Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
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The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized assessment - delivered in English that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs.
If you are planning to do an MBA or a PhD in Business Management or a Masters program in Finance, Human Resources etc. from a business school in US, Europe or Canada you will have to take the GMAT. Many universities in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore also ask for GMAT scores.
The GMAT exam measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that you have developed over a long period of time in your education and work.
It does NOT measure :
- your knowledge of business,
- your job skills,
- specific content in your undergraduate or first university course work,
- your abilities in any other specific subject area, or
- subjective qualities - such as motivation, creativity, and interpersonal skills.
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| GMAT Test Format |
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Section |
Type of Question |
No. of Question |
Duration |
Quantitative |
Problem Solving; Data Sufficiency |
37 |
75 Minutes |
Verbal |
Sentence Correction; Reading Comprehension; Critical Reasoning |
41 |
75 Minutes |
Analytical Writing |
2 short essays- first is the analysis of an issue; second is the analysis of an argument. Emphasis on both the essays is on the analytic part and not the writing aspect |
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30 minutes for each essay |
Total : |
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78 + 2 essays |
3-½ hours
approximately |
Note: - Two optional breaks of 10 minutes are allowed. |
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| Analytical Writing Assessment |
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The GMAT exam begins with the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). The AWA consists of two separate writing tasks—Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. You are allowed 30 minutes to complete each one. |
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| Quantitative Section |
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| Following an optional ten-minute break, you begin the Quantitative Section of the GMAT exam. This section contains 37 multiple-choice questions of two question types - Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. You will be allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section. |
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| Verbal Section |
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| After a second optional ten-minute break, you begin the Verbal Section of the GMAT exam. This section contains 41 multiple choice questions of three question types - Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. You are allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section. |
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| Eligibility |
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- The US Universities require 16 years education for admission to post-graduate studies. However, if you have more than 3 years of work experience some universities may waive the 16th year requirement.
- Admission to a good school is also contingent upon a strong base of post-graduate, full-time work experience. For students with work experience between 0-2 years, the academic record plays a very important role. It ultimately shows how well you managed your time, resources and money as a student.
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| Duration of the exam |
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| IFour Hours |
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| How do I register myself? |
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It is essential to register at least a month in advance of the test. All Indian citizens holding a valid passport are eligible to take the GMAT tests. There are no age or qualification restrictions on taking the GMAT.
If you are based in India and are interested to apply for the GMAT, you can register via any of the three methods mentioned below-
- Online Registration : You can fill up the application form on the official registration website www.gmat.com. Registration fees can be paid by a credit or a debit card.
- Registration by Phone : It is also possible to register for the test over the phone. In this case, Fees can be paid via a credit or debit card only.
Registration by Fax, Mail or Courier : You can plan your test appointment in India through fax. All you need to do is to download and complete the GMAT Application Scheduling Form and fax the same. The registration fees can be paid by a credit or debit card. |
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| Test Dates and Deadlines |
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| The GMAT takes place all round the year. It is administered from Monday to Friday, twice a day. |
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| How many times can I register to take the exam? |
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| You can take the GMAT as often as you like, but many business schools will average your scores. Different B-Schools have different policies. As far as the frequency of attempts is concerned, only one test can be given in a calendar month and no more than five times in a year. |
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| Ideal GMAT scores |
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| Most students accepted to top schools score 700 or higher on the GMAT. |
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| For how long will the score be valid? |
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| The score on GMAT is generally valid for 5 years. |
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