GMAT

When we say that GMAT is a "computer-adaptive test" it does not just mean
that a simple pen and paper test has been transferred to a computer screen. No,
what it means is that you will initially be served with questions whose difficulty
level would be average and depending on how you answer those questions,
GMAT will "adapt" to your performance. In short, if you answer correctly, the
computer throws up more and more difficult questions and if you answer
incorrectly, you'll be served with easier questions. This is the basic format of the
GMAT. However, please note that only the 3rd and 4th sections of the GMAT
i.e. the Quantitative and Verbal sections are adaptive. The Analytical
Writing Assessment and the Integrated Reasoning sections of GMAT are
non-adaptive.

The 3.5 hour long exam has a variety of questions that will be used to assess
your suitability to pursue an MBA program.

GMAT Test Pattern & Syllabus

 The following four sections of the GMAT have to be taken on a computer

within 3 hours, 30 minutes.

 You're allowed to take 2 breaks in between the GMAT sections. Each

break is of 8 minutes duration and if you're not back on your seat before
that, the test timer automatically starts ticking and you end up losing time
from your GMAT.

 Test Section No. of questions Timing

Analytical Writing
1 Topic 30 minutes
Assessment
Integrated Reasoning 12 questions 30 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning 37 questions 75 minutes
Verbal Reasoning 41 questions 75 minutes
3 hours, 30
Total Exam Time
minutes

Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)

 There will be just 1 topic to tackle in this section.

 Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) requires you to analyse the logic

behind a given argument and then write an essay explaining the
argument.

 This GMAT section will not just assess your writing skills but also your
critical thinking skills. Remember that this section wants you to write a
critique of the argument already presented, so DON'T write down your own
views about it.
Integrated Reasoning (IR)

In an increasingly data-driven business environment, you will be faced with the

need to make decisions based on information from multiple resources. So this
particular section of the GMAT, "Integrated Reasoning" (which was introduced
quite recently in the year 2012), tests your problem-solving and data analysis
skills through the following 4 types of questions:

 Multi-source reasoning - you'll have to solve complicated problems by

picking up information from various sources

 Graphics interpretation - you'll have to interpret the date given in the form
of a graph/ image and arrive at a solution

 Two-part analysis - a problem will be given that would have a two-part

solution. You'll have to arrive at answers to both the inter-related
questions

 Table analysis - you'll have to sort the data given in the form a table to
answer various questions

A single question in the IR section may have multiple parts; every part will have
to be answered correctly in order to get the full marks. You have to answer all the
sub-parts of a question in order to move on to the next IR question.

Quantitative Reasoning

This GMAT section will test your ability to solve numerical & data-related
problems. The GMAT Mathematics syllabus is not very tough to crack. If
you're familiar with the maths topics taught up until secondary school (class 10)
such as basic arithmetic, geometry, algebra & word problems; you can easily
tackle the Quantitative section.

There are two types of questions given in mixed order throughout this section:

 Problem Solving (PS): Questions of this type will test your mathematical
skills acquired till class 10

 Data Sufficiency (DS): You'll have to look at the given information and
judge whether it is sufficient to solve the problem

Verbal Reasoning

The Verbal section of GMAT will test your fluency in the English language through
three question types:

 Reading comprehension: Your ability to read and comprehend

(understand) the written material is tested

 Critical reasoning: Your ability to evaluate given arguments and reasoning

is tested
  Sentence correction: Your grammar skills, ability to construct clear and
proper sentences is assessed

The verbal/ English syllabus for GMAT will require you to be well-versed in
the following areas: Pronouns, Parallelism, Subject-Verb Agreement, Diction,
Grammatical Construction, Idioms, Logical Predication, Verb Tense, Misplaced
Modifiers etc.

IELTS Exam Format

For long, IELTS exam was conducted only in the paper-based mode; but now
IELTS test has adopted the Computer-delivered mode as one of the test formats.
Candidates need to check which IELTS exam centres in India offer computer-
delivered IELTS exam before registering for the same. The best part of this
format is the time taken to release the IELTS result 2019. The conducting body
will release the IELTS 2019 result within 5-7 days from the exam date. Test takers
can promptly get the scores instead of waiting for 13 days! However, applicants
can still opt for the Paper-based IELTS exam.

IELTS 2019 Syllabus

The following table shows the syllabus of IELTS 2019-

IELTS Syllabus 2019: Section-wise

IELTS Listening Section:

The Listening section of IELTS has four sub-sections. The first one is a
conversation between two individuals set in an everyday social context. Second
is a monologue or a speech. The third section is a conversation among a
maximum of four people set in an academic setting and the final one is a
monologue on an academic subject, for instance, an academic lecture. Each
section is heard only once. Candidates can notes while listening to the
conversations and lectures, which can be referred to while answering the
questions.

