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GMAT Preparation
Reporting Scores
The Scoring Pattern
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Retaking the GMAT
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GMAT Prep Classes What is GMAT? Top

The Graduate Management Admission Test is a Standardized test that measures verbal,
Others mathematical and analytical writing skills. It is intended to help the graduate schools of
business assess the potential of applicants for advanced study in business and management.
GMAT Related Discussions Nearly 900 management institutes all over the world (almost all of them in the US) require
GMAT scores from each applicant. The GMAT tests the fundamental skills - Reasoning and
Comprehension included - and does not require any subject-specific theoretical study.

The test is designed in such a way that it would be unlike any other test you would have taken
at school or college. First, the test has no question paper or answer sheets, nor does it have
the same set of questions for all the examinees. Further, it does not give you the option of not
answering a question (unless, of course, you run out of time at the end). All this because the
GMAT is now an entirely Computer based test - the keyboard and mouse do the work of a
pen or pencil. The test is scored out of 800 (in multiples of 10), and most scores fall in the
range of 500-600. However, a score of even 800 is not unheard of!

The GMAT test is only one of several parameters which the graduate schools look at to
determine the selection of an applicant. A high score alone does not translate into an
admission offer from a great school. But the test can be looked upon as the first major hurdle
to be cleared in the process of getting admission into a B-school of your choice.

Who administers the GMAT? Top

The GMAT test is developed and administered by the US-based Pearson VUE under the
direction of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a non-profit
organization of graduate business schools worldwide. This implies that Pearson VUE
conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report. For the conduct of the test,
Pearson VUE has appointed testing centers in various countries.

When is the GMAT held? Top

All-round-the-year. Unlike other exams, you can choose your own date and time for taking
the GMAT! The test is administered in the above cities five-days-a-week (Monday through
Friday), twice-a-day. September to December is the high season for GMAT, so in case you
intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 90 days in
advance) to get a date of your choice. Otherwise, registering at least 15 days in advance is
mandatory. The GMAT test lasts roughly four hours, and most centres offer two slots : 9
A.M. and 2 P.M.
Eligibility and Fees Top

Anyone and everyone is eligible for taking the GMAT - there are no restrictions based on age
or qualifications. The test scores are valid for five years, i.e., most universities accept scores
up to five years old. But it is always better if your scores are recent (not older than 2 years).

The fee to take the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT) is US$250 worldwide.
You will incur taxes when you schedule an exam in certain countries.

Click here for a list of countries where you have to pay additional tax to register for the
GMAT (PDF format)

Preferred Forms of Payment

By credit card
* Credit card (Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, or JCB®)
* Debit card (Visa® or MasterCard® only)

By cashier’s check (mailed forms only)

By money order (mailed forms only)

Personal check (mailed forms only)

Payments by check must be payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on banks located in the United
States.

All payments must be made in full, include the correct numeric and written fee amount, have

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All payments must be made in full, include the correct numeric and written fee amount, have
the appropriate signature(s), and be made payable to Pearson VUE-GMAT.

Postdated checks will not be accepted. The bank name and its location should be preprinted
on the face of the check. Taxes must be included where applicable and the appointment date
must be at least 10 calendar days after the check is received to allow time for the check to
clear. Please keep in mind that it can take up to eight (8) weeks for letters to reach the U.S.
from some countries.

By sending a personal check, you are authorizing Pearson VUE, at its discretion, to use the
information on your check to make an electronic debit from your account for the amount of
your check; no additional amount will be withdrawn at that time. You are also authorizing
Pearson VUE to make an electronic debit from your account of an additional service fee of
US$20 in the event your check is returned.

