GMAT is the acronym for the Graduate Management Admission Test. It is an important step in the graduate business program application process. Taking the GMAT can assess the students’ readiness and ability to complete graduate study in business.
Generally, the GMAT measures the students’ skills in various aspects, from critical thinking and reasoning to their ability to demonstrate commitment and motivation. Most graduate schools for business are not a walk in the park. Through this test, the school can connect students to a personalized program to realize their potential. GMAT is not only widely used in the US for graduate business program admissions. It is also a common requirement for MBA admission in other universities all over the world.
What graduate students need to remember is that GMAT is more than just an entrance exam. It is also a valuable opportunity that allows them to display their full potential as future business leaders.
Let’s know more about the GMAT Exam! Use these quick links for easier navigation:
GMAT at a Glance
Who Takes the GMAT?
What Can You Expect from the GMAT?
The Four Sections of the GMAT and their Structure
*Analytical Writing Assessment
*Integrated Reasoning
*Quantitative Reasoning
*Verbal Reasoning
How is the GMAT Scored?
Is There an Ideal GMAT Score?
The Two Options of the GMAT
*Test Center
*Online
Preparing for the GMAT Exam
*GMAC
*Bloomberg Exam Prep
*Kap-Test
*4Tests
*Veritas Prep
GMAT at a Glance
- GMAT can take more than 3 hours to be completed.
- Students have the option to take the exam in the test center or online.
- The GMAT has four sections: integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical reasoning, and analytical writing assessment.
- It is more than a test of knowledge. GMAT determines how students would apply their knowledge in business study.
- The fees for the exam in test centers may vary depending on one’s location and currency. The online exam, however, can be as much as $250 or more.
Who Takes the GMAT?
While GMAT is only meant for students who want to enroll in graduate school, there are no eligibility criteria laid out for the body’s exam that developed it. The university or college often sets the criteria. Generally, however, candidates must be at least 18 years old. Those who are younger might be required to present written permission from their parents or legal guardian. Of course, it is only expected for aspiring graduate students to present written permission from their parents or legal guardian.
Students eligible to take the GMAT exam must have prior completion of an undergraduate degree from an accredited university. The GMAT is also available in many countries worldwide, provided that the educational institution is credited to grant degrees.
One of the most common questions about the GMAT is whether it is a requirement. Most universities may require an incoming graduate business student to accomplish the GMAT as part of the admission process. However, some universities might offer exceptions. Business schools typically exempt students from taking the GMAT if they meet qualifications like a set undergrad GPA average and from a regionally accredited college or university.
What Can You Expect from the GMAT?
The test aims to determine whether students are prepared for the academic rigors of business graduate school. As an overview, students will encounter one’s command in mathematics and related topics, such as geometry, algebra, and data analysis. While they need to demonstrate their skills in analyzing and evaluating written materials, there is also a great emphasis on critical thinking and problem-solving. This means students must show how they can reason and analyze information, which can greatly affect their overall scores.
Since the GMAT is often used as an indicator of students’ preparedness and ability to excel in rigorous business courses, students need to aim high. They are encouraged to exceed the average score. It is highly probable that, with stellar professional experience, an outstanding entrance essay, and impressive letters of recommendation, students who pass the GMAT are successfully admitted to business schools.
The Four Sections of the GMAT and their Structure
To fully understand what the exam has in store for students, it is best to look at the four main sections and how they are structured.
Analytical Writing Assessment
This section tests students’ ability to demonstrate analytical thinking. Often known as the essay section, the Analytical Writing Assessment requires students to display their writing skills and present their ideas. The question is often in the form of a brief argument, usually one paragraph long, that gives the author’s argument regarding a particular business topic. The students are tasked to give a critique and analyze the evidence and reasoning presented by the argument.
Students must be able to identify and analyze the essential parts of the argument. They must also logically organize their thoughts and ideas through an insightful essay. Students must showcase their strong grammar skills when communicating their ideas.
Unlike the other sections, the Analytical Writing Assessment is scored separately by a human grader and computer grading system. The final score is the average between the two results. If there is a huge difference between the two ratings, a human grader usually takes over and reads the essay once again to give the final verdict.
This section usually takes 30 minutes to complete.
Integrated Reasoning
In this section, students must establish their skills in analyzing data and evaluating the various formats’ information. They should be able to organize the information to let them find the relation between them, allowing them to interpret the data to solve the problem.
The score can range between 1 to 8. There may be 12 questions covering questions that deal with multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, two-part analysis, and table analysis.
