Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT is conducted to select deserving candidates for admission into postgraduate business administration course. Candidate’s language and Mathematical skills are tested on the entrance exam. Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is bestowed with the responsibility of conducting the entrance examination, which is accepted at the international level, by many B-Schools all over the world. GMAT is divided into three segments - Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Section and Verbal Section, which one needs to answer in total of three and half hours duration. In order to appear for Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), one needs to know about its test content and structure. A fair knowledge about the test content and structure helps the students to study and prepare for the entrance examination, in an organized manner. Here is the detailed analysis of the test content and structure of all the three sections of GMAT General Test.
Test Content and Structure for Graduate Management Admission Test
Analytical Writing Assessment
This section tests the candidate’s abilities on the following basis:
- The ability to think critically.
- To express and communicate the ideas clearly and effectively.
- To explore the complications of an issue or opinion.
- To examine the ability to form a constructive critique of a specific conclusion based on a specific line of thinking.
Test Components
The Analytical Writing Assessmentsection comprises of two 30-minute writing tasks, which includes- Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument.
In the Analysis of an Issue section, one needs to scrutinize and express their opinion on the subject. There is no correct or wrong answer. One needs to mull over each and every viewpoint. Support your views with relevant examples, experiences and observations.
In the Analysis of an Argument section, one needs to examine the reasoning behind a given argument and needs to pen down a critical assessment of that argument.
Verbal Reasoning:
Verbal Reasoning section comprises of 41 multiple choice questions of three questions types- Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. Maximum of 75 minutes are allotted to complete the entire section.
This section measures the candidate’s ability on the following grounds:
- To read and evaluate written material
- To analyze, reason and evaluate arguments
- To correct written material as per the standard written English
Test Components
This section comprises of three types of questions:
- Reading Comprehension Questions: The section contains 350 words long passages related to the topics from social sciences, physical or biological sciences, and business-related areas. These passages test the candidate’s awareness regarding the words and statements used in reading passages, aptitude to grasp logical relationships among the significant points and concepts present in the reading passages, andcapability to draw conclusion from facts and statements present in the reading passages.
- Critical Reasoning Questions: In this section candidate’sreasoning skills involved in making, evaluating, and formulating a plan of action of arguments are tested.
- Sentence Corrections: This section comprises of questions, which measures the candidate’s skills on two broad aspects of language proficiency that is correct expression and effective expression. General rules of standard written English, grammar, diction, dictionary meanings of words and the appropriateness of words in context are tested.
Quantitative Reasoning
The Quantitative Reasoning section of GMAT examines the candidate’s abilities on the following grounds:
- The ability to reason quantitatively.
- To solve the quantitative problems.
- To interpret graphic data.
- To examine the knowledge on arithmetic, elementary algebra, and commonly known concepts of geometry.
Test Components
- The Quantitative Reasoning section includes 37 multiple-choice questions of two types-Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. For that maximum of 75 minutes are allotted to complete the entire section.
- Problem Solving Questions: The section comprises of questions related to fundamental mathematics, elementary mathematical concepts, and questions testing the ability to reason quantitatively and solve quantitative problems.
- Data-Sufficiency Questions: The candidate’s skills to examine a quantitative problem, identify relevant information, and determine at what point there is sufficient information to solve a problem are tested.
