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Inside the Sausage Factory: Sentence Correction (6 of 6)

By posted August 23, 2012

Last time we looked at making the answers more similar, which can absolutely trap the unwary or careless reader; our final approach is the most devious:  answers that are wrong because they are not the best answer.

4.  Make more than one answer grammatically correct.  This is tougher to create as a question writer and tougher to crack as a test-taker, because you need to retreat to those other things that Sentence Correction wants to test:  concision, style, and the meaning of the sentence.  What is the sentence trying to say, and how could that be altered in the wrong answer choices?  The introduction of the subjunctive is one way to reduce concision and clarity, and sometimes change the meaning; additional relative clauses can keep the sentence grammatical, but no longer concise.  The passive voice is also a good candidate; there is nothing grammatically incorrect about the passive voice, but it uses extra words and often jams in the pronoun it on top of being a less direct way of relating action.

Seismologists measure earthquakes on the Richter Scale; the higher the rating that is assigned to it, the more intense the earthquake was.
A. the higher the rating that is assigned to it, the more intense
B. the higher the rating, the more intense
C. the higher the rating is considered, the more intense
D. the higher we might rate the earthquake, the more intense it could be that
E. a higher number on the Richter Scale is indicative of how much more intense

Choice A is grammatically correct (as one would expect with so many words in the intro on the subject) but not ideal.  There are some assumptions you are allowed to make (even on Critical Reasoning!) all the time; here, we can assume that since the first clause talks about measurement on a scale, the rating in second clause (in the same sentence!) is a continuation of that idea.  We don’t need to specify that the rating is assigned to it, we know that already.  Choice B is our winner, which ought to be pretty familiar by now.  Choice C breaks the parallelism a bit, and shifts the meaning: we go from assigned ratings to how they’re considered (or thought of), which implies some subjectivity, as if in some part of the world an earthquake that’s a 5 would only be rated a 3 somewhere else.  The Richter Scale is not like Olympic judging!  Choice D adds in the subjunctive, the mood of many uses; when it’s used for no other reason, it indicates lack of certainty, which has less of a place in a sentence about science and how a certain measurement works.  Choice E is also grammatical and true — each number up on the Richter Scale indicates an intensity that is higher by a factor of 10, so it does indicate how much more intense the quake is — but this is more specific and more wordy than the original sentence calls for.

That rounds out our “usual suspects” for making SC questions.  Try these out on your friends or fellow forum-readers, and help each other get the best scores you can!

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Inside the Sausage Factory: Sentence Correction (5 of 6)

By posted August 21, 2012

Last time we — or really, I — talked about varying your answer choices to give people headaches when they read your excellent GMAT-style questions.  This time, I want to go the other way:  making them more difficult by making them more similar.

3.  Make subtle changes to create your incorrect answer choices.  That is to say, don’t make the wrong choices so obviously wrong, so that readers need to spend more time in analysis differentiating your options.  Sometimes an extremely wordy answer or ridiculously incorrect idiom leaps off the page (or screen) for the test-taker; these are easy to eliminate.  Small differences mean more attention must be paid to every piece — make your friends or fans or whoever is reading your creations squirm and say the answers to themselves a few times before they’re sure!

Companies label light bulbs in lumens; the higher the lumens on the label, the more visible light will be radiated by the bulb.
A. the higher the lumens on the label, the more
B. the more lumen on the label, the more
C. higher the lumens on the label, the more
D. the higher the lumens on the label, more
E. the higher lumens on the label, the more

The idiom the X-er, the Y-er is an odd-but-productive idiom in English, and one you should be familiar with for the test (after all, it’s in our model question from the Official Guide to the test).  I say it’s odd because you see it in some set phrases in English, such as the more things change, the more things stay the same or the bigger they come, the harder they fall; the verb sometimes goes away entirely, as in the more, the merrier. I say it’s “productive” because it can still be used to make new sentences, as evidenced by our OG sentences and my variations on it.