If payment is not submitted in U.S. dollars, or otherwise does not comply with the above
requirements or other standard banking practices, your registration or request for service will
not be processed and your payment will be rejected and/or returned. Any questions regarding
billing or refunding should be directed to GMAT Customer Service in your region:

Americas Region
Email: GMATCandidateServicesAmericas@pearson.com
Telephone (toll-free): 1-800-717-GMAT (4628), 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time
Telephone: 1-952-681-3680, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time
Fax: 1-952-681-3681

Asia-Pacific Region (except India)

Email: GMATCandidateServicesAPAC@pearson.com
Telephone: +61 2 9478 5430, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. AEST
Fax: +61 2 9901 3330

India
Email: GMATCandidateServicesAPAC@pearson.com
Telephone: +91 (0) 120 532 4628, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Indian Standard Time
Fax: +61 2 9901 3330

Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) Region

Email: GMATCandidateServicesEMEA@pearson.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 161 855 7219, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. BST
Fax: +44 (0) 161 855 7301

THE GMAT-CAT Top

What is a Computer-Adaptive GMAT Test?

In a computer-adaptive test, the computer screen displays one question at a time, which is
chosen from a very large pool of questions categorized by content and difficulty. The first
question is always of a medium difficulty, and each subsequent question is determined by
your responses to all the previous questions. In other words, the CAT adjusts itself to your
ability level - you’ll get few questions that are either too easy or too difficult for you.

Each question in the GMAT CAT has five answer options, and you are required to select one
of these five as the correct answer by clicking on it. A subsequent question is displayed on the
screen only after you have answered the previous question, so you cannot skip a question.
You cannot also go back to a previously answered question to change your answer. Thus, if
you guess a correct answer or answer a question incorrectly by mistake, your answers to
subsequent questions will lead you back to questions that are at the appropriate level of
difficulty for you.

Content and Format of the GMAT Test Top

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.

The following table gives out the format of the GMAT-CAT :

Questions Timing

Computer Tutorial NA NA

Analysis of an Issue 1 Topic 30 min.

Analysis of an Argument 1 Topic 30 min.

Optional Rest Break NA 5 min.

Quantitative (Problem Solving & Data

37 75 min.
Sufficiency)

Optional Rest Break NA 5 min.

Verbal (Reading Comprehension, Critical

41 75 min.

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Verbal (Reading Comprehension, Critical

41 75 min.
Reasoning, & Sentence Correction)

78+2 Essays> 4hrs.(approx.)

The tutorial is meant to make you feel comfortable with the infrastructure and the
environment and does not have a prescribed time limit. You are expected to be through with it
in 15 minutes or so : it makes sense to acclimatize yourself fully with the setting even after
you think you have understood how the system works.

Analytical Writing Assessment Top

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.

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.

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.

Quantitative Section Top

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.

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.

Verbal Section Top

The verbal section in GMAT test 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.

Reporting the Scores Top

There is a provision of reporting your GMAT test scores to a maximum of five universities of
your choice, the cost of which is built into the GMAT test 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 charge is US $28, payable by an international
credit card or a dollar denominated draft. You will incur taxes when you request Additional
Score Reports (ASRs) in certain countries. Please click tax rates to determine the tax you will
have to pay in certain countries.

The Scoring Pattern in GMAT CAT Top

The GMAT test 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.

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.

The following table indicates the percentage of examinees tested from June 1995 through
May 1998 who scored below specified total scores :

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May 1998 who scored below specified total scores :

Percentage Percentage
Score Score
Below Below

770-800 Greater than 99 490 40

740-760 99 480 37

730 98 470 34

720 97 460 30

710 96 450 28

700 95 440 25

690 94 430 23

680 93 420 20

670 91 410 18

660 90 400 15

650 88 390 13

640 85 380 12

630 83 370 10

620 81 360 8

610 78 350 7

600 75 340 6

590 73 330 5

580 70 320 4

570 67 310 3

560 64 300 2

550 60 290 2

540 57 240-280 1

530 53 200-230 <1

520 50

510 47

500 43

No. of examinees : 602,037

Mean Score : 513

This table implies that if you end up with a score of 600 on the GMAT, 75% of the 602,037
examinees who took the GMAT between June 1995 and May 1998 got a score below yours.

Retaking the GMAT Top

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 test 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.

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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