Is your GMAT score more a reflection of intelligence or hard work studying?

Answer 1

Speaking as a college professor, I would have to say no. There are some who are extremely bright, but panic during tests. I've had plenty of these students in my classes. They'll do very well on assignments, but when it comes to quizzes and exams, they'll "botch it."

Does that mean they're not intelligent? NO! Does it mean they don't work hard? NO! It simply means that they're not particularily good test takers for any number of reasons.

Plus, there are some "tricks of the trade" to performing better on standardized tests like the GMAT. And somebody who may have attended a prep class might do better.

And of course, it all boils down to what your definition of intelligence is. My dad cannot do well when it comes to math and science, nomatter how hard he tries, or how much help he gets. But he'll ace anything like English, Litterature, or something "creative in nature." He's simply got some sort of mental block, and was just labeled as "stupid" by his teachers in public school. In fact, he was told by one teacher they'll he probably wind-up in jail.

Yet today, he's got dual Ph.D.'s, didn't end-up in jail, and is far from unintelligent!

Test scores don't measure intelligence in my opinion, which is why I don't emphasize them too much. I look at actual performance in the classroom, and how well a student handles discussions and questions I pose to see whether he or she "really knows their stuff."

Answer 2

Oh that's easy. It has nothing to do with intelligence. The schools just want to know if you've had enough of an education to handle the pretty routine stuff they will throw at you. Completing graduate business school isn't exactly rocket science. Scoring high on the test correlates with nothing.
If you are asking because you didn't score well and you want to improve your chances of acceptance at a school, you should apply to schools as far away from you geographically as you can. Applying to a local school with a poor GMAT score will almost certainly will be to your disadvantage.

Answer 3

GMAT offers more of an indication of prior study skills, mainly in the area of math. GRE and LSAT are more geared to specific intelligence readings.

Answer 4

It depends. Some people have a natural aptitude towards tests. All it really is is a test of whether you could answer the questions or not regardless of how much time you might have put into it.

Answer 5

It's more about your ability to take the test. When you take the prep courses they don't teach you material they teach you test strategy which is most important.