An Overview of the GMAT® and LSAT® Joanna Graham and Jeannette File-Lamb

The GMAT® Exam Joanna Graham Associate Director, GMAT® Program educationUSA Advisor Training September 28 – October 2, 2009 2

Agenda Who is GMAC®? What is the GMAT®? What might a student ask? How do I prepare for the test? What’s new? What can GMAC® do for me? 3

Who is GMAC®? A U.S. based non-profit organization GMAT® Test Sponsor Partners with Pearson VUE and ACT Champions of GME Non-profit education association GMAC® was est. in 1954 by small group of business schools. Non-profit educational council that serves test takers, schools & organizations dedicated to furthering education for students from around the world who are interested in graduate management education. Based in US but opened London office in January 2008 4

Global Access to the GMAT® 5

GMAT® Quick FAQs What is the GMAT®? What does the GMAT® measure? What do GMAT® scores mean? Does the AWA score affect the Total Score? How do I register for an appointment? Where is my closest testing center? How much does the GMAT® cost? GMAT® was developed by business schools to assess qualifications & skills of applicants for GME programs; GMAT® scores are just one piece of a candidate’s application to a graduate management education program. Institutions use them in different ways. GMAT® measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that have been developed over a long period of time through education and work. It does NOT measure— knowledge of business, job skills, specific content in undergraduate or first university course work, subjective qualities such as motivation, creativity, and interpersonal skills Score is calculated from Q&V sections : 200 – 800 (total) PLUS AWA (0-6) in ½ point intervals. Graded twice; if difference in scores is >1, graded 3rd time AWA does NOT affect total score Register in 3 ways – mba.com (web), call, or mail/fax forms found in Bulletin Use mba.com to find your closest testing center 6

What might a student ask? What does a “normal” GME candidate look like? How do I find information about GME programs? I’m interested in a program that doesn’t require GMAT® scores. www.mba.com 1. No normal candidate… schools look for well-rounded candidates with a variety of levels of professional experiences. 2. Contact the school directly 3. Contact the school directly 4. MBA.com has information on every stage of the graduate management education process from narrowing your interests and picking a program to finding financial aid 7

How do I Prepare for the test? Candidates should be familiar with the test Best preparation is practicing actual test Familiarity with item types and testing conditions Cannot use “tricks” to improve score It is absolutely essential to prepare. Why? The test is intended to measure ability in verbal and quantitative reasoning along with writing- it is not intended to measure computer skills or stress levels though obviously those things will affect someone’s score Students will get scores closest to their true ability only if they are familiar with the item types and testing conditions. Studies on test preparation show best prep mimics actual test conditions- free GMATPrep, actual former items in low cost sources Guessing “c” may help finish test, but won’t guarantee higher score 8

How do I Prepare for the test? GMATPrep® Official Guides for GMAT® Review 12th Edition Quantitative Review Verbal Review GMAT® Paper Tests MBA Survival Kit GMATFocus™ GMAT® Write! MYAccess! GMATPrep – FREE!!! New version released in October 2008 Official Guides – 12th Edition released in March 2009 Paper Tests – downloadable GMATFocus – diagnostic; just Quant (Feb 2008) GMATWrite! – Prep for AWA, web based with real writing prompts; Scored in real time/same engine as exam/ candidate will receive feedback; $29.99 – 2 promts/4 chances to write essays MYAccess! – For business school students; business writing; $129.95 for 1 year 9

What’s New?

2007-08 GMAT® Volumes by Region % of Volume 2007 % of Volume 2008 Africa 0.9% 1.1% Asia 11.0% 13.1% Australia and the Pacific 0.4% Canada 3.2% 3.3% Central Asia 6.6% 8.2% Eastern Europe 0.8% 1.0% Mexico, Caribbean & Latin America 1.6% 1.8% Middle East United States 65.4% 60.1% Western Europe 6.8% 7.1%

