GMAT Archives - College

Are you interested in the GMAT? Do you want to know more about this test so that you can be prepared to take it? Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer-adaptive test. This test is designed to assess the quantitative, analytical, writing, reading, and verbal skills of students. The test result of the GMAT can help you to get into a top Master and MBA program. With higher scores, you will be in a better position to get into your dream Master's program. In this article, we review what to expect on the GMAT test, question types, prep courses, and other essential information. How Long Is the GMAT? Graduate Management Admission Test is a standardized test that has four sections comprising of integrated reasoning, quantitative aptitude, analytical writing assessment, and verbal ability. The duration of the test is about three hours and seven minutes. You can also consider taking some optional breaks. You will have the option to take two eight-minute optional breaks that will be scheduled by the section order chosen by you. Normally, the first break comes after the analytical assessment and integrated reasoning sections. You can take the second break after the quantitative section. All the sections come with a time limit. Time limits are: The analytical writing assessment you will have thirty minutesIn the integrated reasoning section, you have thirty minutesNext on is the quantitative section and it will take sixty-two Last, the verbal section will be sixty-five minutes long What Is A Good Score On the GMAT? The good score will depend on the pool of the test-takers. The applicants will receive an overall score that ranges from 200 to 800. Usually, most of the students score between 400 and 600. While receiving the official score, you can check the percentile ranking to know where you stand in the test. For example, when the percentile shows fifty-six percent of applicants have scored below 600 and you have received more than 600, then you have done better than fifty-six percent and that score is above the average. The average score is somewhere between 500 and 600 and the good score is above 600. The very good score will be more than 700. After completing the GMAT, you will receive an unofficial score. When the score is below the average and you are not satisfied, you will have the option to cancel. When the percentage is more than average, you can accept and use that score for admission into the top business schools. You can retake the test every sixteen days. So, you can try again if you think that you can score higher on your next attempt. However, you will not be allowed to take the test more than five times within twelve months. Therefore, it is always suggested to make sure you are prepared before taking the test again. What Is the Highest Score On the GMAT? You know the total score and the average score, right? When it comes to the highest possible GMAT score, you can score 800. This is possible with the right preparation. The 800 is the highest score and it might seem impossible. But this is achievable if you are familiar with the question pattern and you have spent enough time in the preparation. You will have to choose the right preparation course so that you can be prepared for the exam. We have seen many students do well using Magoosh and PrepScholar training courses. How Hard Is the GMAT? Many students believe that GMAT is hard and it is not easy to score well in this test. All the tests are hard if you are not prepared. Many things will depend on your preparation style and time. So, the next step is to understand the test. The test is designed to filter out students not ready for the GMAT test. Types of Questions on the GMAT GMAT consists of four sections of questions. These are analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Analytical Writing The analytical writing assessment will have thirty minutes of essay and analysis of an argument. In the Integrated Reasoning section, there are four question types. These are multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, two-part analysis, and table analysis.You will have thirty minutes to write twelve questions in this section with an average of two minutes and thirty seconds for a question.For every question, you will have two to three sub-questions. Quantitative The quantitative section will have data sufficiency and problem-solving types of questions.Students will get sixty-two minutes to answer thirty-one questions and the average time for one question is two minutes. Verbal The verbal section of the test will consist of critical reasoning, reading comprehension, and sentence correction. Students will have sixty-five minutes to answer thirty-six questions.They will have one minute and forty-eight seconds to answer one question. The analytical writing assessment and quantitative sections will assess the analytical argument and problem-solving ability of the students. The verbal section measures the reading and writing ability. The integrated section will measure the ability to evaluate information in multiple formats. Where Do You Take the GMAT? You can take the GMAT anytime you want since this is a year-round test. It can be given in most locations across the world. You can register for the test online by visiting their official website. After the registration, they will give a date, time, and the testing centers located in your locality or the one nearest to you. There are more than 600 GMAT test centers around 100 countries worldwide. Make sure you are prepared to take the test before registering. What Is the GMAT Test Like? The GMAT test measures four board skills of the students. These are analytical writing, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and integrated reasoning. For each section, there will be some specific types of questions and limited time. Also, you will have the option to take two optional breaks during the exam. A combined score will be awarded. You will get a percentile rank as well. You will receive an unofficial score after the completion of the test. If you are not satisfied with the score, you can cancel it and consider retaking the test. What Is the Best GMAT Test Prep Course? In the current condition, many GMAT preparation courses are available to help students to write the test confidently. If you are looking for the best result, you will have to choose a prep course with the experience of helping students to get higher scores. The most popular GMAT prep courses are Magoosh GMAT and PrepScholar GMAT. How Is GMAT Score Used? The accepted GMAT scores are between 650 and 700 if you are planning to join the top business schools. The GMAT score is considered one of the determining factors along with your academic performance to get admission to the top schools. As stated by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), more than 7000 programs in 2300 business schools accept the GMAT score. How Can GMAT Score Help You? Each graduate school worldwide has some specific policy regarding the GMAT score. Most of them combine the undergraduate GPA score and the GMAT score to rank all the applicants. As all the schools have different policies, some focus more on quantitative reasoning and others give more emphasis on your verbal and integrated reasoning skills. However, you can expect the best outcome with an overall higher GMAT score. Which One is Easier GMAT or GRE? Both these tests target some specific skills. The GMAT can be easier for all those who have strong analytical and quantitative skills. The GRE is more straightforward and it can be ideal if your verbal skill is strong. When it comes to math, GMAT math is harder than GRE. If you want to get a higher score in GMAT, you will need good math skills. For GRE, you will need strong grammar and vocabulary skills. Consider all these things while deciding on any of these. You may also be interested in: How Hard is the GRE?