GMAT Exam Pattern

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is conducted as an entrance test for students who want to pursue Master in Business Administration (MBA), Master in Management (MIM) and other business or finance-related Masters programs. The test is purely a computer-based test that tests the analytical thinking and data handling skills of the students. The test can be taken at a structured test centre or online from the comfort of the home. Taking the GMAT exam validates students’ skills and proficiency to handle the management programs taught at the Business schools. So attending the exam and scoring a top mark would make students stand out from the crowd as potential applicants for the management programs.
Highlights | Description |
---|---|
Official GMAT Website | www.mba.com |
Exam organiser | Graduate Management Admission Council |
Sections | 4 |
Total number of questions | 80 |
Score range | 200-800 |
Average score | 556 |
Language of Instruction | English |
Mode of Examination | Computer-based |
Negative Marking | None |
Exam Duration | 3 hours 7 minutes |
Section | Time Limit/ Number of Questions | Question Types | Score Range |
---|---|---|---|
Analytical Writing Assessment | 30 minutes/1 question | Analysis of an argument | 0-6 (in 0.5 increments) |
Integrated Reasoning | 30 minutes/ 12 questions | Graphic Interpretation, Table Analysis, Multi-Source Reasoning, Two-Part Analysis | 1-8 (in 1 point increments) |
Quantitative Reasoning | 62 minutes/ 31 questions | Data Sufficiency, Problem Solving | 6-51 (in 1 point increments) |
Verbal Reasoning | 65 minutes/ 36 questions | Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction | 6-51 (in 1 point increments) |
GMAT is a Computer Adaptive Test meaning the test is purely computer-based. Here, the computer assesses the skill and ability of the students in solving the given questions. The computer-based GMAT score is highly considered to select students for the management programs because of the computer's precision and accuracy in assessing the students' skill and abilities.
The last two sections, Quantitative and Verbal reasoning of the GMAT, are computer-adaptive. The computer assesses students’ answers and responses to the questions, analyses their way of solving them and then comes up with the next question. For example, the first question given to the students will be of medium difficulty. If a student answers it correctly, the next question will be more complex than the first one. If the same student answers the question incorrectly, the next question will be easier. The exact process continues till the student finishes the exam. In this way, the computer understands students’ knowledge of the subject and accurately analyses their skills in solving the questions.