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Graduate students studying at the Business Building

Going beyond and becoming a grad, med or law student

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Media Contact: Bailey Stacy | Communications Coordinator, Marketing & Communications | 405-744-2700 | bailey.stacy@okstate.edu

Ever thought about continuing your education after undergrad? When I realized, I was going to graduate my undergrad a semester early and did not know what I wanted to do, I decided to pursue my MBA. However, to get into the OSU MBA program, I knew I had to take one more standardized test, the GMAT. Ever since I was in elementary school, the standardized state tests and ACT were things I had to study longer and harder at than my classmates.

To get prepared for this test, I used to study the program Magoosh. They aid with nine different tests - GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE, etc. When it comes to the GMAT, they had various plans for specific sections, one with a live tutor option, video lessons, practice questions, practice tests and study schedules. You can access these study tools online or on the go in their mobile app, which helped me when I was in the car or in bed wanting to go over notecards.

If you are thinking about starting a career which requires a graduate level degree, here is an overview of the GMAT, GRE, MCAT and LSAT from The Princeton Review and other helpful sites.

GMAT - Graduate Management Admissions Test

  • Total time: 3.5 hours + optional 8 min breaks (2 available)
  • Scoring is 200-800.
  • Four sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, integrated reasoning and analytical writing
  • Verbal reasoning: 41 questions - 75 minute
    • Sentence correction: 14-15 questions
    • Critical reasoning: 13-14 questions
    • Reading comprehension: 12-14 questions
  • Quantitative reasoning: 37 questions - 75 minute
    • Problem-solving: approx. 22 questions
    • Data sufficiency: approx. 15 questions
  • Integrated reasoning: 12 questions - 30 minute
    • Multi-source reasoning: table analysis
    • Graphics interpretation: two-part analysis
    • The score range is 1-8
  • Analytical writing assessment (essay) - 1 question - 30 minute
    • Analysis of an argument
    • The score range is 0-6

Here is a direct link for most prompts on the GMAT as well as a link to take the exam at a discounted price for undergrad students.

GRE - Graduate Record Examinations

  • Total time: 3.75 hours + optional 10-minute break and 1-minute breaks
  • Scoring is 130-170 for verbal and quant. sections. Max score is 340.
  • Three sections:
    • Verbal reasoning:
      • Two 30-minute sections with approx. 20 questions each
      • Reading comprehension: 10 questions
      • Text completion: 6 questions
      • Sentence equivalence: 4 questions
    • Quantitative reasoning:
      • Two 35-minute sections with approx. 20 questions each
      • Quantitative comparison: 7-8 questions
      • Problem-solving: 12-13 questions
    • Analytical writing
      • One section with two 30-minute tasks
      • Analyze an issue
      • Analyze an argument
      • The score range is 0-6

Here is a link for a more detailed insight into the GRE.

MCAT - Medical College Admissions Test

  • Total time: 7.5 hours
  • Scoring is 472-528, 118-132 for each section.
  • Four sections:
    • Biological and biochemical foundations of living systems
      • 59 multiple choice questions
      • 95-minute section
      • Tests biology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and biochemistry
    • Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
      • 59 multiple choice questions
      • 95-minute section
      • Tests biochemistry, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics
    • Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior
      • 59 multiple choice questions
      • 95-minute sections
      • Tests introductory psychology, sociology and biology
    • Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS)
      • 53 multiple choice questions
      • 90-minute section
      • Similar to reading comprehension questions
      • Passages are from a variety of humanities and social sciences disciplines

LSAT - Law School Adminission Test

  • Total time: 3.5 hours
  • Scoring is 120-180.
  • Four sections:
    • Logical Reasoning:
      • Two sections, 24-26 multiple choice questions per section
      • 35 minutes per section
      • Tests ability to determine main points of arguments, apply logic to abstract concepts, find relevant info within a text, and analyze and evaluate arguments
    • Analytical Reasoning
      • One section, 4 logic games with 4-7 multiple choice questions each
      • 35-minute section
      • Tests ability to understand effects of rules on decisions and outcomes, determine relationships between concepts, analyze situations and draw conclusions based on set guidelines, and apply logic to ambiguous or complex situations
    • Reading Comprehension
      • One section, approx. 27 multiple choice questions
      • 35 minutes
      • 4 passages: 3 with one author and one combination of passages from two different sources regarding the same topic
      • Tests ability to draw inferences based on text, determine main ideas of passages, find relevant info within a text, and understand a dense scholarly text
    • Writing sample
      • One unscored section, but will be sent to law schools you apply to
      • 35 minutes
      • Tests ability to form an argument based on given facts, support an argument, and use written English to express an idea

I hope these links and bullet points helped you get a better understanding of these four major graduate tests. If you do decide to continue your education, do not hesitate to reach out to any of your professors for help when applying to schools. They have already taken these tests and may have study tips and tricks that will help you do better in the long run.

Story By: Alexis Hightower | alexis.hightower@okstate.edu

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