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Content and Format of the GMAT— |
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The
test has three distinct sections : Analytical Writing Ability (AWA),
Quantitative, and Verbal. The Quantitative section has two types of
questions, Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency, mingled throughout
the section. The Verbal Section has three types : Sentence Correction,
Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension; here too, the questions
of each type appear in no set sequence. There are a total of 78 questions,
37 in Quantitative and 41 in Verbal. These have to be done in 75 minutes
each. |
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Analytical
Writing Assessment |
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The analytical
writing section requires you to write - or rather type - two short essays
in thirty minutes each. The first is the Analysis of an Issue, in which
you need to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it.
The second essay is Analysis of an Argument, in which a given argument
has to be critically analyzed and evaluated. |
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For both the
essays, the emphasis is on the "Analytical" part, and not
on the "Writing" part. This implies that a concise essay with
well-reasoned points written in simple English will be looked upon more
favourably than an essay which falls short on the analytical aspects
even though it is high on writing skills. |
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A
five-minute break follows the two essays. The computer gives you the
option to take this break, or to move directly to the subsequent section.
Even if you finish the essays before the stipulated sixty minutes, the
break will still be of five minutes. It is advisable to utilize this
break by gearing yourself up for the tougher sections that follow. |
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Quantitative
Section |
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The
37 questions in this section comprise two kinds of questions : Problem
Solving (PS) and Data Sufficiency (DS). The two kinds do not have a
definite break-up, usually there are around 20 PS and 17 DS questions.
The section tests you on a level of Maths that is comparable to the
level of Class 10 exams, with questions on Number Systems, Percentages,
Fractions & Decimals, Algebra (including Quadratic Equations), Geometry
(including Basic Coordinate Geometry), Ratio & Proportion, Area
& Volume of 2-D and 3-D figures, and Probability. This list is not
exhaustive; questions from beyond these topics may also be asked. |
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While the Problem
Solving questions require you to solve a mathematical problem directly
and choose the right answer, the Data Sufficiency is of a trickier variety.
Each problem comprises a question followed by two statements, which
may or may not lead to the answer to the given question. This is what
you need to ascertain - whether the given statements can be used to
answer the question or not, and if so, whether the statements can be
used independently or in conjunction. Each of the five answer options
present the five possibilities that arise in this case, and you have
to apply the basic principles of mathematics with a strong dose of logic
to get these right. |
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Verbal
Section |
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The verbal
section in GMAT requires the basic skills of correct English coupled
with reasoning and analysis. The 41 questions, to be attempted in 75
minutes, consist of three types : Sentence Correction (SC), Critical
Reasoning (CR), and Reading Comprehension (RC). The three types are
intermingled, with no fixed number for each type. The break-up of questions
among SC, CR, and RC could be 14-14-13 or 15-13-13, or any such combination. |
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Reporting
the Scores |
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ETS has the
provision of reporting your GMAT scores to a maximum of five universities
of your choice, the cost of which is built into the GMAT fee you pay.
But the catch is : you have to select these five universities/business-schools
which will receive copies of your score report BEFORE you begin to take
the test. This implies that even before taking the GMAT, you need to
do some homework on which universities you’re finally going to
apply, based on the score that you expect to attain. For reporting to
each additional university, the ETS charges you $25, payable by an international
credit card or a dollar denominated draft. |
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The
Scoring Pattern in GMAT |
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The GMAT results
comprise four different scores : a total score (which is the combined
verbal and quantitative scores), a separate Verbal score, a separate
Quantitative score, and an Analytical Writing score. The total score
is reported on a scale from 200 to 800. The Verbal and Quantitative
Scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 60. For the AWA score, the scale
is from 0 to 6. Note that your AWA performance is not reflected in your
total GMAT score (on 800). You get to know your total, verbal, and quantitative
score immediately after taking the test. Official GMAT score reports,
which include the AWA scores, are mailed approximately two weeks after
you take the test and take another ten days or so to reach your address. |
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In addition
to these scores, the score report also contains percents (%) below.
These "% below" indicate the percentage of examinees who scored
below you based on the scores of the entire GMAT testing population
for the most recent three-year period. These percentages are important
in considering how an applicant for admission to a particular management
school compares with everyone in the specified period, with all other
applicants to the same school, and with students already enrolled at
the school. |
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Retaking
the GMAT |
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Even though
an "I could have done better" feeling is inevitable after
any test, taking the GMAT again may not be helpful. Sometimes it is
necessary to take the GMAT more than once, like when a management school
asks you for more recent scores than what you have. However, unless
your scores seem unusually low compared to your performance in the practice
tests, or if you have not been able to perform well because of a sudden
illness or similar exceptional circumstances, it’s advisable not
to succumb to the temptation of repeating the test. This is because,
given the nature of the test, it is unlikely that your scores can substantially
improve. |
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If you repeat
the test, your scores from the latest test date and the two most recent
test administrations in the last five years will be reported to the
institutions you designate as recipients. In any case, you cannot take
the test more than once in the same calendar month, even if you have
taken the test and cancelled your scores. |
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