# MBA Readiness Self-Assessment: [Your name, programme and start date]

> A scored self-assessment of readiness for the first-year MBA core across ten domains: quantitative skills, Excel,
> accounting, finance, economics, statistics, writing, speaking in class, teamwork and career clarity. It combines
> self-ratings with 18 short diagnostic questions and evidence checklists, computes a score per domain and an
> overall readiness index, flags domains where confidence runs ahead of performance, and maps every gap to a
> pre-MBA primer and a number of study hours. It is for admitted students before day one, applicants deciding when
> to apply, and anyone planning pre-MBA preparation.
> Source basis: the competencies that business-school accreditation standards expect programmes to build
> (analytical and quantitative reasoning, communication, teamwork, ethical and global perspective, technology and
> data), summarised in our own words, and published research on self-assessment and learning (Kruger and Dunning
> 1999; Dunlosky et al. 2013). The diagnostic questions are original.
> Replace every [bracketed] value and every row marked *Example*. This is a self-study aid, not an admissions
> assessment or advice.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Set aside about 75 minutes: 15 for the self-ratings (Part A), 40 for the diagnostic questions (Part B) and 20 for the evidence checklists (Part C).
- Do Part A before Part B. Rating yourself first, then testing, is what reveals over- and under-confidence.
- Answer Part B without notes, a search engine or an AI assistant. A calculator and a spreadsheet are allowed for questions that say so.
- Score with the formulas in section 6, then use the gap map in section 8 to build your plan.
- Re-take the assessment after 6 and 12 weeks of preparation, and once more two weeks before the programme starts.
- Related templates: mba/pre-mba-roadmap-12-weeks, mba/pre-mba-quant-refresher, mba/pre-mba-excel-modeling-drills, mba/pre-mba-accounting-primer, mba/pre-mba-finance-primer, mba/pre-mba-economics-primer, mba/mba-formula-sheet, mba/mba-case-reading-guide, mba/mba-english-test-plan, mba/mba-admissions-test-plan, mba/mba-learning-team-charter, mba/mba-recruiting-plan, mba/mba-two-year-plan, academic/stats-learning-roadmap, business/memo
-->

## Document control

<!-- Guidance: Record each attempt with its date so you can compare scores over time. -->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document ID | READY-[YYYY]-[01] |
| Learner | [Your name] |
| Programme and start date | [Full-time MBA, start YYYY-MM-DD] |
| Background | [Undergraduate field, years of work, function] |
| Attempt | [1 of 4: baseline / week 6 / week 12 / two weeks before start] |
| Date taken | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Time taken | [75] minutes |
| Reviewed by | [Mentor, second-year student or study partner] |
| Version | [0.1] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |

## Contents

- [1. Purpose and how the assessment works](#1-purpose-and-how-the-assessment-works)
- [2. Rules for taking it](#2-rules-for-taking-it)
- [3. Part A: self-ratings](#3-part-a-self-ratings)
- [4. Part B: diagnostic questions](#4-part-b-diagnostic-questions)
- [5. Part C: evidence checklists](#5-part-c-evidence-checklists)
- [6. Scoring](#6-scoring)
- [7. Worked example](#7-worked-example)
- [8. Gap map to pre-MBA primers](#8-gap-map-to-pre-mba-primers)
- [9. My action plan](#9-my-action-plan)
- [10. Quality checklist](#10-quality-checklist)
- [11. Common mistakes](#11-common-mistakes)
- [12. Self-test](#12-self-test)

## 1. Purpose and how the assessment works

<!-- Guidance: Read once. The goal is an honest map of where to spend limited preparation time, not a pass mark. -->

The first term of a leading MBA programme moves fast: financial accounting, corporate finance, statistics,
microeconomics, strategy and leadership often run in parallel, with cases to prepare every night and team
deliverables every week. Students who arrive with a gap in accounting or Excel spend their first weeks catching up
while classmates start recruiting and building relationships. Most of that catching up can be done before day one,
if you know where the gaps are.

Self-assessment alone is not reliable for this. People with the least skill in an area often overestimate it most,
because the skill needed to perform is also the skill needed to judge performance (Kruger and Dunning 1999).
This template therefore pairs each self-rating with an objective measure: short diagnostic questions for the six
knowledge domains, and evidence you can point to for the four behavioural domains. The difference between the two
is itself a result: a large positive gap means "check this, you may be more confident than prepared".

