Every year, close to 300,000 students take the GMAT exam in order to qualify for MBA programs offered by top business schools around the world. However, very few qualify for the same. So what makes it challenging? Where do the students go wrong? If you are one of the many MBA aspirants who is new to the concept of appearing for a computer-adaptive test, then this article is the right source of information for you. It points out some of the crucial points that every GMAT exam candidate needs to be aware of in order to complete the test in an effective manner. 

What is the GMAT Exam? How is it Crucial to the Higher Education Process?

The Graduate Management Admission Test is a computer-adaptive test which assesses a candidate’s quantitative and logical skills, along with testing their verbal and reading skills in the English language. The GMAT exam is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council which consists of a group of scholars who hail from some of the top business schools around the world. In short, GMAT is an exam which has been put together by top business schools in order to compare and assess the skills of international students who aspire to pursue Management level courses in well-ranked B-schools across the world. Let us take a look at some of the factors which every student needs to bear in mind while preparing to take their GMAT exam.

GMAT Score Requirements

It is essential to have a minimum GMAT score of 200 or a maximum of 700 and above in order to qualify for a post-graduate management program in any of the top business schools of the world.

GMAT Registration Process

Students who wish to appear for their GMAT exam are required to undertake the following steps before and during their GMAT registration process.

Step 1: Gather information

Make sure you have following information when scheduling your GMAT exam:

  1. The application deadlines for your chosen graduate business programs.
  2. Location-specific regulations that may apply to you.
  3. Any special scheduling instructions if you have a disability and are receiving any testing accommodations.
  4. An idea of how long you will need to prepare for the exam.
  5. Test centre sites near you.

Step 2: Build your timeline

  1. Use the information you gathered in Step 1 to build your timeline.
  2. Add extra time if you are registering by mail or paying by personal check or money order.
  3. Add extra time if you are applying for testing accommodations.

Step 3: Schedule and pay for your exam

Four ways to schedule your exam:

  • Online: Create your mba.com account
  • Phone: Call GMAT Customer Service for your region (Note: You may be charged an additional service fee of US$10.)
  • Postal mail: Complete the form and mail it along with your payment
  • Fax: Complete the form and fax it to the number shown
    Pay for your exam by credit card or debit card, check or money order. GMAT Exam Fees and Payment Information.

Step 4: Review your confirmation

  1. Ensure your name listed on the confirmation EXACTLY matches your form of identification.
  2. Confirm that your GMAT test date and test center are correct. Note: If your test center says “DoD” or “Military,” make sure you have the proper identification before your test date.

Tips To Effectively Ace Your GMAT Exam

  • Time Management

The GMAT exam lasts for a total of 3 hours and 30 minutes. All aspirants are expected to attempt the following sections within this time frame.

  1. Analytical writing
  2. Integrated Reasoning
  3. Quantitative Reasoning
  4. Verbal Reasoning

Here is a section-wise breakdown of the total time limit allotted to aspirants during the exam. Candidates are allotted all of 30 minutes to complete the first section, Analytical writing which involves writing a detailed essay on a given topic. The next section, Integrated reasoning comprises 12 questions which are to be attempted within a span of 30 minutes. Quantitative Reasoning comprises 31 questions which are to be attempted within 62 minutes and the Verbal reasoning section comprises 36 questions for which 65 minutes are allotted.

If you plan on acing the GMAT exam, you need to focus on how you can effectively utilise the entire time duration. This can be done by timing your performance each time you solve the practise test series. Let us move on to understand the next important aspect which plays a crucial role in successfully completing a GMAT exam.

  • Face Your Fears

It is important to understand that verbal reasoning takes up a sufficient chunk of the GMAT exam. Although the entire process may seem really boring to pay attention to, it is crucial that you understand this aspect of the GMAT exam and work on your language skills thoroughly. Some of the top business schools of the world pay attention to a candidate’s understanding of the English language because it plays an equally important role in helping students to adapt to the curriculum. So, if you are one of those who cringe on hearing ‘Shakespeare’, now is the time to set those fears aside and polish your language and writing skills.

  • Get Those Quants On Point

The Quantitative Aptitude section can be a nerve-wracking one, even for a math genius. There is always that one problem which takes up an entire life-time to crack. One thing which you need to remember as a GMAT aspirant is the fact that the test does not grant you sufficient time to ponder on just one problem. This is where mental math skills come into the picture. So if you were an ABACUS genius back in your school days then now is the time to revive those skills and put them to good use.

  • Practice Makes Everyone Perfect!

At the end of the day, practice is what would help you ace the GMAT exam. In order to be able to attempt the GMAT exam successfully in one go, it is essential that you attempt as many practice mock tests as possible. This will give you a wide range of questions to solve and will also help you to understand where you lag, so that you are able to focus on that particular area of the GMAT curriculum.

  • Keep Attempting Till You Get it Right

Last, but not the least, it is important not to lose hope. Do not be disheartened if you couldn’t clear your GMAT exam in the very first attempt. Candidates are allowed to retake GMAT for a maximum of 8 times in their entire lifetime. So, if you are not satisfied with your GMAT scores, remember that you can always retake GMAT. The registration fees for GMAT exam are $50 which is non-refundable under any circumstances. It is also important to understand that candidates cannot retake GMAT for more than 5 consecutive times within a span of 12 months.

We hope that that this article helps all the MBA aspirants who look forward to acing their GMAT exam.

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