Quantitative Reasoning
For this section, the students’ ability to analyze data and draw conclusions is measured. They must be able to evaluate the data and find a logical solution to a problem. This is where one’s analytical knowledge of basic math concepts comes in. They should be able to use arithmetic and number properties, algebra, and geometry to answer the questions. One part of this section deals with data sufficiency. They will be given a question and two statements with data. The students’ task is to determine which of the statements has sufficient data that answers the question. To succeed, they must be able to solve the problem before they can choose which statement will provide the best answer. They should also expect a lot of problem-solving. These type of questions covers high-school level algebra, as well as geometry.
Often, this section can take more than an hour to complete. The score range is between 0 to 60.
Verbal Reasoning
This section measures students’ command of the standard written English while demonstrating their argument analysis and critical reading comprehension skills. Students must be able to make and evaluate arguments. Typically, there is a series of statements and a question that relates to it. Students must analyze what connects the evidence to the conclusions, requiring them to demonstrate their critical thinking skills and reasoning.
There will be a part where they need to correct the underlined section of long sentences. Some sentences are error-free, while others are littered with mistakes that students must spot and correct. This section also tests your reading comprehension.
Overall, the Verbal Reasoning section may take up to 65 minutes to complete. The scores are given in a 0 to 60 range.
How is the GMAT Scored?
Just like other modern exams, the GMAT is also a Computer-Adaptive Test. Also known as CAT, this testing method means that the computer will record, for assessment purposes, the examinee’s performance as they answer questions along the way. The computer’s algorithm can sense one’s capacity level, so the next set of questions can become easier or more difficult.
To illustrate clearly, this is how the CAT method works on the GMAT: if you get several answers correctly, the subsequent questions’ difficulty level advances. It works the other way around, too. For every incorrect answer, the next questions served are easy ones. The total score does not account only for the right answers but also for every question’s level of difficulty.
There is no foolproof way of going around the CAT algorithm besides a thorough preparation for the exam. As with any test, however, some tips could increase your chances of acing the GMAT.
One of them is to avoid skipping questions at all costs. Strike a good balance between poring over a difficult question and pacing your time. You must complete the GMAT on time because questions with no answers could be penalized. Skipping questions may also affect the algorithm’s process of gathering information for assessment.
At the end of the test, students will be able to see their unofficial GMAT score. They are also given two options – keep the score or cancel it.
Is There an Ideal GMAT Score?
As mentioned before, the average GMAT score might not cut it. It is always more ideal to aim for a higher than average score. Most of the time, the ideal score will depend on the university’s standard or college they are applying to. The more competitive and prestigious an institution is, the higher their passing rate will be.
The top 10% of the GMAT takers score a total of 710. The top 25% score somewhere between 600-650. If one wants to exceed the average score, it would be a good idea to aim for these numbers.
Two GMAT Delivery Options
Those who cannot decide which option to take for the GMAT can consider some important points:
Test Center
The GMAT test center exam is an ideal choice for those who want to determine their section order. It is also a suitable choice for those who are confident in their strong writing skills. This exam option also allows instant access to one’s scores.
If one chooses this exam, they should first search for the testing center that is near and convenient for them. It is highly recommended to register three months before the exam date. The exam centers are listed on the GMAT official site, as administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) and Pearson VUE. The latter is the global network of test centers. The available dates can be viewed there as well as the exam center sites. Those with disabilities or who require special accommodations must state it during the registration.
In the testing center, examinees must present valid identification. Usually, the process also involves providing a digital signature that gives their consent and understanding of the rules and agreement and sitting for a digital photograph.
The exam is taken on a computer inside a testing room with an ideal environment. This is to make sure that consistency and fairness are applied. The students have the freedom to follow their own pace as long as they can complete the exam within a given period. They can track the time through the computer as well as the questions left to answer. As commonly practiced, they can also view their unofficial scores right after the test.
In light of the recent pandemic, testing centers are still open and in operation. However, most of them can only accommodate a lower capacity that would allow social distancing procedures. Test centers that operate strictly adhere to health and safety measures to ensure everyone’s well-being. Face masks are required and hand sanitizer is provided. As a good measure, it is recommended for one to consult the testing center first before proceeding.
Online
The online option is also available to GMAT takers. This format is the most suitable for those who live far from testing center locations. Those who are working and cannot physically travel for the exam can choose this option instead. The online GMAT is available 24 hours a day for seven days a week.
Aspiring graduate students can take the test from the comfort of their homes. This gives them flexibility, which is convenient for those who juggle work with personal responsibilities. Just like the testing center option, the online GMAT exam also requires appointments. This format is accepted by thousands of business programs all over the globe. The score for this option is valid for five years.