IELTS Reading Section:

According to the IELTS syllabus 2019, the Reading section assesses the test
taker’s skill in reading as she/he has to answer questions (multiple choice,
sentence completion, summary writing, matching information, short-answers
etc.) after reading text passages. Each passage consists of 13-14 questions;
overall Reading module has 40 questions to be answered. A variety of question
types like reading for gist, reading for main ideas, reading for detail, skimming,
understanding the logical argument, recognising writers' opinions, attitudes and
purpose are used in order to test a wide range of reading skills. The reading
passages and questions are different in Academic and General Training IELTS.

Reading- IELTS Academic:

The Academic version of the syllabus of IELTS 2019 includes three long texts
where the subject matter range from the descriptive and factual to the discursive
and analytical. The texts are authentic and are taken from books, journals,
magazines and newspapers. These are selected for a non-specialist audience but
are appropriate for candidates entering university courses or seeking
professional registration abroad.

Reading- IELTS General Training:

According to the IELTS 2019 Syllabus, the General Training version requires
candidates to read extracts from books, magazines, newspapers, notices,
advertisements, company handbooks and guidelines. These are materials one is
likely to encounter on a daily basis in an English speaking environment.

IELTS Writing Section:

The IELTS writing section, again, is different for the two versions (Academic and
General Training). In each version, the section consists of two tasks:

Writing- IELTS Academic:

The writing component of IELTS Academic includes two tasks. Topics are of
general interest and suitable for candidates planning undergraduate and
postgraduate studies abroad or seeking professional registration.

Task 1
Candidates will be presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to
describe, summarise or explain the information in own words. Test takers may be
asked to describe and explain a given data, describe the stages of a process, a
flowchart of how something works or describe an object or event.

Task 2
Candidates would be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view,
argument or problem. Responses to both tasks must be in a formal and academic
style. Arguments should be supported by relevant examples.

Writing- IELTS General Training:

The writing component of IELTS General Training includes two tasks which are
based on topics of general interest.

Task 1
Candidates will be presented with a situation and asked to write a letter
requesting information or explaining a given situation. The letter may be
personal, semi-formal or formal in style.

Task 2
Test takers will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view,
argument or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the
Academic Writing Task 2 essay. Opinions should be supported by relevant
examples.

IELTS Speaking Section:

The IELTS 2019 syllabus prescribes that the IELTS Speaking test will be recorded
for evaluation purpose and will consist of three parts that simulate a face-to-face
oral interview with an examiner. The Speaking component assesses the
candidates’ use of spoken English; takes between 11 to 14 minutes to complete.
The entire speaking test is recorded by the examiner. The Speaking component is
delivered in such a way that it does not allow candidates to rehearse set
responses beforehand.

Part 1

The examiner will ask general questions about oneself and a range of familiar
topics, such as home, family, work, studies and interests. This part lasts for
about four and five minutes.

Part 2

Candidates will be given a card which asks them to talk about a particular topic.
They will have one minute to prepare before speaking for up to two minutes. The
examiner will then ask one or two questions on the same topic to complete the
second part of the speaking test.

Part 3

Test takers will be asked further questions connected to the topic in Part 2. These
questions will give candidates the opportunity to discuss more abstract ideas and
issue. This part of the test lasts for about four to five minutes.

Note- Test takers should remember to use neutral English while answering in the
Speaking section and should try not to use fake accents.

Since there are no eligibility criteria for IELTS 2019, aspirants who wish to pursue
opportunities abroad can register for the test by applying through the IELTS 2019
application form. The International English Language Testing System is a test of
four skill-sets. It should be noted that the selection procedure through IELTS
varies from institution to institution. Hence, it is advisable that the candidate
should be aware of the selection procedure and minimum IELTS result
requirement for the respective organisations where they wish to apply. The IELTS
test is conducted in more than 1,100 IELTS test locations in over 140 countries.
IELTS Test Component Brief Description

Listening (Same for Academic and General Training) Four sections, 40 items

Reading (Different for Academic and General Training) Three sections, 40 items

Writing (Different for Academic and General Training) Two tasks

Speaking (Same for Academic and General Training) Three-part one-on-one conversation

General Test Pattern for GRE Exam

Many universities and colleges in the US, Canada, UK, and other countries use
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores as a criterion for admissions to their
graduate-level courses. The ETS GRE (revised) General Test evaluates the test-
taker’s overall knowledge and skills in three main segments—analytical writing,
verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. The scores indicate the candidate’s
aptitude for taking up graduate studies in various disciplines.
ETS also offers GRE Subject Tests in various areas. In this article, we’ll skip the
Subject Tests and focus on the General Test.

