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Kamaldeep
29 August, 2023
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GMAT is a standardised Graduate Management Admission Test conducted by ‘Graduate Management Admission Council’ globally to assess a candidate’s ability to cope with the rigorous graduate management degree programme. Accepted by 2,400 universities in 110 countries, every year almost 2,00,000 students appear for GMAT to get into the graduate management programmes in top universities across the world. GMAT is a multiple-choice computer-based test specially designed for the assessment of candidates applying for business school admission.
GMAT is one of the most acceptable management entrance exams for MBA and PGDM programmes all around the globe.
| Name of the Exam | Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) 2023 |
| Conducting Body | Graduate Management Admission Council |
| Exam Level | Postgraduate |
| Level Of Difficulty | Moderate to Hard |
| Mode of Exam | Computer Based Test |
| Sections | Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing Assessment. |
| Number of Questions | Quantitative- 31 Verbal- 36 Integrated Reasoning- 12 Multi-part problems Analytical Writing Assessment- 1 “Analysis of an Argument” |
| Exam Duration | 3 hours and 7 minutes (approximately) |
| Medium of Exam | English |
| Official Website | https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessments |
The GMAT exam is offered on a rolling basis throughout the year, so there is no fixed GMAT exam date. You can choose to take the exam on any day that is convenient for you.
GMAC sets a minimum age limit of 13 but there is no maximum age bar for the GMAT exam. Applicants under 18 need a permission letter signed by a legal guardian in order to take the exam.
The GMAT exam is taken by undergraduates, graduates, and working professionals to improve their understanding of management. There are no minimum or maximum qualification requirements set by GMAC for appearing in this test.
GMAC does not require any minimum or maximum work experience for the exam, so even freshers and undergraduates can apply.
GMAT has an easy 4-step registration process. The step-by-step process is explained below:
Step 1. First of all, you have to register yourself at the online application portal of the GMAT Exam.
Step 2. After registration, you will have to log-in to your account and fill a detailed application form.
Step 3. After verification of the details, you will have to select the date for the exam.
Step 4. Make the payment of the application fee.
The fee for the GMAT exam in India for a single attempt is approximately 250 USD which may vary based on the Rupee-Dollar exchange rate.
| Quantitative Reasoning | Verbal Reasoning | Integrated Reasoning | Analytical Writing Assessment |
| Arithmetic | Reading Comprehension | Multi-Source Reasoning | Analysis of an Argument |
| Elementary Algebra | Critical Reasoning | Table Analysis | |
| Geometry | Sentence Correction | Graphics Interpretation | |
| Data Sufficiency | Two-Part Analysis |
| Exam Section | Time Limit | Number of Questions | Score Range |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 62 minutes | 31 questions | 6 – 51 |
| Verbal Reasoning | 65 minutes | 36 questions | 6 – 51 |
| Integrated Reasoning | 30 minutes | 12 questions | 1 – 8 |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 30 minutes | 1 question | 0 – 6 |
| Total | 3 hours 7 minutes | 80 questions | 200 – 800 |
Unlike the CAT and other OMET exams, the GMAT allows students to choose the sequence of the sections. You can choose any one of the section orders from the following options:
| Order 1 | Order 2 | Order 3 |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | Verbal Reasoning | Quantitative Reasoning |
| Integrated Reasoning | ||
|
Optional 8-Minute Break |
||
| Quantitative Reasoning | Quantitative Reasoning | Verbal Reasoning |
|
Optional 8-Minute Break |
||
| Verbal Reasoning | Integrated Reasoning | Integrated Reasoning |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | Analytical Writing Assessment | |
| College/University | Programme Offered |
| 1. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad | PGPX |
| 2. Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore | EPGP |
| 3. Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta | PGPEX |
| 4. Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow | IMPX |
| 5. Indian Institute of Management, Indore | EPGP |
| 6. Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad | PGP, YLP |
| 7. SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai | PGDM |
| 8. XLRI Xavier School of Management | GMP |
| 9. Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad | PGDM, PGDM-Ex |
| 10. Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai | PGPM |
| College/University |
| 1. Harvard Business School (United States) |
| 2. Stanford Graduate School of Business (United States) |
| 3. University of Oxford |
