GMAT

Thegraduatemanagementadmissiontest(Gmat)

The GMAT is a computer-adaptive admissions test for graduate business and management programs. It is owned and administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of business schools, and is offered year-round at test centers and online. Schools use the scores, together with academic records, work experience, essays, and interviews, to compare applicants from different countries, industries, and academic backgrounds, and many use them in scholarship decisions.

Exam Pattern

The GMAT contains 64 questions in three sections of 45 minutes each, for a total testing time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. You choose the order of the three sections at the start of the test, and you may take one optional 10-minute break after the first or the second section. Single-select questions have five answer choices. A calculator is not permitted in Quantitative Reasoning; an on-screen calculator is available in Data Insights.

Section	Questions	Time	QuestionTypesandContent
QuantitativeReasoning	21	45min	ProblemSolvingwitharithmeticandalgebra:numberproperties ,
			fractions percents ratios exponents equations inequalities , , , , , ,
			functions wordproblems statistics counting andprobability No , , , , .
			calculator .
VerbalReasoning	23	45min	ReadingComprehension(passageswithseveralquestionseach)and
			CriticalReasoning(shortargumentswithonequestioneach) .
DataInsights	20	45min	Data Sufficiency Multi -Source Reasoning Table Analysis Graphics , , ,
			Interpretation and Two-Part Analysis On-screen calculator available , . .

How the Test Works

➜

➜

➜

➜

Pick any sequence of the

45 minutes

10 minutes, after section

45 minutes each

Unofficial scores shown

three sections

1 or 2

on screen

Adaptive questions: each section adapts to your performance question by question, so the difficulty of later questions depends on how you answer earlier ones. Your score reflects both how many questions you answer correctly and how difficult they are.

Bookmark and review: you can bookmark any question while you work. If time remains at the end of a section, the Question Review & Edit screen lets you revisit questions and change up to three answers in that section.

Finish every section: there is no penalty for a wrong answer, but unanswered questions at the end of a section lower the score, so answer every question before time expires.

Multi-part questions: several Data Insights question types have more than one part. You must answer every part correctly to receive credit for the question.

Scoring

Score	WhatItMeans
TotalScore	205 to 805 in 10 -point increments Quantitative Reasoning Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights , . , ,
	contributeequally .
Sectionscores	60to90foreachofthethreesections
Percentileranks	Thepercentageofrecenttesttakerswhoscoredbelowyou reportedfortheTotalScoreandeach ,
	section
OfficialScoreReport	Senttotheprogramsyouselect;includesyourTotalScore sectionscores andpercentiles , ,
Scorevalidity	Fiveyearsfromthetestdate

There is no passing score. Each program sets its own expectations; most publish the median or middle-80% range of their admitted class. Because percentile ranks allow fair comparison across test versions, many schools look at percentiles as well as the scores themselves.

Exam at a Glance

ExamAspect	Details
Ownerandadministrator	GraduateManagementAdmissionCouncil(GMAC)
Whotakesit	ApplicantstoMBA specializedmaster's andothergraduatemanagementprograms , ,
Questions	64:QuantitativeReasoning21 VerbalReasoning23 DataInsights20 , ,
Time	2 hours 15 minutes of testing plus one optional 10 -minute break ,
Delivery	Computer-based at a test center or online from home; year-round on demand , ,
Fee	AboutUS$275atatestcenterandUS$300onlineintheUnitedStates;feesvarybycountry
Retakes	Up to five attempts in a rolling 12 -month period at least 16 days apart; no lifetime limit ,
Registration	Onlineatmbacom whereyouchoosethedeliverymethod date andtime . , , ,