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A["Part A: rate 3 statements per domain, 1 to 5"] --> B["Part B: 18 diagnostic questions, 3 per knowledge domain"]
    B --> C["Part C: evidence checklist, 4 items per behavioural domain"]
    C --> D["Compute self score and objective score per domain"]
    D --> E["Domain score: weighted mix of the two"]
    E --> F{"Band"}
    F -- "75 or more" --> G["Ready: maintain"]
    F -- "50 to 74.9" --> H["Refresh: targeted review"]
    F -- "below 50" --> I["Priority: primer and practice first"]
    D --> J{"Self minus objective above 25 points?"}
    J -- "Yes" --> K["Overconfidence check: test again before skipping"]
    G --> L["Plan hours and re-assess at weeks 6 and 12"]
    H --> L
    I --> L
    K --> L
```

## 2. Rules for taking it

<!-- Guidance: The value of the result depends on honest conditions. Pitfall: looking up "just one formula", which makes the score useless as a guide. -->

1. Do Part A first and do not change the ratings afterwards.
2. In Part B, use only a basic calculator and, where a question says so, a spreadsheet. No notes, search engines or
   AI assistants.
3. Mark a question wrong if you guessed, even if the guess was right. A lucky guess is not readiness.
4. In Part C, tick an item only if you could show the evidence to someone else (a file, an email, a named situation).
5. Record the time you took. If you needed much longer than 40 minutes for Part B, note it: speed matters in a case
   class and in exams.

## 3. Part A: self-ratings

<!-- Guidance: Rate each statement 1 (not at all true) to 5 (completely true) for how you are today, not how you were at university. -->

Scale: 1 = not at all true, 2 = slightly true, 3 = moderately true, 4 = mostly true, 5 = completely true.

| Domain | Statement 1 | Statement 2 | Statement 3 | My ratings (1 to 5 each) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quant | I can solve linear equations and work with percentages and ratios quickly | I can compound and discount a cash flow by hand | I am comfortable with logarithms and exponents | [ , , ] |
| Excel | I build models with relative and absolute references without errors | I use lookup functions and SUMPRODUCT routinely | I can audit someone else's spreadsheet and find an error | [ , , ] |
| Accounting | I can explain how one transaction affects the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement | I can read an annual report and find revenue, margins and cash flow | I understand accruals, depreciation and working capital | [ , , ] |
| Finance | I can explain the time value of money and compute a net present value | I understand how risk affects the required return | I can explain what drives a bond or share price | [ , , ] |
| Economics | I can explain price elasticity and use it to judge a price change | I separate sunk costs from relevant costs and opportunity costs | I can explain how interest rates and exchange rates affect a business | [ , , ] |
| Statistics | I can describe a data set with mean, median and standard deviation | I understand sampling, confidence intervals and the normal distribution | I can read a regression output and explain a coefficient | [ , , ] |
| Writing | I write a one-page memo with the recommendation first | My business writing needs little correction from others | I can summarise a 20-page document in five sentences | [ , , ] |
| Speaking in class | I speak up in meetings of 20 or more people without being asked | I can make a point in under 60 seconds with one piece of evidence | I can disagree with a senior person respectfully and with evidence | [ , , ] |
| Teamwork | I have worked in a team where members had very different backgrounds | I give direct feedback to peers and ask for it | I help a team agree on roles, deadlines and how to resolve conflict | [ , , ] |
| Career clarity | I can state the role, industry and location I want after the MBA | I know what a recruiter in that field looks for and how recruiting is timed | I have spoken with at least three people who do that job | [ , , ] |

## 4. Part B: diagnostic questions

<!-- Guidance: About 2 minutes per question. Write your answer, then mark it with the Answer key only after finishing all 18. These are original questions. -->

**Quant** (calculator allowed)

- Q1. Solve $3x - 7 = 2x + 5$.
- Q2. A price rises by 20% and then falls by 20%. What is the net percentage change?
- Q3. USD 1,000 is invested at 6% a year, compounded annually. What is it worth after 3 years (to the cent)?

**Excel** (spreadsheet allowed)

- Q4. A2:A4 hold 2, 3 and 4; B2:B4 hold 10, 20 and 30. What does `=SUMPRODUCT(A2:A4,B2:B4)` return?
- Q5. A tax rate is in B1. You write a formula in C2 that multiplies A2 by the tax rate and copy it down to C10.
