What is the GMAT®?

About the GMAT

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) has been the flagship global business school entrance exam for more than 50 years. GMAC, the test makers, have specifically designed the new GMAT Focus Edition to target the current-generation skills that are most relevant to success in graduate management programs.

Business schools use your GMAT scores in conjunction with a host of other details, including your academic record in undergrad, your essays, and your work experience and recommendations, to assess your readiness for the advanced quantitative and analytical work that will be required in your program. 

You’re not expected to know that advanced material yet—it’s their job to teach you that when your program starts—but a test like the GMAT allows the school to determine whether your fundamentals are solid enough that you’ll likely be able to succeed in their program.

What is on the GMAT?

The GMAT is primarily a test of your analytical and quantitative reasoning skills, tested in a time-limited format. Basically, they want to know how well you think strategically and logically, including quantitative / data-based topics.

The three sections on the GMAT test a mix of overlapping skills, all tested using multiple-choice question formats:

The exam will also include one optional 10-minute break and you can take the three sections in whatever order you prefer.

[ RELATED: GMAT Focus Time Management ]

What are the GMAT sections?

The GMAT contains three distinct section types, although you’ll use the same critical thinking and analysis skills throughout the test, as you will during your MBA coursework.

The content on the GMAT is broken down into three scored test sections, each of which is scored separately:

• Quantitative
• Verbal
• Data Insights

Quantitative

The GMAT Quant section is designed to test your knowledge of math, including number properties, algebra, statistics, and geometry. It also tests you on your ability to think logically about math concepts. 

There Is One Problem Type in the Quantitative Section of the GMAT

Problem Solving

Problem Solving (PS) is a classic standardized test problem type. You'll be presented with a question stem and five possible answer choices and you’ll be asked to solve for a value or an algebraic expression.

Verbal

The GMAT Verbal section is designed to test your command of standard written English, your skill in analyzing arguments, and your ability to read critically.

There Are Two Problem Types in the Verbal Section of the GMAT

Critical Reasoning

Critical Reasoning (CR) problems test the skills involved in making and evaluating arguments, as well as in formulating a plan of action. You will be presented with a short argument or a series of statements and a question relating to that information. You might be asked to find an assumption or conclusion, to strengthen or weaken an argument, or to evaluate a conclusion or resolve a discrepancy.

Reading Comprehension

You will be presented with an academic reading passage on a topic related to business, social science, biological science, or physical science and asked 3–4 questions about that text. Reading comprehension (RC)  tests your critical reading skills, including, your ability to summarize the main idea, articulate ideas stated in the text, make inferences based on information in the text, and analyze the logical structure of a passage.

Data Insights

The Data Insights (DI) section tests a combination of quant and verbal skills together. The DI section covers the same quantitative concepts as the Quant section but uses different problem types that can marry quant concepts with verbal skills, such as reading comprehension and logical analysis. In addition, the DI section tests you on your ability to interpret and analyze graphs and tables.

Unlike the problems in other sections of the test, DI problems will deliberately provide you with more information than you need—sometimes quite a bit more. Part of the task on DI is to wade through a lot of data and pick out the precise pieces of information that you need in order to solve. These problem types mimic the kind of analysis you will have to do on case studies in business school.

There Are Five Problem Types in the Data Insights Section of the GMAT

Data Sufficiency

Data Sufficiency (DS) problems consist of a question stem and two statements of data. DS problems are really logic problems at heart. You’re not asked to solve for a mathematical answer; rather, your task is to determine whether the statements provide enough information such that someone could solve the problem.

Multi-Source Reasoning

Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) prompts present you with two or three tabs of information, including text and often including tables or other visuals. You’ll typically need to solve three separate problems based on this information (similar to a Reading Comprehension passage). MSR problems can come in the form of standard 5-answer multiple choice or in the form of Either-Or statements (e.g. True or False). If a problem is in Either-Or form, you will have to answer three such statements in order to complete that problem.

Table Analysis

Table Analysis prompts present you with a table, typically with something like 4 to 8 columns and 8 to 25 rows of data, and you’ll be expected to solve one problem based on that table. The table is interactive: You’ll be able to sort by any of the column headers. The problems will always come in the form of Either-Or statements (e.g. True or False) and you will have to answer three such statements in order to complete that one problem.

Graphics Interpretation

Graph problems will present you with some kind of visual—possibly a classic one, such as a pie chart or bar graph, or possibly something more unusual, such as an organizational chart, a genetic map, or something that the test writers created just for the test. Your task is to understand how the visual works and what information it’s presenting. Graph questions come in the form of one or two sentences with two blanks; you’ll fill in the two blanks via choices from drop-down menus.