2007-08 GMAT® Volumes by Region Part II: Without the US % of Volume 2007 2008 Africa 2.7% Asia 31.8% 33.5% Australia and the Pacific 1.0% Canada 9.2% 8.5% Central Asia 19.1% 20.1% Eastern Europe 2.3% 2.6% Mexico, Caribbean & Latin America 4.8% 4.7% Middle East 9.4% 8.2% Western Europe 19.7% 18.0%

Palm Vein Reader

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What Can GMAC® do for Me? GMAT® Information Bulletin The Official Guide for GMAT® Review GMAT® Data www.gmac.com Profile of GMAT® Candidates Trends by Geographic Region Study Contact with GME programs

GMAT® Information Bulletin for 2009

mba.com

Questions? Joanna Graham Associate Director, GMAT® Program Graduate Management Admission Council jgraham@gmac.com +1-703-245-0604

Legal Education in the United States Jeannette File-Lamb Director of International Initiatives Law School Admission Council 2009 Western Hemisphere educationUSA Adviser Training Program September 28- October 2, 2009

Agenda Who is LSAC? Why pursue legal education in the U.S.? What is the process? What are the test volumes and locations? What is the test format? What resources are available?

Law School Admission Council 210 member law schools in US, Canada and Australia (Melbourne) Not-for-profit Services include: Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Test Preparation Material Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) J.D. Credential Assembly Service (JD-CAS)

Why Pursue Legal Education in the United States? Helpful to become a judge If workers assigned in the U.S. or working with a U.S. company, important to know U.S. law Enhance credentials (after First Degree) To Teach Specific target areas, for example: Intellectual Property Rights, Information Technology, Environmental Issues

Juris Doctor (J.D.) & LL.M. Degrees follows Undergraduate Degree To practice must typically also pass Bar Examinations & “Character and Fitness” Review LL.M. Degree Typically follows J.D. or international law degree One year, specialized program

Admission Process (J.D. & LL.M.) Undergraduate Degree LSAT (not typically required for LL.M.) Personal Statement References TOEFL if needed LSDAS and JD-CAS Limited Financial Aid

J.D. Credential Assembly Service (JD-CAS) Centralized credential authentication and evaluation (AACRAO) Access to online applications Copies of transcripts Letters of recommendation Other Law School Data Assembly Services (LSDAS)

LSAT Volumes 2008-09 (by test center) United States 138,000 Canada 10,000 Other International 3,000 Korea, Australia, China, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan, France, Taiwan Source: qryCountryTestTaken0809_4

Non-US Citizens applying to ABA Law Schools for 2008-09 Of the 3,843 applications: Canada 838 Mexico 84 Korea 460 Colombia 54 China 339 Brazil 52 India 140 Venezuela 33 UK 118 Peru 27 Jamaica 100 Argentina 23 Sources:qryForeignStudentsApplyingforJD_LLM_08_09_only Citizenship,andCitizenship2

Feedback from Admission Officers Application review process takes longer Undergraduate Degree in field of law not required Strong writing capability extremely important English language proficiency

LSAT: Purpose & Format Provide a standard measure of the acquired reasoning and reading skills of law school applicants Format Paper and pencil 3 ½ hours long Five multiple-choice sections & an un-scored writing sample Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Analytical Reasoning

LSAT Scores & Test Dates Range from 120 -180 (about 150 is average) No pass/fail score No penalty for guessing Test Dates June, October, December Exact time & date may vary by country or region

LSAT Test Centers Currently available in 60 countries Expanding availability of testing Recruiting for qualified centers and staff to administer LSAT Print deadline of December 1 Interested?

Hard-copy resources Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools LSAC Test Preparation Publications (available to advising offices at 50% discount for re-sale) Law School Admission Reference Manual for Law School Administrators and Prelaw Advisors

Online Resources LSAC: www.LSAC.org & www.LSACnet.org ABA: www.ABAnet.org/legaled/home.html National Conference of Bar Examiners: www.NCBEx.org Association of American Law Schools: www.AALS.org

My Contact Information Jeannette File-Lamb Director of International Initiatives Law School Admission Council 662 Penn Street Newtown, PA 18940 USA Jfile-lamb@LSAC.org Phone: +1.215.968.1372