The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a standardized test that is used to assess the skills of students who are applying to graduate business programs. The test is designed to measure a student’s ability to think critically, analyse data, and solve complex problems. The GMAT is an important part of the application process for many business schools around the world. It is used by admissions committees to evaluate the potential of applicants and determine whether they are a good fit for their programs.
The GMAT exam consists of four sections: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning. Each section is designed to test different skills and abilities.
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section measures your ability to analyse an argument and communicate your ideas effectively in writing. You will be given a prompt that presents an argument, and you will need to analyse the argument and write an essay that critiques it. Your essay will be scored on a scale of 0 to 6 with 0.5 increments.
The Integrated Reasoning (IR) section measures your ability to analyse data and solve complex problems. You will be presented with a variety of data in different formats, including tables, graphs, and charts. You will need to use this data to answer questions that test your ability to evaluate information from multiple sources. The IR section is scored on a scale of 1 to 8 with 1 point increments.
The Quantitative section measures your ability to reason quantitatively, solve problems, and interpret graphic data. You will be presented with a variety of math problems that test your knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. The Quantitative section is scored on a scale of 6-51.
The Verbal section measures your ability to read and understand written material, evaluate arguments, and correct written material to conform to standard written English. You will be presented with reading passages that test your comprehension skills, as well as questions that test your ability to evaluate arguments and identify errors in written material. The Verbal section is scored on a scale of 6-51.
The AWA score is based on the Argument essay written by the test taker. The essay is independently scored by a computer software and by a human rater, with the two scores then being averaged into your final AWA score. Scores for the AWA range from 0 to 6 (in half-point intervals).
If the two ratings differ by more than a point, an expert (human) rater gives a third evaluation. These experts are well trained in grading essays and they are college and university faculty members who look at the following:
1. The quality of your ideas and your ability to organize, develop, and express them
2. The supporting reasons and examples
3. Your ability to control the elements of written English
The Total GMAT Score ranges from 200 to 800 and is calculated from both the Quantitative and the verbal scores. The verbal and Quantitative sections are scored separately with scaled scores ranging from 6 to 51.
Since they measure completely different reasoning skills, the scores should not be compared to each other. Only the individual percentiles should be compared. In fact, a verbal score of 45 is in the 99th percentile and a Quant score of 45 is just the 50th percentile!
The GMAT score chart on the official GMAT website shows how your GMAT score compares to the scores of other test-takers. The percentile chart is based on the most recent three-year period of GMAT exams. The GMAT percentile chart is available on the mba.com website.
For example, if your GMAT total score is 700, you are in the 89th percentile, which means that you scored higher than 89% of test-takers who took the exam during the most recent three-year period.
With the help of the GMAT score calculator, we can understand how the scaled verbal and quant scores are mapped to the 800 score, Though the selection committee has access to all the scores, it focuses majorly on the 800 score. The individual percentiles could sometimes be deceptive because a low percentile in quant could still mean a great total score. We can safely say that to improve your score, start targeting the verbal section. Though the percentile score may be higher on the verbal, a little more improvement would lead to a higher total score.
The GMAT scores follow a bell curve i.e. two-thirds of GMAT test takers receive a Total Score between 400 and 600. The average GMAT scores for all test-takers basis of three years (2019-2021) are as follows:
Here is the average accepted GMAT score in the top 3 US B-Schools.
The GMAT score is valid for five years. The validity of GMAT scores is generally accepted by most business schools. However, some schools may have their own policies regarding the validity of GMAT scores.
A good GMAT score is generally considered to be between 700 and 740. However, what constitutes a good GMAT score varies depending on the school you are applying to. It is best to check with the schools you are interested in to see what their average GMAT accepted scores are.
The GMAT exam fee at the centre is $275 and GMAT online is $300.
In order to calculate the scaled score for the Verbal and Quantitative sections, GMAT uses the following parameters:
The table below gives a deeper insight into how the individual sections are scored
The GMAT exam is offered year-round at test centres around the world. To register for the GMAT exam, you will need to create an account on the official GMAT website. Once you have created an account, you can schedule your exam date and location.
On exam day, you will need to bring a valid form of identification, such as a valid passport. You will also need to arrive at the test centre at least 30 minutes before your scheduled exam time for id verification.
For GMAT Online, Aadhaar card is accepted. Test takers should go through the Online Exam day information on the GMAT website before appearing for the actual test.
Let’s look at some of the commonalities and differences:
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The GMAT course at Manya – The Princeton Review delivers the following:
The score improvement is guaranteed. Hence wishing you the best for GMAT preparation!
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