MODULE 1 (4.0 Hours)
Orientation to/Overview of GMAT; Diagnostic test; Individual Goal-Setting. Course syllabus; instructor and student expectations. Overview of content and structure of GMAT. How the GMAT CAT (computer adaptive test) is scored; scheduling the actual GMAT. Half-length paper-based diagnostic test (no essay). Students will purchase, download, and bring to class prints of GMAT Paper Tests Set III ($25.00; www.MBA.com); since this material will be used for in-class testing, students should not review it in advance. Interpretation of practice test results; setting individual student target GMAT scores on the basis of practice test outcomes.
MODULE 2 (3.5 Hours)
Sentence Correction. GMAT "rules" governing correct, effective, and idiomatic expression; biases/preferences of GMAT developers for formal, balanced, unambiguous expression. Understanding explanations in your text of credited Sentence Correction answers. Parallelism; subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent/referent agreement; verb tense and voice; modification; comparisons; logical predication; and standard English idioms. Pattern-based techniques for evaluating answer choices/eliminating clusters of incorrect answers. Brief Sentence Correction quiz and interpretation of results.
Module 3 (3.5 Hours)
Quantitative Problem Solving 1. Overview of problem solving question types and textbook explanations of solutions. Properties of integers; arithmetic, number concepts/ operations, real numbers and the number line; operations with signed integers, fractions and decimals; multiples, factors and remainders; prime numbers; place value; ratio and proportion; direct and inverse variation.
Module 4 (3.0 Hours)
Quantitative Problem Solving 2. Percentages; reciprocals; absolute value; (arithmetic) mean, median, mode and range; frequency distribution; sets; permutations and combinations; probability; powers and roots; scientific notation. Brief quiz; interpretation of results/implications for future preparation of GMAT arithmetic and number concepts/ operations quantitative material.
Module 5 (3.5 Hours)
Quantitative Problem Solving 3. Algebraic expressions; solving linear equations in one and two variables; inequalities; data interpretation; Algebraic solutions to word problems; linear and quadratic functions; series and sequences; factoring and solving quadratic equations. Refinement of initial GMAT problem-solving strategies.
Module 6 (3.5 Hours)
Quantitative Problem Solving 4. Geometry and word problems. Angles; parallel and intersecting lines and segments; triangles and other convex polygons; circles; composite figures in two-dimensions; rectangular solids and cylinders; coordinate Geometry; symmetry. Applying mathematics knowledge developed during previous modules to word-problem questions. Brief quiz; interpretation of results/implications for solving more challenging problems testing knowledge in arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry.
MODULE 7 (3.5 Hours)
Reading Comprehension. Overview of reading passages and six question types. Understanding explicit statements, recognizing assumptions and acting upon their implications, evaluating relationships among elements of the passage, identifying the tone of the passage/the author's attitude toward the subject of the passage. Valid/invalid inferences; "outside context" questions. Applying techniques of structural analysis to passage-based reading. Effective techniques for identifying "credited" answers from factual, structural, and contextual clues and for avoiding commonly-employed types of "answer traps." Brief quiz; interpretation of results/implications for future preparation of GMAT reading material.
MODULE 8 (1.5 Hours)
Quantitative Problem Solving Quiz. Forty-five minute quiz covering all ten types of problem-solving questions and GMAT mathematics concepts. Interpretation of results; refinement of individual problem-solving strategies and techniques.
Module 9 (3.5 Hours)
Data Sufficiency. Application of arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and word problem solution strategies to the troublesome Data Sufficiency section of the GMAT. Data Sufficiency quiz; interpretation of results and individual strategy refinement.
MODULE 10 (3 Hours)
Critical Reasoning. Stated and implied premises; assumptions; argument construction, interpretation, and evaluation; inferences; development/evaluation of conclusions. Valid logical constructions. Understanding textbook explanations of Critical Reasoning solutions. Team-generated approaches and strategies. Critical Reasoning quiz; interpretation of results and individual strategy refinement.
Module 11 (1.5 Hours: lunchtimes)
Overview of Integrated Reasoning Material and Analytic Writing Assessment/Review of Submitted Student Essays. Brief overview of the recently-added Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT; brief overview of the Analytic Writing Assessment section of the GMAT; 1:1 sessions (time permitting) reviewing instructor’s suggestions for improving student essays submitted to instructor in advance. Since both the Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing sections of the GMAT are scored separately (the scores on these sections are not incorporated into the three-digit GMAT score reported for the student), overviews of these sections are presented by the instructor during a portion of the 1-hour lunch break scheduled for each of the last three class meetings.”
Module 12 (5 Hours)
Post-Class Practice GMAT Test. Administration of full-length, paper GMAT (no essays) from GMAT Paper Tests Set III ($25.00; www.MBA.com). Brief individual analyses of exam results and recommendations for final preparation for and scheduling of the GMAT