| 4. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (United States): |
| 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts) |
| 6. London Business School (United Kingdom) |
| 7. HEC (Paris) |
| 8. INSEAD (France/Singapore) |
| 9. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (United States) |
| 10. The University of British (Columbia) |
| 11. Booth School of Business, University of Chicago (United States) |
| 12. China Europe International Business School (China) |
| 13. Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) |
| 14. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School (Hong Kong) |
| 15. Yale University (United States) |
A GMAT score of 700+ can land you in a premier B-School. The more you score, the greater are the chances of getting into a top B-school. Following is the average cutoff for the top B- -schools in India as well as internationally:
| College/University | Average cut off |
| 1. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad | 730 |
| 2. Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore | 705 |
| 3. Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta | 730 |
| 4. Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow | 700 |
| 5. Indian Institute of Management, Indore | – |
| 6. Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad | 730 |
| 7. SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai | – |
| 8. XLRI Xavier School of Management | 600 |
| 9. Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad | – |
| 10. Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai | – |
| College/University | Average cut off |
| 1. Harvard Business School (United States) | 735 |
| 2. Stanford Graduate School of Business (United States) | 737 |
| 3. University of Oxford (England) | 700 |
| 4. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (United States) | 725 |
| 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts) | 724 |
| 6. London Business School (United Kingdom) | 700 |
| 7. HEC (Paris) | 700 |
| 8. INSEAD (France/Singapore) | 710 |
| 9. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University (United States) | 725 |
| 10. The University of British (Columbia) | 660 |
| 11. Booth School of Business, University of Chicago (United States) | 725 |
| 12. China Europe International Business School (China) | 695 |
| 13. Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) | 665 |
| 14. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School (Hong Kong) | 790 |
| 15. Yale University (United States) | 723 |
The cut-off of the GMAT exam is affected by various factors such as:
| Ahmedabad | Jaipur | Pune |
| Bangalore | Kolkata | Patiala |
| Bhubaneswar | Lucknow | Patna |
| Cochin | Mumbai | Pilani |
| Coimbatore | Manipal | Ranchi |
| Chennai | Mohali | Raipur |
| Gurgaon | Mysore | Surat |
| Guwahati | Nagpur | Tiruchirapalli |
| Hyderabad | New Delhi | Trivandrum |
| Indore | Noida |
In many management entrance exams, a significant portion of the syllabus is common. Preparing for these exams can increase your chances of getting into a top B-school.
Following are some of the exams that you can prepare for while going for the GMAT:
Related: GMAT Exam Preparation Tips
Considering CAT, the GMAT is slightly harder. So, if you are preparing for the GMAT, then you have to put in some extra effort. But if you see it as a level of competition, the CAT is more competitive than the GMAT because it has a higher number of applicants.
There is no eligibility for the GMAT. Anyone with a degree from a recognised institute can apply for the GMAT exam. Most candidates from the final year, fresh graduates, and working professionals appear for the GMAT.
The GMAT exam is designed by B-schools to evaluate aptitude, problem-solving skills, and other attributes required for graduate management programmes. The GMAT is one of the standardised exams accepted all over the globe.
The GMAT exam is designed to evaluate candidates willing to opt for graduate management programmes. Other than the MBA, you can apply to other graduate management programmes like MIS, MEM, and MIM through the GMAT.
There is always a second way. Many colleges in the USA won’t consider GMAT scores for their MBA and other business management programmes. But the GMAT is one of the exams that is accepted all over the world, and appearing for it opens up many opportunities.
The GMAT is conducted throughout the year. You can appear for the GMAT five times in a 12-month period and eight times in your lifetime. As the GMAT score is valid for 5 years, 8 attempts are good enough to land you in a premier business school.
There is no negative marking for incorrect answers. So, if you are not able to solve any of the questions, it is good to make calculated guesses to increase your chances of scoring well and avoiding penalties for unanswered questions.
A score above 700 is considered a good GMAT score. As many top B-schools cut off in the range of 700–730. Crossing 700 can increase your chances of getting into a top business school.