Like many idioms, though, you can “break” them by leaving even one word out, turning idiomatic English into a wrong answer choice.  This is how writing mistakes happen in real life!  Choice A is the correct one here (don’t forget that A can be right!).  Choice B has the right format and the correct parallelism, but leaves the critical -s off of the units of measure.  Units of measure are countable, while the thing measured typically isn’t (you have many dollars in your pocket, but just the singular money).  Choice C leaves out poor little the and abandons the parallelism and correctitude of the idiom with it; Choice D does the same with the the of the second half.  Choice E is possibly the most fiendish; because we aren’t counting specific lumens, only talking about the rating measurement on a given label, we use a the in front of the unit name.  Without it, the sentence is incorrect.

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Inside the Sausage Factory: Sentence Correction (4 of 6)

By posted August 17, 2012

Last time we talked about one way to make derivative questions from published sources harder through the addition of length (the answer was E, by the way).  This time, I want to address two more specific options.

2.  Vary your answers more.  The more the answers vary, the more time and thought have to go into their evaluation.  In addition to varying how similar your answers are, also vary exactly how similar answers appear in the wrong answer choices: if all the answers that make the same mistake (or have the same part correct) are adjacent, it’s easier to do a vertical scan and just ignore a section of the answer choices.

Very cold temperatures are measured in degrees Kelvin; if they give it a low number, the closer the temperature is to absolute zero.
A.  if they give it a low number, the closer the temperature is to absolute zero
B.  in terms of number and temperature, lower and closeness to zero are correlated
C.  we assign the lowest numbers to the temperature closest to zero
D.  the lower the number, the closer the temperature is to absolute zero
E.  to give it a low number is the same as making the temperature closer to absolute zero

Note that some of these answer choices come dangerously close to being correct!  Choice A has an ambiguous “they” and “it” problem — to what do these pronouns refer?  The “they” is troubling because you’d think it’s “people” or “scientists”, but the only plural noun in the sentence is “temperatures”.  Context still tells us that “they” can’t be temperatures — if nothing else in that case, “it” should have been the reflexive “themselves” — but the GMAT doesn’t like pronouns that are at all unclear.  Choice B has the right idea — the number and temperature are correlated, that’s the whole point of measurement systems —  but it is definitely wordy and awkward.  Choice C drops a first-person pronoun in, and while I won’t say with certainty that you could never see a GMAT question with one, it’s just not likely at all; aside from that, it says we assign numbers (plural) to a single temperature.  D is the winner, of course, and it might have still felt somewhat obvious due to the number of times you’ve answered these “the X-er, the Y-er” questions.  E lacks parallelism (to X is to Y would have been preferred), and unfortunately implies that assigning the temperature a number literally makes the temperature closer to absolute zero.  Were that true, I’d hope GMAC would remove the Quantitative portion of the exam in the interest of public safety — careless math could lead to another global economic crisis.

Next time, more subtle ways to make your friends’ GMAT studies harder.

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Inside the Sausage Factory: Sentence Correction (3 of 6)

By posted August 15, 2012

Last time we talked about replicating valuable official information as a supplement to your use of the Official Guide (you do own one, right?  If you are studying for the GMAT, you should!).  The answers, if you were worried, were CCEA.  If you weren’t worried, that was because doing the same question over and over again gets easy.  So, if you and your colleagues are studying for the exam and want to make questions to test each other, how can you use existing official questions as your models and vary the question so that it’s more challenging (by being unfamiliar) and in keeping with the laws of copyright?

The latter — not violating GMAC’s copyright, or anyone else’s, because it’s naughty — is easy:  don’t use the same words.  If possible, don’t be close.  The former — making it different enough to challenge somebody who’s memorized the OG — is trickier.  I am lazy and thus will subject my example sentences from last time to the following cruel grammatical experiments here.

1.  Make your sentence — or at least your question — longer.  This is the most obvious one.  Even if you don’t actually change how much is underlined, the fact is that most people read the whole sentence, because context is important and it’s relatively rare that you can entirely ignore one whole clause, as you could in the original OG question in this series.

