What to Expect on GMAT Test Day

Most of you, after months of careful study, know what to expect on Test Day in terms of GMAT content. However, it’s also important to know what to expect when you arrive at the Pearson Center for your GMAT Test Day. Just as you have learned and practiced GMAT strategies, you should have a plan for handling your breaks and using your note board (the odd beast that stands in for scratch paper) wisely.

Test Day security

When you first arrive at the Pearson Center, you will use your ID to check in and register a digital scan of the vein patterns in your palm. Next, you will place all of you personal items in a locker. This includes IDs, watches, phones, wallets, keys, and even tissues. You will not be able to bring anything with you into the testing room, and you will not be able to access these items during breaks in the test.

When you first arrive at the Pearson Center, you will use your ID to check in and register a digital scan of the vein patterns in your palm. Next, you will place all of you personal items in a locker. This includes IDs, watches, phones, wallets, keys, and even tissues. You will not be able to bring anything with you into the testing room, and you will not be able to access these items during breaks in the test. 

Once you are ready to get started, you will again scan your palm at the door to the testing room, and you will be assigned a computer on which to take your exam. Any time you re-enter the test room you will need to provide a palm scan to prove you are still the same person.

Testing room distractions 

Once seated, you will begin the GMAT, but keep in mind that other test takers will not be starting at the exact same time as you. Some will be in the middle of their exams when you begin, and some may start after you. Furthermore, some test takers will be taking tests other than the GMAT. This means that everyone’s breaks will be at different times. While no one will talk in the testing room, be ready for people to move around while you are taking your exam. 

The proctor will offer you noise-canceling headphones when you arrive. These can help to minimize these distractions, but you may want to take one of your GMAT practice tests with headphones to get used to the sound of your breathing. It can be a bit distracting… you might sound a bit like Darth Vader. 

Taking breaks 

 

Your breaks will be either minutes long and are optional (though we do recommend that you use them for a bit of mental and physical respite). Be careful: the test will start without you if you are not back in time. Remember that you have some time-consuming security hoops to jump through to get back to the computer, so make sure you don’t take too long of a break. Also remember to locate the bathrooms before you start your exam, so that you can find them quickly once you are on your break. 

GMAT resources 

Finally, you will be given four bound, double-sided wet erase sheets and a wet erase pen (very different from the pencil or pen and paper you may have been practicing with). If you run out of room, you can request a new set of sheets. To do so you must raise your hand, and the proctor will bring a new set to you and take away your used set. 

Since this process takes time, you want to minimize how often you trade. The best move is to always trade during the breaks so that it doesn’t take up any of your test time. Additionally, you may want to switch sets once in the middle of the quantitative section. You should try not to trade out your scratch sheets during any of the other sections. 

The vast majority of your prep time should be on GMAT content, but you don’t want to run into unnecessary Test Day stress because you are not ready for all of the rules at the Pearson Center. So, make sure you know exactly what to expect on Test Day.

12 Writing Tips for Legal English

Here at the Atlei School of English we teach a range of specialist courses in Legal English. I’ve just finished teaching English for Commercial Lawyers course, which includes writing advice and practice, plus language feedback not only from an experienced English language trainer but also from a qualified lawyer from a respected law firm. 

Here are our 12 Top Tips for writing legal English, with thanks to our visiting lawyers and course participants:

1)  As with all writing, think about your audience – writing to another lawyer will be very different to writing to a client who is a layperson.
 
2)   If you’re aiming for clarity in your writing, then the Plain English campaign has two excellent writing guides.  The A to Z of alternative words gives you the ‘plain English’ versions of more formal words.  Of course, this could also help you to formalize your English if it’s too informal.  Again, the key is knowing what’s appropriate:

The A to Z to alternative words (PDF)
More specifically, The A to Z guide to legal phrases (PDF) gives clear definitions of many English legal words and expressions.

3)  Clarity will help you to avoid ambiguity and grey areas.  A funny example of ambiguity from criminal law is the newspaper headline ‘Juvenile court to try shooting defendant’.  In legal 

English ‘try’ means ‘put on trial’, but the meaning in general English is ‘attempt’, which would mean that the court tried to shoot the defendant who was on trial! 