  Which formula keeps pointing at the tax rate? (a) `=A2*B1` (b) `=A2*$B$1` (c) `=$A$2*B1` (d) `=A$2*B1`
- Q6. Cell A1 contains 0.125 and is formatted as a percentage with no decimals, so it shows 13%. What does
  `=A1*100` return?

**Accounting**

- Q7. A retailer buys inventory of USD 500 on credit. Which balance sheet lines change, and by how much? What happens
  to equity?
- Q8. Revenue USD 1,000, cost of goods sold USD 600, operating expenses USD 250, interest USD 30, tax rate 25%.
  What is net income?
- Q9. Equipment costs USD 10,000, has a salvage value of USD 1,000 and a useful life of 3 years. What is the annual
  straight-line depreciation?

**Finance** (calculator allowed)

- Q10. What is the present value of USD 1,100 received in one year at a discount rate of 10%?
- Q11. A project costs USD 1,000 today and returns USD 600 at the end of each of the next two years. At 10%, what is
  its net present value (to the cent)?
- Q12. Market interest rates rise. What happens to the price of an existing fixed-rate bond, and why?

**Economics**

- Q13. A 10% price increase cuts the quantity sold by 15%. What is the price elasticity of demand, is demand
  elastic or inelastic, and does revenue rise or fall?
- Q14. A company has spent USD 50,000 on a feasibility study for a new store. Should that amount affect the decision
  to open the store? Why?
- Q15. You leave a job paying USD 90,000 a year after tax for a one-year programme with tuition of USD 80,000.
  Ignoring living costs you would have anyway, what is the economic cost of the year?

**Statistics**

- Q16. For the data 2, 4, 4, 5, 15: what are the mean and the median, and which better describes a typical value?
- Q17. For a normal distribution, roughly what share of values lie within two standard deviations of the mean?
- Q18. Across stores, advertising spend and sales have a correlation of 0.8. Which statement is justified?
  (a) Advertising causes sales to rise. (b) Stores with higher advertising spend tend to have higher sales.
  (c) 80% of sales are due to advertising. (d) Cutting advertising will reduce sales by 80%.

| Domain | Questions | My number correct (0 to 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Quant | Q1 to Q3 | [ ] |
| Excel | Q4 to Q6 | [ ] |
| Accounting | Q7 to Q9 | [ ] |
| Finance | Q10 to Q12 | [ ] |
| Economics | Q13 to Q15 | [ ] |
| Statistics | Q16 to Q18 | [ ] |

## 5. Part C: evidence checklists

<!-- Guidance: Tick only what you can show. These four domains cannot be measured by a quiz, but they can be measured by evidence. -->

| Domain | Evidence item | Tick |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | I have a one-page memo or report I wrote in the last two years that a manager used | [ ] |
| Writing | My application essays needed only light editing for clarity | [ ] |
| Writing | I can rewrite this sentence in 12 words or fewer: "It is our considered view at this point in time that the company should give consideration to the possibility of reducing its prices." | [ ] |
| Writing | Someone whose judgement I trust has told me my writing is clear | [ ] |
| Speaking in class | In the last three months I spoke unprompted in a meeting of 10 or more people | [ ] |
| Speaking in class | I have presented to senior people and answered questions | [ ] |
| Speaking in class | I recorded myself making a 60-second argument and it had a clear point and evidence | [ ] |
| Speaking in class | I have disagreed with someone in a meeting and the discussion improved | [ ] |
| Teamwork | I have worked in a team with members from at least three countries or functions | [ ] |
| Teamwork | I have given written or spoken feedback to a peer in the last year | [ ] |
| Teamwork | I have helped resolve a team conflict and can describe what I did | [ ] |
| Teamwork | I have taken a role I was not best at so the team could succeed | [ ] |
| Career clarity | I have written down a target role, industry and location | [ ] |
| Career clarity | I have spoken with three or more people in that role | [ ] |
| Career clarity | I know the recruiting calendar for that field | [ ] |
| Career clarity | I have a fallback target that uses the same MBA preparation | [ ] |

## 6. Scoring

<!-- Guidance: Fill the scoring table, using the Excel formulas if you keep the assessment in a spreadsheet. The weights are a default; change them only before you score, never after. -->

For each domain $d$:

$$S_d = \frac{\bar{r}_d - 1}{4} \times 100$$

$$O_d = \frac{c_d}{n_d} \times 100$$

$$D_d = w_d\, S_d + (1 - w_d)\, O_d$$

$$G_d = S_d - O_d \qquad R = \frac{1}{10} \sum_{d=1}^{10} D_d$$

| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| $\bar{r}_d$ | mean of your three Part A ratings for domain $d$ (1 to 5) |
| $S_d$ | self score, 0 to 100 |
| $c_d$, $n_d$ | number correct out of 3 (Part B) or items ticked out of 4 (Part C) |
| $O_d$ | objective score, 0 to 100 |
| $w_d$ | weight on the self score: 0.4 for the six knowledge domains, 0.5 for the four behavioural domains |
| $D_d$ | domain score, 0 to 100 |
| $G_d$ | calibration gap; above 25 points triggers an overconfidence check |
| $R$ | overall readiness index, the mean of the ten domain scores |

The knowledge domains put more weight on the diagnostic because it is a direct test; the behavioural domains weight
self-rating and evidence equally because the evidence list is shorter and coarser.

