What To Expect With The Gmat Exam

The GMAT exam tests the knowledge you need to succeed in graduate level business courses. There are three parts to the GMAT, and there are specific strategies you should use when taking the test since you can be penalized if you don't follow the rules. But first, let's talk about the parts of the GMAT.

Parts of the GMAT
The GMAT is computer-based and made up of three parts. Each section has a time limit and all sections are given on the computer. There are three parts to the GMAT: the Analytical Writing Ability (AWA) section, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section.

The Analytical Writing Ability (AWA) Section
The AWA section is made up of two essay questions. Most students find that this is the hardest section, but the good news is that you get it over with first. This section tests your ability to analyze an issue and and an argument analytically. You are given 60 minutes total (30 minutes per question) to complete this section.

Quantitative Section
The Quantitative section tests your knowledge of the basics of math. Two types of questions are included in this section: Problem Solving (PS) and Data Sufficiency (SC). Both are important for your score, and you have 75 minutes to answer these 37 questions.

Verbal Section
The GMAT Verbal Section is the longest section, and it is separated into three parts: Sentence Correction questions, Critical Reasoning questions and Reading Comprehension questions. There are 41 questions in this section, and you will have 75 minutes to complete the section.

The First Five Questions
The first five questions are the most important questions on your test. These questions are used by the program to determine what range of questions you can handle. Your success on the first five questions determines a large proportion of your score and the rest of the questions help the program find tune your score.

Manage Your Time
The penalty for failing to finish any section on the GMAT is huge. In fact, it can place you down around the 55th percentile automatically. You should never fail to finish a section. Pay attention to your time limit, and if you start to run out of time, simply go through, choose the same letter for the rest of the questions, and you'll probably still get a few questions correct.

Guess Strategically
Never guess randomly unless you're running out of time. Try to eliminate wrong answers; if you can get it down to two possible answers, you have a 50 percent chance of guessing correctly. You have to answer each question or face a major penalty, so you might as well guess smart. A word of severe warning: You cannot go back to a question you skipped! I know on paper tests I used to skip the hard ones and go back, but that's no longer a possibility, so don't try it.

Understand the Test, Follow the Rules
As long as you understand each part of the test and how it works you'll be okay. You'll know to follow the rules, and you want get stuck with an unfinished section. You will get breaks between each section so that you can stretch and snack so remember to bring a few pretzels and a drink with you for your breaks. A little food can go a long way toward reviving the weary test taker.

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