The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test that measures your analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills for admission to graduate business and management programs, such as MBA & MIM.
GMAT meticulously evaluates your analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills, serving as a standout factor in the competitive admissions landscape.
Administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the GMAT is widely accepted by over 7,000 programs worldwide. It is a reliable indicator of a candidate's commitment to pursuing a graduate business degree. Taking the GMAT is not only a testament to your sincerity but also showcases your drive, dedication, and potential for success in the business world.
The GMAT is a computer adaptive test, which means that it adapts to your skill level as you answer the questions. The GMAT tests your analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills for admission to graduate business and management programs. The GMAT has four sections: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning
Sections
The new focused addition of GMAT exam is the shortest in its history; 2 hours, 15 minutes, with only 3 sections, 64 questions, and no writing assessment. The GMAT focussed edition consists of three main sections:
45 minutes, 21 questions: This section measures your algebraic and arithmetic foundational knowledge and how you apply this knowledge to solve problems. This section has 21 Problem solving questions. To ace this section, you need have the knowledge of arithmetic and elementary algebra. The objective is to apply this knowledge using logical and analytical reasoning skills, not the underlying math skills. You cannot use a calculator while working on this section.
45 minutes, 23 questions: Unlike the older version this section no longer contains Sentence Correction questions. The objective of the section is to test your ability to read and comprehend and further reason and evaluate arguments. The section consists of 23 Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning questions.
Reading Comprehensive questions evaluate your ability to read and understand the language, logically comprehend the meaning and take out significant points and draw inferences out of it. Specifically, the following reading skills will be tested: main idea, supporting idea, inference, application, logical structure, and style.
Critical Reasoning questions require you to short reading passages, usually fewer than 100 words and make & evaluate arguments and subsequently formulate and evaluate a plan of action. Each short passage will come with five answer options which strengthens or weakens the argument, tells why the argument is flawed, or strongly supports or damages the argument. The answer needs to be based on the given passage and doesn’t require the subject expertise on the topic of passage
45 minutes, 20 questions: This section tests your ability to understand data in a real-world business scenario. In the focus edition of GMAT, Data Insights leverages Integrated Reasoning and Data Sufficiency question types to measure a newly calibrated digital and data literacy dimension—one of the most relevant and in-demand skills in business today.
The section consists of 20 questions that require data analysis, verbal reasoning, mathematics or all three. You can use an on-screen calculator while working on this section. Following are the type of questions:
• Data Sufficiency: These questions test your ability to analyse quantitative problems and evaluate if the given data is enough to solve the problem.
• Multi-Source Reasoning:These questions evaluate your ability to read and analyse data from multiple sources (which could be graphs, tables, pie charts, texts, etc.) and answer multiple questions based in it. Some questions will require you to recognize discrepancies among different sources of data, while others will ask you to draw inferences, or require you to determine whether data is relevant.
• Table Analysis: These questions measure your skill to sort and analyse a table of data, in order to determine what information is relevant or meets certain conditions.
• Two-Part Analysis:These questions measure your ability to solve complex problems. They could be quantitative, verbal, or some combination of both. The format is intentionally versatile to cover a wide range of content. Your ability to evaluate trade-offs, solve simultaneous equations, and discern relationships between two entities is measured.
Scoring
The GMAT exam uses the computer’s processing power to analyse each examinee’s responses during the test session. By having the computer calculate a final score estimate after each question and using that estimate to select subsequent questions, GMAT is able to provide a more valid, reliable, secure, and shorter test.
The GMAT Focus Edition Total Score is based on your performance on all 3 sections of the exam, with each section weighted equally. Your score is also valid for five years.
The GMAT Focus Edition Total Score scale ranges from 205 to 805, and all Total Score values end in a 5. Section scores range from 60 to 90.
• Score range: 205-805
• Score intervals: 10
• Standard error of measurement: 30-40 points
• Score range: 60-90
• Score intervals: 1
• Standard error of measurement: 3 points
• Score range: 60-90
• Score intervals: 1
• Standard error of measurement: 3 points
• Score range: 60-90
• Score intervals: 1
• Standard error of measurement: 3 points
After completing the exam, your unofficial scores for the Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights, as well as your Total Score are displayed on-screen. You are not allowed to record, save, screenshot, or print your unofficial score. You will receive an email notification when your Official Score Report is available in your mba.com account.
Score Penalty for Unanswered Questions- There is a penalty for not completing each section of the exam. If you do not finish in the allotted time, your score will be penalized reflecting the number of questions unanswered. Your GMAT Focus Edition score will be the best reflection of your performance when all questions are managed to be answered within the time limit.
Test Registration
Process to Register for the exam.
- Choose your exam delivery experience. Decide which delivery method works best for you - online or at a test center
- Create an mba.com account. Start by creating an mba.com account and providing some basic information.
- Register for your exam. Click the register button, complete your GMAT profile, select your date and time, and complete payment.
Plan ahead for application deadlines! It typically takes 7 business days for your Official Score Report to become available, but may take up to 20 business days in some cases.
The GMAT exam fee in India is US$275, which is approximately ₹21,000 for an exam delivered at the test center and $300 for an exam delivered online. To avoid multiple attempts, it is strongly advised that students prepare thoroughly for the test.
GMAT Exam Cancellation Fees
Candidates cannot cancel or modify the GMAT examination within 24 hours of the examination. That is why students need to choose and book the test slot carefully.
| Cancellation time frame | Refund Amount (Delivered at a test center) | Refund Amount (Delivered Online) |
|---|---|---|
| More than 60 days before the appointment | US$ 110 refund | US$120 Refund |
| 15-60 days before appointment | US$ 80 refund | US$90 Refund |
| 14 days and less before appointment | US$ 55 refund | US$60 Refund |
GMAT Exam Rescheduling Fees
Students can reschedule their test date by paying the additional fees as below:
| Reschedule time frame | Rescheduling fees (test center) | Rescheduling fees (Online) |
|---|---|---|
| More than 60 days before the appointment | US$ 55 | US$ 60 |
| 15-60 days before appointment | US$ 110 | US$ 120 |
| 14 days and less before appointment | US$ 165 | US$ 180 |
Test Mode
- Taking the Exam at a Test Centre: Test centres provide a quiet and secure environment for test taking. Many candidates opt for the GMAT exam delivered at a test centre because they perform their best in distraction-free, structured environment.
- Taking the Exam Delivered Online An online appointment to take the GMAT exam allows you to create your own exam environment. Many candidates opt for the GMAT exam delivered online because they perform their best in a familiar environment.
Other Points
- Age requirement - Candidates must be 18 years of age to be considered eligible for the GMAT exam.
- The is typically offered throughout the year. Test dates and availability can vary by location, and registration is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
- No. of attempts - There is no requirement, however applicants can appear for the test 5 times in a year.
- Educational Qualification - The candidate must meet the minimum eligibility set by their chosen school or university.
- Work experience - There is no requirement for prior work experience, however, the candidate must review the requirements for the institute they are applying to.