www.petersons.com Word List A abbreviate (verb) To make briefer, to shorten. Because time was running out, the speaker was forced to abbreviate his remarks. abbreviation (noun). aberration (noun) A deviation from what is normal or natural, an abnormality. Jack’s extravagant lunch at Lutece was an aberration from his usual meal, a peanut butter sandwich and a diet soda. aberrant (adjective). abeyance (noun) A temporary lapse in activity; suspension. In the aftermath of the bombing, all normal activities were held in abeyance. abjure (verb) To renounce or reject; to officially disclaim. While being tried by the inquisition in 1633, Galileo abjured all his writings holding that the earth and other planets revolved around the sun. abrade (verb) To irritate by rubbing; to wear down in spirit. Olga’s “conditioning facial” abraded Sabrina’s skin so severely that she vowed never to let anyone’s hands touch her face again. abrasion (noun) abridge (verb) To shorten, to reduce. The Bill of Rights is designed to prevent Congress from abridging the rights of Americans. abridgment (noun). abrogate (verb) To nullify, to abolish. During World War II, the United States abrogated the rights of Japanese Americans by detaining them in internment camps. abrogation (noun). abscond (verb) To make a secret departure, to elope. Theresa will never forgive her daughter, Elena, for absconding to Miami with Philip when they were only 17. accretion (noun) A gradual build-up or enlargement. My mother’s house is a mess due to her steady accretion of bric-a-brac and her inability to throw anything away. activism (noun) A belief or practice based on direct action. The young man’s interest in activism led him to participate in numerous protest marches against the war. appendix c 659 adjunct (noun) Something added to another thing, but not a part of it; an associate or assistant. While Felix and Fritz were adjuncts to Professor Himmelman during his experiments in electrodynamics, they did not receive credit when the results were published. adulterate (verb) To corrupt, to make impure. Unlike the chickens from the large poultry companies, Murray’s free-roaming chickens have not been adulterated with hormones and other additives. adversary (noun) An enemy or opponent. The senator became the front runner when most of his adversaries dropped out of the race. adverse (adjective). advocate (noun) One who pleads on another’s behalf. The woman’s attorney served as an excellent advocate during her trial. affability (noun) The quality of being easy to talk to and gracious. Affability is a much-desired trait in any profession that involves dealing with many people on a daily basis. affable (adjective). affected (adjective) False, artificial. At one time, Japanese women were taught to speak in an affected high-pitched voice, which was thought girlishly attractive. affect (verb), affectation (noun). affiliation (noun) Connection, association. The close affiliation among the members of the team enabled them to outplay all their opponents. affinity (noun) A feeling of shared attraction, kinship; a similarity. When they first fell in love, Andrew and Tanya marveled over their affinity for bluegrass music, obscure French poetry, and beer taken with a squirt of lemon juice. aggrandize (verb) To make bigger or greater; to inflate. When he was mayor of New York City, Ed Koch was renowned for aggrandizing his accomplishments and strolling through city events shouting, “How’m I doing?” aggrandizement (noun). aggression (noun) Forceful action or procedure. Mohandas K. Ghandi argued that aggression on the part of one’s oppressors was best met with passive resistance. aggressive (adjective). agitation (noun) A disturbance; a disturbing feeling of upheaval and excitement. After the CEO announced the coming layoffs, the employees’ agitation was evident as they remained in the auditorium talking excitedly among themselves. agitated (adjective), agitate (verb). alignment (noun) The proper positioning of parts in relation to each other. If the wheels of an automobile are not in alignment, the car will not function properly. align (verb). allocate (verb) To apportion for a specific purpose; to distribute. The president talked about the importance of education and health care in his State of the Union address, but, in the end, the administration did not allocate enough resources for these pressing concerns. allocation (noun). alluded (verb) Made indirect reference to. Without actually threatening to fire his employee, the manager alluded to the possibility of his being terminated. 660 APPENDIXES www.petersons.com amalgamate (verb) To blend thoroughly. The tendency of grains to sort when they should mix makes it difficult for manufacturers to create powders that are amalgamated. amalgamation (noun). ameliorate (verb) To make something better or more tolerable. The living conditions of the tenants were certainly ameliorated when the landlord finally installed washing machines and dryers in the basement. amelioration (noun). amortize (verb) To pay off or reduce a debt gradually through periodic payments. If you don’t need to take a lump sum tax deduction, it’s best to amortize large business expenditures by spreading the cost out over several years. amplify (verb) To enlarge, expand, or increase. Uncertain as to whether they understood, the students asked the teacher to amplify his explanation. amplification (noun). anachronistic (adjective) Out of the proper time. The reference in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to “the clock striking twelve” is anachronistic, since there were no striking timepieces in ancient Rome. anachronism (noun). analogous (adjective) Having a likeness or