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All You Need To Know About The GMAT Structure

Dec 12, 2019 | 4 minutes | 6 likes

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If you’re planning on doing an MBA, you’ve probably heard of GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). It’s one of the most important exams that you can take for a career in MBA, and also for studying abroad. Developed and administered by GMAC (The Graduate Management Admission Council), it is a multiple choice test which is a requirement for admission into several B Schools. In addition, your GMAT scores are valid for a very long time; many companies take into account your GMAT score during the hiring process. So, this isn’t a test that you should take lightly at all. So, what constitutes the GMAT exam? What sections are a part of the exam and how is the exam structured? Find out in this article.

Computer Adaptive Test: GMAT is a computer based, computer adaptive test. Meaning, the program records your ability, and based on your answers presents the subsequent question. For eg. if you have correctly answered questions relating to that difficulty level correctly, then the next question will be of a slightly higher difficulty. Conversely, if you have answered a question incorrectly, the subsequent question will be of a slightly lower difficulty. The Computer Adaptive Test tailors the questions presented to you during the exam so as to test a candidate’s ability more effectively.

Structure: The GMAT exam is divided into four sections. Below is a table detailing the time duration given to each section, the number of questions, type of questions and score.

Section	Time	No. of Questions	Question Type	Score
Analytical Writing Assessment	30 mins	1	Analyse a given Argument (Essay)	0-6 (in 0.5-point increments)
Integrated Reasoning	30 mins	12	Interpreting Graphics Table Analysis Multi Source Reasoning Two Part Analysis	1-8 (in 1-point increments)
Quantitative Analytics	62 mins	31	Data Sufficiency Problem Solving	6-51 (in 1-point increments)
Verbal Reasoning	65 mins	36	Reading Comprehension Critical Reasoning Sentence Correction	6-51 (in 1-point increments)

April 2018 onward, the GMAT an updated format was put in effect, shortening the total duration of the exam by 23 minutes. Earlier, the Quant and VR sections were each given 75 minutes. The new format reduced the Quant and VR duration to 62 minutes and 65 minutes respectively. The number of questions in the sections were also reduced. The Sections: These four sections are designed to test various abilities.

Analytical Writing Assessment: This section tests your analytical ability, critical thinking and communication skills. You will be expected to write an essay, analyse a given argument.
Integrated Reasoning: In this section, your ability to analyse data is put to test. You are presented data in various formats, including graphics, tables, etc. which you are expected to interpret and evaluate.
Quantitative Analytics: Once again, you are expected to analyse data, but in this section you must use your reasoning skills to draw logical conclusions.
Verbal Reasoning: This section tests your ability to read and understand a given text, your ability to evaluate arguments and to correct written material.

Order of Sections: During the exam, you are given a choice of which order you want to attempt the sections. You are given 2 breaks of 8 minutes each between the sections. The positions of the breaks change based on the order in which you attempt the sections. The three options are as follows:

Option 1	Option 2	Option 3
Analytical Writing Assessment	Verbal	Quantitative
Integrated Reasoning	--------- Break 1 ---------	--------- Break 1 ---------
--------- Break 1 ---------	Quantitative	Verbal
Quantitative	--------- Break 2 ---------	--------- Break 2 ---------
--------- Break 2 ---------	Integrated Reasoning	Analytical Writing Assessment
Verbal	Analytical Writing Assessment	Integrated Reasoning

Want to know more about GMAT? Stay tuned for a breakdown of the different sections and their syllabus in our next article. If you have given GMAT before, or have any suggestions, write to us in the comments below.