The GMAT™ Exam

Best for Full-time MBA, Part-time MBA, Masters, and Ph.D. Programs

Demonstrate your commitment and readiness to succeed in business school. More than 7,000 programs offered by more than 2,300 universities and institutions use the GMAT exam as part of the selection criteria for their programs.

Why Take the GMAT Exam?

The GMAT™ Exam Helps You Stand Out

If you are serious about business school, take the GMAT exam. Schools know that if you take the GMAT exam, you are serious about earning a graduate business degree. They also know it’s a proven predictor of your ability to succeed in your chosen program.

Take the one business school exam that elevates you from the rest of the pack, because it:

• Demonstrates your commitment, motivation, and ability to succeed in business school.
• Measures your critical thinking and reasoning skills, the two most relevant skills to the world’s top graduate business programs.
• Connects you with the best-fit program through personalized program recommendations.
• Increases your earning potential and open a world of opportunities.
• Business schools trust the GMAT exam to inform admission decisions.

Fast Facts About the GMAT Exam

1. For more than 60 years, the GMAT exam has been the most widely used exam for MBA admissions.
2. 9 out of 10 new MBA enrollments are made using a GMAT score*.
3. 200,000 candidates worldwide take the GMAT exam each year.
4. 7,000 MBA and Master's programs use the GMAT exam.
5. 2,300+ schools use the GMAT exam.
6. 110+ countries receive score reports.
7. 650 testing centers in 114 countries administer the GMAT Exam.

*Refers to the FT-100 Global MBA Programs, 2017

Ensure Your Talent Never Goes Undiscovered

The GMAT exam is more than an exam. It is about the opportunity. It gives you the opportunity to showcase yourself, to elevate yourself to reach your highest aspirations and realize your potential.

Control Your Test-Taking Experience

When you arrive at your test center, you have the flexibility to choose from three options for your exam's section order:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal
2. Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
3. Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment

This choice simply gives you more control and flexibility to take the GMAT exam based on your strengths and testing preferences. Read more about selecting your exam’s section order.

The GMAT Exam is Computer Adaptive. What Does That Mean?

The Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections of the GMAT are computer-adaptive, meaning the difficulty of the test tailors itself in real-time to your ability level. This feature allows the exam to assess your potential with a higher degree of precision and deliver scores that business schools trust.

Here’s how it works: The first question you receive in either the Verbal or Quantitative sections will be of medium difficulty. As you answer each question, the computer scores your answer and uses it as well as your responses to any preceding question to select the next question. If you answer the first question correctly, the computer will usually give you a harder question. If you answer the first question incorrectly, your next question will be easier. This process continues until you complete the section, using responses to all previously answered questions, at which point the computer will have an accurate assessment of your ability in that subject.

You will not be able to skip, return to, or change your answers to questions. This is because the computer uses your response to each question to select the next one.

GMAT Location Specific Pricing & Regulations

Select Your Test Center Location for Pricing and Rule Information

Test Center locations have specific pricing and regulations that are important to know for your GMAT experience. Pricing, Identification Requirements and Regulations vary and are based on the location of your Test Center.

Select the location you plan to take the exam to understand Pricing, Identification Requirements, Test Center Rules and Agreement and if any additional taxes or fees apply.

GMAT™ Exam Policies

Our Testing Policies and Procedures

The GMAT™ exam is owned by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). We develop and deliver the exam with the help of our service providers Pearson VUE and ACT. Together we have established terms and conditions including testing policies and procedures, to enhance the test environment and the validity and the security of the GMAT exam.

Register for the GMAT™ Exam

Own Your Future and Get Started Today

1. Create your mba.com account and take control of your graduate business journey. Manage the steps you need to take to get into the program of your choice, and:
   • Access free GMAT™ Official Starter Kit + Practice Exams 1 & 2.
   • Manage your GMAT appointment and scores.*
   • Search for schools, compare them and save them to your account for easy access later.
   • Search for school events and save them to your calendar.
   • Save articles and expert advice on a variety of topics related to finding the right school, preparing for the GMAT exam, and assembling your best application.
2. Use the Registration and Score Reporting Timeline in the GMAT™ Handbook to determine the application deadlines for your selected schools and then create your exam preparation plan to determine your best test date.
3. If you are requesting disability accommodation for testing – follow the process to register as a test taker with disabilities. Do not schedule your appointment at this time. You must wait for your disability accommodation to be approved prior to scheduling your exam.

*Note: you may have to wait up to 48 hours after registering to manage your appointment.

GMAT Exam Structure

An Assessment of the Skills That Matter Most in Business

The GMAT™ Exam Has Four Sections:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment—measures your ability to think critically and to communicate your ideas.
2. Integrated Reasoning—measures your ability to analyze data and evaluate information presented in multiple formats.
3. Quantitative Reasoning—measures your ability to analyze data and draw conclusions using reasoning skills.
4. Verbal Reasoning—measures your ability to read and understand written material, to evaluate arguments and to correct written material to conform to standard written English.

In total, the test takes just under 3 1/2 hours to complete, including two optional breaks.

Structure of the GMAT™ Exam

The GMAT Exam has four separately timed sections. You will have the opportunity to take two optional eight-minute breaks during the exam.