GMAT stands for the Graduate Management Admission Test, a standardized exam used as part of the assessment process for admission to MBA programs in most global business schools. It is a Computer-based Adaptive Test.

A student's GMAT score is one of the criteria used by B-schools to select candidates for admission. Some of the other factors are work experience, recommendation letters, and any other institute specific criteria.

The structure of a typical GMAT Computer Adaptive Test is as follows:
1. Warm-up period.
2. Analytical Writing Assessment for 60 minutes. You are given 30 minutes for each of the    two topics.
3. A 5 minute optional break.
4. Quantitative section, where you have to attempt 37 questions in 75 minutes.
5. Another 5 minute optional break.
6. Verbal section, where you have to attempt 41 questions in 75 minutes.

GMAT has the following types of questions:
I. Verbal
- Sentence Correction questions test grammar and expression
- Critical Thinking questions typically test logical thinking
- Reading Comprehension questions test your ability to read critically

II. Quantitative
- Problem Solving questions test your quantitative reasoning ability
- Data Sufficiency questions test your quantitative reasoning ability using an unusual set of    directions

III. Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is the essay component. It consists of two 30      minute writing exercises:
- One "prompt" or topic asks you to analyze an issue.
- A second "prompt" or topic asks you to analyze an argument

The scoring of the multiple choice questions of the GMAT is not done is the traditional way. In a Computer-based Adaptive Test, the computer builds your score as you progress through the test.

When you begin the test, the computer has not assessed your skills and assumed that you are average. Therefore, it gives you a question which is of average difficulty level. Based on your answer, the computer adjusts the initial adjustment and rates you as above- or below- average, and gives you the next question. Then based on your response to the first two questions, the computer gives you a third question and so on till the end of the test. In this way, the computer ‘builds’ your score.

The two essays of the Analytical Writing Assessment section are graded on a scale of 0 – 6. The scoring is as follows: