What is the GMAT and what’s a Good Score when Applying to Universities in the US for a Master’s Degree?
GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test. It is a computer-based standardized test that is often required by Business schools for their graduate admissions in the US. The test is also computer-adaptive, which means that the level of difficulty of the test keeps getting adjusted on the basis of your responses.
There are four sections on the GMAT:
- Analytical Writing section
- Integrated Reasoning section
- Verbal section
- Quantitative section
The Analytical Writing section tests your ability to think critically and communicate effectively. In this section, you have to write an essay analyzing an argument and you get 30 minutes for it.
The Integrated Reasoning section measures how well you integrate different data presented in the form of graphs, texts and numbers to solve complex problems. There are 12 questions on this section and you get 30 minutes for them.
The Quantitative section measures your understanding of mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra and geometry. There are 31 questions on this section and you get 62 minutes for them.
The Verbal section measures your ability to read and comprehend written material and to reason and evaluate arguments. There are 36 questions on this section and you get 65 minutes for them.
The duration for an average GMAT exam is 3 and a half hours.
| Test Section | Time Limit/Number of Questions | Question Types |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 30 minutes
1 question |
Analysis of an Argument |
| Integrated Reasoning | 30 minutes
12 questions |
Graphics Interpretation, Table Analysis, Multi-source Reasoning, Two-part Analysis |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 62 minutes
31 questions |
Data Sufficiency, Problem Solving |
| Verbal Reasoning | 65 minutes
36 questions |
Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction |
GMAT scoring
Understanding GMAT scoring can be a bit confusing, so listen carefully. The analytical writing section is scored on a scale of 6. The Integrated Reasoning section is scored on a scale of 8. The Quantitative and Verbal sections are each scored on a scale of 60. The GMAT algorithm then combines the raw scores of the quantitative and verbal sections to create a score on a scale of 800. This is your total GMAT score. Yes, your total GMAT score only counts your verbal and quantitative sections. This means that these two sections are the most important ones on the GMAT. However, this does not mean that universities won’t be looking at your integrated reasoning and analytical writing sections. They will be. In fact, universities even get a copy of the analytical essay you wrote and not just the section score. It’s just that when universities filter out candidates that do not meet their minimum GMAT score requirement, the filtering process is done using the overall score. Our recommendation is that you must perform well on all sections of the GMAT!
You might be wondering what a good GMAT score is. A good GMAT score is 650 or above on a scale of 800. GMAT is a particularly analytical test and requires extensive prep to obtain a good score. GMAT scores are accepted by all business-related programs. While the GMAT is most popularly associated with MBA programs, other business and management related programs also accept them. For eg: the MS in Finance in Johns Hopkins accepts GMAT scores. In fact, business-related programs that are not a part of a business school also accept GMAT scores. For eg: The Industrial-Organizational Psychology program at NYU accepts a GMAT score for their admissions as well!
If you have any additional questions regarding the GMAT or its elements, get in touch with your personal counselor at UniRely. To get more information about how to apply to universities abroad for your master’s degree, please visit our website – www.unirely.com.