If you lengthen the amount underlined, that can of course make things even trickier, and have other issues tested (going back to the different ways you can look at the same question, as we saw in the first installment).  The main way to make sentences longer is through additional relative clauses, prepositional phrases, and modifiers.  Make sure the underlining begins at the first point of difference and ends at the last one; if even one answer choice has a different first word and another one has a different last word, you underline the whole thing and pat yourself on the back for being evil.

Since the late 18th century, typographers, with varying historical lengths for the point generally converging on the modern 1/72 of an inch, have measured font sizes in points, the higher the points, it is that much larger in that font.

A.  Since the late 18th century, typographers, with varying historical lengths for the point generally converging on the modern 1/72 of an inch, have measured font sizes in points, the higher the points, it is that much larger
B.  Typographers have measured font sizes in points since the late 18th century, with varying historical lengths for the point generally converging on the modern 1/72 of an inch; giving it higher points, it is that much larger
C.  Since the late 18th century, typographers have measured font sizes in points, with varying historical lengths for the point generally converging on the modern 1/72 of an inch; when the points are higher, the larger the letters
D.  Generally converging on the modern 1/72 of an inch, typographers have measured font sizes in points since the late 18th century, with varying historical lengths for the point, and if they give it high points, the larger the letters
E.  Since the late 18th century, typographers have measured font sizes in points, with varying historical lengths for the point generally converging on the modern 1/72 of an inch; the higher the points, the larger the letters

I’m not patting myself on the back for being evil for my underlining, but I do feel a little bad for you.  This question now tests the same issue as before — the correlated comparative structure — but adds all the problems associated with long sentences, modifiers, and the correct joining of two independent clauses.  The answer, as well as more ways to make evil questions, are still to come!

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Inside the Sausage Factory: Sentence Correction (2 of 6)

By posted August 13, 2012

Last time, we talked about how new questions are born (“You see, son, when a writer and an Official Guide love each other very much . . .” ) outside of GMAC’s underground bunker.  Questions are made of a variety of topics, and those topics are tested not only in the original question, but in the answer choices.  Perhaps this is obvious, but the easiest way to make new questions is to follow the example exactly.  Thus, from our example question (OG 13, pg. 672, #2) we can generate the following questions that have a certain, well, familiar sound to them:

Companies label light bulbs in lumens; if they label the lumens higher, the more visible light will be radiated by the bulb.
A. if they label the lumens higher, the more
B. labelling the lumens higher, it is that much more
C. the higher the lumens on the label, the more
D. the higher the lumens on the label, it is that much more that
E. when the lumens on the label are higher, the more it is

Seismologists measure earthquakes on the Richter Scale; if they give it a higher rating, the more intense the earthquake was.
A. if they give it a higher rating, the more intense
B. rating the earthquake higher, it is that much more intense
C. the higher they rate the earthquake, the more intense
D. the higher they rate the earthquake, it is that much more intense that
E. when the Richter Scale rating is higher, the more intense

Very cold temperatures are measured in degrees Kelvin; if they give it a low number, the closer the temperature is to absolute zero.
A.  if they give it a low number, the closer
B.  when the number is lower, the closer
C.  the lower the number, it is that much closer
D.  giving it a low number, it is that much closer
E.  the lower the number, the closer

Typographers measure font sizes in points; the higher the points, the larger the letters in that font.
A.  the higher the points, the larger the letters
B.  giving it higher points, it is that much larger
C.  when the points are higher, the larger the letters
D.  if they give it high points, the larger the letters
E.  the higher the points, it is that much larger

GMAT aspirants often value this type of authenticity; they know that the questions they’re seeing adhere closely to GMAC’s standards, and thus gravitate toward the familiar.  The problem is perhaps obvious to you if you worked your way through the questions above:  they get easier, just as the OG itself gets easier the more times you run through it.  You’re answering the same question repeatedly – I’d hope you’d get better at it!  I didn’t even change the order of the answer choices in the first two.

Next time we’ll explore how to make them more difficult!

