subject: Whats New- A Guide To The Gmat Format [print this page] The GMAT is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council throughout the year keeping In mind the fact that the test taking audience mainly comprises of working professionals and corporates and a very few graduates or even undergraduate students. Keeping this factor in mind, the GMAT is prepared and comprises of different sections to test the skills of the aspirant. GMAT is considered as the most effective predictor of success by numerous B-schools and management institutes around the globe. This is the main reason that GMAT is being taken by almost every person who wishes to pursue a career in management.
The Format of GMAT is pretty simple. It comprises of four sections, namely, Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Verbal, Integrated Reasoning and Quantative. In the earlier versions of the GMAT, the AWA section consisted of an essay writing section but it has been replaced with the Integrated Reasoning section, taking effect from 5th June 2012. The duration of the test is 3 hours and 30 minutes while it takes approximately 4 hours if we consider the optional breaks. The GMAT follows a test taking format which is similar to how one can describe artificial intelligence. The computer increases the difficulty level according to the response of the test taker. This means, if you answer a question correctly, chances are that the next question you get will have a higher difficulty level than its predecessor. In case of an incorrect response, the questions tend to get easier keeping in mind the level of the test taker. The test is an online exam and the computer brings one question at a time, which cannot be skipped or returned back to later. One cannot change the response once the final answer is submitted. The main reason for the above rule is that, the computer reviews the answer given by the test taker and scores it before providing another question.
The total time division for the test is as follows. The AWA is for a duration of 30 minutes where a person has to bring out an analysis of the argument for the provided single topic. The Integrated reasoning section has 12 MCQs which are to be answered in thirty minutes. The next two sections of 75 minutes each, i.e. the quantative and verbal section 37 and 41 questions respectively. These four sections are arranged in a particular order to test the taker and judge them according to a fixed criterion.
Pacing and practice are the two most important aspects of this test. There are a number of test taking strategies and tips one has to learn and practice before actually sitting for the exam. The GMAT format has been designed keeping in mind the intellect and thought process of different individuals and it changes accordingly. The idea of a computer operated online test is pretty vast, considering the fact that the questions appear according to the difficulty level and keeping in view the difficulty level which suits the test taker. GMAT format might have changed in the recent past but the objective is still the same.
