Less than a year ago I left my then job in Chennai and came to Bangalore , citing the reason as doing GMAT some time soon. Today I finished the test and I think its worth recording some of the "interesting" things I went through in the interim period.
The test itself is really straightforward in that it tests your high school math skill , reading comprehension , some kind of logical reasoning with "Critical Reasoning" and Sentence correction. Having prepared for CAT last year quite seriously ,the Quants part (which has problem solving and data sufficiency) did nt need much preparation and just required some care before deciding the right answer... ie, to avoid careless mistakes. Verbal was what took some time and dedication.
My 2 months preparation was roughly split up like this:
From OG11 , I just tried solving a few questions in quants, and verbal in no particular order , but did some daily just to keep the momentum and not feel guilty about it :D. This took maybe 1-2 hours everyday . After I finished OG11, I stopped doing exercises in CR ,RC and quants... only the mock tests , ie Powerprep, gmat prep and some 800 score tests . I started going through Manhattan Sentence correction, which was really good to learn a systematic approach to sentence correction and along with OG10 sentence correction exercises... you see manhattan gives u the questions you need to solve from OG10 to understand a certain topic ,so it really starts making sense.
One day before the test , I finished all the exercises in SC and watched "Fantastic four: the rise of the silver surfer" , Jessica Alba who looked cute except for the pseudo blonde wig ( yuck) , why do people ever try to look like Caucasians? Anyway , I slept well and went on time for the test thanks to my dad and his activa . <> Test got over , I got a decent score ... 760 and I returned home in rain again thanks to my dad . And then i decided to blog about it just for the heck of it.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
random rhyme
Meeting people on the go
I often think they are slow
To realise that I know
Their thought flow
By the time they blink
I can sleep forty winks
And come back to jinx
The silly ppl in pink
They then start to wonder why
This unknown guy
Not looking sly but shy
Is smiling / frowning try
I am laughing within
How can I tell the heathen
The truth of the situation
That coz of they , all is stinkin
I slowly relent
Sensing the lack of an intent
To learn and invent
Messiah I know I am meant
I take a step closer
To touch the pretty poser
Shes a child , o sir
In mind , not body;stirred
Ah, the pink hon
I cry for she's not the only one
Whos lost in this insane cone
Of an earth , flesh and bone
Forgive her , for she slapped
A saint , a saviour perhaps
Pure thought , in a mind's gaps
Lost on you , pink clothed chaps
And so I cry and laugh again
Why do i try in vain
To make people see truth in the sane
What do I stand to gain?
My tears fall, I m so sad
How can they call me "mad"?
I wonder what I ll tell my dad
When I meet him , maybe "oh gad"!
..................................................................
please don't pull at your hair after reading this , this is something which I wrote to see how weird things can get when I write just for rhyme and grime :D
I often think they are slow
To realise that I know
Their thought flow
By the time they blink
I can sleep forty winks
And come back to jinx
The silly ppl in pink
They then start to wonder why
This unknown guy
Not looking sly but shy
Is smiling / frowning try
I am laughing within
How can I tell the heathen
The truth of the situation
That coz of they , all is stinkin
I slowly relent
Sensing the lack of an intent
To learn and invent
Messiah I know I am meant
I take a step closer
To touch the pretty poser
Shes a child , o sir
In mind , not body;stirred
Ah, the pink hon
I cry for she's not the only one
Whos lost in this insane cone
Of an earth , flesh and bone
Forgive her , for she slapped
A saint , a saviour perhaps
Pure thought , in a mind's gaps
Lost on you , pink clothed chaps
And so I cry and laugh again
Why do i try in vain
To make people see truth in the sane
What do I stand to gain?
My tears fall, I m so sad
How can they call me "mad"?
I wonder what I ll tell my dad
When I meet him , maybe "oh gad"!
..................................................................
please don't pull at your hair after reading this , this is something which I wrote to see how weird things can get when I write just for rhyme and grime :D
Argument analysis -2
" The desire of corporations to maximise profits creates conflict of
interest with the welfare of the nation at large "
---------------------
The argument presented concludes rather abruptly what the consequences of
the desire of corporations to maximise profits might be. This is unwarranted
as there are many cases which can prove the contrary,ie, corporations which
go after maximum profits add to the general welfare of the nation at large.
Consider "Reliance " in India, which is one of the largest retailers in the
country. It is known for its seemingly absurd business ventures which plunge
market rates abysmally low, but eventually make up for the low rates with
maximum volume. Customers are drawn to the low rates and this forces
competitors to bring down rates and provide better service in order to
compete effectively with Reliance. Though Reliance is definitely after
maximizing profits , its ventures are such that they make the competing
business environment more customer friendly ,thus helping the nation in the
long run.