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Inside the Sausage Factory: Sentence Correction (1 of 6)

By posted August 9, 2012

“The less people know about how sausages and laws are made, the better they sleep at night” – often attributed to Otto von Bismarck

Ever wondered where all these test prep questions come from? Ever wondered about making your own? The Official Guide (or OG) has previous test questions, and there are some old GMAT tests floating around out there from its flirtatious youth, but those are the only places from which authentic GMAT questions originate . . . yet there are so many out there. The rest of them do not and cannot; GMAC does not license out its questions in this way. Instead, creators of test prep materials need to create questions that test the same topics, but are wholly different in terms of copyright.  It is illegal for people other than GMAC to re-use that content (as well as content from the actual test, should you try to commit those to memory from when you take it).  How does creating these things work?  How would you do it?  It turns out the process has some similarities to your initial reading of a given question, when you look for structure.

Sentence Correction

Get out your copy of the GMAT Review, 13th Edition (also known as OG13) and open to page 672.  Let’s pick on question number 2 to start.  I am not going to reprint it here; it is GMAC’s question to print, not mine.  We can still talk about it, however.  There are a number of things an SC veteran might see when looking at this question.

1:  independent clause; independent clause.

2:  factual statement; conditional statement.

3:  noun verb noun preposition noun; conjunction pronoun verb article noun adverb, article adverb article noun verb infinitive

4:  subject verb direct object prepositional phrase; subordinating conjunction subject verb direct object comparative adverb, comparative adverb subject verb verb complement.

A veteran would also naturally note the semicolon and the fact that the underlined portion does not span both clauses, making the first independent clause less relevant for answering the question.  Of the options above, all of them matter and test different things.  If you’ve been studying the GMAT at all before you came to this sordid tale of sentence construction, you’ve likely seen questions testing whether the sentence has at least one independent clause, and if it has more than one, that they are joined properly (#1), ones that test conditional statements (#2), ones that test the correct use of adjectives and adverbs (#3), and ones that lack essential grammatical elements needed by a particular sentence (#4).  Thankfully, at least, the answer choices only relate to the second clause of the sentence.

A)  same as the original sentence of course
B) participle article noun adverb, pronoun verb adverb adverb adverb as well as opening modifying phrase, subject verb verb complement (the whole thing being an independent clause)
C) article adverb article noun-adjunct noun, article adverb as well as idiomatic correlative adjective construction (the whole being a pair of phrases, not even a clause)
D)  article adjective article noun-adjunct noun, pronoun verb adverb adverb adverb as well as half of the idiomatic correlative adjective construction from C (the whole being a phrase and an independent clause)
E) conjunction article noun-adjunct noun verb adjective, article adverb pronoun verb as well as conjunction subject verb adjective-complement, half of the idiomatic correlative adjective construction from C (as well as being a dependent clause and a phrase)

That’s a lot to digest!  Next time, we’ll make some actual questions out of this mess.

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The Advantages of Online MBAs for Parents

By posted April 19, 2012

Working parents have major obligations which can be as rewarding as they are demanding. Is it realistic to earn an MBA while juggling a full-time job and a family? While it might not be easy, most most worthwhile endeavours aren’t — and online MBA programs, like Kenan-Flagler Business School’s MBA@UNC, now deliver some of the world’s highest-rated business education curricula in a more flexible and accessible format than ever before. While highly motivated and intrepid working parents have earned MBAs from all types of programs, online MBAs offer certain definite advantages.

Flexible Scheduling

Online MBA programs eliminate the time required for commuting to campus and allow much greater flexibility in scheduling than traditional, campus-centered graduate education. Asynchronous coursework can be completed at the student’s leisure, and advanced learning technology makes it easy to collaborate on projects with classmates around the world. Even those aspects of the program that do take place on a fixed schedule, like weekly virtual class sessions, can be completed from the comfort of the home or office. While the coursework is rigorous, these programs are designed to remove all unnecessary impediments between students and a high quality business education.

