Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

GMAT Sections and Test Structure

The GMAT comprises of four sections and lasts for 3 hours 7 minutes.

Section	Number of Questions	Question Types	Time	Score Range
Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)	One Topic	Analysis of Argument	30 minutes	0-6 (in .5 increment)
Integrated Reasoning (IR)	12 Questions	Multi-Source Reasoning, Graphics, Interpretation, Two-part Analysis, Table Analysis	30 minutes	1-8
Quantitative Reasoning	31 Questions	Data Sufficiency, Problem Solving	62 minutes	6 to 51
Verbal Reasoning	36 Questions	Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction	65 minutes	6 to 51
Two Breaks			8 minutes + 8 minutes

GMAT Section Order

You can choose the order of GMAT section from the below three options:

Order 1 (Default Option)	Order 2	Order 3
Analytical Writing Assessment	Verbal Reasoning	Quantitative Reasoning
Integrated Reasoning
Optional 8-Minute Break
Quantitative Reasoning	Quantitative Reasoning	Verbal Reasoning
Optional 8-Minute Break
Verbal Reasoning	Integrated Reasoning	Integrated Reasoning
	Analytical Writing Assessment	Analytical Writing Assessment

GMAT Quant Reasoning Section

The GMAT Quant Reasoning section comprise two types of questions – Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. It tests a candidate’s ability to logically think and interpret math concepts.

Data Sufficiency: A candidate may be required to answer 13-14 questions. Each question comprises a question stem and two data statements. A candidate is not asked to deduce the mathematical answer, but rather to check if the data statements provide sufficient information required to solve the problem.
Problem-Solving: As the name suggests, this section presents questions that a candidate is asked to solve to find the right value. It may feature 17-18 questions. Each question features a question stem and five possible answers. This section evaluates a candidate’s quantitative and analytical reasoning skills, which are essential for success in a business and management program.

GMAT Verbal Reasoning Section

Verbal section of the GMAT evaluates a candidate’s command of English language skills. It comprises three types of questions – Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction.

Reading Comprehension: A candidate will be presented with 12-14 reading comprehension questions with passages accompanied by 3-4 questions in the text. These passages may be related to social science, business, biological science, and physical science topics. Reading comprehension analyzes a student’s reading skills, including their ability to interpret and make inferences from the text, articulate ideas and summarize them and analyze the structure of the passage logically.
Critical Reasoning: A candidate will be presented with 9-10 critical reasoning questions, which should be answered based on the series of arguments. A candidate has to find a conclusion or make an assumption to weaken or strengthen an argument. It basically tests a candidate’s skills in evaluating arguments and forming an action plan based on it.
Sentence Correction: This section comprises 12-13 questions with long sentences. A sentence may be underlined partly or entirely and a candidate may be asked to choose the best answer from five alternatives. The original sentence may or may not have errors. Sometimes there may be an error or multiple errors. The answer choices may introduce errors, too. So, you need to be careful while reading or answering the questions.

Integrated Reasoning

It features four types of problems, including Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation, and Two-Part Analysis. It tests the verbal and quant skills of a candidate.

Table Analysis: As the name suggests, the questions are presented in a table format in this section. This question type resembles a spreadsheet and a candidate can sort the table by selecting the drop-down menu. The table may have 4 to 8 columns as well as several rows of data, and a candidate is required to solve the problem based on data. The problem is presented in true or false statements. A candidate has to answer at least three statements to answer one problem.
Multi-source Reasoning: A candidate is presented with two or three informational tabs, which may comprise text, visuals, and tables. A candidate is prompted to solve three different problems based on these tabs. The questions may be in true or false or a 5-answer multiple choice format. Like the Table Analysis, if the problem is presented in a true or false format, a candidate must choose three statements to complete the problem.
Graphics Interpretation: These problems are generally presented in visual format as bar graph, pie chart, genetic map, organizational chart, etc. A candidate must read the visual representations to understand the information offered and answer the accompanying questions. These questions would be presented in the form of sentences and blanks. The blanks should be filled using choices from the drop-down menu.
Two-part Analysis: A candidate has to answer two questions instead of one in this segment. For instance, a question may require you to find x and y variables or strengthen and weaken an argument. The correct answer must be chosen for a two-part question from a set of 5 or 6 answer choices.

Analytical Writing Assessment

The Analytical Writing Assessment doesn’t contribute to your 200-800 score, but business schools use this section to interpret your writing skills. The assessment is analyzed by a computer system as well as a human grader. The scores from these sources are averaged to receive the final score. A candidate is asked to interpret and critique the argument presented by an author, analyze the soundness of an author’s reasoning and evidence.