THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 15, 1994 TAG: 9410150236
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIRSTEN WILLIAMS, CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Students who want to go to business school will have to do a little more writing starting today.
To emphasize the importance of communication skills, the makers of the Graduate Management Admission Test have added writing exercises to the exam. The first new exam will be offered today.
The GMAT is virtually a prerequisite for college seniors who want to go on to business school. Nearly 250,000 take the test, which is offered four times a year.
About 70,000 usually register for the October exam, but ``we don't expect that many this fall,'' said William Broesamle, president of the Graduate Management Admission Council, which coordinates the exam.
Registration figures are down about 13 percent, he said, because students are waiting to hear what the new test is like.
At the University of Virginia, students and professors aren't complaining about the changes.
``I think it's a good idea,'' said Lilith Brown, a senior commerce student who plans to take the test at a later date. ``If you can't write your thoughts and communicate, it could pose a problem. You wouldn't be an effective manager.''
Neil Borden Jr., a professor at U.Va.'s Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, agreed: ``We're just tickled to death with that kind of thing. Analytical writing in our kind of environment here is terribly in demand.''
Jon Megibow, director of admissions at U.Va.'s Darden School, said: ``It's a way of capturing a slightly different set of skills and abilities, like the ability to pick apart and present an argument and persuade. These are the kind of skills managers use on a daily basis.''
Broesamle said the change in the exam was a response to changes in the curricula of business schools, which are placing greater emphasis on communication and leadership skills and teamwork. ``Management is a social ability,'' he said. ``People are much more serious about communication skills in general, writing specifically.''
He added: ``It's not a new idea really. The Medical School Admission Test and the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) require writing. This idea came up seriously about two years ago. Business school deans came up with it.''
The new GMAT will contain two half-hour writing tasks requiring students to analyze the information provided. Because of other adjustments to the exam, the test will still take 4 1/2 hours to complete. by CNB