Synchronous and Asynchronous Technology

The best online MBA programs use a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning technology to recreate the personal feel of a traditional MBA program while affording students maximum flexibility in how they complete about their coursework. Synchronous technology, such as video-conferencing for virtual classrooms, allows groups of students and faculty to interact in real time. Asynchronous technology, such as a specialized social network, message boards and email, allow students to respond to each other on a longer timeline, which is particularly important for working parents or students in different timezones. This mixture of balanced educational technology provides many of the benefits of face-to-face interaction, while offering the flexibility and accessibility that only online education can provide.

Work From Home

For parents who work from home, or those who would like to, an online MBA program provides a unique advantage. In many ways, business professionals must make their own schedules, meet with challenging deadlines, and communicate with distant clients and colleagues. These skills will be exercised and strengthened by an online education, while students learn the concepts and practices that will help them sharpen their business skills, expand their networks and advance their careers.

Acquiring a graduate level business education is a challenging and exciting process for anyone, but online MBA programs are particularly well suited to the lifestyles of working parents, who would miss out on priceless family moments by spending nights or weekends commuting to a campus. After all, bettering yourself and your career should not need to come at the cost of family. And online MBA programs will give you the most flexibility in how you choose to balance the demands and rewards of your personal, professional and educational commitments.

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How Online MBAs Build Leaders in Global Markets

By posted April 9, 2012

In today’s business society, face-to-face interactions, social networking, smart phones and email are all integral ways people communicate. That is why prestigious business schools have designed a new generation of sophisticated online MBA programs around these technologies, while also incorporating face-to-face interaction among students and faculty. Creating classrooms across industries and between continents, these new programs are preparing the next generation of global business leaders by delivering top-tier business education in a flexible and accessible format online.

Global Classrooms

This new generation of online MBA programs is making world-class business education available to students located anywhere around the globe for the first time. Built around the same social networking and video-conferencing technologies that most students are already accustomed to, and that future business professionals will need leverage, these programs create real-time discussion-based classes online. By populating cohorts with working professionals of the same caliber as their on-campus MBA counterparts but extending access to those interested on every continent, the business schools behind these new online MBA programs have created a truly diverse and international student body in a way that has never before existed.

Asynchronous Technology

In addition to the virtual classrooms described above, online MBA programs use specially developed asynchronous learning technology to facilitate student communication and collaboration across time-zones. While studying alongside students from distant countries is beneficial, trying to schedule conference calls around their work and sleep schedules can be frustrating. By using familiar technologies, like email, message boards, lecture videos and even specially developed social networking platforms, online MBAs allow each student to work on their own schedule. And considering that multinational corporations spanning the globe are fast becoming the standard for successful large-scale businesses, these technologies and techniques necessary to harness their use will need to be familiar to the business leaders of the future.

Immersion Events

Successful business leaders understand that business must fundamentally occur on a personal level, face-to-face between human beings — not computer screens. That’s why online MBA programs such as UNC’s MBA@UNC program offers students the opportunity to attend immersion events, occasions where classes come together for experiential learning, leadership-building exercises and networking events. These events give students the opportunity to form lasting bonds with classmates and faculty while learning and networking in person — skills and experiences that many consider the most valuable aspects of a traditional MBA program.

Alumni Network

In addition to having frequent online contact with classmates and opportunities for immersion events, the best online MBA programs offer their students a legitimate connection to their alumni networks. These invaluable professional networks enable MBA graduates to reach colleagues, mentors and potential friends around the world. Such a network is an invaluable resource, particularly for professionals whose businesses are or aim to be global in reach.

Virtual Teams

Even before online MBA programs used emerging technology to bring graduate business education to pupils all over the world, businesses had begun using similar technology to enable teams of workers around the world to collaborate online. The advances in technology that allowed this leap forward in education are actually just part of a wider change transforming commerce. Awhitepaper recently released by UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School argues that virtual teams have become a pervasive phenomenon in recent years, and students who earn MBAs online will graduate with the highly developed digital communication skills which will be required in leading the businesses of the future.

Sources: http://howtomba.com/how-to-find-your-mba/mba-programs/online-mba

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5 Places to Earn Your MBA on the Beach!