**Bands.** 75 or more: Ready (maintain with light practice). 50 to 74.9: Refresh (targeted review). Below 50:
Priority (work through the primer before the programme starts).

**Excel set-up** (one row per domain, ratings in B to D, correct or ticked in E, number of items in F, weight in G):

| Column | Content | Formula in row 2 |
|---|---|---|
| H | Self score | `=(AVERAGE(B2:D2)-1)/4*100` |
| I | Objective score | `=E2/F2*100` |
| J | Domain score | `=G2*H2+(1-G2)*I2` |
| K | Band | `=IF(J2>=75,"Ready",IF(J2>=50,"Refresh","Priority"))` |
| L | Calibration gap | `=H2-I2` |
| M | Flag | `=IF(L2>25,"Overconfidence check","")` |
| J12 | Overall index | `=AVERAGE(J2:J11)` |

| Domain | Ratings | Self score | Correct or ticked | Objective score | Weight | Domain score | Band | Gap | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quant | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 3 | [ ] | 0.4 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Excel | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 3 | [ ] | 0.4 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Accounting | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 3 | [ ] | 0.4 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Finance | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 3 | [ ] | 0.4 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Economics | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 3 | [ ] | 0.4 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Statistics | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 3 | [ ] | 0.4 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Writing | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 4 | [ ] | 0.5 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Speaking in class | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 4 | [ ] | 0.5 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Teamwork | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 4 | [ ] | 0.5 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Career clarity | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] of 4 | [ ] | 0.5 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Overall index | | | | | | [ ] | [ ] | | |

## 7. Worked example

<!-- Guidance: Read this before scoring your own attempt. All numbers come from the calculation script for this template. -->

Amara Okafor (fictional) is an engineer with five years in operations at a logistics company, admitted to a
full-time programme starting in August. Her baseline attempt:

| Domain | Ratings | Self score | Correct or ticked | Objective score | Domain score | Band | Gap | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quant *(Example)* | 4, 4, 3 | 66.7 | 3 of 3 | 100.0 | 86.7 | Ready | -33.3 | |
| Excel *(Example)* | 4, 3, 4 | 66.7 | 1 of 3 | 33.3 | 46.7 | Priority | 33.3 | Overconfidence check |
| Accounting *(Example)* | 2, 2, 3 | 33.3 | 1 of 3 | 33.3 | 33.3 | Priority | 0.0 | |
| Finance *(Example)* | 3, 2, 2 | 33.3 | 2 of 3 | 66.7 | 53.3 | Refresh | -33.3 | |
| Economics *(Example)* | 3, 3, 3 | 50.0 | 2 of 3 | 66.7 | 60.0 | Refresh | -16.7 | |
| Statistics *(Example)* | 3, 2, 3 | 41.7 | 2 of 3 | 66.7 | 56.7 | Refresh | -25.0 | |
| Writing *(Example)* | 4, 4, 3 | 66.7 | 3 of 4 | 75.0 | 70.8 | Refresh | -8.3 | |
| Speaking in class *(Example)* | 2, 3, 2 | 33.3 | 1 of 4 | 25.0 | 29.2 | Priority | 8.3 | |
| Teamwork *(Example)* | 4, 4, 4 | 75.0 | 4 of 4 | 100.0 | 87.5 | Ready | -25.0 | |
| Career clarity *(Example)* | 3, 2, 2 | 33.3 | 2 of 4 | 50.0 | 41.7 | Priority | -16.7 | |
| Overall index *(Example)* | | | | | 56.6 | Refresh | | |

Two checks of the arithmetic. Excel: mean rating $(4+3+4)/3 = 3.667$, so $S = (3.667 - 1)/4 \times 100 = 66.7$;
one of three correct gives $O = 33.3$; $D = 0.4 \times 66.7 + 0.6 \times 33.3 = 46.7$. Speaking: $S = 33.3$,
$O = 25.0$, $D = 0.5 \times 33.3 + 0.5 \times 25.0 = 29.2$.