Another case in point is that of "Tata " Corporation in India. Known for
its adventurous streak in business , its business ventures have always been
helpful to the nation at large. Its recent acquisition of a steel
manufacturer in Europe will no doubt make sure its clout in the global steel
market increases , but it also makes the Indian presence stronger as a
result. In short, however profit oriented Tata might be , its success
creates a better brand image of the nation .
There are cases where the reverse is also true. Pharmaceutical corporations
around the world are known for their high prices and tight fistedness with
patents of life saving drugs. Their desire to maximize profits by not
sharing life saving information with the general public does harm the
nation's well being .
Considering that there are instances of selfish motives of corporations
helping the nation or otherwise , and also because we dont have conclusive
evidence about the relative numbers of such corporations , we cannot agree
completely with the argument .
interest with the welfare of the nation at large "
---------------------
The argument presented concludes rather abruptly what the consequences of
the desire of corporations to maximise profits might be. This is unwarranted
as there are many cases which can prove the contrary,ie, corporations which
go after maximum profits add to the general welfare of the nation at large.
Consider "Reliance " in India, which is one of the largest retailers in the
country. It is known for its seemingly absurd business ventures which plunge
market rates abysmally low, but eventually make up for the low rates with
maximum volume. Customers are drawn to the low rates and this forces
competitors to bring down rates and provide better service in order to
compete effectively with Reliance. Though Reliance is definitely after
maximizing profits , its ventures are such that they make the competing
business environment more customer friendly ,thus helping the nation in the
long run.
Another case in point is that of "Tata " Corporation in India. Known for
its adventurous streak in business , its business ventures have always been
helpful to the nation at large. Its recent acquisition of a steel
manufacturer in Europe will no doubt make sure its clout in the global steel
market increases , but it also makes the Indian presence stronger as a
result. In short, however profit oriented Tata might be , its success
creates a better brand image of the nation .
There are cases where the reverse is also true. Pharmaceutical corporations
around the world are known for their high prices and tight fistedness with
patents of life saving drugs. Their desire to maximize profits by not
sharing life saving information with the general public does harm the
nation's well being .
Considering that there are instances of selfish motives of corporations
helping the nation or otherwise , and also because we dont have conclusive
evidence about the relative numbers of such corporations , we cannot agree
completely with the argument .
Thursday, August 16, 2007
analysis of an issue(gmat practice)
"The presence of a competitor is always beneficial to a company. Competition forces a company to change itself in ways that improve its practices."
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
-------------
The presented argument should be considered with a pinch of salt.
The reasoning on which it is possibly based is that "competition" is a positive influence. Competition by itself can be of differing natures. Fair and healthy competition can promote improvement in the practices and functioning of a company. If the company and its competitor follow the law and don't indulge in unfair practices , then there is only scope for improvement in order to compete. For example consider the restaurants on Mosque road in Bangalore. All of theses restaurants cater to similar tastes . They sell the same kind of food , but they do not indulge in any unfair practices such as trying to influence a customer not to go to any of the other restaurants. They try to improve on the food quality and the service as well in order to keep their customers and get new ones. In this case , the "company" responds in a positive way ;competition is a positive influence and forces the company to improve its practices. The arguments holds true in this case.
On the other hand, if the "competition" is unfair, the company on the receiving end,in order to fight back or just survive , might have to indulge in practices similar to those of the competitors. This will definitely not force a company to "improve" itself . For example , auto rickshaw drivers in Bangalore are now increasingly becoming shrewd at cheating customers as a result of unfair competition. When an honest auto rickshaw driver sees that he is losing out on customers and money because his dishonest counterparts use unfair means to cheat customers like rigging up the fare meter or taking a long winded route to the destination , he might be forced to learn and adopt these techniques in order to survive and prosper . In this case , it can be seen that the argument does not hold true and thus we can say that the argument is not complete and does not cover all possible cases.
The examples cited above are real life examples and I think that they would hold true if you even replace the restaurants and auto drivers with companies . What they try to prove is that its not necessary that a company's policies improve with the presence of a competitor, they can also deteriorate or go bad. The argument is thus not a sound one and should be considered conditionally , ie, with a pinch of salt.
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
-------------
The presented argument should be considered with a pinch of salt.
