This may sound like a naive question, but im going to ask it anyway. Im a graduate student and while thinking about the future thought that id like to go to business school to do an MBA. I have heard of the GMAT. What i wanted to know is that is it compulsory to sit the GMAT before you can get into a business school (top 5/6) or not. Cheers

If you do an top b-schools definately you write an entrance examination like GMAT or CAT. It is not a difficult examination either attended reputed institute training programme or bought good books to prepare sincerely sure to get the seat.

GMAT is a must! Without the GMAT no B-school will consider you. I note from your message that you are looking at the top 5 b-schools, well in this case you will need to score very high in order to even get considered for a places like HBS, LBS, INSEAD or Wharton? The norm is usually a 740+ score but I would recommend that you concentrate on the essays too as they are very important. To help you get a brillant score I would suggest you use one of the training companies i.e. Kaplan, Manhatton Chase etc. Good luck and be warned competition is tough and places are numbered!

I would suggest u do some research on requirements to get into a business school through the various university's websites...There's a whole lot more required to get into B-School, GMAT is only one of many components.

There are some inaccuracies posted here. All of the top schools require you to take the GMAT. Some UK schools, which were decent as far as UK reputation goes, did not specifically request it in the past. I am not sure whether that is still the case. Each school's website will post admission requirements. If you want to go to H/W/S/LBS/INSEAD etc, then you have to take it. It is only a small small part of your application though, really just a screening tool. Below a certain score you will not get in, irrespective of the rest of your application. Once you have a decent score, then the hard bit starts, which is to write decent essays and demonstrate why you should be at a top school. There are plenty of people with scores in the high 700s that are rejected from top schools because their essays are not up to scratch. Equally there are plenty of people with low scores that got in on the strength of their essays. To say that you need 740 to get into top schools is wrong. There are plenty of people at top schools with scores in the 600s, but they will have something else in their application to set them apart, such as stellar work experience or National sport etc.

national sport?

You've taken my name.I mean sport at a national level as an example of something stellar that sets your application apart from everyone elses. Equally it could be music, debating, charity work, climbing mountains, whatever. Everyone I have met is more than just a GMAT score, and those that have lower scores generally have something extra about them to make up for it.