GMAT

Graduate Management Admissions Test or GMAT is a 3-½ hour standardized test undertaken by graduates who are keen to study MBA programs. This test is designed to evaluate the potential of students by assessing their mathematical, verbal and analytical writing skills. It is initially prepared for use by the Institutes/Universities of U.S. offering programs in management and business, is now used as a criterion for allotting admission to students globally by more than 1700 universities/institutes.

The GMAT is designed and administered by Pearson Vue at the behest of Graduate Management Admission Council or GMAC. It is Pearson Vue which reports the test score to the universities and institutes.

GMAT Test Format

Duration of the GMAT test is approximately 3 ½ hours. The GMAT test seeks to assess a candidate’s proficiency in 3 broad areas, namely- basic verbal, qualitative or mathematical, and analytical writing skills.

Section	Type of Question	No. of Question	Duration
Quantitative	Problem Solving; Data Sufficiency	37	75 Minutes
Verbal	Sentence Correction; Reading Comprehension;Critical Reasoning	41	75 Minutes
Analytical Writing	2 short essays- first is the analysis of an issue; second is the analysis of an argument. Emphasis on both the essays is on the analytic part and not the writing aspect	2	30 minutes for each essay
Total:	0	78 + 2 essays	3-½ hours approximately

Note:- Two optional breaks of 10 minutes are allowed.

GMAT Application Procedure in India

It is essential to register at least a month in advance of the test. All Indian citizens holding a valid passport are eligible to take the GMAT tests. There are no age or qualification restrictions on taking the GMAT and the examination scores remain valid for a period of 5 years.

If you are based in India and are interested to apply for the GMAT, you can register via any of the three methods mentioned below-

Online Registration: You can fill up the application form on the official registration website www. gmat.com. Registration fees can be paid by a credit or a debit card

Registration by Phone: It is also possible to register for the test over the phone by calling this number, 0120 4324628 between 9:00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. at Indian Standard Time. Fees can be paid via a credit or debit card only

Registration by Fax, Mail or Courier: You can plan your test appointment in India through fax.  All you need to do is to download and complete the GMAT Application Scheduling Form and fax the same at, +61 2 9901 3330. The registration fees can be paid by a credit or debit card

GMAT Test Fees

Item	Fees
Registration	US$ 250
Rescheduling	US$ 50
Cancellation Refund	US$ 80
Additional Score Report	US$ 28

Tips and Strategies

Mentioned below are some of the points which can help in clearing the examination without much anxiousness.

Start the preparation by evaluating yourself. To do this begin with a diagnostics. Once you know your weak points, you can easily work on them

You must thoroughly practice basic mathematics and English grammar

The more questions you solve the better you will score. You can rely on reference books and materials for practicing. Some books which can help you in preparing thoroughly for the examination are- the Official Guide for GMAT, Princeton GMAT guide and Kaplan GMAT Guide among others

It is important to familiarize yourself with the computer as the test is conducted online. Hence, take a number of GMAT practice test online

Track your progress from the day you start the preparation for the Graduate Management Admissions Test examination. Ideal evaluation would be accuracy/time taken per question

Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Management Admissions Test takes place all round the year. It is administered from Monday to Friday, twice a day.

Note: Candidates cannot take this test more than once a month and no candidate can give this test more than 5 times in a calendar year.