The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test that evaluates applicants’ analytical thinking, quantitative, verbal and reading abilities in standard written English. This feature enables the exam to analyse your potential accurately and provide scores that management schools can rely on. You will not be allowed to skip questions, return to them, or amend your answers. This is because the machine selects the following question based on your responses to the previous ones. This exam is used to get admission to post-graduate level management-related programs, such as an MBA or a Masters in Finance, etc., at top business schools.
The Graduate Management Admission Council has reduced the GMAT exam time by 30 minutes since April 16, 2018. The exam is now 3 hours and 30 minutes long, inclusive of the mid-exam breaks and instructions. The Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning parts were also cut by 13 and 10 minutes, respectively. With the time management modification, two things remained the same – the Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessments and the Score Preview and optional break time. The GMAC has deleted just the unscored items, so these changes do not affect scoring in the shorter Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative portions. GMAT features an option that enables applicants to personalise their GMAT experience by selecting the section order wherein they feel most at ease performing the test.
WHY GIVE GMAT, AND ITS LATEST UPDATES
It is the most generally approved MBA admissions exam globally. None other exam holds the same level of acceptance as the GMAT; according to the GMAC, GMAT scores account for 9 out of every 10 MBA applications.
Furthermore, GMAT scores are accepted by over 2,300 schools. 650 testing facilities in 114 countries also administer the GMAT Exam. GMAC, the organisation that administers the GMAT exam, has not established any eligibility criteria for taking the exam. However, after taking the GMAT, one must always meet the eligibility requirements given by the university one wishes to attend. The GMAT costs $275, which roughly translates to INR 20,600. Applicants will also be charged extra if they want to alter the testing centre or reschedule the exam. Those who fail to appear for the test will be charged the entire GMAT exam price.
GMAC has released the most recent version of the GMAT Online Test-
- A candidate’s ability to take this exam more than twice will no longer be limited. The online efforts will count toward the GMAT’s overall restriction of 5 attempts per rolling 12-month period and 8 attempts per lifetime.
- Five free score reports are included with the GMAT online exam. Once the official online exam score is released, the 5 free score reports must be utilised within the next 2 days, to be exact. For US$35 each, additional score reports can be ordered.
GMAC has announced that the Aadhar Card would be accepted for the GMAT Exam: GMAC has stated that effective April 8, 2021, they would accept Aadhar cards as sufficient ID verification for the GMAT Online exam. During the registration procedure, candidates will be required to prove their identity using their Aadhar Card or Passport. GMAC has taken this step to make the GMAT more accessible to a broader range of students. Candidates should keep in mind a few things, including that they will be required to authenticate their Aadhar Card during the registration process. The Aadhar Card is only accepted as valid ID proof for appearing in the online format of the GMAT test. Still, the test centres will only acknowledge a valid passport as ID proof – the new development has been in effect since April 8, 2021.
EXAM STRUCTURE, SYLLABUS, AND PATTERN
There are four timed portions of the GMAT Exam. During the exam, you will have the option of taking two eight-minute breaks. There are four sections to the GMAT pattern:
| TEST SECTION | TIME LIMIT/NO. OF QUESTIONS | QUESTION TYPE | SCORE RANGE |
| Analytical Writing Section | 30 Minutes 1 Question | Analysis of an argument | 0-6 (in 0.5 – point increment) |
| Integrated Reasoning | 30 Minutes 12 Questions | Graphics interpretation, table analysis, multi-source reasoning, two-part analysis | 1-8 (in 1 – point increment) |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 62 Minutes 31 Questions | Data sufficiency, problem-solving | 6-51 (in 1 – point increment) |
| Verbal Reasoning | 65 Minutes 36 Questions | Comprehension, critical reasoning, sentence correction | 6-51 (in 1 – point increment) |
In these four categories, the GMAT Exam Syllabus contains 50 topics.
Analytical Writing Assessment-
The Analytical Writing portion may include themes for the candidate to write about or a piece from which questions will be asked. The candidate will be required to respond based on the passage. The syllabus for this subject is extensive and diverse, as the passage’s topic could be anything of interest.
The basic concept is to concentrate on the answer’s structure rather than the reasons offered. Remember that this is a test of your writing style, not your views, so it’s best to keep it impartial. It has two types of essays: Argument Essay, Issue Essay.
Integrated Reasoning-
The GMAT Syllabus has recently been updated to include an Integrated Reasoning portion. This component assesses the applicants’ ability to evaluate data provided in the form of a graph or table. The questions will be of the following type:
- Table Analysis: This portion considers applicants’ ability to sort and analyse data in a table, such as a spreadsheet, to find the most crucial information or the data that satisfy specified criteria.
- Two-Part Analysis: Assesses the candidates’ ability to answer complex issues in two parts. The problems can be verbal, numerical, or a combination of the two. The format is adaptable and may accommodate a wide range of topics. The ability of the applicants to solve simultaneous equations, analyse trade-offs, and discover linkages between two items is assessed.
- Multi-Source Reasoning: This section assesses applicants’ ability to investigate data from a variety of sources (tables, visuals, text passages, or a mix of all three) and carefully analyse each source of information to answer numerous questions. Candidates may be asked to make inferences, and others may demand you judge the importance of facts. Candidates will be required to spot disparities across several data sources in a few questions.
- Graphics Interpretation: This section assesses candidates’ ability to deduce relationships and make inferences from data displayed in a graph or graphical image.
Quantitative Reasoning-
Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving are the two sections of the Quantitative Section. There will be 18 questions in each section. The questions will be of MCQ type. The following syllabus will be used to generate questions in this section:
- Solving Issues: Problem Solving accounts for half of the total questions in the GMAT Quantitative section. It assesses the candidates’ ability to solve quantitative issues using logic and analytical thinking.
- Sufficient data: It assesses candidates’ abilities to analyse a quantitative problem, determine whether data is relevant, and evaluate when enough data is available to solve the problem.
Verbal Reasoning-
There will be 36 multiple-choice questions in the Verbal Skills segment. Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Correction make up this section. This component assesses the applicants’ ability to decipher written information, as well as the logical relationship between the passage’s arguments and concepts.
- Critical Thinking: It assesses candidates’ ability to construct and evaluate arguments as well as formulate and evaluate action plans.
- Reading Comprehension: It assesses the candidates’ ability to make inferences, comprehends logical linkages between major points, comprehend words and sentences, and track the progression of numeric concepts. Aside from that, candidates will be assessed on their reading skills, including inference, application, primary idea, supporting the notion, coherency, and style.
- Correction of Sentences: This component assesses two major aspects of the candidates’ linguistic skills. The first is to correct expressions while referring to grammatically and structurally sound sentences. The second aspect is the effective expression, which refers to phrases that clearly, simply, and grammatically represent a concept or relationship.
This portion will cover the following topics:
- Critical reasoning
- Rhetorical construction of the sentences
- Sentence correction related to finding error or omission
- Reading unseen passages
- Subject-verb agreement
- Misplaced modifiers
- Countable Vs Uncountable
- Parallelism
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