5 Resources to Prepare You for the Executive Assessment
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Your schedule may be jam packed these days, but that doesn’t have to get in the way of your business school goals.
The Executive Assessment was designed with your busy calendar in mind. From the makers of the GMAT™ exam, the Executive Assessment is an MBA admissions test that values the knowledge and real-world experience you bring to the table. The best part: it requires minimal prep, helping you demonstrate your readiness to your target MBA programs with minimal impact on your demanding schedule.
The question is, how should you spend that limited prep time? Here’s our recommendations for five resources that every Executive Assessment taker should explore in the time leading up to their test day.
1. Executive Assessment Official Prep
On average, examinees put in between 21 and 30 hours of prep time before their assessment.
A great place to begin your prep is with the Executive Assessment Questions Sampler. Use the sampler to get familiar with the variety and structure of the question types you will see on assessment day. It includes nine total questions for you to practice across Integrated Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning, and includes full answer explanations. Create an account and get free access the sampler for two weeks!
Once you’re familiar with the question types, it’s time to dig in and practice the actual assessment experience. For those who want the most complete official prep offering (and the greatest value), the obvious choice is the Official Practice Premium Collection, which has four full length tests that match the actual EA experience, plus 300 practice questions and 50 Integrated Reasoning questions, all with full answer explanations.
2. EA insights on the Inside the GMAT podcast
The Inside the GMAT podcast features experts that share tips on taking exams, prep, and how to optimize your application cycle for graduate business school. Two recent episodes were devoted entirely to discussing tips for the Executive Assessment.
Listen to Manish Dharia, the lead of the Executive Assessment for GMAC, on what the Executive Assessment is and how you can use it to elevate your MBA applications.
Listen to University of Virginia Darden Senior Admissions Director Brett Twitty share his firsthand insights into what he looks for in applicants and the importance of the Executive Assessment in admissions decisions.
3. Straight from the source: the Executive Assessment website
Be sure to spend some time with the official Executive Assessment website to learn about the test center and online deliveries of the Executive Assessment, see what schools accept the Executive Assessment, and learn all about the Executive Assessments structure.
The more you understand the assessment inside and out, the more confident you’ll be on your test day.
4. Your target MBA programs
Another great resource to tap into is the MBA programs you’re targeting for your applications. Connect with admissions staff to get on their radar, express your interest in their program, and ask questions about what they’re looking for in the applications they receive and what your Executive Assessment results tell them about your readiness for the rigors of the program.
Not sure which programs to target? Our free guide, Finding Your Best Fit Program: A Guide for Working Professionals, gives you the expert tips and guidance you need to confidently narrow your options and identify the programs that make the most sense for your needs, preferences, and career goals.
5. Current MBA students and alumni
Last but not least, you can speak with a current MBA students or alumni who also applied to their programs with the Executive Assessment. Get their firsthand accounts of the simple prep and test day experience, and learn about how you can start gearing up for your MBA experience.
💻 Read more: Top 5 Tips for Connecting with Business Schools Virtually in 2021
Not sure who to contact? Your target programs may be able to connect you with one of their current students or a recent graduate. In the meantime, check out this video to hear why Skip Calvert chose to take the Executive Assessment for his application to the UVA Darden Executive MBA program.
Read more about the Executive Assessment, including The Executive Assessment Online: Everything You Need to Know, Three Ways to Optimize Your Executive Assessment Online Prep, and Time is on Your Side with the Executive Assessment.