4)  Use layout and punctuation to clarify things, for example in a contract, number each clause and give it an underlined heading.  Use sub-clauses where necessary.

5)  Use the active voice to make it clear who should do what, such as ‘The seller shall deliver the goods’, rather than ‘the goods shall be delivered.’

6)  Be aware of words which have different meanings in general and legal English.  For example, in the sentence above, ‘The seller shall deliver the goods’, ‘shall’ means ‘must’, whereas in general English it’s used to make suggestions, such as ‘Shall we go to the pub?’
 
7)  Be careful with numbers; to avoid confusion, always write them in words as well as figures.  For instance, in English, £100.00 is one hundred pounds, not ten thousand pounds; a difference of nine thousand, nine hundred pounds!

8)  Similarly, dates should be written in words.  This date, 1/4/2015, is 1^st April 2015 in British English but 4^th January in US English.

9)  Don’t (do not) use contractions in formal legal writing.

10)  Legal English still uses a lot of formal adverbs of reference such as ‘herein’ to mean ‘in this document.’  While they can cause difficulties for the lay reader, when used correctly these adverbs help the reader to navigate the text.

11)  Get a good legal dictionary.  I recommend the Oxford Dictionary of Law

12)  Be accurate – a lawyer’s language is their tool.  Use the Spelling and Grammar tool and proofread everything!

I hope this advice is useful and whether you’re a lawyer or a layperson we’d love to hear your comments and tips on writing legal English!

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Graduate Management Admission Test

The Graduate Management Admission Test is a computer adaptive test (CAT) intended to assess certain analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as an MBA. The GMAT does not measure business knowledge or skill, nor does it measure intelligence.

According to the test owning company, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the GMAT assesses analytical writing and problem-solving abilities, while also addressing data sufficiency, logic, and critical reasoning skills that it believes to be vital to real-world business and management success. On June 5, 2012, GMAC introduced an integrated reasoning section to the exam that is designed to measure a test taker’s ability to evaluate data presented in new formats and multiple sources.

GMAT is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council. More than 5,900 programs offered by more than 2,100 universities and institutions use the GMAT exam as part of the selection criteria for their programs. Business schools use the test as a criterion for admission into a wide range of graduate management programs, including MBA, Master of Accountancy, and Master of Finance programs.

The GMAT exam is administered in standardized test centers in 112 countries around the world. According to a survey conducted by Kaplan Test Prep, the GMAT is still the number one choice for MBA aspirants despite the increasing acceptability of GRE scores. According to GMAC, it has continually performed validity studies to statistically verify that the exam predicts success in business school programs.

Predictive validity

The intended purpose of the GMAT is to predict student success in graduate business programs. Using data collected by GMAC between 1997 and 2004, GMAC found there to be a .459 correlation between total GMAT scores and mid-program student grades in graduate business programs.

Independent research has shown significantly different results. Independent research has shown that the GMAT can explain only 4.4% of the variance in final MBA GPA while undergraduate GPA can explain 17.4% of the variance in final MBA GPA. In addition, more recent research has shown that undergraduate grade point average and work experience are able to convey the information that the GMAT attempts to represent.

Scoring

The total GMAT score ranges from 200 to 800 and measures performance on the quantitative and verbal sections together (performance on the AWA and IR sections do not count toward the total score, those sections are scored separately). Scores are given in increments of 10 (e.g. 540, 550, 560, 570, etc.). From the most recent data released by GMAC, the average GMAT score of all test takers is about 540.

The score distribution conforms to a bell curve with a standard deviation of approximately 100 points, meaning that 68% of examinees score between 440 and 640. More precisely, the mean score is 545.6 with a standard deviation of 121.07 points.

The final score is not based solely on the last question the examinee answers (i.e. the level of difficulty of questions reached through the computer adaptive presentation of questions). The algorithm used to build a score is more complicated than that. The examinee can make a mistake and answer incorrectly and the computer will recognize that item as an anomaly. If the examinee misses the first question his score will not necessarily fall in the bottom half of the range.

