Student Assessment and GMAT: Quantitative Versus Verbal Components in Performance on Examinations and Assignments

Student failures in individual MBA courses most frequently occur in those units with an emphasis on quantitative techniques. This has led some management schools to give, or consider giving, higher weight to GMAT(q) than GMAT(v) in selection decisions. This paper shows that GMAT(q) is a good predictor of examination but a poor predictor of assignment performance in quantitative MBA courses. In contrast, GMAT(v) is a good predictor of grades in both examinations and assignments. If assignments rather than examinations more appropriately test managerial skills, these findings question any relative emphasis on GMAT(q) over GMAT(v) in selection decisions. The results highlight the link between assessment procedures and admission policy. The subjects are 102 MBA students in an Australian management school.