Here's proof that Indians have a flair for mathematics. Indians scored higher than the global average in GMAT's quantitative section that tests math skills in 2010. But Chinese students have the highest average in quantitative scores, and India is far behind, at seventh position.
The US, which accounts for the largest number of students appearing for GMAT, trails both India and China in the quantitative section, as well as in overall performance.
B-schools worldwide use Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores to select students.
India's high scores at the GMAT may be because over 60% of Indian GMAT test-takers had an engineering background, while only 15% candidates globally were engineers. High mathematics scores may also have to do with an education system that favours math and science over the liberal arts.
The quantitative section tests students basic math skills built up over a lifetime. Education systems in different countries vary in the emphasis on certain subjects, like math.
"This is often reflected in GMAT scores. We have found that students who come from countries which lay a great emphasis on high-stakes tests tend to perform better in the GMAT," says Alex Chisholm, senior analyst, research and development, with the Graduate Management Admission Council, the body that conducts GMAT.
While the worldwide average score in the quantitative section was 37, for India, it was 42. India also had a higher average total score (578) when compared to the global average (544).
"Indians are, to a large extent, more competitive than the rest of the world. We value an MBA degree far more. Others aren't hungry for an MBA the way we are. If an American gets a good job as an undergraduate, there's little chance that he will pursue a postgraduate degree, whereas in India, many hit the glass-ceiling without an MBA," said overseas education consultant Pratibha Jain. She also points to the fact that in India, an MBA improves ones social status and self-image.
China's performance, overall as well as for the quantitative section, is also better than India's. Jain said this could be because Chinese students are more disciplined than Indians, who often get complacent. Engineering courses in China lay greater emphasis on quantitative analysis. The Chinese know that while language is a handicap for them, math is their strength, and so they work to excel at it, Jain said.
When it comes to quantitative analysis, the gap between India and China is rather wide, with several countries including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea ranking higher than India.
GMAT scores from the US come as a bit of a surprise. Though the US has over 1.27 lakh GMAT test-takers, more than double the number for India and China put together, the average quantitative score as well as the average total score for the US is less than the global average. US scores are lower than those from India and China.(TOI)
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