Is the GMAT an IQ test?

Actually studying that much might not be that realistic. I'm studying for the GMAT now, and I end up doing a lot less than 25 hours a week because there are a lot more interesting things in this world to study. (Been studying python, trading technicals, and I am about to order the CFA prep) But I don't have any set time that I have to take the GMAT, and I pretty much only bought the prep I have because it was 100$ so I guess I am a bit different. Edit: But no, it's pretty much just about paying for the right prep course and learning the tricks.

For the GMAT ethic > brains hands down. Pretty much everything they throw at you can be taught. As for prep times, that completely depends on the person, some people pick the content up really easy and can get a 700+ with little (relatively speaking) effort. I'd look through the content of stuff they can ask you and then see what you know what you don't then make a study schedule from there.

IQ impacts how quickly your score improves but imo if someone keeps working and reinforcing the concepts there isn't a "cap" per se. However, you do get diminishing marginal returns, so certain scores for certain people may not be unattainable, but rather, impractical given the cost/benefit. Study as hard as you can to maximize your own score - don't focus on other people's benchmarks.

I would say that GMAT percentiles are roughly equal to SAT percentiles given an equivalent amount of studying with the GMAT percentiles perhaps being slightly lower due to a more competitive applicant base. In my case, the first unstudied diagnostic that I took for the GMAT was around the same percentile as my unstudied SAT score. Took about 50-60 hours of studying to get to the point where I wanted to be. Think about then when determining your own study time.

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Thanks for all the replies guys.

No. The GMAT is not an indicator of IQ any more than the SAT is.

That said, if you get about the 95th percentile on both parts of your test you can use that test result to get into MENSA.

it's a combination of intelligence and how hard you study. take a free GMAC practice test as a baseline and figure you can add 100-150 points to it depending on how much you study.

I would posit that anything with a sentence correction section is not an IQ test.

I've done both the GRE and GMAT and say its absolutely not an IQ test, just like the SAT's aren't...

Its a glorified memorization test of relatively basic skills you can pick up and improve with practice

It's not an IQ test, it is just another hurdle to pass to get into bschool, i did extensive modelling of random telecom signals, but on the GMAT i got a data sufficiency x>y ? wrong ...lol

I think with the right study habits 740 is definitely possible for anyone. I found this method to be most effective for me (more so than the Manhattan courses):

Brush up on the basic concepts, go through the OG at least twice, and time yourself when you do problems. Keep a log of what you get wrong. Google the answers for questions you get incorrect (the message boards have much more practical solutions than the book has). Also make sure you have a strategy for timing and stick to it. Sticking to a timing game-plan might have been the single biggest boost to my score on practice exams. Take at least 3 practice exams.

I really liked the Manhattan self study program, but looking back I felt like it spent too much time in areas that weren't heavily tested on the GMAT and are better off skipped (combinatorics). I found myself scoring ~650 after Manhattan and taking too much time to solve most of the math problems. Just going through the OG made me more efficient at problems that were more representative of the actual GMAT, and improved my practice scores to ~750.

Hope this helps. Good luck studying!

Just to reiterate what everyone said, you can get their with work ethic alone (your path will just be more difficult). I was never an amazing test taker or student but I got above 750 after multiple retakes and 6 months of giving up my life for this test. It wasn't pleasant and I scored around 500s after two months of diligent studying. But you can get there.

I skimmed the responses above and I saw good points on picking the right test materials. I don't get how/why some people use Kaplan and other crappy sources. I'll just add that it largely comes down to process. Have a process that you can apply quickly for every question type. Know scrappy backsolving/guessing methods that you are comfortable resorting to. Get mentally at ease with letting tough questions go. Good luck.

The GMAT is extremely learnable. The test comes down to pattern recognition- e.g. "when you see X you think Y"- especially on the quant section.

I think the verbal is less learnable, but I think your quant score is very closely correlated with how much time you have put into preparation.

I put around 100-150 hours in and scored a 730. I think that if I put another 50-100 hours in I would have scored 740 to 750, but at that point you are definitely seeing diminishing returns.

I have never heard of someone going into the GMAT cold and crushing it with a 700+ score, whereas I had a friend who did not study 1 second for the ACT and ended up with a 35.

The hardest part (at least for me) was re-learning some of the mathematical concepts I haven't used in years.

My previous job had mathematical requirements similar to investment banking. TONS of numbers of involved, but most of it was basic to mid level algebra.

The GMAT on the other hand requires you to be intimately familiar with every shortcut you used in high school geometry, as well as a huge number of "properties of numbers" type questions.

Not to mention that most schools weigh quant more heavily than verbal. Make sure you can solve series easily, do complex distance/time problems without a second thought, and test yourself using 700 level geometry questions off GMATclub. I particularly recommend that resources because the answers are going to teach you the high level tricks that will let you succeed on live problems.

it's designed to test your algorithm - studying that improves your mental algorithm helps. questions are fairly strange at times, though.

Hi guys, want to practice for GMAT. Have difficulties with sequences... any suggestions for websites where I can practice?

The GMAT is a rough proxy for an IQ test, provided that all of the test takers study to the best of their ability. Of course, this is never the case and often the score ends up being a combination of IQ, amount of effort put in the preparation, and how one deals with stress and pressure of a timed format.

I scored a 750 on the GMAT (would have been more like 770 if they incorporated my perfect AWA score rather than just Q+V) ...I think it is more learnable than an IQ test but my score corresponds relatively precisely to my IQ level. I know this because the Triple Nine Society (99.9%ile 146+) accepts gmat scores greater than 746 and my Verbal Comprehension Index IQ is 148(99.939%ile 1/1455). I think some people have strengths in areas the GMAT does not measure and therefore the relationship is relatively tenuous.