After previewing his/her unofficial GMAT score, a GMAT test taker has two minutes to decide whether to keep or cancel the GMAT score. A cancelled score can be retrieved within 60 days for a fee of $100. After 60 days a cancelled score is not retrievable

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School Policies

A student may enroll anytime, not just at the beginning of a course. Matriculation at mid-session, however, depends on availability of space. Midsession enrollees, if they wish to continue, must nevertheless reenroll for the subsequent session during Registration Week (the seventh week).

The following grading system is used for all courses:

• 90 and above            Excellent
• 80 - 89                      Good
• 70 - 79                      Pass
• 69 and below            Repeat

Factors that influence a student’s grade are course- and instructor-specific but normally include absences, tardiness, class participation, as well as homework and test results.

A student must receive at least a 70% in all courses to proceed to the next level. Refer to course syllabi for specific requirements.

A student will be expelled if (after a minimum of one written warning) he is openly rebellious or disrespectful, disruptive, poses a danger to anyone associated with the school, exhibits a willful lack of progress, or otherwise disregards school policy. In the classroom, the instructor may issue a verbal or written warning or may refer the student to the Dean of Students for counseling and/or discipline. This policy will be adhered to unless the severity of the situation warrants immediate expulsion. (Expulsion does not absolve a student of his financial obligations to the school.)

Only English is permitted in the classroom. (Students are also encouraged to speak English on breaks and outside the classroom.)

No cell phones or other noise-creating communication devices are allowed in the classroom.

Important deadlines. All of the following are due three (3) weeks in advance of a new session, more specifically, by Friday of the fifth week of a current session:

• Requests for courses, course or program changes, or changes from morning to evening classes (or vice versa) must be received in writing using the Course Change/Request form.
• Requests for vacation must be received in writing using the Vacation Request form. (Vacation requests are required for international students and requested for all students.)
• Application for the Test Preparation program.
• To aid in counseling and planning, the school requires that all students participate in the school’s progress reporting and verification of continuation survey. (This latter information is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a formal request or notification.)

In the event a student or students are late, a teacher is not required to wait more than sixty minutes.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify the school about changes in any of the following: address, telephone number(s), fax number, e-mail address(es).

Please allow 3 business days to process all administrative or document requests. (Allow 5 business days for the I-20 and all supporting documents once the application is complete.)

Students who enroll or start mid-session (or who are tested after the fifth week of a session and wish to start the following session) may be asked to move from morning to evening or from evening to morning classes.

Students must make separate application (in addition to the standard school application) for the Test Preparation (TP) programs.

Students who wish to use the library must make a refundable deposit of $75. USMLE Test prep students are required to make a $200 refundable deposit. See library policies for more details.

Unless a Course Change/Request form is submitted on time, students who re-enroll are assumed to automatically continue the course or sequence of courses in which they are currently enrolled. It is the student’s responsibility to request (on time) a course or course change.

The maximum number of students in any given class is twelve. The school will open a class for as few as two students.

Students who graduate from AEI’s seven level Intensive English Program (IEP) are strongly encouraged to attend graduation unless they are scheduled to be outside the state of Georgia on Graduation Day. (Students who do not participate are not eligible to receive a graduation certificate.)

In case of possible severe weather or other emergency situation, please call the school. The telephone will have a message indicating whether classes have been canceled. If classes are to be canceled, a message will be available no later than 6:30 AM (morning classes) or 3:00 PM (afternoon/evening classes). In addition, please check the school's website and Fox 5 Atlanta (TV channel and website www.myfoxatlanta.com) and 11Alive Network (TV channel and website www.11alive.com) will provide the same information.

Office hours: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday and Saturdays 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM. (Except for holidays and one-week seasonal breaks. See the school Academic Calendar.)

Students must agree to abide by parking regulations and all other school policies, procedures, including but not limited to those enumerated here and in the Student Handbook, incorporated herein by reference.

Tuition, fees, courses, programs and school policies are subject to change; changes apply upon re-enrollment.

