THE GMAT (GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION TEST)
The Graduate Management Admission Test (short for GMAT by wholevehicles) is a standardized test for measuring the academic skills of prospective MBA students. Even if the GMAT originally comes from the USA, business schools around the world now use it as an admission criterion. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), an international non-profit organization based in the US state of Virginia, develops and administers the GMAT.
Target group of the GMAT
Many business schools and universities around the world require applicants for MBA programs to have a current GMAT result. The participants in the MBA programs come from all over the world, come from different study systems and do not necessarily have the same professional background. The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) helps to better compare applicants with one another. Therefore, both local and international interested parties have to take the test.
As an alternative to the GMAT, some business schools – especially in the USA – also accept the GRE. If you have already taken this admission test, you should check whether this is still necessary before taking the GMAT.
Examination content and test structure of the GMAT
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) examines four areas:
- Scientific Writing (Analytical Writing Assessment)
- Networked thinking (Integrated Reasoning)
- Mathematical Thinking (Quantitative Section)
- Linguistic reasoning (Verbal Section)
The GMAT consists largely of multiple-choice questions and takes a total of three hours and thirty minutes.
Scientific writing
The Analytical Writing Assessment takes thirty minutes to complete. There are no multiple choice questions in this part of the GMAT. Instead, the examinees write a text in which they analyze and evaluate a given argument on a specific topic. GMAC provides a list of all possible topics on its website.
Connected thinking
The GMAT also includes a part of the exam on integrated reasoning, which also lasts thirty minutes. Here the examinees answer multiple-choice questions. This involves recording complex relationships and evaluating information from data material (diagrams, graphics, tables). For this part of the GMAT test, participants are allowed to use a calculator provided by GMAC. Participants are not allowed to use their own devices.
Math thinking
In the examination for mathematical understanding (quantitative section), multiple-choice questions on mathematical relationships have to be answered over 75 minutes. The use of a pocket calculator is not permitted in this part of the GMAT.
Linguistic reasoning
The verbal section of the exam also lasts 75 minutes. The multiple choice questions in this part test reading comprehension, reasoning and language skills.
Graduate Management Admission Test rating scale
Each of the four parts of the exam is initially given its own number of points. The quantitative section and the verbal section are rated on a scale of 0 (low) and 60 (high) points, respectively. From these two scores, the resulting total score (total score) of the GMAT. The total number of points moves on a scale from 200 to 800 points.
The evaluation of the other two parts is not included in the overall evaluation, but is shown separately. 0 to 6 points are awarded for the Analytical Writing Assessment, 1 to 8 points for the Integrated Reasoning Assessment.
It is possible to repeat the GMAT in order to improve the number of points achieved. The test can be taken once every 31 days and a maximum of five times within a twelve month period.
Preparation for the GMAT
The organizer GMAC offers various learning aids to prepare for the GMAT. Anyone who creates a free account online receives access to the GMATPrep software. There are also various paid offers, such as the Official Guide or questionnaires.
Test centers and exam dates for the GMAT
There are test centers around the world that continuously offer the GMAT all year round. In Germany, for example, these are located in Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. In Austria there is currently only one test center in Vienna. In Switzerland, on the other hand, there is a center in Zurich, St Gallen and Lausanne.
There are usually several exam dates to choose from each month. The official GMAT website shows which exam dates are currently available in the desired test center.
You can register for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) online via the GMAT website, by telephone, post or fax. It should be done a few weeks in advance. It is important to also take into account the deadlines of the business schools to which the test results should then be sent. The evaluation of the test can take up to twenty calendar days.
Costs and payment options
The cost of the GMAT is currently US $ 250. Payment of the exam fees is possible by credit card. If you register by post, you can also pay by check or money order.