The reasoning on which it is possibly based is that "competition" is a positive influence. Competition by itself can be of differing natures. Fair and healthy competition can promote improvement in the practices and functioning of a company. If the company and its competitor follow the law and don't indulge in unfair practices , then there is only scope for improvement in order to compete. For example consider the restaurants on Mosque road in Bangalore. All of theses restaurants cater to similar tastes . They sell the same kind of food , but they do not indulge in any unfair practices such as trying to influence a customer not to go to any of the other restaurants. They try to improve on the food quality and the service as well in order to keep their customers and get new ones. In this case , the "company" responds in a positive way ;competition is a positive influence and forces the company to improve its practices. The arguments holds true in this case.
On the other hand, if the "competition" is unfair, the company on the receiving end,in order to fight back or just survive , might have to indulge in practices similar to those of the competitors. This will definitely not force a company to "improve" itself . For example , auto rickshaw drivers in Bangalore are now increasingly becoming shrewd at cheating customers as a result of unfair competition. When an honest auto rickshaw driver sees that he is losing out on customers and money because his dishonest counterparts use unfair means to cheat customers like rigging up the fare meter or taking a long winded route to the destination , he might be forced to learn and adopt these techniques in order to survive and prosper . In this case , it can be seen that the argument does not hold true and thus we can say that the argument is not complete and does not cover all possible cases.
The examples cited above are real life examples and I think that they would hold true if you even replace the restaurants and auto drivers with companies . What they try to prove is that its not necessary that a company's policies improve with the presence of a competitor, they can also deteriorate or go bad. The argument is thus not a sound one and should be considered conditionally , ie, with a pinch of salt.
analysis of an argument(gmat practice)
The following appeared as part of an article in a magazine on lifestyles.
"Two years ago, City L was listed 14th in an annual survey that ranks cities according to the quality of life that can be enjoyed by those living in them. This information will enable people who are moving to the state in which City L is located to confidently identify one place, at least, where schools are good, housing is affordable, people are friendly, the environment is safe, and the arts flourish."
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
----------
The argument presented is not reasonable as it tries to extrapolate the provided information to get a convenient conclusion. An assumption which is clearly evident is that information about one city in a state ( which would consist of several/many cities ) is sufficient to predict how the rest of the state would be.
The validity of the information obtained from the survey itself not established as it largely depends on the people who have taken part in the survey. We do not have information about how many people were surveyed , from what social standing they are and what their inclinations are.
Assuming that the survey is reliable , then a family which wants to locate a suitable place to live in city L might be able to get some useful information from the survey . However , to conclude that the family will surely benefit from the survey and definitely find a place where it might be satisfied with the schools,housing , people etc. is wishful thinking . There is not enough evidence to conclude so.
One more reason why this argument does not hold much water is that the factors which are considered to identify a place , viz. schools,housing,people,environment and the arts are all subjective. Schools which might be affordable to a rich family may not be so for a relatively poor family. Housing follows the same logic. Whether the people are friendly is again dependant of the perception of the families . They might find someone friendly whereas the neighbours may not . A safe environment can depend on many factors. What is safe for one family may not be safe for another.
If we had further information about the state in which city L is present, then the argument may be more reasonable using known data to come to a conclusion. Supposing we knew that the cities in the state were more or less similar with respect to the factors mentioned ,then the argument could be considered more reasonable.
"Two years ago, City L was listed 14th in an annual survey that ranks cities according to the quality of life that can be enjoyed by those living in them. This information will enable people who are moving to the state in which City L is located to confidently identify one place, at least, where schools are good, housing is affordable, people are friendly, the environment is safe, and the arts flourish."
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
----------
The argument presented is not reasonable as it tries to extrapolate the provided information to get a convenient conclusion. An assumption which is clearly evident is that information about one city in a state ( which would consist of several/many cities ) is sufficient to predict how the rest of the state would be.
The validity of the information obtained from the survey itself not established as it largely depends on the people who have taken part in the survey. We do not have information about how many people were surveyed , from what social standing they are and what their inclinations are.
Assuming that the survey is reliable , then a family which wants to locate a suitable place to live in city L might be able to get some useful information from the survey . However , to conclude that the family will surely benefit from the survey and definitely find a place where it might be satisfied with the schools,housing , people etc. is wishful thinking . There is not enough evidence to conclude so.
One more reason why this argument does not hold much water is that the factors which are considered to identify a place , viz. schools,housing,people,environment and the arts are all subjective. Schools which might be affordable to a rich family may not be so for a relatively poor family. Housing follows the same logic. Whether the people are friendly is again dependant of the perception of the families . They might find someone friendly whereas the neighbours may not . A safe environment can depend on many factors. What is safe for one family may not be safe for another.
If we had further information about the state in which city L is present, then the argument may be more reasonable using known data to come to a conclusion. Supposing we knew that the cities in the state were more or less similar with respect to the factors mentioned ,then the argument could be considered more reasonable.
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