GMAT Exam, GMAT Test Pattern

GMAT is a three and a half hours exam with four sections comprising, Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal.

GMAT Test Section	# of Questions	Question Types	Time
Analytical Writing Assessment	1 Topic	Analysis of Argument	30 Minutes
Integrated Reasoning	12 Questions	Multi-Source Reasoning Graphics Interpretation Two-Part Analysis Table Analysis	30 Minutes
Quantitative	37 Questions	Data Sufficiency Problem Solving	75 Minutes
Verbal	41 Questions	Reading Comprehension Critical Reasoning Sentence Correction	75 Minutes
Total Exam Time			3hrs, 30 minutes

GMAT is a computer adaptive test. It means as you keep getting answers right, the test will increase the level of difficulty. The more questions you answer correct, greater the score you can get.Remember that we typically quote a GMAT score out of 800. Only Quantitative and verbal sections contribute to this score. AWA and IR DO NOT contribute to this score. They are seen independent of each other and are very significant for universities to take the call.

Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA):In order to assess your ability to think, analyze and write a cogent argument or an article, Colleges and faculty members from various subject matter areas, take the help of your performance in AWA.
Expectations: In this section, you will be asked to write a critique of the argument presented. You are NOT being asked to present your own views on the subject.

Approach to be adapted:

First-Analyze and evaluate the argument from the given perspective
Second - Organize your thoughts, structure your response
Third - Develop each of your ideas elaborately
Fourth - Make sure you include relevant supporting reasons and examples

An example of AWA that appeared in GMAT:

The following appeared as part of an annual report sent to stockholders by Olympic Foods, a processor of frozen foods.

“Over time, the costs of processing go down because as organizations learn how to do things better, they become more efficient. In color film processing, for example, the cost of a 3-by-5-inch print fell from 50 cents for five-day service in 1970 to 20 cents for one-day service in 1984. The same principle applies to the processing of food. And since Olympic Foods will soon celebrate its twenty-fifth birthday, we can expect that our long experience will enable us to minimize costs and thus maximize profits.”

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion.

10 You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

We will look at hundreds of such arguments that have appeared in GMAT and figure out the best way to write AWA in the preparation for the GMAT exam in the Career Launcher GMAT prep program.

Scoring in AWA

The scoring will range from 0 to 6. The scores are given based on the following assessment.

Scores are in Half Point Intervals
The scoring is done by two evaluators - One Examiner is a Computer that evaluates based on the syntax - defined structures and terms used by the test taker, while the other examiner is a human who goes beyond syntax, into semantics and flow etc.

AWA Essay Score	Description
1	An essay that is deficient
2	An essay that is flawed
3	An essay that is limited
4	An essay that is adequate
5	An essay that is strong
6	An essay that is outstanding

Integrated Reasoning: Managers are expected to be good at analyzing multiple streams of data in today’s data-driven world. The Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT exam measures these skills. The corporate world expects every manager to-

Make judgments based on information from multiple sources
Synthesize information presented in graphics, texts and numbers
Organize information to see relationships that solve multiple interrelated problems
Combine and manipulate information to solve complex problems

Six Things to Know About IR Questions:

You must answer all parts of a single question correctly to receive credit. No partial credit is given.
All answer choices for a single question are presented on the same screen.
You must submit responses to all parts of the question before moving on to a new question on another screen.
Once you answer a question, you may not go back and change the answer.
Answer options for one question will not help you solve other questions.
You may see several questions for one set of data. If you answer one question incorrectly, your incorrect answer will not necessarily affect how you answer another question based on the same data.

(Source: Excerpted from GMAC site www.mba.com)

Your proficiency in solving the IR problems will certain keep increasing as you participate in the productive discussion while solving more and more problems in the Career Launcher’s GMAT prep program. There are numerous tools and techniques that you will be able to gather to solve the problems very quickly.

Quantitative Section:The Quantitative section evaluates your ability to analyze data, apply basic concepts of mathematics and draw conclusions using reasoning skills. The proficiency in mathematics needed to solve the questions in this section of the GMAT exam is no greater than what you would have done in your high school.

The section consists of two types of questions :

Problem solving:These measure your ability to understand and solve the numerical problems. Knowing the fundamental concepts of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Modern math of secondary level and applying of these concepts in solving those numerical problems is critical to succeed. There are 19 questions of problems solving n the GMAT exam.

Data Sufficiency : These problems evaluate the conceptual clarity of various fundamentals of mathematics. Unless you are not aware the nuances of each of the concepts, it is difficult to solve these problems. If your clarity of concepts is very high, solving these problems is far less time consuming than those of problem solving. There are 18 questions of data sufficiency in the GMAT exam.

Many a GMAT taker usually has the fear of Mathematics.ou will sure discover that Career Launcher GMAT prep programs address this basic issue through the pedagogy, helping each one overcome the fear and develop keenness to enjoy doing maths.

More and more varieties of problems you encounter, and observe and analyze the way you solve them, the greater is your proficiency in solving them. The Career Launcher GMAT prep programs not only enable you to understand the concepts and solve the problems, but they also go much deeper in understanding the way the problem creators think and see how without solving the problem on paper, you can still arrive at your answer choice whenever choices are given.

Verbal Section :The Verbal section measures one’s ability to read and comprehend texts, critically evaluate arguments and also to spot the often committed errors in expression so as to conform to the standard grammar usages. There are three types of questions that you are evaluated upon.

Reading comprehension: measures your ability to read the written text, understand and analyze the information presented there in. You will encounter 12-13 questions in this segment of Verbal section in the GMAT exam.
Critical Reasoning: measures your skills of reasoning when you evaluate arguments, create your own argument or even when you develop a plan or action. You will come across 12 critical reasoning questions in the GMAT exam.
Sentence Correction: measures your ability to express your idea with a great deal of clarity and conciseness while being grammatically correct as per the standards. About 15-16 questions appear in this segment of the verbal section of the GMAT exam.
For a great number of GMAT aspirants from India, verbal section poses a challenge as English has only been a medium of instruction and not the native language. Many even think in the native language, before translating to express in English. The nuances of the native language constructs often appear in the English version. This challenge is not limited to expressing, but also while reading and understanding.

A focused approach in overcoming these and excelling in verbal section is one of the cornerstones of the Career Launcher GMAT test prep course.

Where to register for GMAT

Visit the GMAC’s dedicated website, www.mba.com, to register for the GMAT exam.
It costs $ 250 to register for the GMAT exam..
The test is held at the PRO-METRIC centers across the country

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)