The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is required by most business schools in North America for admission to MBA programs. Increasingly, the GMAT test is being required by schools in Europe and Asia as well. Most GMAT test takers start preparing 3-6 months before the actual test date.
The GMAT tests you on basic verbal, math, and analytical abilities.
The GMAT takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, not including one optional 10-minute break. If you take your exam at a test center, allow for 15-30 minutes to check in.
The GMAT Focus Edition test consists of three sections, of which you may choose the order (you have only one minute to choose the order).
An older version of the GMAT test consisted of four sections: Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing (the writing section was entirely discontinued in the GMAT Focus Edition). This version of the GMAT was discontinued in early 2024.
The GMAT test is computer adaptive, meaning that it adjusts to your individual ability level. At the start of each separate section, you are typically presented a question of medium difficulty. However, you should not count on the first question being a medium-difficulty question: on occasion, the GMAT has been known to start off the test with a 695-805 level question. If you correctly answer a question, the GMAT test will increase the difficulty of the next question. If you answer incorrectly, you will be given a less difficult question. This process continues until you complete the section.
Within each section, you may "bookmark" questions in order to review later. If you finish answering all the questions in a section in the time allotted, you may then proceed to the Question Review & Edit, where you can change up to three answers per section.
You may take the GMAT only five times in one year (12 months).
The GMAT score report consists of three scores:
Your GMAT scores for the GMAT math, verbal, and data insights sections are determined by how many questions you answered, how many you answered correctly, and (very importantly) how difficult the questions were. There is a penalty for not answering all of the questions in a section. For U.S. test-takers, the average GMAT score is 564, and about 24% achieve a 645+ total GMAT score.
Along with your GMAT score, you will also be given a percentile ranking, meaning, the percentage of test-takers over whom you performed better on the exam. This percentile ranking includes all test-takers worldwide for the past three years, and is recalculated each year. For example, a percentile of 95% means that you scored better than 95% of test takers (for every 100 people who took the test, only 5 of them did better than you).
Your GMAT score is valid for five years.
You will need to register in advance to take the GMAT. The exam can be taken at any time of the year, subject to certain restrictions such as holidays and seat availability.
Watch the video below to learn about the GMAT test center experience. To find a test center near you, visit www.mba.com.
Read about taking the GMAT Online exam.
There are several differences between the test center and online experiences.
You will not be allowed to use a calculator during the test for the Quantitative section. You will be provided an online calculator for the Data Insights section.
Whether you are in the test center or taking the exam online, you may not touch your smartphone or other electronics, even during the optional breaks. GMAT test-takers have been removed from the test center for checking texts and emails on smartphones, and online proctors have ended the exam. Do not try to sneak a peek at your phone.
You will be asked to show your ID and scan your hand at the test center front desk both at check-in and at the optional breaks when you return to the testing area. When you take your 10-minute break during the online exam, you have to be checked in again by the proctor. Be aware that this takes time, especially if there are other test-takers before you. In other words, your break must be super-short.
You can preview your unofficial GMAT score – Data Insights, Quantitative, Verbal, and Total – after you have completed your exam, and you have the option to have that GMAT score sent to five business schools for free within the next 48 hours. You may add additional schools at any time for a fee. The school will only see the score(s) that you choose to send.
Please be aware that the MBA admissions process does not allow for a "super score" (take the best scores for each section from multiple exam attempts and combine to create a super score). Officially, the admissions team will only consider your best exam score.
We recommend that you take advantage of GMAC's practice tests: In addition to practicing question types, take a few full practice exams, recreating the test day conditions as closely as possible (no snacks, for example). In the meantime, practice with the GMAT Official Starter Kit on mba.com.
