The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test mandated for admission to over 1,000 business schools globally. It serves as a reliable metric for certain developed skills crucial in graduate-level business studies. Business schools utilize GMAT scores to objectively evaluate applicants and forecast their performance in the graduate business program, particularly in the initial year.
While a GMAT score is just one aspect of an application, it plays a pivotal role in reducing the size of the applicant pool and is the common factor for all business school applicants. A high score significantly increases the chances of acceptance in a lower-ranked school and garners serious consideration in higher-ranked institutions, especially with relevant work experience. Furthermore, a high score may lead to scholarships or internships in fields that employ GMAT scores for applicant screening.
As stated by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the test's creators, "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, or your abilities in any other specific subject area."
Administered using Computer-Adaptive Testing (CAT), the GMAT differs from traditional paper-and-pencil testing. Despite the variances, the test is calibrated to ensure that test-takers receive an approximately equivalent score on CAT as they would on a paper-and-pencil test.
Conducted in English, the GMAT comprises four separately timed sections: Analytical Writing (AW), Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative (math), and Verbal. The AW section precedes Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal. An optional 8-minute break is allowed before and after the Quantitative Section.
Analytical Writing Assessment: 1 essay, 30 minutes; involves analyzing an argument.
Integrated Reasoning Section: 12 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes; includes Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis, Table Analysis, and Multi-Source Reasoning.
Quantitative Section: 31 multiple-choice questions, 62 minutes; comprises Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency question types.
Verbal Section: 36 multiple-choice questions, 65 minutes; includes Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction question types.
Test-takers have the option to choose from three possible orders:
Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal
Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
The order selection is based on individual strengths and preferences, with the first order being the conventional sequence that was previously mandatory for all students.
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