If you have been thinking about applying to business school, you may have encountered a number of assessments that schools use during their admissions processes. One of the newest is the Executive Assessment, which is widely used by Executive MBA (EMBA) and other graduate management programs.
Since the Executive Assessment is still relatively young, you may not be as familiar with it as you are with other assessments. If you want to learn a little more, here’s the truth behind 3 common misconceptions about the Executive Assessment.
Myth 1: The Executive Assessment is a barrier to business school
One of the most common misconceptions about the Executive Assessment is that it is a barrier to getting into business school. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most business schools use the Executive Assessment for identifying candidate readiness rather than to filter out candidates.
In other words, business schools can use the Executive Assessment results to determine what additional preparation, if any, a candidate may need in order to make the transition to business school a smooth one. It can also help identify you as someone who might need more assistance, which can in turn help your chosen school provide you with any additional support you may require to succeed. This is especially important given that most EMBA candidates have been out of school for a number of years.
In fact, simply taking the test can be a good way to prepare for academic life. As Eliza says of her experience taking the Executive Assessment, “…it also prepares you, at the same time, to be able to step into the MBA program and get you back on the right path of studying if you've maybe been out of school for a couple of years.”
Want to learn more about how the Executive Assessment can help ease the transition to business school? Check out Worried About Returning to School? How the Executive Assessment Test Can Help.
Myth 2: The Executive Assessment is the same as other business school assessments
Far from being like other business school assessment, the Executive Assessment stands out as a truly unique one. For example, the Executive Assessment is an executive management assessment that can be finished in just 90 minutes. Also, what really makes it stand out is the fact that it has been specifically designed to measure the skills and knowledge of professionals who already have plenty of experience in the workplace. Specifically, it analyzes test takers’ abilities in three key areas—Integrated Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning—over the course of just 40 questions.
Myth 3: The Executive Assessment requires a lot of preparation
You might think that the Executive Assessment requires substantial preparation. However, test takers tend to especially appreciate how little preparation is required for this executive business masters exam. Given that the Executive Assessment is designed for working professionals, it makes sense that it is an assessment that can be prepared for easily in the evenings and on the weekends.
As Skip Calvert of Darden’s Executive Program says of the Executive Assessment, “I was able to prepare for it in less time, really focus on it for a couple of weeks...” In fact, on average candidates require just 21 to 30 hours of preparation time and Official Prep materials are available from the Graduate Management Admission CouncilTM. For candidates who lead busy lives, that modest preparation is one of the most unique and attractive aspects of the Executive Assessment.
Are you interested in pursuing an EMBA or other business school program?
Find out how the Executive Assessment can help you get there.
