An Introduction to GMAT

What is GMAT?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is an annually conducted examination. It is an analysis of the general skills and abilities that one has aggregated over time.

The GMAT test is a consistent form of evaluation that aids business schools or 'B-Schools' in estimating the skills and qualifications of the candidate which are essential for advanced study in business and management. It helps to calibrate the basic verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills of the applicant.

Examination format

The examination is composed of three main sections. There is an essay section called as Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). There are also two multiple-choice sections, namely, Quantitative and Verbal.

Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section

The GMAT test commences with the Analytical Writing Assessment Section. The AWA division offers and tests two unique writing skills,

1. Analysis of an issue
2. Analysis of an argument

There are 30 minutes allotted for each type of analysis. The applicants are provided with a computer on which they can type and save their essays using a common and manageable word-processing program. After the completion of the AWA section, the Verbal and Quantitative sections follow. However, these multiple-choice questions can appear in random order.

Quantitative Section

On the completion of the AWA section there is an optional ten-minute break after which the Quantitative section starts. This division of the GMAT examination consists of 37 multiple-choice questions. The questions are broadly divided into two categories,

1. Data Sufficiency
2. Problem Solving

There are approximately 24 questions on Problem Solving and 13 questions on Data Sufficiency. The candidate is allotted 75 minutes to complete the entire section.

Verbal Section

After the completion of the Quantitative Section, there is another optional ten-minute break and it is time for the final Verbal Section of the GMAT test. This section consists of 41 multiple-choice questions. These questions are categorized into three types,