What Is GMAT ?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer-adaptive test that measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that are developed over a long period of time. The GMAT is designed to help graduate schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Many graduate management programs throughout the world require the GMAT scores.

Does the GMAT test business knowledge?
The GMAT does not presuppose any specific knowledge of business or other specific content areas, nor does it measure achievement in any particular subject areas. The GMAT is entirely in English and all instructions are provided in English.

How do schools use GMAT scores?
Your GMAT scores are only one predictor of academic performance in the first year of graduate management school. Most schools look at GMAT scores, undergraduate performance, work experience, recommendations and your application to evaluate your fit with their program. To find out how your GMAT scores will be factored into the application review process, you should contact the admissions office at the school(s) to which you are applying.

What is a Computer-Adaptive Test?
In a computer-adaptive test (CAT), questions are selected while each individual takes the test. As you answer each question, the computer scores that question and use that information to determine which question to present next. Your next question will be the one that best reflects both your previous performance and the requirements of the test design. This means that different test takers will be given different questions.

What is the format of the GMAT?
The GMAT includes verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections. The verbal and quantitative sections are multiple-choice and computer-adaptive. For the analytical writing section of the test you will be presented with two essay topics and will write your responses using the computer keyboard.

What is the Analytical Writing Assessment?
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) portion of the GMAT consists of two 30-minute writing tasks - Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. The scoring of your essays will be based on the overall quality of your ideas about the issue and argument presented: your overall ability to organize, develop, and express those ideas; the relevant supporting reasons and examples you used; and your ability to control the elements of standard written English.

What is tested in the verbal section of the GMAT?
The verbal section of the test measures your ability to read and comprehend written material, to reason and evaluate arguments, and to correct written material to conform to standard written English. Three types of multiple-choice questions are used in the verbal section of the GMAT-Reading Comprehension, Critical, Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. Reading comprehension questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, and apply information and concepts presented in written form. Critical Reasoning questions are designed to test the reasoning skills involved in (I) making arguments, (2) evaluating arguments, and (3) formulating or evaluating a plan of action. Sentence Correction questions ask you which of the five choices best expresses an idea or relationship. The questions will require you to be familiar with the stylistic conventions and grammatical rules of standard written English and to demonstrate your ability to improve incorrect or ineffective expressions

What Should I expect in the quantitative section of the gmat?
The quantitative section of the test measures basic mathematical skills, understanding of elementary concepts, the ability to reason quantitatively, solve quantitative problems and interpret graphic data. Two types of multiple-choice questions are used in the quantitative section-Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency. Both types of questions are intermingled throughout the section and require knowledge of arithmetic, elementary algebra, and commonly know concepts of geometry.

Problem solving questions are designed to test basic mathematical skills, understanding of elementary mathematical concepts, and the ability to reason quantitatively and to solve quantitative problems.

Each Data Sufficiency question consists of a question and two statements labeled (I) and (2) that contain additional information. You must decide whether the data given in the statements are sufficient for answering the question. Data Sufficiency questions are designed to measure your ability to analyze a quantitative problem, to recognize which information is relevant, and to determine at what point there is sufficient information to solve the problem.

How much time will I have to take the test?
You will have 4 hours in total to take the test, including two optional breaks. You will have one hour for the Analytical Writing Assessment and 75 minutes for the Quantitative Section and another 75 minutes for the Verbal section. You will be able to take tow 5-minute breaks during the test.

Can I skip questions on the GMAT?
Because the computer scores each question before selecting the next one, you must answer each question when it is presented. Once you answer a question and move on to another, you cannot go back and change your answer. The computer has already incorporated both your answer and the requirements of the test design into its selection of your next question.

How should I prepare for the GMAT?
The organization that creates the GMAT, the Graduate Management Admission Council, and the Educational Testing Service believe that it is important for all GMAT test takers to be familiar with the format of the test and the kinds of questions. So GMAC now offers, free of charge, test preparation software for the GMAT called PowerPrep. PowerPrep is interactive software that features two computer-adaptive tests that are timed and presented just like the actual GMAT. It includes hundreds of practice questions, answers, and explanations, as well as a comprehensive math review, and real-time scoring. Both the tutorials and the complete POWERPREP software can be downloaded for free from MBA.com. A free CD-ROM version of POWERPREP is also offered to everyone who makes an appointment to take the GMAT.

Can I repeat the GMAT?
Sometimes a management school may request that you repeat the GMAT. This may happen if the school would like to see more recent evidence of your performance. You may not take the GMAT more than one time in any calendar month, even if you have taken the test and canceled your scores.

Should I repeat the GMAT to improve my scores?
If your scores seem unusually low compared with other indicators of your preparation for graduate management study, or unless there are other reasons to believe that you did not do your best on the test, taking the GMAT again may not be helpful. It is unlikely to result in a substantial increase in your scores, and, in fact, your scores may decrease.

How do I Send my Scores to Schools?
Before you begin the test, you will have an opportunity to select up to five graduate institutions or programs to receive copies of your score report. Once you have confirmed your selections you will not be able to make changes, deletions, or additions.

How is the GMAT scored?
The GMAT yields four scores: verbal, quantitative, total, and analytical writing. Each of these scores is reported on a fixed scale. Total scores range born 200 to 800, with about two-thirds falling between 400 and 600. Verbal and quantitative scores range from 0 to 60, although scores below 10 and above 50 are rare. The verbal and quantitative scores measure different things are and are not comparable to each other. Analytical writing scores, which range from 0 to 6, are computed separately from the scores for the multiple-choice sections of the test and have no effect on the verbal, quantitative, or total scores.