A good Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT score can confirm your seat at some of the most reputed B-schools in the world. The scores of this standardized entrance test are widely accepted by the top-ranked business schools across the globe. A complete and detailed understanding of the GMAT syllabus and the breakdown of the exam pattern can increase your chances of earning a high score.
An MBA degree offers the most promising career after technology and medicine. Management studies have ample scope in India as well as abroad as all businesses require good managers to function efficiently. Pursuing an MBA abroad opens several opportunities for international students. They also get a chance to find permanent residency in countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States of America.
These are the skills required for a successful career in management. GMAT score ranges from a minimum 200 to a maximum 800. The test duration is 3 hours and 7 minutes, and the score is valid for five years. The medium of the exam is English and is conducted in both offline and online mode.
The top universities usually accept students with a GMAT score of 720+. Though the examination is considered challenging, an in-depth understanding of the pattern and GMAT exam syllabusand regular practice can pave the way for a high score.
Complete Pattern For GMAT Exam 2024
GMAT Exam 2024 Highlights
Exam name
Graduate Management Admission Test
Commonly known as
GMAT
Exam level
International Level Exam
Conducting Body
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
Language
English
GMAT 2024 Registration mode
Online
GMAT 2024 Exam Mode
Online
GMAT Current version test duration
3 hours and 7 min
GMAT 2024 focus Edition test duration
2 hours 15 min
GMAT cost(approx.)
Rs. 21000/-
GMAT focus Edition exam fee
Rs. 21000/-
GMAT exam fee payment options
Credit Card and Debit Card
Chances for Re-attempts
Overall 8 attempts (only 5 chances per year)
The GMAT exam pattern and syllabus are quite simple to understand. It is a 3-hour 7-minute-long examination and consists of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs). GMAT is a prerequisite test for getting admission to the top MBA colleges globally. There are four sections, there is no negative marking, and the cut-off varies from college to college. A score above 690 is considered good.
Questions Per Section and Time Allotted to Each in GMAT 2024
Section
Number of Questions
Score Range
Duration
Analytical writing examination
1 topic
Essay
0-6
30 minutes
Verbal
36 questions
6-51
65 minutes
Integrated Reasoning
12 questions
1-8
30 minutes
Quantitative
31 questions
6-51
62 minutes
Total duration:
3 hours 7 minutes
Some changes have been introduced in the pattern for the 2024 GMAT examination, and here they are:
1. The mathematics section will be purely based on reasoning questions.
2. Coordinate geometry will be present in the GMAT syllabus.
3. Additional options for the MCQs will be ‘both’, and ‘neither’.
GMAC has launched the GMAT Focus Edition in 2024. GMAT Focus Edition syllabus and pattern are different from the current version of the GMAT exam. The table given below provides the details of the GMAT Focus Edition pattern 2024:
The analytical writing segment is purely based on brainstorming ideas and writing an essay. A passage along with questions can also be the pattern. It is the very first section and it is compulsory to attempt it. There will be only one topic, and the score ranges from 0-6, and the time allotted is 30 minutes. The syllabus is vast and can be anything under the sun. The topic can be anything based on science, management, events, sports, or any other subject. You will not be singularly marked on your opinion or thought process, but it is your writing style that will fetch you a good score. Go for a balanced opinion and focus on your writing style, tone, and structure of the write-up. A student can score high in this section by following the below-given strategies:
a) Brainstorming
b) Drafting a strong introduction
c) Penning well-structured paragraphs
d) A thought-provoking conclusion for the essay
There are two types of essays in the GMAT syllabus:
i) Argument-based essays: The viewpoint or reason needs to be analyzed and then a justified argument needs to be written for this type of essay.
ii) Issue-based essays: An issue or problem will be given. GMAT aspirants will need to write an essay based on the issue. An individual opinion is welcome too. The length of the essay should be around 600 words and not more than that.
To get a good score in this section it is pertinent to have good command of the English language. As part of the GMAT English syllabus, you should brush up on grammar as well as vocabulary to write engaging essays.
It is a new section that has been added to the syllabus of the GMAT. It is a reasoning section where data will be given in various forms. The students need to analyze and evaluate the data presented in the form of graphs or in a simple table format. This section will have 12 questions in total, and the duration is 30 minutes, where the score is between 1-8. It is a scoring section and students need to practice a lot to ace this section. The questions given can belong to any of the following categories:
a) Graphical interpretation: The data will be represented in the form of a pie chart, bar graph, histogram, curve, or a graphical image. It will measure the ability of the students to analyze and interpret the data from the graphical representations. The information presented in these forms needs to be interpreted in simple language or mathematical form. The interpretation should justify the relationship between the data and state the right conclusion.
b) Table analysis: It will be a table formulation with all the data and information provided. A spreadsheet, for example, is a table formulation and the students need to sort, interpret and analyze the data and information provided in the table. It will help in determining the relationship between data, relevant information, and certain conditions.
c) Two-part analysis: This part will mainly assess the students’ ability to solve complex problems. This section needs a lot of practice, and the students need to time themselves to complete this section. There will be trade-offs, equations, and relationships between factors and two entities. It will be a tricky part and students will need good reasoning skills to solve these questions.
d) Multi-source: There won’t be just one source of data, but various sources like passages, tables, graphical representations, or a combination of all of them. The students need to analyze each of the data sources very carefully. The questions will be based on finding inferences and finding the relevance of data. There will also be some tricky questions, where the students need to find discrepancies among various data sources.
