GMAT Overview
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a computer–adaptive test (CAT) required by most business schools. If you want to get admitted to a competitive school, your GMAT score is very imperative. However, GMAT scores vary in significance at different schools and universities. The GMAT score is usually accepted as one of the most suitable and dependable testing schemes in graduate business schools. The exam is designed to measure the skills students require to succeed in the challenging curriculum. Being a computer-adaptive exam, it is one that assesses the student’s verbal, quantitative and analytical writing skills rather than a handwritten test. Being computer-based, the GMAT exam can determine the student’s ability by selecting questions based on previous answers. As the student progresses with the exam, the difficulty of questions alters in accordance with the number of correct or incorrect answers given.
The GMAT is managed by GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council), which measure and takes care of the required skills needed for GMAT to score well. Another organization that essentially develops the test questions, reports the test scores to the schools/universities and administers the test is all at the request of GMAC.
GMAT is well accepted by more than 6,000 business and management programs worldwide. GMAT exam is been the best choice for the world’s business leaders to get into the world’s renowned business schools for that one reasons that it works well. It is quite evident that no other exam lets you to showcase the skills that are essentially needed to keep the pace in the business schools for bright career.
Test Format
| GMAT Test Section | No of Questions | Question Types | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 1 Topic | Analysis of Argument | 30 Minutes |
| Integrated Reasoning | 12 Questions | Multi-Source Reasoning | 30 Minutes |
| Graphics Interpretation | |||
| Two-Part Analysis | |||
| Table Analysis | |||
| Quantitative | 37 Questions | Data Sufficiency | 75 Minutes |
| Problem Solving | |||
| Verbal | 41 Questions | Reading Comprehension | 75 Minutes |
| Critical Reasoning | |||
| Sentence Correction | |||
| Total Exam Time | 3hrs, 30 minutes |
Once you take the exam you will get five scores: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal, and the Total. As the GMAT exam is computer adaptive test, you will have an immediate access to the performance on the quantitative and verbal portions of the exam. But in case, you wish to cancel the score you can, there is choice given for it. If you think you have not performed well, you may cancel your scores without viewing them and then these will not be reported to any business schools. On the other hand the schools will be notified about your decision to cancel the scores. Always remember that once you cancel your scores, you will not have an option again to view and the fee for the exam will not be refunded.
But we recommend the students to view the scores after the exam. The mean overall GMAT score is a 537. Generally the top business schools need at least a score of 600 to crack a good score. The top 20 business schools report their average GMAT score shall be around a 670 – 715, with 700+ being the average for top best 10 programs.