P&Q’s Must Reads: Revamped GMAT Exam Will Be Nearly One Hour Shorter

Hello everyone  — Welcome back to Poets&Quants’ Must Reads, a quick, digestible recap of the top business school news, sponsored by CentreCourt, P&Q’s virtual admission events.

I’m your host, Kristy Bleizeffer, and I’ll be highlighting the most important P&Q stories you might have missed. So, let’s get to it. 

No. 1: Revamped GMAT Exam Will Be Nearly One Hour Shorter

Faced with major declines in standardized test taking, the Graduate Management Admission Council will shorten the GMAT exam by nearly an hour, eliminating its essay requirement and making all questions multiple choice. The updated test represents the single biggest change to the GMAT since the test was moved from paper to computer in June of 1997. 

The revamped test, called the GMAT Focus Edition, will contain only three 45-minute sections that can be taken in any order by a test taker. An overview of the changes is available in our story, which you can find now on our trending tab.

Or, find even more detail in this story: 10 Quant & 13 Verbal Questions Removed From New GMAT Test.

No. 2: B-Schools Seek To Counter Fears After The Collapse Of Silicon Valley Bank

When Silicon Valley Bank, a major lender in the tech startup ecosystem, collapsed earlier this month, it was  the second-largest failure of a financial institution in United States history. The bank’s disintegration raised the specter of the 2008 meltdown that sparked the Great Recession, sparking fears of a catastrophic economy-crushing crash. Those fears were allayed somewhat when federal and California state regulators shuttered the tech lender and placed it under the control of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. 

PoetsAndQuants reached out to three West Coast business professors to talk about what it all means for students looking to break into the startup and VC space. You can find the story in our news tab.

No. 3: Nominate Your Favorite Under-40 MBA Professor For 2023’s List

It’s your last chance to nominate the most impactful, most inspiring MBA professors under the age of 40. 

We’re collecting nominations for the best MBA professors in the business to compile our annual Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors list. Deadline for nominations is March 24, 2023. 

We’re looking for MBA professors under the age of 40 who are masters in the classrooms, who influence business and policy, who are prolific researchers, and who have demonstrated meaningful impact on their fields. We need you to tell us who they are.

You’ll find the rules and nomination form in our news tab.

No. 4: Our Weekly Round Up of  News You Can Use

No matter where you are in your MBA journey, we bring several helpful stories for you this week.

First up: This important story, “Secrets to Smart GMAT & GRE Prep” should be on the reading list of anyone considering a business education. In it, you’ll find five surprising tips to build mindset alongside content mastery. You can find the article on our homepage.

Next: Are you in the enviable position of having multiple MBA invites, but don’t know which to choose? This storyfrom our friends at North Star Admissions – Deciding Between MBA Programs – outlines the criteria you should weigh to find the program best for you.  You can find it in our admissions hub.

Finally: How can an MBA Admission Coach help secure an acceptance letter to your target schools? And how do you select the right coach for you? Our partners at Fortuna Admissions answers these and other questions in How To Choose An MBA Admissions Coach, which you can find in our admissions tab.

And, that’s it for this week’s Must Reads recap. 

I also want to alert school seekers to CentreCourt’s upcoming Online MBA admissions event. In these virtual panels, you’ll learn about the best online MBA programs from admissions and career experts as well as students currently enrolled. Our next event is April 18 and 19, and you can register now for free.

Again, I’m Kristy Bleizeffer, and you can join me next week, right here, for a recap of what’s important in the world of business education. Thanks for listening and, as always, stay informed!