Two-Part Analysis

Two-Part problems are very similar to standard 5-answer multiple choice problems, but they have one twist. Rather than answer one question with one answer, you’ll answer two questions. For example, a question might ask you to both strengthen and weaken an argument, or a question might ask you to find variable x and variable y. You’ll be given one possible set of 5 or 6 answer choices and choose an answer for each of the two parts of the question from that one set of answers.

How is the GMAT Scored?

On the GMAT exam, all three sections (Q, V, and DI) factor into your total score on a scale of 205 to 805 in 10-point increments.  You will also receive individual section scores for each section. The scoring scale for each section is 60 to 90 in 1-point increments.

With the new GMAT Focus Edition, you can send your results from just one test date, so you can choose your best set of scores to send to schools.

What is a Good GMAT Score?

When considering your GMAT score goal, it’s always a good idea to look at the mean or median GMAT score of applicants admitted to the MBA programs to which you’re considering applying. This will give you a good baseline to target. Schools typically post either the mean or the median of the current class on their website.

A competitive score is one that is at or above that school’s posted median/mean score—you’re showing that you have done as well as or better than a significant percentage of those admitted to the school.

Many schools also post a range of scores for admitted students. If you are below the posted median/mean but still within the school’s range, then your GMAT score may not be a plus on your application, but it likely won’t keep you out. In that case, it will be important to have other parts of your application stand out and demonstrate your value to the school.

Top-10  MBA programs typically have mean or median scores in the 645 to 695 range. If you’re considering a top-10 program, set a goal of 645 or higher on the GMAT—but if you don’t achieve that level, you can still apply to the school. You’ll just need to take extra care on other parts of your application.

How Hard is the GMAT?

There are several aspects of the GMAT that make it a tough test. First, the computer-adaptive format of the GMAT means that you will not be able to skip a hard problem and come back to it later; you must pick an answer and move on. This is hard to get used to psychologically. The reward, though, is that you can miss a decent percentage of problems and still get a good score. Most people answer only about 50% to 70% of the problems correctly.

In addition, as you do well, the test actually gets harder. In school, the more you studied, the easier the test felt. But the GMAT will feel hard no matter how much you’ve studied because the test is literally getting harder as you answer problems correctly.

Finally, the GMAT is a time-limited exam. All this means that you have to both answer difficult questions and do so quickly. 

The GMAT is definitely a challenging exam, but it’s a skills-based test, and that’s very good news. Why? Because the skills tested on the GMAT are skills you can (and will) learn. And the act of getting ready for the GMAT is also going to get you ready to succeed in business school itself.

How Long is the GMAT?

The GMAT exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes long (with one optional 10-minute break) and consists of 64 total questions.

The GMAT also allows 1.5x and 2x timing for those who meet the accommodations criteria. It is recommended that you arrive at the testing center at least 15 minutes before your exam.

When is the GMAT Offered?

The GMAT is administered year-round in two formats: in-person at a testing center and online. Create an account on the official GMAT site to view a full list of testing centers and seat availability for both the testing center and online formats of the exam.

Most schools will accept your scores as long as you take the test by their application deadline date. It is highly recommended that you do your research, though. If a school requires your score to be officially processed by its deadline, then take the GMAT at least three weeks before your deadline. While score processing typically takes about a week, it can take up to 20 days. 

During popular testing times, seats in testing centers can be limited; you’ll have a lot more flexibility taking the GMAT Online, which offers testing appointments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

You can take the GMAT up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days) and up to eight total times, regardless of testing format. Within one format, you must wait 16 days to retake the exam. For example, if you take the GMAT Online, you will need to wait 16 days before you take the GMAT Online again. There is no waiting period if you switch formats.

When to Take the GMAT

Because MBA and other business programs have a wide range of application deadlines, you’ll want to research your programs of interest ahead of time to ensure that your GMAT score can be reported in time for your earliest deadline. Keep two other data points in mind: Your GMAT score is good for five years and applications take quite a lot of time to complete. If possible, it’s a good idea to start studying for your exam at least a year and maybe two years before you want to apply.

Keep in mind that many MBA programs accept applications in “rounds” that can end as early as September for Round 1 at highly competitive programs and can go as late as the following April or May for Round 3 or even Round 4.

[ Read more about the GMAT registration process ]

Most people spend about  2–5 months studying for the GMAT, depending on the starting score and goal score. According to GMAC, GMAT test takers who score in the 90th percentile or higher typically study more than 120 hours for the exam.

How Much Does it Cost to Take the GMAT?

In most locations, the online version of the GMAT costs $300 USD, while the testing-center version costs $275 USD.