The GRE offers the General Test in two formats—computer-based and paper-
based. The computer-based test lasts about three hours and 45 minutes overall,
and consists of six sections, or “measures,” as they are officially known: one
section on analytical writing, two sections each on verbal and quantitative
reasoning, and an additional section that may contain questions on either verbal
or quantitative reasoning, but is not taken into account for scoring nor timed. The
test always starts with the analytical writing section; the other sections may
follow in any order.
The analytical writing segment comprises two tasks (“analyze an issue” and
“analyze an argument”) to be completed in 30 minutes each. The verbal and
quantitative segments contain 20 questions each, but while 30 minutes are
available for each of the two verbal sections, 35 minutes are given for each of
the two quantitative sections. The order of the sections is not announced, so the
test-taker does not know which section is unscored and meant only for research.
However, a research section may sometimes be identified as such, and may
follow the five scored sections. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which
conducts the GRE, offers software (PowerPrep II) that allows the candidate to
experience the test firsthand.

As mentioned, GRE is also offered in a paper-based format. The main segments

are the same—analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning.
Each of these three segments has two sections. While 30 minutes are available
for each section on analytical reasoning, 35 minutes are given for each section
on verbal reasoning, and 40 minutes for each section on quantitative reasoning.
The test lasts about three hours and 30 minutes overall.

A practice paper-test is available on the official ETS site. Download the PDF here.
The computer-based and paper-based tests both have a 10-minute break during
the course of the tests.

GRE Syllabus: Three main segments

Analytical writing

The two-task analytical writing segment appraises the test-taker’s ability to

critically examine complex issues and arguments and put forth his or her ideas
clearly and logically. In the first task, called the “analyze an issue task,” a
viewpoint on a topic of popular interest is presented, and the candidates are
asked to analyze the issue and express their own opinions. In the second task,
“analyze an argument task,” an argument is presented, and the candidates have
to analyze the logical strength of the argument and point out its pluses and
minuses. The objective is not to test the test-takers’ knowledge in a particular
topic but rather their analytical capability and power of expression.

Candidates who take the General Test on the computer-based format will have no
advantage over those who opt for the paper-based format: only a basic word-
processor, with options to insert and delete text and copy and paste material, is
made available to them, and the test-takers cannot correct their spellings or
grammar.

Here is a typical example of an issue-task question that one might see on the
test.

Issue statement: The comforts of life available today are making people “soft,”
and they are gradually losing their strength of character and becoming
weaklings.

Task instruction: Discuss your response, giving logical reasons to support your
opinion. Also say under what circumstances the statement might or might not
stand. Explain your position taking into consideration those circumstances, too.
Verbal Reasoning

The verbal reasoning segment measures the test-taker’s capacity to read and
understand written material of the kind that is commonly used in academia.
Three types of questions have been devised: (i) Reading comprehension; (ii) Text
completion; and (iii) Sentence equivalence. To be able to comprehend texts in
graduate school, a student will be required to identify the relationships between
parts of a sentence, and associations between words and concepts. The verbal
reasoning segment tests whether the test-taker has the talent and ability
necessary. About 50 percent of the questions are on reading comprehension, and
the rest expect the candidate to read, understand, and complete sentences or
passages.

In order to score high in reading comprehension, the candidate has to

understand the meaning of words and the purport of paragraphs and passages;
understand how parts of a text relate to one another; be able to pick out
important points from unimportant ones; infer stated and unstated information
from passages; and grasp the author’s opinion and position on the issue. The
passages may be drawn from any of the sciences, humanities, or business topics
published in academic or non-academic journals.

Under text completion, the candidate is asked to supply missing words or

phrases in a passage, given the overall context. Again, what is tested is the
ability to comprehend the text and make the correct inferences.

The third type of questions—sentence equivalence—requires the test-taker to fill

in the blank in each sentence with the most appropriate word and also select an
alternative word from six choices. The task is not limited to picking out a word
that appears suitable, but includes intuiting the context and selecting the two
best options from among the possible answers.

Quantitative Reasoning

The main objective of the GRE quantitative segment is to assess the test-taker’s
grasp of the basic math concepts of algebra, arithmetic, geometry, and data
analysis, and skills for solving problems based on these concepts. There are
various topics under each of the main concepts. A detailed list is available on the
ETS website.

