The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)® is a standardized exam required for admission to most graduate business programs. If you’re considering going back to school for your MBA degree or another business-related master’s degree, it’s likely you will have to take the GMAT.
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the GMAT, including when to take it, how the test is formatted and tips for success.
What Does the GMAT Cover?
There are four sections on the GMAT exam. Test-takers have three hours and seven minutes to complete the whole exam, which comprises 80 questions total. Each test-taker can choose the section order they prefer, of which there are three options:
- Option One: Analytical writing assessment, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning
- Option Two: Verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, integrated reasoning, analytical writing assessment
- Option Three: Quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, integrated reasoning, analytical writing assessment
Below, we’ll break down each section to give you a better understanding of what to expect as you move through the test.
Analytical Writing Assessment (Essay)
You’ll be asked to complete an essay as part of the GMAT exam. Your score on this section gives business schools a general sense of your writing skills. The essay section asks you to critique an argument, and your score depends on your ability to analyze the issue, organize your argument and provide clear and concise logic.
Test-takers have 30 minutes to complete the essay portion, which includes only one question.
Integrated Reasoning (IR)
The IR section was added in 2012, making it relatively new to the GMAT. This section draws on both verbal and quantitative skills. IR problems require you to use logic to interpret data in charts, graphs and tables.
This section features four types of problems: multi-source reasoning, table analysis, graphics interpretation and two-part analysis.
The IR section comprises 12 questions and is capped at 30 minutes.
Quantitative Reasoning (Math)
The math section measures your understanding of basic math topics such as number properties, geometry, logic, statistics and algebra. There are only two types of problems in the quantitative section.
- Data sufficiency. The quantitative section features about 13 or 14 data sufficiency problems, which are essentially logic problems disguised as math problems. You’ll be given a question stem and two accompanying statements. You’ll need to determine whether the provided statements are sufficient to solve the problem.
- Problem-solving. The GMAT’s problem-solving questions, of which there are 17 or 18, resemble those on other common standardized tests like the SAT. You’ll be given a question and five possible answer choices. Once you solve the problem, you’ll choose the answer that corresponds to the solution.
Test-takers must finish the math portion within 62 minutes.
Verbal Reasoning
There are three types of problems in the GMAT’s 36-question verbal section. These problems seek to determine your ability to understand written English, read critically and effectively analyze an argument. Below we break down the types of problems found in this section.
- Sentence correction. You’ll face 12 or 13 problems presenting long, complicated sentences with subtle errors. You’ll be responsible for finding and correcting the errors via multiple choice.
- Critical reasoning. You’ll be given nine or 10 short arguments or statements, each paired with a question that relates to the argument in some way. These questions measure your critical thinking skills. You might be asked to strengthen or weaken an argument or find or evaluate a conclusion.
- Reading comprehension. Expect to answer 12 to 14 reading comprehension questions based on a few lengthy, academic passages. Some questions measure your ability to summarize the main idea. Others may ask you to make inferences based on what you’ve read. These questions may also ask whether or not the logic put forth in the passage is sound.
The time limit for this section is 65 minutes.
How Is the GMAT Scored?
Though the GMAT is a standardized exam, it’s also adaptive. This means you’ll start each section of the exam with a question of medium difficulty. If you answer the first question correctly, you’ll get a more difficult question next. If you answer incorrectly, the subsequent question will be easier. Your score is calibrated based on the difficulty level of the questions you’re answering.
GMAT scoring breaks down as follows.
- Analytical writing. Each GMAT essay is reviewed by both a person and a computer, each of whom provides a score. These two scores are averaged to determine your final score. You’ll receive a score between zero and six, including half-point increments. This score is not included in your total GMAT score.
- Integrated reasoning. This section is scored from one to eight in one-point increments.
- Quantitative. The score technically ranges from zero to 60, but in reality, all scores fall between six and 51.
- Verbal. This section is scored the same way as the quantitative section.
Total Score
When you take the GMAT, you’ll technically receive four scores—one for each section. However, the quantitative and verbal sections are scored together to make up what’s known as your “total score,” which is the score most business schools use during the admissions process. The total score is reported in 10-point increments from 200 to 800.