**Reading the result.** Amara's overall index of 56.6 says "refresh", but the overall number matters less than the
profile. Her priority order is Speaking in class (29.2), Accounting (33.3), Career clarity (41.7) and Excel (46.7).
Excel carries the only overconfidence flag: she uses spreadsheets daily, but missed the absolute reference and the
display-versus-value questions, the two errors that most often break a finance model. Quant and Statistics show
the opposite pattern (she knows more than she thinks), which is common for engineers and means she can spend less
time there.

```vega-lite
{
  "$schema": "https://vega.github.io/schema/vega-lite/v5.json",
  "description": "Example domain scores with Ready and Priority thresholds",
  "width": "container",
  "height": 260,
  "data": {
    "values": [
      {"domain": "Speaking in class", "score": 29.2, "band": "Priority"},
      {"domain": "Accounting", "score": 33.3, "band": "Priority"},
      {"domain": "Career clarity", "score": 41.7, "band": "Priority"},
      {"domain": "Excel", "score": 46.7, "band": "Priority"},
      {"domain": "Finance", "score": 53.3, "band": "Refresh"},
      {"domain": "Statistics", "score": 56.7, "band": "Refresh"},
      {"domain": "Economics", "score": 60.0, "band": "Refresh"},
      {"domain": "Writing", "score": 70.8, "band": "Refresh"},
      {"domain": "Quant", "score": 86.7, "band": "Ready"},
      {"domain": "Teamwork", "score": 87.5, "band": "Ready"}
    ]
  },
  "layer": [
    {
      "mark": "bar",
      "encoding": {
        "y": {"field": "domain", "type": "nominal", "sort": {"field": "score", "order": "ascending"}, "title": null},
        "x": {"field": "score", "type": "quantitative", "scale": {"domain": [0, 100]}, "title": "Domain score (Example)"},
        "color": {"field": "band", "type": "nominal", "sort": ["Priority", "Refresh", "Ready"], "title": "Band"}
      }
    },
    {
      "data": {"values": [{"threshold": 50}, {"threshold": 75}]},
      "mark": {"type": "rule", "strokeDash": [4, 4]},
      "encoding": {"x": {"field": "threshold", "type": "quantitative"}}
    }
  ]
}
```

**Hours.** A simple rule allocates 20 hours to each Priority domain, 10 to each Refresh domain and 2 to each Ready
domain. Amara has 4, 4 and 2 domains in those bands: $4 \times 20 + 4 \times 10 + 2 \times 2 = 124$ hours, about
10.3 hours a week over 12 weeks. In Excel: `=COUNTIF(K2:K11,"Priority")*20+COUNTIF(K2:K11,"Refresh")*10+COUNTIF(K2:K11,"Ready")*2`.

## 8. Gap map to pre-MBA primers

<!-- Guidance: For every Priority and Refresh domain, pick the primer and the first concrete action. Start with the domain that the first weeks of the core depend on most: usually accounting and Excel. -->

| Domain | Primer and templates | What to do first | Evidence of progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quant | mba/pre-mba-quant-refresher, mba/mba-formula-sheet | Percentages, compounding, logarithms drills | Part B quant 3 of 3 in under 6 minutes |
| Excel | mba/pre-mba-excel-modeling-drills | Absolute and relative references, lookups, a small three-statement model | Build a model a peer can audit without finding an error |
| Accounting | mba/pre-mba-accounting-primer, mba/mba-three-statements-card, mba/mba-cash-flow-statement-card | Trace 10 transactions through the three statements | Explain an annual report's cash flow statement aloud |
| Finance | mba/pre-mba-finance-primer, mba/mba-npv-irr-card | Time value of money, NPV and IRR, bond pricing | NPV and IRR problems by hand and in Excel |
| Economics | mba/pre-mba-economics-primer, mba/mba-demand-elasticity-card, mba/mba-relevant-costs-card | Elasticity, marginal thinking, sunk and opportunity costs | Explain a pricing decision with elasticity |
| Statistics | academic/stats-learning-roadmap, mba/mba-regression-for-managers-card | Descriptive statistics, sampling, confidence intervals, reading regression output | Interpret a regression table in plain language |
| Writing | mba/mba-business-communication-card, business/memo | One memo a week with the recommendation first | A peer can state your recommendation after 30 seconds of reading |
| Speaking in class | mba/mba-case-reading-guide, mba/mba-class-participation-log, mba/mba-english-test-plan (section 8) | A 30-second case opening for one article a day, recorded | Three unprompted contributions in a meeting each week |
| Teamwork | mba/mba-learning-team-charter, mba/mba-team-dynamics-card, mba/mba-peer-feedback | Reflect on one past team using a feedback model | A team charter draft you would propose to your learning team |
| Career clarity | mba/mba-recruiting-plan, mba/mba-networking-tracker, mba/mba-two-year-plan | Three conversations with people in the target role | A one-paragraph career goal and a recruiting calendar |

The whole preparation period is planned in mba/pre-mba-roadmap-12-weeks; this assessment decides what goes into it.

