The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardised test that measures verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills. It is intended to help the graduate schools of business assess the potential of applicants for advanced study in business and management.

Nearly 900 management institutes all over the world (almost all of them in theUS) require GMAT scores from each applicant for admission to the MBA program.

The GMAT tests the fundamental skills - Reasoning and Comprehension included - and does not require any subject-specific theoretical study.

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) under the sponsorship of Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) publishes GMAT. In India Prometric administers the test. The GMAT test is developed and administered by the US-based Pearson VUE under the direction of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a non-profit organization of graduate business schools worldwide. This implies that Pearson VUE conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report. For the conduct of the test, Pearson VUE has appointed testing centers in various countries.

Who can take GMAT?

The US Universities require 16years education for admission to graduate studies. However if you have more than 3 years of work experience some universities may waive the 16th year requirement.

For students with work experience between 0-2 years, the academic record plays a very important role. It ultimately shows how well you managed your time, resources and money as a student.

When is the GMAT held?  

All-round-the-year. Unlike other exams, you can choose your own date and time for taking the GMAT! The test is administered in the above cities five-days-a-week (Monday through Friday), twice-a-day. September to December is the high season for GMAT, so in case you intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 90 days in advance) to get a date of your choice. Otherwise, registering at least 15 days in advance is mandatory. The GMAT test lasts roughly four hours, and most centres offer two slots: 9 A.M. and 2 P.M.

You can register by telephone, fax or mail at:

Prometric Testing (P) Ltd.

SeniorPlaza160-A, Gautam Nagar

Yusuf Sarai,BehindIndianOilBuilding

New Delhi110 049.

TEL : 011- 26512114/26531442

Fax: 265229741

Or online on www.mba.com

Eligibility and fees

Anyone and everyone is eligible for taking the GMAT - there are no restrictions based on age or qualifications. The test scores are valid for five years, i.e., most universities accept scores up to five years old. But it is always better if your scores are recent (not older than 2 years).

 Test Fee: US$ 250* (Includes fee for reporting scores to 5 universities)

Additional Score Report: US$ 28* per university.

*subject to change

The GMAT-CAT

GMAT is a computer adaptive test. The computer screen displays one question at a time, which is chosen from a very large pool of questions categorised by content and difficulty. The computer picks the questions based on the test taker's response to the given question. The first question is always of medium difficulty level and from then on the score graph starts to move upward or downward as per the performance of the candidate. A test-taker of higher calibre will get tougher questions than a test-taker of a lower calibre. As the test progresses, the score graph begin to narrow down to a range and that range will determine the final score.

Each question will have five answer options and you are required to click on the correct option. You will get the subsequent question only if you answer the previous one, so there is no chance that you can skip a question. Once you choose an option, it cannot be changed.

How is GMAT structured?

There are three distinct sections in the GMAT test. They are: Analytical Writing Ability (AWA), Quantitative, and Verbal. The Quantitative section has two types of questions, Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency, mingled throughout the section. The Verbal Section has three types : Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension; here too, the questions of each type appear in no set sequence. There are a total of 78 questions, 37 in Quantitative and 41 in Verbal. These have to be done in 75 minutes each. 

The following table gives out the format of the GMAT-CAT:

The salient features

<!--The Analytical Writing section is always the first section followed by the Quantitative section and then the Verbal section.

<!--All questions are multiple-choice having five answer choices

<!--You cannot move to the next question until you have answered the one posed to you. And the difficulty level of the next question is based on the answer you give for the present question

Analytical Writing Assessment

<!--Analysis of Issue: Students are required to present their perspective/opinion on an issue. 

<!--Analysis of Argument: Students are required to analyse a given argument.

Test scores

The GMAT score is for a total of 800. The score is based on a combination of the Quantitative and Verbal sections and will be in a range of 200-800.

AWA Score

The essays are scored in a range from 0 to 6. The ratings of the essay will be 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0,2.5, 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0. The desired level is 5 and above. 

What is the preferred GMAT score by the universities?

A desired score is 700 and above. 

Reporting the scores

There is a provision of reporting your GMAT test scores to a maximum of five universities of your choice, the cost of which is built into the GMAT test fee you pay. But the catch is: you have to select these five universities/business-schools which will receive copies of your score report before you begin to take the test. This implies that even before taking the GMAT, you need to do some homework on which universities you’re finally going to apply based on the score that you expect to attain. 

For reporting to each additional university, the charge is US $28, payable by an international credit card or a dollar denominated draft. You will incur taxes when you request Additional Score Reports (ASRs) in certain countries. Please click tax rates to determine the tax you will have to pay in certain countries. 

Retaking the GMAT

Even though an"I could have done better" feeling is inevitable after any test, taking the GMAT again may not be helpful. Sometimes it is necessary to take the GMAT test more than once, like when a management school asks you for more recent scores than what you have. However, unless your scores seem unusually low compared to your performance in the practice tests, or if you have not been able to perform well because of a sudden illness or similar exceptional circumstances, it’s advisable not to succumb to the temptation of repeating the test. This is because, given the nature of the test, it is unlikely that your scores can substantially improve. 

If you repeat the test, your scores from the latest test date and the two most recent test administrations in the last five years will be reported to the institutions you designate as recipients. In any case, you cannot take the test more than once in the same calendar month, even if you have taken the test and cancelled your scores.

When and Where can I take the Test in India?

Ahmedabad--Allahabad—Bangalore--Calcutta
Chennai—Cochin--Hyderabad—Mumbai--New Delhi

You can take GMAT any time of the year in the above centers. The test is administered five-days-a-week (Monday through Friday), twice-a-day. September to December is the high season for GMAT, so in case you intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 90 days in advance) to get a date of your choice. Otherwise, registering at least 15 days in advance is mandatory. The GMAT test lasts roughly four hours, and most centers offer two slots : 9 A.M. and 2 P.M.

Contact Information in India

Telephone: +91 (0) 120 439 7830, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Indian Standard Time
Fax: +61 2 9901 3330

What is the GMAT Test Fee?

The fee to take the (GMAT) is US$250 worldwide.

Reschedule Test Fee

There is a US$50 fee to reschedule the date, time, or location of a GMAT exam appointment if you reschedule your appointment at least seven full calendar days before the date and time of your original appointment. If you reschedule within seven calendar days of the date and time of your original appointment, you will be charged the full registration amount. The rescheduling fee is subject to change without notice. You will incur taxes when you reschedule an exam in certain countries. Please click tax rates to determine the tax you will have to pay to take the GMAT® exam in certain countries.

Cancellation Refund

You will receive a US$80 refund when you cancel your test appointment more than seven full calendar days in advance of the date and time of your appointment. The cancellation refund is subject to change without notice. If you cancel your appointment within seven full calendar days of your appointment date and time, you forfeit your entire registration fee.

Additional Score Report Fee

The fee to send an Additional Score Report is US$28. You will incur taxes when you request Additional Score Reports (ASRs) in certain countries.

What is the mode of Payment for GMAT?

Credit card (Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, or JCB®)
Debit card (Visa® or MasterCard® only)
Cashier’s check (mailed forms only)
Money order (mailed forms only)
Personal check (mailed forms only)

Payments by check must be payable in U.S. dollars and drawn on banks located in the United States.

All payments must be made in full, include the correct numeric and written fee amount, have the appropriate signature(s), and be made payable to Pearson VUE-GMAT®. Postdated checks will not be

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