For all disputes involving refunds or charges: Before legal action is initiated, all parties agree to seek mediation by the Justice Center of Atlanta. Costs (estimated to be between $250-300) will be borne equally.


International Students (students holding or applying for an F1 Visa)

Students approved for change of status must begin at the next available session or within two weeks, whichever is sooner.

Enrollment in the or Test Preparation Program is contingent on meeting program prerequisites. Students who enroll for the Test Preparation program but are required to complete the Intensive English Program are financially responsible for the difference in tuition.

Students applying for reinstatement to F1 status are required to begin study no later than the start date indicated on their I-20. All school policies that apply to F1 students also apply to them. (For example, they may not break for vacation until after four sessions.)

F1 students are required to make normal progress in their studies. Normal progress is defined as follows: all students must achieve a score of not less than 70%. This score reflects both grades and attendance.

A student whose visa has been approved (initial entry) may request (in writing) to defer attendance for a period of up to one year. Subsequently, his or her enrollment will be withdrawn and his SEVIS student record cancelled.

School enrollment (or a student’s SEVIS record) is cancelled if for any reason a student does not communicate with the school for a period of one year from the student’s intended program start date.

Students enrolled in the Test Preparation courses must choose to be available for classes either in the mornings (8:00 AM – 12:30 PM) afternoons (1:00 PM – 3:50 PM), or evenings (4:30 – 8:50 PM). The school cannot guarantee or necessarily honor student preferences for more specific class times.

The USCIS requires that it be notified within 10 days of a change in address. Such notification may be made to the school and the school in turn will notify the USCIS.

Students are eligible for a vacation after “one academic year” or eight months of continuous study. Requests for vacation for a subsequent session must be received in writing using the Vacation Request form by Friday of the fifth week of a session. Students who intend to transfer or stop studying at AEI after the vacation can not apply for vacation.

A nonrefundable $275 Continuing Enrollment Fee is required for students approved for vacation, medical leave, or temporary absence. The $275 will be credited against future tuition and is due during Registration Week for students approved for vacation or within 3 weeks of an approval for medical leave, or temporary absence. Otherwise, a late fee of $50 applies. All temporary absenses or medical leaves must be applied for and approved. for specific policy and procedure, please ask for a Temporary Absence Request or Medical Leave Request form, respectively.

International students must request a transfer out (using our Transfer-out Request form) on or before the Friday of the fifth week of a session, and present proof of acceptance no later than the last day of the same session. Please see the school’s Transfer-out Request form (incorporated here by reference) for additional information.

Change of status or reinstatement applicants must complete at least (three) 3 sessions or graduate from the IEP before they are eligible to transfer.

Tutoring

Enrollment and financial commitment are for a minimum of sixteen hours; i.e., two hours per week for eight weeks.

For new students, tuition is due in full before beginning. For continuing students, tuition is due the week before each subsequent period of tutoring.

One-hour sessions are 55 minutes to allow a break for the instructor. Two-hour sessions include a ten-minute break.

Vacation breaks, holidays, and teacher workdays are observed with respect to all tutoring schedules. (See school Academic Calendar.)

Once a tutoring schedule has been arranged, it may not be changed. Once a tutoring schedule has been arranged, it may not be changed. A $25 rescheduling fee applies if student requires any changes after a schedule has been agreed upon.

The school does not issue refunds for tutoring once a schedule has been arranged. For further information concerning refunds and other financial policies, see below.

Refunds and Withdrawl Policy (all students)

Except as noted below, the $175 Application Fee is non-refundable. Regarding tuition and other fees:

Course or Program Cancellation by the School
- Full Refund (including Application Fee)

Applicant Denial of Admission by the School
- Full Tuition Refund (all students)

Government Denial (F-1 students only: Initial Entry or Change of Status)
- Full Tuition Refund (proof of government denial required)
- Less $275 Administrative Fee

Cancellation Prior to Start of Class (first session)
- Tuition: 50% refund
- Less $275 Administrative Fee (F-1 students only: Initial Entry or Change of Status)

Cancellation Prior to Start of Class (continuing students)
- Tuition: No refund

Withdrawal After Class Starts or No Show
- Tuition: No refund

AEI is not obligated to make refunds to students who are terminated due to violation of the school's written disciplinary and/or attendance policies or local, state, or federal law.