## 9. My action plan

<!-- Guidance: List Priority domains first, then Refresh. Each action must be specific enough to schedule. -->

| Rank | Domain | Score | Band | Hours | Primer | First action | Due | Re-assess |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 *(Example)* | Speaking in class | 29.2 | Priority | 20 | mba/mba-case-reading-guide | Record a 30-second opening on one business article each weekday | YYYY-MM-DD | Week 6 |
| 2 *(Example)* | Accounting | 33.3 | Priority | 20 | mba/pre-mba-accounting-primer | Trace 10 transactions through the three statements | YYYY-MM-DD | Week 6 |
| 3 *(Example)* | Career clarity | 41.7 | Priority | 20 | mba/mba-recruiting-plan | Book three conversations with people in the target role | YYYY-MM-DD | Week 6 |
| 4 *(Example)* | Excel | 46.7 | Priority | 20 | mba/pre-mba-excel-modeling-drills | Reference and lookup drills, then a small model | YYYY-MM-DD | Week 6 |
| [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] |

**Re-assessment record.**

| Attempt | Date | Overall index | Priority domains | Flags | Change since last attempt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline *(Example)* | YYYY-MM-DD | 56.6 | Speaking, Accounting, Career clarity, Excel | Excel | None |
| [Week 6] | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Week 12] | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Two weeks before start] | YYYY-MM-DD | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |

When you re-take Part B, write new questions of the same type or use the primers' self-tests: answering the same 18
questions again measures memory of the answers, not readiness.

## 10. Quality checklist

<!-- Guidance: Tick before you act on the result. -->

- [ ] Part A completed before Part B, and not changed afterwards
- [ ] Part B done without notes, search or AI tools; guesses marked wrong
- [ ] Part C ticked only where evidence exists
- [ ] Scores computed with the formulas, weights unchanged after seeing results
- [ ] Every domain with a calibration gap above 25 has an extra check
- [ ] Every Priority and Refresh domain has a primer, a first action and a due date
- [ ] Hours fit into the weeks before the programme starts
- [ ] Re-assessment dates in the calendar
- [ ] Result discussed with a mentor, second-year student or study partner

## 11. Common mistakes

<!-- Guidance: Read before scoring. -->

1. Rating yourself after seeing the diagnostic, which removes the calibration check.
2. Counting lucky guesses as correct.
3. Reading the overall index and ignoring the profile of domains.
4. Skipping a domain because of high self-rating while the diagnostic says otherwise.
5. Over-preparing strengths (often Quant for engineers) because it feels comfortable.
6. Leaving behavioural domains, especially speaking in class and career clarity, for "after the programme starts",
   when the first weeks are the busiest.
7. Treating the bands as admissions verdicts. They are a study plan, not a judgement of fitness for the programme.
8. Re-taking the same 18 questions and taking the higher score as progress.
9. Changing the weights after scoring to make a result look better.
10. Planning more hours than the calendar allows, then abandoning the plan.

## 12. Self-test

<!-- Guidance: Check your understanding of the method, then compare with the Answer key. -->

1. Why does the assessment pair each self-rating with an objective measure?
2. A domain has ratings 3, 3, 4 and 2 of 3 diagnostic questions correct. What is its domain score?
3. A domain has a self score of 75 and an objective score of 33.3. What does the flag say and what should you do?
4. Why do the knowledge domains weight the diagnostic more heavily than the self-rating?
5. Why should a re-assessment use new questions?

## Sources and further reading

<!-- Guidance: The research explains the method; the primers do the teaching. -->

- Kruger, J. and Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. *Journal of Personality and Social Psychology*, 77(6), 1121-1134.
