I had a request about how hard the GMAT actually is, and how long it takes to get. Well, GMAT is not a pass/fail test, it gives you a score for each of the four sections. Your agregate score is used by business schools as an entry barrier - basically the higher score you get, the more likely you are to be accepted by a high rated business school. For instance, Harvard won't really look at you unless your score is over 750.
You can sit the GMAT as many times as you like, and take the highest score you get. Because it is basically measuring your English and math ability and your capability to analyse and report well, you can get better by practice. GMAC offer programs to help you improve your score.
I haven't written anything for some days because I was sick, but I've been talking to lots of people about both GMAT and online MBAs - I had a visitor who teaches on an MBA, and also sits on the recruitment and selection panel for his MBA. His comment about GMAT was that passing the GMAT was, for many people, the largest hurdle of the whole process, and that gaining a high score was often seen as being vital to the successful outcome of the MBA.
He said that the GMAT plus the interview often gave lecturers a pretty good idea of the ultimate success of a student; an experienced lecturer would be able to predict the level of attainment of a student and would mostly be accurate. Interesting - maybe this should be enough without having to study? Well, no, the lecturer pointed out, there has to be the acquisition of knowledge and skills by the student as well.
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