The questions on mathematics and statics are of the high-school level.

Trigonometry or calculus or other areas that come under higher level
mathematics are not included. Knowledge of high-school mathematics concepts,
such as “prime numbers are greater than one” and “numbers increase towards
the right of the number line,” is sufficient.

Four types of questions can be found as part of quantitative reasoning:

quantitative comparison, multiple-choice with one correct answer; multiple-
choice with one or more correct answers; and numeric entry (computation)
questions. Among these types of questions, quantitative comparison questions
perhaps demand a short explanation: they ask the test-taker to compare two
quantities and select one statement from four that best describes the
comparison.
Candidates taking the computer-based test are provided with on-screen
calculators, and those taking the paper-based test are provided handheld
calculators. However, the ETS GRE website contains some guidelines that advise
against the use of the calculator for some type of questions. It points out that the
powers of reasoning and estimating may be more effective and less time-
consuming in these cases.

List of topics in GRE Quantitative Reasoning Syllabus

Here are some concepts that will be tested in the GRE quantitative section. It has
a lot of overlap between the basic topics tested in the GMAT exam. So you’ll find
that the preparation can help you for both tests.

 Maths Formulas List

 Number properties
 Order of operations
 Percentage
 Ratio and proportion
 Profit and loss
 Simple and compound interest
 Speed, distance and time
 Permutation & combination
 Linear equations
 Quadratic equations
 Sets Theory
 Statistics: Average, Median, Mode, Range, Standard deviation
 Powers and roots
 Probability
 Pipes, cisterns, work, time
 Lines and angles
 Triangles
 Polygon
 Quadrilateral
 Circles
 Co-ordinate geometry
 Volume and surface area

List of topics in GRE Verbal Reasoning Syllabus

The clickable links will launch a tutorial covering the basic concepts from the GRE
verbal syllabus.

 Basic Sentence structure: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives

 Verb Tense
 Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
 Pronoun Agreement
 Subject Verb Agreement
 Modifiers
 Parallelism

TOEFL TEST

No. of
Section Time Overview
Questions

Readin 54—72 30—40 Read passages, then respond

g minutes questions to questions

Listeni 41—57 28—39 Listen to lectures or a

 No. of
Section Time Overview
Questions

classroom discussion, then

ng minutes questions
respond to questions

BREAK 10 minutes

Speak into a microphone

Speaki 17 about familiar topics and
4 tasks
ng minutes discuss material you read
about and listened to

Read a passage, listen to a

50
Writing 2 tasks recording and then type your
minutes
written response

Reading Section
TOEFL Reading section measure your ability to understand the basic idea of
the English texts on the academic disciplines .

In TOEFL Reading section you have to read three or four texts, each of them
consists of 7 paragraphs and approximately 700 words.

TOEFL Reading texts are primarily academic: excerpts from lectures,

university textbooks and articles. If you want to perform the tasks
successfully you have to demonstrate skills in highlighting causal
relationships in the texts, understanding of rhetorical functions, and the
ability to compare and contrast the ideas. You have to be able to answer the
questions about the main ideas, details, possible deductions, as well as
lexical and rhetorical questions.

New types of the questions in TOEFL Reading require filling summary tables
or writing the text. Deep knowledge of the subject or additional knowledge to
answer the questions is not required. It’s given 20 minutes to work with each
text. Therefore, the total time allotted for the section varies from 60 to 80
minutes. There are no breaks during the section.

Listening Section

You’re given 60-90 minutes to perform TOEFL Listening. The tasks of the
section (34-51) are aimed to evaluate your comprehension of the oral skills in
English speech through the lectures and dialogues on the general topics.

The tasks include two dialogues on the general topics, two lectures, and two
lectures with the student’s comments. In TOEFL Listening tasks you need to
determine the subject purpose or attitude to the problem. You’re able to make
notes during listening.

Speaking Section

TOEFL Speaking section tests your ability to express your thoughts on a given
topic in English. During 20 minutes of the section you need to answer six
questions, which are both simple and integrated.

TOEFL Speaking evaluates your ability to express your ideas clearly. In the
integrated tasks you have to read a short passage from the text and listen to
the record, and then you need to link this information and give an exhaustive
answer to the question.

Writing Section

TOEFL Writing section consists of two tasks: integrated writing task and
independent writing task.

