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The GMAT Test

Computer Adaptive Testing: The GMAT is a computer adaptive test, which means that the difficulty of most questions is a function of how you’ve done in the past few. And, over the test, everything averages out so no one can say they got an easy test, or a really hard one

Sections:

  • Verbal: 41 questions that test how well you can comprehend simple, functional English, as used in the business world. Not a vocabulary test
  • Quantitative: 37 questions that test how comfortable you are with manipulation of numbers. You do not need to be Albert Einstein; what you do need is to be quick at basic mathematical operations, use logical steps in time crunch situations, and make as few silly mistakes as possible
  • Analytical Writing: You write a couple of essays (Analysis of Issue and Analysis of Argument). As long as you stick to a logical, non-controversial point of view, you should be good
  • Scoring: 800 is the name of the game, though only about 20 people in the world achieve this Holy Grail every year. 7% of people score above 700; that’s what Jamboree’s intensive coaching prepares you for
  • Question Pool: In their effort to have a huge pool of questions from which the final test questions are chosen for each candidate, the GMAT maintains a pool of hundreds of thousands of questions every year. So, asking your friend what questions she got might not work as well as it did in college

The Times

  • 75 minutes: For verbal
  • 75 minutes: For quantitative (with short breaks in between)
  • 60 minutes: For analytical writing (30 for each essay)
  • Any time: Is when you can take the GMAT; there’s no one day. However, we do recommend you reserve dates a few months in advance to be sure of getting the date you want; it’s just like a train journey in that respect!

The Test Takers

  • Number of test takers: Approximately 300,000 in every one-year period
  • Your score depends on: An average measure of what test takers all over the world in the past three years scored on similar tests
  • Number of test centres: About 400 test centres across the world administer the GMAT. After you’ve given yours, you will appreciate the huge security that goes into administering a foolproof test every single time

The Trivia

  • Not too many people prepare really well: According to one study, only 21% of test takers study for 100 hours or more. However, only 7% score 700 or more; this underscores the need for great preparation
  • Correlation of average GMAT scores with school quality: Most big name rankings of Business Schools use average GMAT scores of applicants as a criterion e.g. US News. In addition, there’s a moderately strong (0.51) correlation of GMAT score with first year grades

You might come up with ten tips that optimize your GMAT preparation, but GMAT coaching experts know at least a hundred times that. If you reach out to people who’ve coached others – for example, our expert faculty at Jamboree – you stand a much much higher chance of learning from the vast repository of knowledge we have, and becoming even more than you were.

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