The quantitative reasoning section is the highest scoring section. It has a total of 31 questions, and the duration is 62 minutes. It comprises two parts - data sufficiency and problem-solving. The trick to cracking this section is practice. There will be 18 questions on data sufficiency and 18 questions under the problem-solving part. The questions in quantitative reasoning are completely objective and MCQ-based. There will be no negative marking for the wrong answer.
a) Problem-solving: This part will focus on the problem-solving ability of the students. It will test the analytical reasoning and logical reasoning abilities of the students.
b) Data sufficiency: Here the students need to examine, understand the problem and then identify the importance of data. After understanding which data is important, they need to understand the point at which there is maximum data to solve a particular problem.
The topics that need to be studied as part of the GMAT Quant syllabus or the GMAT Math syllabus are:
To understand GMAT verbal reasoning syllabus, it is essential to understand the pattern of questions. The verbal reasoning section has 36 questions, and the duration is 65 minutes. This section checks the ability of the students to read and interpret the passage to give suitable answers. The idea is to check the applicant’s spoken English proficiency. There are mainly three types of questions under this section:
a) Reading comprehension: Based on the passage, there will be multiple-choice questions. The students need to read the entire passage and then answer the questions. The answers will be checked for the following skills-application, inferences, ideas, style, and structure.
b) Critical reasoning: This part will be based on analyzing the argument. There will be a few argument-based questions. The students need to analyze them, support, or go against the argument with a valid reason. There will be eight different types of critical reasoning questions and every question will judge a student on reasoning, argumentation, finding a solution, or evaluation of a plan.
c) Sentence correction: A certain part of the sentence will be underlined. Students need to rectify issues or problems with underlined portion. The grammatical errors, if any, need to be corrected.
1. Log on to mba.com and click ‘sign up’ located in the top right corner.
2. Candidates applying for the GMAT examination need to fill up the GMAT 2024 registration form by visiting the website. The registration will be done for the online mode of the exam.
3. Candidates need to fill up all the information as required by the portal. If any information is missed out, the application form will be rejected.
4. During registration, students need to mention their contact number and email address. All the important notifications and alerts will be communicated via these two mediums. So, do cross-check before you submit the form.
5. Candidates will also have to choose test dates as per the available slot.
6. Candidates can choose up to three location preferences for the examination. Only pick the location that can be accessed on the date of examination.
7. Upload a passport-size photograph along with your digital signature. The size will be mentioned on the online portal.
8. Once all the details are filled in, submit the registration form. The details will be sent to the registered mobile number and email address. Keep a printout of the form for future reference.
GMAT Pattern 2024: Test Centre and Online GMAT
The table given below provides a comparison of GMAT pattern 2024 for the GMAT exam at a test centre and for the GMAT exam taken in online mode:
Feature
Test Center GMAT
Online GMAT
Availability
Year-round
Specific testing windows throughout the year
Testing environment
Proctored testing center
Secure home environment with required webcam and software
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between CAT and GMAT syllabus?
GMAT syllabus includes verbal reasoning, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing assessment, whereas for CAT the topics are quantitative aptitude, verbal ability, data interpretation, and logical reasoning, and reading comprehension. The syllabus is very different, but the difficulty level is almost the same for both.
How is the GMAT test score calculated?
GMAT does not have any passing or failing marks. It is a compilation of four different sections and offers five scores. One score each is given from the four sections and the fifth score is calculated from verbal and quantitative sections in a combined manner.
How to get a perfect GMAT score?
A perfect GMAT score is certainly possible. It can be attained if the students are very clear with the basics, reasoning, and logic. Practice is the key to the quantitative and reasoning sections.
Which countries accept GMAT scores?
GMAT is a widely accepted examination for MBA aspirants. It is accepted in public and private universities in India, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Europe, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and Germany. Students can seek admission in globally reputed universities and B-schools with a good GMAT score.
What is a good GMAT score?
A good GMAT score is 690 and above. The maximum score is 800, and the top 10 ranked B-schools set a cut-off of 720+.
What is the full syllabus for GMAT?
The GMAT exam consists of four sections - Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Analytical Writing Assessment. The questions measure a candidate’s problem-solving and critical reasoning abilities, data sufficiency, and logic.
Is GRE and GMAT syllabus the same?
The syllabus for these two exams is the same however there is a difference in the exam sections. While GRE exam has 3 sections - Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, GMAT has an additional section of Integrated Reasoning along with the above 3.
Is the GMAT exam tough?
GMAT is certainly a challenging exam as the score is used to determine admission to some of the top business schools in the world. Only 6% of candidates are able to score 720+. It is still taken by millions of students every year. As per official figures, a total of 1,73,176 GMAT exams were taken by prospective business school students around the world in the year 2020 (From July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020).
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Mrinal Mandal is a study abroad expert with a passion for guiding students towards their international education goals. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering, earned in 2018. Since 2021, Mrinal has been working with upGrad Abroad, where he assists aspiring students in realizing their dreams of studying abroad. With his expertise and dedication, he empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of international education, making their aspirations a reality.