By posted April 2, 2012

If you’re a dedicated MBA student AND love soaking up those Vitamin D rays, there are several great MBA programs that happen to be situated near some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Before you finish up those MBA applications, take a minute to consider a few of these Best Business Schools by the Beach! J

Need expert advice on a 30, 60, or 90 day study plan for the GMAT to help get you to one of these sunny destinations? Ask one of Grockit’s expert tutors!

1. UCLA – The Anderson School of Management is located in Westwood, just a short drive from Malibu, some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. This school is just north of Santa Monica and the famous Santa Monica pier. Learn how to surf while earning your MBA in sunny California.

2. AGSM in Sydney – Ready to take your surfing skills to an entirely new level? Located in Sydney, Australia, the Australian Graduate School of Management is #1 in Australia has received both AACSB and EQUIS accreditation. You can earn a degree in a foreign country without having to learn a new language and avoiding culture shock.

3. University of Miami – Not quite ready to leave the US? On the East Coast, Miami is a beach lover’s paradise, and the University of Miami’s MBA program faculty is rated by The Financial Times as among the top 35 business school faculties in the U.S. and among the top 40 faculties in the world.

4. IAE – Aix-en-Provence – One school located just a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean is IAE Aix-en-Provence – Graduate School of Management, which is a one-hour drive from Cassis, one of the most beautiful towns with sandy beaches on the French Riviera. Founded in 1955, IAE Aix-en-Provence has been awarded EQUIS and AMBA accreditations.

5. USC – Marshall School of Business – Although not quite as close to the beach as UCLA, USC’s program still boasts an impressive reputation, and many students apply to both programs, especially if they are looking into a West Coast business career. Twenty minutes from Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey, and less than two hours from San Diego, there’s plenty nearby to whet the beach-lovers appetite!

Need a little more work on your GMAT score before you can hit the waves? Take a quick look at your customized Study Plan on Grockit. Grockit will tell you what your current strengths and weaknesses are and suggest Targeted Practice to get your GMAT score 700+!

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Your MBA: The Pros & Cons of Choosing a “Big School”

By posted March 29, 2012

As you begin your MBA research, and start studying for the GMAT, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is where you want to apply. There’s a huge range of business schools out there, and one way to help you narrow down the list is to consider what size school you want to attend. The Best Business Schools are typically a bit larger, but there are cons to even the most reputable program. What will be the best business school for you depends a lot on your individual personality and post-academic goals. Here’s a few things to consider before choosing a “Big School”!

PROS

1 Name Value. There’s no denying that larger schools tend to have more name recognition. This doesn’t guarantee job security, but if you’re planning to work in New York or Washington DC, a world-famous program such as Oxford, Stanford, Wharton, etc. can be a big plus.

2. Traditional MBA Industries. If you’re looking to study traditional business sectors (i.e. finance/consulting) then a bigger school with more prestige could help you stand out in your field.

3. More alumni. Bigger schools mean more alumni working around the world, which could potentially lead to job opportunities later on. Want to meet other MBA applicants? Grockit’s GMAT group games allow students to study together – connect with MBA applicants from all over the world!

CONS

1. Less individual attention. If you’re the type of person who thrives with a bit more attention, the cutthroat world of a larger business program may not be beneficial for you. Smaller schools typically have greater access to the faculty and you’ll likely develop a closer relationship with your advisors.

2. The Cost. The “bigger” schools (both in size and prestige) tend to be more expensive. Many students opt for a “B+” level school and get a great education for a reduced fee. Remember that expensive is not always better.

3. Tough Entry Requirements. Schools that appear regularly on the “ten best” or “world’s best” lists published annually by magazines such as BusinessWeek or U.S. News and World Report are incredibly competitive to get into. If you have a limited amount of time to devote to application and GMAT study, you may want to look at a few less-competitive options. Is spending another six months getting your GMAT score 80 points higher worth it for you?

GMAT score not quite where it should be? Set up a 1-hour session with a Grockit tutor via Skype. Tutoring lessons are only $50/hr and involve one-on-one analysis of your study plan, pacing guidelines, and a discussion of effective strategies to quickly improve YOUR GMAT score!

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