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J. and Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. *Psychological Science in the Public Interest*, 14(1), 4-58.
- AACSB International. Global Standards for Business Education (2026), for the competencies business schools are expected to develop: https://www.aacsb.edu (check the current text).
- OpenStax. *Principles of Accounting*, *Principles of Economics* and *Introductory Statistics* (free; CC BY 4.0 or CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 by title), named as further reading.

## Answer key

**Part B diagnostic** (computed in calc/mba-readiness-self-assessment.py).

- Q1. $x = 12$.
- Q2. A 4% fall: $1.2 \times 0.8 = 0.96$. Excel: `=1.2*0.8-1` gives -4%.
- Q3. USD 1,191.02. Excel: `=FV(6%,3,0,-1000)` or `=1000*1.06^3`.
- Q4. 200 ($2 \times 10 + 3 \times 20 + 4 \times 30$).
- Q5. (b) `=A2*$B$1`. The dollar signs fix the column and row of the tax rate while A2 moves down.
- Q6. 12.5. Formatting changes the display, not the stored value.
- Q7. Inventory up USD 500 and accounts payable up USD 500; equity unchanged (no revenue or expense yet).
- Q8. USD 90: operating profit 1,000 - 600 - 250 = 150; less interest 30 gives 120 before tax; tax 30; net income 90.
  Excel: `=(1000-600-250-30)*(1-25%)`.
- Q9. USD 3,000 a year. Excel: `=SLN(10000,1000,3)`.
- Q10. USD 1,000. Excel: `=PV(10%,1,0,-1100)`.
- Q11. USD 41.32. Excel: `=NPV(10%,600,600)-1000` (NPV discounts from the end of year 1, so the initial outlay is
  added outside the function).
- Q12. The price falls: the bond's fixed coupons are now less attractive than new bonds, so its future cash flows are
  discounted at a higher rate.
- Q13. Elasticity $-15\% / 10\% = -1.5$; demand is elastic (absolute value above 1), so revenue falls. With a price of
  100 and 1,000 units, revenue goes from 100,000 to $110 \times 850 = 93{,}500$, a fall of 6.5%.
- Q14. No. It is a sunk cost: it has been spent whatever is decided. Only future costs and benefits that differ
  between the options matter.
- Q15. USD 170,000: the forgone salary (opportunity cost) of 90,000 plus tuition of 80,000.
- Q16. Mean 6, median 4. The median better describes a typical value because 15 is an outlier.
- Q17. About 95% (95.45% exactly). Excel: `=NORM.S.DIST(2,TRUE)-NORM.S.DIST(-2,TRUE)`.
- Q18. (b). Correlation shows association, not causation, and 0.8 is not a share of sales.

**Part C, writing item.** One possible rewrite: "We recommend that the company consider cutting prices." (8 words.)

**Self-test.**

1. Because self-ratings are least accurate where skill is lowest (Kruger and Dunning 1999); the objective measure
   corrects this and the difference shows where confidence is miscalibrated.
2. Self score $(3.333 - 1)/4 \times 100 = 58.3$; objective 66.7; domain score
   $0.4 \times 58.3 + 0.6 \times 66.7 = 63.3$ (Refresh).
3. The gap is 41.7, above 25, so the flag is "Overconfidence check": test the domain again with new questions before
   deciding to skip it.
4. A test answer is direct evidence of the skill; a rating is an opinion about it.
5. Repeating the same questions measures memory of the answers, not improvement in the skill.

## Revision history

<!-- Guidance: One row per attempt or change in weights or questions. -->

| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | Baseline attempt |
| [0.2] | YYYY-MM-DD | [Name] | [Week 6 re-assessment] |

## Standard and licence note

Structure aligned with the competency areas that business-school accreditation standards ask programmes to develop
(as described in the AACSB Global Standards for Business Education, 2026), summarised in original wording, and with
published research on self-assessment and effective learning. The scoring method, weights, bands and diagnostic
questions are original to this template and are not an official or validated instrument of any school or
accreditor; this template is not affiliated with or endorsed by AACSB or any programme. People and results in the
example are fictional. This template is original text written for this collection. Template licence: MIT.