Holding Text
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test that is used by business schools and certain graduate business programs to evaluate the qualifications of applicants. The GMAT is generally considered a predictor of academic success in the first year of a graduate business program; it is not an IQ test or a predictor of future success (or failure) in a given field. The majority of US business schools require the GMAT as part of the application process.
The GMAT is important in order to compare diverse candidates, ones who have a wide variety of educational and occupational backgrounds. The GMAT provides a universal benchmark with which to compare applicants to graduate business programs. A high score is commonly thought to indicate that you possess the strong analytical and verbal skills required to meet the academic rigor of a school’s program.
Though the GMAT score is not the only piece of your application, it is a significant one. A GMAT score at or above the mean of other applicants to a particular program will improve your chances of admission. In short, your GMAT score can be equated to what you wear to a job interview.
A fancy suit alone will not get you the job, and a stain on your shirt
will probably not lose you the job, but whom would you rather hire?
The answer to this question is always necessarily vague because the GMAT score is not the lone determinant of admission. The simple answer is a “good” score is the score that makes you a contender for the school to which you want to go. The more complex answer is a “good” score is one that reflects your preparation and level of commitment to the b-school application process. Submitting “good” scores will demonstrate that you are serious about applying and aware of the impact of your score.
A “good” GMAT score alone will not get you admitted; however, a below average score can be an unnecessary roadblock, particularly if you do not have considerable and unique accomplishments to offset the sub-par score. It is significantly more difficult for an admissions officer to persuade colleagues to admit a candidate with a 400 than it is to persuade them to admit a candidate with a 570, 590, or 620. At top 10 business schools, the range of scores is generally above the 85th percentile (~640). Consider the following scores, the corresponding percentiles, and how your score compares.
| Total
(200 – 800) |
Percent of US test-takers below score |
| 540 | 50% |
| 610 | 75% |
| 650 | 85% |
| 710 | 95% |
The number you should be most concerned with as it regards GMAT scores is the range of GMAT scores that encompass the middle 50 to 80 percent of recently accepted candidates for a given school. In this light, a “good” GMAT score is the one that places you firmly within that range, comparing you favorably to other applicants with similar qualifications. To get a better understanding of what will be a good score, you should generate a list of prospective business schools or programs and find out their published GMAT ranges for recently accepted candidates. Virtually every business school in the country publishes this information (along with average GPA and average number of years work experience). For more information browse the web or visit the websites of the schools or programs you’re considering.
The GMAT consists of three sections structured as shown below:
| Number of questions | Allotted Time | |
| Analytical Writing Assessment Analysis of an Issue Analysis of an Argument |
1 1 |
60 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes |
| optional break – 8 minutes | ||
| Quantitative Problem Solving Data Sufficiency |
37 | 75 minutes |
| optional break – 8 minutes | ||
| Verbal Sentence Correction Critical Reasoning Reading Comprehension |
41 | 75 minutes |
What is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)?
In layman’s terms, a computer adaptive test is one that relies on a large pool of potential questions ranging in difficulty from very easy to very hard. Each section of the test starts with a question of medium difficulty. If you answer the first question correctly, your next question will be harder, while if you answer the first question incorrectly, the next question will be easier. This process will continue until time expires for a given section, at which time your overall ability will be calculated and presented in terms of your score.
Your score is determined by:
• the number of questions answered
• whether you answered the questions correctly or incorrectly
• the level of difficulty of each question
The chart below shows how three different test takers might score on an adaptive test if each answers three questions correctly and two incorrectly. When a question is answered incorrectly, the score decreases, and when a question is answered correctly, the score increases. Each time the score increases, the computer will present a harder question, and each time the score decreases, the computer will present an easier question.
For more information about how scores are generated click here.
Sub-scores
For each of the Quantitative and Verbal sub-sections you will receive a raw score based on the number of questions answered, the number of correct and incorrect answers, and the difficulty level of the questions. The raw score ranges for both the Quantitative and Verbal sub-sections are from 6 to 51, in one-point increments. The higher the sub-scores, the better the test result.
For the Analytical Writing Section, each of the two essays are given a score of 0 to 6, measured in half-point increments. Each essay is graded twice, and at least one of those is done by a human reader. The scores for the two essays will then be averaged for your total AWA score, again ranging from 0 to 6 in half-point increments.
Total Score
Using some sort of complex algorithm that isn’t disclosed to the public, GMAC will produce a scaled total score from your Quantitative and Verbal sub-scores. This score ranges from 200 to 800.
Percentiles
You will also receive a percentile for each sub-section and for the total score. Percentiles indicate the percentage of test-takers who scored below your reported score.
| Percent below | Quant
(6 – 51) |
Verbal
(6 – 51) |
Total
(200 – 800) |
| 50% | 37 | 28 | 540 |
| 75% | 45 | 35 | 620 |
| 85% | 48 | 38 | 660 |
| 95% | 50 | 42 | 720 |
For a full breakdown of GMAT percentiles and corresponding scores click here.
How Do I Register for the Test?
When: The GMAT® is offered up to six days per week. Appointments can be scheduled for a variety of start times, from as early as 8:30 a.m. to as late as 4 p.m.
How often: The GMAT can only be taken ONCE per 31-day period and a maximum of five times per calendar year.
How much: The cost is $250.
Score reporting: All scores will be kept on record for five years and reported to schools upon your request. At the beginning of the GMAT you can select up to five schools to receive your scores, and after the test you can request that the scores be sent to schools for an additional fee.
Contact Info: Visit www.mba.com or call 800-717-GMAT (4628).
Quantitative
- Knowledge of the following:
GMAT Quantitative questions come in two forms: Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency.
Problem Solving questions require you to solve for an answer to a question and then select that answer from amongst five answer choices. Click here to see a sample Problem Solving question.
Data Sufficiency questions require you to determine whether information given in the two statements accompanying a problem provide enough information to find an answer to the question asked. Click here to see a sample Data Sufficiency question.
Verbal
Verbal reasoning tests your reading and language skills, as well as your ability to do the following:
- Comprehend written materialGMAT Verbal questions come in three forms: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.
Sentence Correction questions require you to determine which of five answer choices provide the clearest, most concise and grammatically correct version of a portion underlined in a sentence. Click here to see a sample Sentence Correction question.
Critical Reasoning questions require you to assess information given in a passage and determine the correct answer from five choices to a question using logical reasoning. Click here to see a sample Critical Reasoning question.
Reading Comprehension questions require you to read and understand the information given in a passage and use that information to determine which of five choices is the correct answer to each question about that passage. Click here to see a sample Reading Comprehension passage and question.
Because the GMAT is at base a reasoning test, both sections also assess the following skills:
The short answer is YES, you lose points for every question you don’t fill in (up to 15 percentile points per section). This does not mean you should rush through the test to complete them all, but rather complete the number of questions you need to answer based on your pacing plan and guess on the rest. Don’t lose points unnecessarily because you forgot to fill in an answer for every question.
For more insight into the different effects that guessing and leaving questions blank can have on your score click here.
How Should I Prepare?
That's a good question. And we've got an answer. For information and insights about managing your GMAT preparations, check out our GMAT preparation overview.
