The Complete GMAT Guide

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a widely recognised, computer-based standardised assessment utilised by over 7,700 business school programs across more than 2,400 institutions globally as part of their admissions process. Developed in close partnership with graduate management faculty, the GMAT is trusted by business schools as a reliable indicator of a candidate’s potential for success in their programs.

This test is specifically crafted to evaluate skills that are crucial for business and management studies. It measures critical reasoning, problem-solving capabilities, and essential skills in data sufficiency, logic, and analysis, all of which are key to thriving in the competitive landscape of business and management.

For any aspiring business school candidate, having a competitive GMAT score is imperative to a successful application. Some schools also started to accept the Executive Assessment (EA) alongside the GMAT. For more information on the Executive Assessment, please read Prep Zone’s Executive Assessment guide instead.

Starting July 2024, the GMAT exam consists of three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights.

The total length of the GMAT is 2 hours and 15 minutes, with 64 questions in total and no writing assessment. You can have an optional 10-minute break.

Along with shortened test duration and simplified structures, the GMAT also introduces candidate-friendly features, such as:

• Bookmarking and revisiting as many questions as you want.
• Changing up to three answers per section.
• Taking the exam in whichever order that works best for you.
• Detailed performance insights in your Official Score Report.

The new Total Score (based on all three sections) range for GMAT is between 205 and 805. In reality, candidates generally score around 425-715. Anything over 715 will put you above the 99th percentile.

Here’s a quick summary of the three sections of the updated GMAT exam and how they are scored:

All three sections have a score range from 6 to 90, with a score interval of 1. The Total Score has an interval of 10. All questions will be multiple choice. This approach may alleviate some of the stress that test takers experience when faced with the challenge of writing extensive timed essays alongside quantitative, verbal, and critical thinking topics in a single sitting.

It’s important to be aware that the new GMAT has removed the Analytical Writing Assessment. As a result, certain institutions, including Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan, may ask for an extra official writing assessment. If your GMAT 10th Edition scores remain valid when you submit your application, you can meet this requirement. Otherwise, you may need to complete the GMAC Business Writing Assessment, depending on the specific requirements set by the admissions committees of your chosen schools or programs.

The GMAT employs a computer adaptive format that personalises the testing experience by tailoring each question to the individual test taker’s skill level. This innovative approach ensures that the GMAT Total Score serves as a highly accurate reflection of an individual’s capabilities and readiness for graduate-level business education.

At the beginning of the GMAT, the computer assumes you possess an average skill level and presents you with a question of moderate difficulty. If you answer correctly, the difficulty increases by providing more challenging questions, thereby adjusting its evaluation of your abilities upward. On the other hand, if you answer incorrectly, it simplifies the questions and lowers its assessment of your skills. This adaptive method is much more efficient than a conventional paper test, where all candidates encounter the same set of questions.

Your section score is the algorithm’s final assessment of your level of ability.

Here’s how each GMAT score range corresponds to the score percentile:

When you complete your exam, you will be shown your unofficial GMAT scores (Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Data Insights, and Total Score). Your GMAT score will be available only to the schools that you designate as recipients either on the test day or, for a fee, after the test day.

Before taking the test, you are not obligated to choose which business school programs will receive your Official Score Report. This means you will not need to cancel your score if it is not satisfactory. You can send your scores to the schools of your choice, and if you decide not to share your Official Score Report after the exam, those schools will not have access to it. Your score will only be available for you to view through your account.

Your test fee entitles you to request that scores be sent to as many as five programs for free within 48 hours of receiving your Official Score.

GMAT scores are valid for five years and are available for reporting for up to ten years.

If you are not satisfied with your current GMAT scores, you can retake the test. There is a 16-day waiting period between exams of the same format. You can have a maximum of 5 attempts in a 12-month period starting from your first attempt, regardless of format, and up to 8 retakes in a lifetime.

The GMAT creates a fair environment for all applicants. Those who studied sciences might have encountered grade deflation, while some universities are notorious for inflating grades across various disciplines. If your institution isn’t recognised for its academic challenges, a solid GMAT score can help persuade a business school that you have the potential to excel academically alongside peers from the most prestigious universities globally.

The GMAT test questions are crafted by global specialists and feature diverse examples to reduce any bias towards English speakers or a US-centric perspective. Research indicates that the GMAT offers consistent predictive validity across all nationalities.

Gaining admission to elite MBA programs such as Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, and INSEAD with a GMAT score of 565 is highly unlikely. In the previous year, 40% of Prep Zone’s applicants received offers from M7 schools, boasting an average GMAT score of 705, which is equivalent to 750 in the 10th edition of the GMAT. Every applicant from Prep Zone secured at least one offer from a top 15 MBA program, with an impressive average GMAT score of 685, placing them in the 97th percentile.

To gauge the GMAT score you should aim for, take a look at the average scores reported by the business schools you’re interested in. If you have limited work experience or are applying from abroad, it’s advisable to aim for a score that exceeds the school’s average.

However, there are exceptions, particularly for candidates from underrepresented countries at the desired business school. Each year, Prep Zone observes a rising trend in average GMAT scores at competitive business schools, indicating that these institutions continue to place significant importance on GMAT results.

If your undergraduate GPA is from several years back, your GMAT score provides a more current reflection of your potential academic performance. For those whose GPA falls below the average of admitted students at a business school, a solid GMAT score can help offset that shortfall.

Additionally, some employers place importance on GMAT scores; for instance, leading consulting firms often look for scores in the 95th percentile or above. By the time you submit your application, you can no longer change your undergraduate GPA or previous work experiences, but you can influence your GMAT score directly.

To maximise your chances, strive for an impressive GMAT score during your application process. While your GMAT score isn’t the sole determinant of your acceptance into a specific program—accounting for about 22% of the MBA application evaluation—it undeniably plays a crucial role in enhancing your attractiveness to universities. A strong GMAT score can also open doors to scholarship opportunities.