GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test

An introduction to the GMAT

What is GMAT?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is an exam taken annually. It is an analysis of the general abilities and skills that one has accumulated over time.

The GMAT exam is a consistent form of assessment that helps business schools or ‘B-Schools’ estimate a candidate’s skills and qualifications that are essential for advanced study in business and management. It helps gauge the applicant’s basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills.

exam format

The exam is made up of three main sections. There is an essay section called the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). There are also two multiple choice sections namely Quantitative and Verbal.

oh Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section

The GMAT exam begins with the Analytical Writing Assessment Section. The AWA division offers and tests two unique writing skills,

1. Analysis of a problem

2. Analysis of an argument

There are 30 minutes allotted for each type of analysis. Applicants are provided with a computer on which they can write and save their essays using a common and manageable word processing program. After completing the AWA section, the Verbal and Quantitative sections follow. However, these multiple choice questions may appear in random order.

oh Quantitative Section

At the end of the AWA section, there is an optional ten minute break, after which the Quantitative section begins. This division of the GMAT exam consists of 37 multiple choice questions. Questions are generally divided into two categories,

1. Sufficiency of data

2. Troubleshooting

There are approximately 24 problem solving questions and 13 data sufficiency questions. The candidate is allotted 75 minutes to complete the entire section.

oh verb section

After completing the Quantitative Section, there is another optional ten minute break and it is time for the final Verbal Section of the GMAT exam. This section consists of 41 multiple choice questions. These questions are classified into three types,

1. Reading comprehension

2. Critical reasoning

3. Award Correction

There are approximately 41 reading comprehension questions, 14 critical reading questions, and 13 sentence correction questions. There is a maximum of 75 minutes available to complete the entire Verbal Section.

B Schools and GMAT Scores

Since 1954, applicants have taken the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) to showcase their skills and potential to Business Schools or ‘B Schools’ admission committees. The GMAT exam mainly tests the following skills,

o Power of resistance and concentration

o Mastery of English grammar, mathematical skills, logic and reasoning.

o Conjectures and decision making.

o Ability to solve problems

A GMAT test applicant receives four scores as a result of the test, each score indicating the result of the corresponding section type of the GMAT. The meaning of the different scores is mentioned below,

oh Quantitative scaled subscore

This score ranges from 0 to 60. Indeed, the maximum score is 51.

oh Verbal scaled subscore

This score ranges from 0 to 60. Indeed, the maximum score is 48.

oh Scaled overall score

This score ranges from 200 to 800. It is the fusion of the math and verbal scores. Therefore, it is an overall score. The B schools emphasize importance primarily for the overall score.

oh Analytical Writing Assessment Score

This score ranges from 0 to 6. It has a lower priority compared to the cumulative score of 200 to 800.

The GMAT exam is a graduated curve that is established in advance. As a result, the scaled score will correspond to a certain percentile. For example, an overall score of 720 corresponds approximately to the 99th percentile. This indicates that 99 percent of applicants scored at or below this score.

The demand for MBAs is increasing at a dizzying pace. Therefore, it has now become critical to get a high GMAT score as B schools are full of applicants. MBA graduates earn good salaries in today’s fiercely competitive market. This fact has increased the importance of high GMAT scores.