similarity. The student pilot quickly learned that flying a plane was only slightly analogous to driving an automobile. analogue (noun). analytical (adjective) Separating something into its component parts. The mathematician’s analytical ability enabled him to determine the correct answer to the problem. analyze (verb). anarchy (noun) Absence of law or order. For several months after the Nazi government was destroyed, there was no effective government in parts of Germany, and anarchy ruled. anarchic (adjective). animosity (noun) Hostility, resentment. During the last debate, the candidates could no longer disguise their animosity and began to trade accusations and insults. anomaly (noun) Something different or irregular. Tiny Pluto, orbiting next to the giants Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, has long appeared to be an anomaly. anomalous (adjective). antagonism (noun) Hostility, conflict, opposition. As more and more reporters investigated the Watergate scandal, antagonism between the Nixon administration and the press increased. antagonistic (adjective), antagonize (verb). antipathy (noun) A long-held feeling of dislike or aversion. When asked why he didn’t call for help immediately after his wife fell into a coma, the defendant emphasized his wife’s utter antipathy to doctors. apprehension (noun) A feeling of fear or foreboding; an arrest. The peculiar feeling of apprehension that Harold Pinter creates in his plays derives as much from the long silences between speeches as from the speeches themselves. The policewoman’s dramatic apprehension of the gunman took place in full view of the midtown lunch crowd. apprehend (verb). appropriate (verb) Take possession of. The little boy appropriated his sister’s new doll. arbitrary (adjective) Based on random or merely personal preference. Both computers cost the same and had the same features, so I made an arbitrary decision about which one to buy. Appendix C: Word List 661 www.petersons.com archaic (adjective) Old fashioned, obsolete. Those who believe in “open marriage” often declare that they will not be bound by archaic laws and religious rituals. archaism (noun). argumentation (noun) Forming reasons, drawing conclusions, and applying them to a dis- cussion. A discussion of the merits and demerits of grass and artificial turf in ballparks provides an excellent opportunity for argumentation. argumentative (adjective). arid (adjective) Very dry; boring and meaningless. The arid climate of Arizona makes farming difficult. Some find the law a fascinating topic, but for me it is an arid discipline. aridity (noun). articulate (adjective) To express oneself clearly and effectively. Compared to George Bush, with his stammering and his frequently incomplete sentences, Bill Clinton was considered a highly articulate president. asperity (noun) Harshness, severity. Total silence at the dinner table, baths in icy water, prayers five times a day—these practices all contributed to the asperity of life in the monastery. assail (verb) To attack with blows or words. When the president’s cabinet members rose to justify the case for military intervention in Iraq, they were assailed by many audience members who were critical of U.S. policy. assailant (noun). assay (verb) To analyze for particular components; to determine weight, quality, etc. The jeweler assayed the stone pendant Gwyneth inherited from her mother and found it to contain a topaz of high quality. assertion (noun) A positive statement or declaration. If he had not sincerely believed that he was the best person for the job he would not have made that assertion. assert (verb). assessment (noun) An appraisal. The woman’s assessment of the situation led her to believe that it was an appropriate time to take some action. assess (verb). assimilate (verb) To absorb into a system or culture. New York City has assimilated one group of immigrants after another, from the Jewish, German, and Irish immigrants who arrived at the turn of the last century to the waves of Mexican and Latin American immigrants who arrived in the 1980s. assimilated (adjective). assuage (verb) To ease, to pacify. Knowing that the pilot’s record was perfect did little to assuage Linnet’s fear of flying in the two-seater airplane. attainment (noun) The act of achieving a goal, or the goal itself. Had the company’s vice president not already reached a certain level of attainment, she would never have been considered for the presidency. audacious (adjective) Bold, daring, adventurous. Her plan to cross the Atlantic in a twelve-foot sailboat was audacious. audacity (noun). authoritarian (adjective) Favoring or demanding blind obedience to leaders. Despite most Americans’ strong belief in democracy, the American government has sometimes supported authoritarian regimes in other countries. authoritarianism (noun). authoritative (adjective) Official, conclusive. For over five decades, American parents regarded Doctor Benjamin Spock as the most authoritative voice on baby and child care. authority (noun), authorize (verb). 662 APPENDIXES www.petersons.com . 1–952 -681 - 3680 , 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time Fax: 1–952 -681 - 3681 E-mail: GMATCandidateServicesAmericas@pearson.com World Wide Web: www.mba.com www.gmac.com Mail: Pearson VUE Attention: GMAT ® Program PO. other GMAT test centers. For more information on registering to take the GMAT at the Mobile Testing Center, go to www.gmac.com or e-mail GMAC at gmatprogram@gmac.com. Obtaining Up-to-Date GMAT. site (www.mba.com/mba/thegmat). Call the central registration number: 1–800–717 -GMAT (1–800-717-4628). Register by mail or fax. To do so, you must first complete the GMAT Appointment Scheduling