In the first task you have to read a small text and listen to a lecture on the
same topic. The information which is presented in the record can supplement,
explain or refute the information that was mentioned in the text. During
reading the text and listening to the recording you’re allowed to make notes.
You have only three minutes to read the text which amount is 200-220 words.
After this you have 20 minutes to write an essay using the information
obtained from the text and audio. The limited amount of the essay is 150-225
words.

The second task is to write an essay according to the canons of evidence: it

is necessary not only to bring relevant facts or express your opinion on this
issue, but also to explain your position, to give examples, to use some famous
quotes, etc. In the end you need to generalize the information and to draw the
conclusions.

It is desirable to arrange a time so that after writing the essay it should be

about 5 minutes to check the work. Then you will be able to read the prepared
text and correct the grammatical and stylistic mistakes. It will improve the
quality of the essay.

In order to successfully carry out the task of this section, it is recommended

to write an essay during the preparation for the exam. The list of the topics is
presented in www.ets.org.
 Overview of Syllabus for CAT 2019
Each of the three sections - QA, DILR and VARC - contains various important topics the students
need to study and prepare for. The tables below list the important topics under these sections .

Topics under Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

VARC section is the first section of the CAT question paper and is to be attempted first. The
section is divided into two sub-parts, VA and RC. The sectional time limit for VARC is 60 minutes.
Take a look at important topics and some key points of this section.
Fill in the blanks Verbal Reasoning Sentence completion
Grammar Syllogisms Jumbled paragraphs
Para Completion and inference Contextual usage Foreign language words used in English
Reading Comprehension Analogies Sentence correction
Verbal Logic Different usage of same word Idioms
Parajumbles Antonyms One word substitution

Verbal Ability (VA): Key Points

 Number of questions asked range from 7-11.
 Sectional weightage of this section is 7-11 per cent.
 The type of questions are all non-MCQs, which means the candidates have to type in the
answer (TITA).
 There is no negative marking in VA since the questions are non-MCQ type.
  Types of questions range from para-jumbles, out of context sentence in a para, error
correction in a para, vocabulary usage and sentence completion to analogies and critical
reasoning.
Reading Comprehension (RC): Key Points
 Number of questions asked range from 24-28.
 Sectional weightage of this section is 24-28 per cent
 The type of questions are all MCQs, hence there is negative marking of -1
 CAT has a mix of RC passages, on an average 4-3 long passages and 2-3 short
passages.
 According to the trend of the last three years, long passages are of 900 word and short
passages are of 600 words.
 Topics of these RCs range from science, history, politics, environment, society to
literature, mythology and abstract topics.

Topics under Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation

LRDI is the second section of CAT question paper and is to be completed after the VARC
section. This section has a sub-division of LR and DI.The sectional time limit for LRDI is 60
minutes. Take a look at important topics and some key points of this section.

Blood Relations Series Proposition

Direction Sense Coding-Decoding Assumptions
Puzzles Clocks and Calendars Statements
Data Arrangement Family Tree Binary Logic
Seating Arrangement Venn Diagram Sets
Data Structures Syllogism Caselets
Tables Pie Charts Data Sufficiency
Bars Line Graphs

Logical Reasoning (LR): Key Points

 Number of questions asked are 16.
 Sectional weightage of this section is 16 per cent.
 LR contains both MCQ and Non-MCQ type questions.
 Number of MCQs and non-MCQs may vary.
 There is negative marking for MCQs.
 There is no negative marking for non-MCQs.

Data Interpretation (DI): Key Points

 Number of questions asked are 16.
 Sectional weightage of this section is 16 per cent.
 LR contains both MCQ and Non-MCQ type questions.
 Number of MCQs and non-MCQs may vary.
  There is negative marking for MCQs.
 There is no negative marking for non-MCQs.

Topics under Quantitative Ability

QA is the last section of CAT question paper and is to be completed in the last one hour of the
exam. Take a look at important topics and some key points of this section.

Geometry HCF & LCM Averages

Trigonometry Algebra Partnership (Accounts)
Mensuration Profit & Loss Time-Speed-Distance
Ratios and Proportion In-equations Quadratic and linear equations Surds and Indices
Number system Geometric Progression Inequalities
Logarithms
Work and time Percentages

Quantitative Aptitude (QA): Key Points

• Number of questions asked are 34.
• Sectional weightage of this section is 34 per cent.
• LR contains both MCQ and Non-MCQ type questions.
• Number of MCQs and non-MCQs vary every year. Past trends suggest, the number of MCQs in
QA section range from 24-27 and non-MCQs range from 7-10.
• There is negative marking for MCQs.
• There is no negative marking for non-MCQs.