The GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council), which is responsible for rolling out the GMAT exam every session, recently introduced a new assessment — Executive Assessment’ (EA); more popularly known as “mini – GMAT” for MBA. This is specifically crafted towards executive MBA or EMBA programs. 

The EA test is especially catered towards working professionals who are looking to pursue MBA whilst working but lack time to sit through lengthy exams.  

EMBA 

Coming to Executive MBA or EMBA —  it is  a viable option/alternative, which is able to dole out benefits of an MBA program for working professionals. Since the candidates’ of EMBA courses usually have 5+ years of experience, they do not have regular contact with academic/classroom setup. Hence, this option becomes an efficient one. 

GMAT v/s EA

Some additional factors : 

• Computer Adaptability:  Unlike GMAT, the EA test is not computer-adaptive. So whether you answer a question correctly or incorrectly, it doesn’t matter, as this criteria doesn’t decide the difficulty of the question you get next. Rather questions come up in ‘groups’, based on your performance on the previous ‘groups’. This technique is referred to as “multi-stage adaptive design” by  GMAC. 

• Preparation Materials: One drawback of the EA is the lack of practice/preparatory materials. Unlike its counterpart, EA doesn’t require excessive preparation, only basic premise is sufficient, according to GMAC. This is cited as their reason for not releasing any exclusive materials for the same. However, there are a few resources available on private websites if one searches hard enough!

EA Prep and Syllabus

There are 3 main sections included in this: Quantitative Reasoning / Verbal/ IR, with 12 , 14, and 12 questions respectively, with a total of 40 questions. 

Quant- Includes statistics, fractions, story problems, number properties, percentage. Besides, the score range is 0-20.

Verbal- Critical reasoning questions are similar to GMAT but the sentence correction questions on the other hand, are shorter in comparison to the GMAT exam. Besides, the score range is 0-21.

Integrative Reasoning- Similar structure to GMAT. Besides, the score range is 0- 20. 

Moreover, the total score ranges from 100-200 and takes into account all the three sections. 

Unlike GMAT, the EA for executive professionals is designed not to take up lengthy durations. One does not usually require months of prep in this case. The assessment however requires an advanced understanding of tools and skills which one would essentially employ in their working lives. Eg — data analytics, communication, logical & critical reasoning, etc. 

Advantages of EMBA

For professionals and executives looking to upskill from their current positions, without compromising their working life — executive MBA is specially catered to them. Here’s why:-

• Networking Opportunities & Success Quotient: Faculty, Alumni and candidates of EMBA come from a wide plethora of industries and organizations. Given the rise of global markets and  digitisation streak, it’s highly profitable thus, to have access to such a database.  This automatically ensures better career prospects, as well as a higher success quotient.
• New Challenges: The program of EMBA is not only catered to working professionals/ young adults but also rising entrepreneurs. It becomes a catalyst which boosts opportunities for candidates opting for mini GMAT for executive MBA in India as well as abroad. The exposure provided by the course allows them to venture into a world which guarantees them to upscale their opportunities/positions.
• Online-flexibility: Online mode of education is an emerging practise and an advantage for busy working professionals, who have no time to attend lectures in universities or cannot travel due to work. But given the current scenario of the pandemic, more and more universities are introducing online courses. Given these factors, online mode is now widely sought after due to flexibility of time and place that it provides. 

Conclusion 

Major universities’ across the globe, are now accepting EA scores’ for their EMBA programs, amongst them, the 6 top tier universities are : 

• Chicago Booth University
• CEIBS (China European International Business School)
• University of Hong Kong Business School
• Columbia
• INSEAD, France
• London Business School

If you are a working professional/candidate aspiring for an MBA, this article would have given a basic framework and the options which are available to help you upscale your profile. 

“Knowing is not enough — we must apply. Wishing is not enough —  we must do.”