All charges or fees other than tuition (e.g.: transcripts, document delivery, students ID, etc.) are not eligible for refund.

In all cases, students must submit a signed and dated Refund Request, with the required documentation, e.g.: visa denial letter (F-1 students). Refunds will be sent or available within fifteen (15) business days from the date of course cancellation, denial of admission, withdrawal, or refund request.

To withdraw from a class or completely from AEI, students are required to complete, sign and date an Official Withdrawal Form and submit it to the Registrar's Office. The date of withdrawal determination is the date the student gives written notice of withdrawal to AEI (Registrar’s Office) or the date AEI terminates the student due to the student's failure to adhere to the school's attendance, conduct, or student progress policy.


Other Financial Matters (all students)

Full payment is required before a student is considered officially enrolled.

Minimum course enrollment and payment: one full eight-week session. (Enrollment and payment are required before the placement test or entering class.)

Tuition and other payments are due (for continuing students) Registration Week (the seventh week of each session) by Friday at 8 PM. A $50 fee applies for late payments.

Course tuition normally includes books. (Exceptions: tutoring, repeat students for Test Preparation courses, and as otherwise indicated in school media materials.) Repeat students for the Intensive Course/Intensive English Program will be provided new grammar text books only.

Students who enroll after the first week of a session (midsession enrollment) will receive a prorated tuition credit. (This does not apply to continuing F1 students.) Credits are based on rounding up to full weeks and will be applied only to the following session.

No credit is issued for days absent (courses or tutoring) except in the case of a serious and extended illness (more than half the course), in which case students are given the option of repeating the course (one session) within one year at no charge. A doctor’s note is required.

A charge of $35 is due for all returned checks or other refused transactions. Returned checks must be replaced by cash or money order within one week. Otherwise, students may not enter class.

Students are liable for all reasonable costs associated with collection, including collection agency and attorney fees.

Other fees:
- A one-time application fee of $175 applies to all students and is non refundable.
- Graduation Ceremony and reception: $45 (includes graduation certificate)
- Document Delivery: $15 (domestic); $55 (international)
- Student ID Card: $5 (replacement card)
- Transcript: $5
- Continuing Enrollment Fee of $275 (F1 students: Vacation, Medical Leave,
and Temporary Absence) Non-refundable; may be applied against tuition.

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AEI Affiliations / Memberships

In an effort to provide a more excellent and up-to-date learning experience, the Atlanta English Institute is proud to be a member of both TESOL, GaTESOL and SETESOL.

 

TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)

TESOL, an association of English language educators, is a national, independent professional organization established in 1966. The organization was created to bring together teachers and administrators at all educational levels with an interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL). TESOL provides a coordinated, knowledgeable response at the international, national, and local levels to issues affecting institutions that foster the development of effective human communications.

TESOL's mission is to ensure excellence in English language teaching to speakers of other languages.

For further information: www.tesol.org

GaTESOL (Georgia Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)

GaTESOL is a state-wide association of educators of English language educators.

For further information: www.gatesol.org

SETESOL (Southeast Region Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages)

SETESOL is an affiliation of seven southern state TESOL organizations and sponsors an annual SETESOL conference. AEI regularly participates in, and has presented at, the SETESOL annual conferences.

English USA (AAIEP)

EnglishUSA is the largest professional association of intensive English programs in the United States with over 350 accredited member programs. It offers a wealth of resources for students who are interested in studying English in the United States, as well as IEP professionals looking for the most-up-to-date information about the field. All EnglishUSA member programs meet the highest standards for quality education and professional integrity.

For further information: http://www.englishusa.org/

Education USA

EducationUSA is a network of hundreds of advising centers in 170 countries, where millions of international students each year find accurate, comprehensive, and current information about how to apply to accredited U.S. colleges and universities. The EducationUSA network is supported by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs(ECA), which strives to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

For further information: http://www.educationusa.info/

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