What Is a Good Score on the GMAT?
A “good score” is subjective and depends on your individual goals. We recommend studying hard, doing your best and applying to schools that are likely to admit you based on your GMAT scores.
That said, GMAC reports that two-thirds of GMAT test-takers score between 400 and 600. The average score is around 575. Test-takers in the 90th percentile score a 710 or higher. Some of the most competitive business programs in the U.S. tend to admit students who scored in the 90th percentile on the GMAT. See below for a few examples.
- Columbia Business School: The average total GMAT score among the MBA class entering in 2022 was 729.
- Harvard Business School: Among the MBA class of 2024, the median total GMAT score was 730.
- Stanford Graduate School of Business: The MBA class of 2023 scored an average of 737 on the GMAT.
- University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business: The MBA class of 2024 scored a median of 730 on the GMAT.
- University of Chicago Booth School of Business: Full-time MBA students in the class of 2024 scored an average of 729 on the GMAT.
How to Take the GMAT
Starting in April 2020, GMAC began offering the GMAT online. This test format is still available, giving test-takers the choice to test at an in-person center or online.
Registering for the GMAT
Learners planning to take the GMAT should first determine whether they want to take the exam at a test center or online. If planning to enter an MBA program, students should consider creating an account at mba.com before following the steps involved to register for the GMAT.
The most involved part of the registration process is determining when to take the exam. We recommend first checking the application deadlines of the schools where you plan to apply. You can then register to take the GMAT at least three weeks before the earliest application deadline. This helps ensure that your scores are successfully transmitted to the schools of your choice by their application deadlines.
Testing Center vs. Online
In most respects, the in-person and online GMAT exams are the same. The exam fee is $25 more for the online GMAT. Otherwise, the exam formats differ as follows.
- Availability. Test-center GMAT exams are available up to seven days. The online exam is available 24/7.
- Scratch work. At a testing center, you receive a five-page booklet and two dry-erase markers. At home, you can use a personal whiteboard and/or an online whiteboard (provided).
- Sending score reports. For the online test, you must send your five free score reports to your chosen programs within 48 hours of receiving your official score report. If you take the test in person, this 48-hour limit does not apply.
How Much Does the GMAT Cost?
In the U.S., it costs $275 each time you take the GMAT at a testing center, or $300 if you take the exam online, according to mba.com. Make sure you’re available on the day you register to take the GMAT, as rescheduling the exam incurs additional fees, and cancellation provides only a partial refund.
The initial exam fee includes the cost of sending score reports to up to five programs. Each additional score report costs $35. If you want your essay section rescored, this costs $45.
Many students take the exam several times to make sure they get the best score possible, so make sure to budget for that in case you’d like to try again after your first attempt.
Retaking the GMAT
You can take the GMAT up to five times within any rolling one-year period, but you can only take the exam up to eight times total. You must wait 16 calendar days between exam attempts.
GMAT Preparation Tips
What’s the best way to ensure success on the GMAT? Every test-taker is different, but the following test tips work for most individuals. Use mba.com’s free eight-week study planner for more guidance on test prep.
- Start studying early. A GMAC survey of 3,600 test-takers found that 62% of respondents began their preparation four or more weeks ahead of their test date. In addition, test-takers who studied more scored higher: 60 hours or more of preparation yielded scores higher than 500.
- Take a prep course. While there’s no guarantee that a prep course can enhance your score, these courses can teach you about time management, hold you accountable and they can provide valuable insider tricks to mastering questions on the exam.
- Practice time management. Running out of time on one of the sections of the GMAT is an unfortunate way to reduce your score, even if you know the information. It’s wise to practice pacing before test day—ideally by taking a practice exam—to give you a sense of how long you can spend on each question.
- Take GMAT practice exams. Aside from helping you set a good test-taking pace, practice exams can help you prepare for other aspects of the real thing. You can find practice tests online or in a test prep book from the bookstore. Two free practice exams are available at the mba.com exam prep store.
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