What is GMAT Exam
One of the most well-known tests for admission to MBA schools is the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). According to statistics from the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2020 (Application Trends Survey 2020), 90% of candidates for the top 100 MBA programmes submitted applications using their admissions test results. Each year, 200,000 applicants take the test globally, and 7,000 master’s and MBA programmes utilise the same results to admit students to more than 2,300 business schools. GMAT score reports are accepted in more than 100 countries, and there are more than 600 testing locations worldwide.
GMAT test is administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). It is a computer-adaptive test that analyses four separately timed portions, namely Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning Analytical ,Integrated Reasoning, and Writing Assessment for admission to postgraduate management programmes such as MBA and Masters in Finance. The GMAT exam’s official form is Graduate Management Aptitude Examination, and it is a 3.5-hour test, inclusive of breaks and test instructions. Candidates may easily tailor the GMAT exam and pick their preferred section sequence. Besides passports, Aadhar cards are also being recognised as legitimate evidence of identification starting 8th April 2021.
GMAT Exam Eligibility
- Candidates should be at least 18 years of age.
- There is no requirement for work experience. The candidate can be a student or a working professional.
- There is no upper age limit for any aspirant.
GMAT Exam Fees
The application price for the test is $275, or around INR 22000. If the applicant wants to postpone the exam or alter their desired testing location, there will be an additional fees. The whole price will be paid by those who decide not to appear for the test.
GMAT Test Centers
The GMAT test is offered in several locations across the globe. More than 600 facilities in more than 100 countries provide centres for the GMAT. The GMAT test may be taken at any time of the year, so applicants can choose the location that is most convenient for them or is nearest to their place of residence. Since there are more applicants taking the GMAT exam each year, it is advised to reserve a spot in the preferred test centres 4–6 months in advance.
GMAT Exam Syllabus And Pattern
GMAT is a 3.5-hour exam, and an applicant can achieve a maximum of 800 points. It assesses the candidate’s talents on several aspects. Here are the section-wise details:
Quantitative Reasoning
The Quantitative Reasoning Section has two different sorts of questions: Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency.
Both kinds of questions demand a basic understanding of geometry and the fundamentals of algebra and arithmetic. The reasoning and analytical abilities needed, not the fundamental arithmetic knowledge, are what make the problems challenging, so don’t worry. Keep in mind that when working on the Quantitative portion, a calculator is not permitted.
Problem-solving tests your capacity to approach numerical issues logically and rationally. You choose the best response from a list of five options after solving the problem.
Data Sufficiency evaluates your capacity to analyse quantitative problems, identify relevant information, and assess whether there is a sufficient amount of data to address the issue.
Verbal Reasoning
There will be a question and two statements in the problem that you are given. You determine if you have enough information in the statement to solve the question by using the data in the statements.
The Verbal Section includes three different areas of questions: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. There are subtypes of questions for Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning that are intended to measure certain language abilities.
To answer the questions, you won’t need to be an expert on the topic.
Reading Comprehension
Your capacity to comprehend words and phrases, comprehend the logical connections between key ideas, make conclusions, and track the development of quantitative concepts is measured by your reading comprehension. The core concept, supporting idea, inference, application, logical structure, and style of reading will all be specifically examined.
Questions for Reading Comprehension passages challenge you to understand the text, derive conclusions, or apply to other contexts. The chapters cover a variety of subjects, such as social sciences and humanities, physical sciences and biology, or a business-related discipline.
Critical Reasoning
Your capacity to present arguments, assess arguments, and develop or assess a plan of action is measured by your critical reasoning skills. A brief reading excerpt, often no more than 100 words, serves as the basis for the critical reasoning questions. Usually, the brief statement is followed by a question asking you to choose which of the five response alternatives strengthens or weakens an argument, explains why the argument is faulty, or strongly supports or undermines the argument.
Sentence Correction Evaluates two main facets of your language skills. First, proper expression, which is defined as grammatically and structurally good sentences. Second, effective expression, which is used to describe phrases that accurately, succinctly, and properly represent a concept or connection.
Each sentence in the Sentence Correction question is highlighted in whole or in part. There are five different ways to say the highlighted portion of the statement below. You must choose the response that results in the best statement possible, paying close attention to grammar, word choice, and sentence structure.
Integrated Reasoning
In the Integrated Reasoning Section, there are four different sorts of questions: Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, and Two-Part Analysis. Both verbal and mathematical thinking, either independently or in combination, are required to answer the problems. This part has two unique elements: many of the questions call for more than one solution, and you may utilise an online calculator with basic functionality to complete the tasks. You must provide a complete solution to a question in order to get full credit; partial answers will not be accepted. This is because the questions are meant to assess your capacity to combine facts to solve complicated issues.
Question Examples
Multi-Source Reasoning: This test assesses your capacity to carefully study each source of data in order to provide comprehensive answers to many questions. The sources of the data may include text passages, tables, visuals, or some mix of the three. You’ll need to be able to spot disparities between several data sources in order to answer certain questions. Some may want you to make deductions, while others may want you to decide if the material is relevant.
Table Analysis — Tests your capacity to organise and analyse data in a table, much like a spreadsheet, to ascertain what information is pertinent or satisfies particular criteria.
Graphics Interpretation: This test assesses your capacity for analysing data provided in graphs or other graphical images (such as scatter plots, x/y graphs, bar charts, pie charts, or statistical curve distributions) in order to identify patterns and draw conclusions.
Two-Part Analysis: Assesses your capacity for problem-solving at a high level. They might be verbal, numerical, or a mix of the two. The format is designed to be flexible to accommodate a variety of material. Your capacity to assess trade-offs, resolve concurrent equations, and identify connections between two items is tested.
Analytical Reasoning
You will talk about how well-reasoned you think a particular argument is in the Analysis of an Argument (AWA) section. You will examine the argument’s line of reasoning and the use of evidence to do this. You should consider the argument and prepare your answer in advance of writing. You’ll need to structure and develop all of your ideas. Considering that you only have 30 minutes, you should allow time to go back and edit your answer.
A mix of qualified and authorised human raters and a computer algorithm is used to grade AWA essays. An extra human rater will assess the score and may make adjustments if there is a discrepancy between the algorithm score and the human score.
Preparation Tips for the GMAT
- Along with books, obtaining the right GMAT tools and study materials is crucial.
- Developing a plan before taking the GMAT is crucial. LORs (letters of reference), essays, mailing resumes, and a lot more are among the important considerations.
- It is advised to study for practise exams and focus on one’s areas of weakness. The applicant should continually evaluating their progress and create unique study schedules.
- A candidate should improve their visual comprehension skills, which include their ability to swiftly interpret graphs, tables, charts, and symbols. These questions often appear on the GMAT, thus candidates should practise quick interpretation before to the test.
- Speed may be increased by mentally doing computations when taking practise exams. It may not be successful to use the calculator right away. It won’t be offered in the quantitative section, thus it’s crucial to practise mental math.