It has roughly the same length of time as the testing center option. Examinees can complete it in approximately 3 hours. The distinction it holds is the option for unlimited score reporting to schools.
After seven business days, the official test scores could be checked on the official website of GMAC.
Preparing for the GMAT Exam
Having decided to take the GMAT exam, it is not time for aspiring grad students to take the plunge and ace it. To ensure success, it is only logical to prepare for it with determination and patience.
Ideally, preparing for the exam must start six months before the test results’ due date. This is because the studying part can take as long as eight weeks or sometimes even more. When studying, going through each section, one at a time, can be the best strategy. This will allow them to focus and absorb the material fully.
Knowing what each section covers is also very important. This will give them an idea of where to start reviewing and which areas to focus on, allowing them to save time and effort in the long run.
The best course is to plan each step that leads up to exam day. Registering and setting an appointment is a must. The bulk of the preparation, however, lies in studying and reviewing. The big question, though, is where does one start?
The whole prospect can be daunting but planning for it is the key to a smooth-sailing experience in taking the GMAT exam. This involves taking practice tests that will hone their knowledge and familiarize them with the exam format. When they know what to expect, it is only a matter of preparing for the battle for one to succeed.
We’ve listed some of the best online sites for GMAT Exam practice tests to help aspiring business graduate students prepare for the big day:
GMAC
The official site of GMAC, mba.com, is a treasure trove of valuable resources and guides that will help students prepare and plan for the GMAT exam. They do not only provide a one-stop site for everything GMAT, including comprehensive information on the exam and the registration process. They also offer a useful handbook and starter kit with practice tests. These are for free too.
The handbook is in PDF format. It details everything one needs to know about the GMAT exam, from scheduling and registering to what needs to be done before, during, and after the exam. This can be downloaded online, a handy companion, as one goes through the whole exam process.
Another valuable resource from the site is their free kit. In this package, one can access two full-length official practice exams at no cost at all. There are a total of 90 questions for the three sections: integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Another good news, the practice tests leverage the same scoring algorithm used in the real GMAT exam, providing students a simulation of the real deal. Through the kit, students can create their own practice sets based on the different question types and difficulty levels that they encountered.
Bloomberg Exam Prep
Another good site to get practice tests from is Bloomberg Exam Prep. This website provides comprehensive material for the GMAT exam preparation. It has substantive micro-lessons that cover the whole curriculum. On top of that, students can also get access to up to 6 simulation exams and a staggering 5,000 practice questions. Just like the GMAC official site, it also makes use of adaptive learning. It follows the AI software that determines one’s performance. It then sets a more targeted and customized study guide for the students.
Those who need one-on-one tutoring can also avail of such service through this subscription plan. They can get personal tutoring from GMAT instructors who are the best in the field. Students also have the option of sending a message to the tutor through their ask-a-tutor messaging system. They will then get personalized explanations.
It holds the distinction of fun, interactive learning with easy access to a live human tutor. The plan starts at $599, valid for three months. Students can also see if it is a good fit for their preparation through the 7-day trial, which does not require credit card details to proceed.
Kap-Test
The Kaplan Test Prep offers a highly realistic practice for the GMAT exam takers. Students will be able to access a full-length practice test for free, including a detailed score analysis that lays out their strong points and the areas they could focus on and improve on. On the site, examinees will get to know GMAT’s exam format, utilizing the computer-adaptive technology. They can go through each test section, covering the quant, verbal, and integrated reasoning.
Students can also practice daily by signing up for the site’s Question of the Day. They will then be provided with free GMAT-style practice questions, including detailed answers and explanations. What more, it can also offer tips and strategies from certified instructors.
4Tests
4Tests is another website that offers practice tests for free. The site gives a brief overview of the GMAT and what it entails. They have two sections for the practice tests: Mathematics and Verbal. The first one has 31 questions, and the latter offers 21. The practice exam can be directly accessed from the website. It gives one question on each page and prompts one to click next to proceed.
Veritas Prep
Offering one the most realistic practice tests, the Veritas Prep website has full-length adaptive GMAT mock tests that allow one to prepare for the real thing. It simulates the real exam, giving students the look and feel of how the real GMAT exam will go, from the questions to the scoring. They are also provided with detailed solutions to the questions, giving out in-depth explanations to help students improve their performance.
In the end, personalized diagnostics provide examinees with the breakdown of their performance and an overall assessment—from their success rate based on their correct answers and pace. The test is available for $49, but you can take one practice test free of charge.