The GMAT was first developed in March 1953 by the deans of several major universities and the Educational Testing Services (ETS). They wanted to develop a national entrance exam for graduate business schools. The first form of this test, the Admission Test for Graduate Study in Business, was first given in February 1954 to 1,300 students. In 1976 the name of the exam was changed to Graduate Management Admission Test and in 2007 it was given to 219,077 students.
The GMAT exam has three main parts: the analytical writing assessment, the quantitative section and the verbal section. The analytical section involves two writing tasks and you’re allowed 30 minutes per task. The quantitative section is comprised of 37 multiple choice questions in Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. You are allowed 75 minutes to complete this section. The verbal section has 41 multiple choice questions in Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. This section also takes 75 minutes.
The two multiple choice sections are done via a computer and the questions range in difficulty. The difficulty of a question is based on how well you do on the previous question. If you get the first question correct, you will receive a more difficult question. If you got it wrong, the computer will give you an easier question. This continues throughout the test.
Start preparing to take the GMAT exam three to six months prior to your testing date. The Graduate Management Admission Council provides for download free test preparation software to help test takers study for the exam. There are GMAT prep courses that you can take for a fee. Self study is an option and there are GMAT testing guides that you can purchase from a bookstore with practice questions and tests that you can take.
The night before the test, make sure to have a good night’s sleep and have a good breakfast the morning of the test. When you leave for the test site, make sure that you have a valid form of ID. During check in, the administrator will need to digitally take your fingerprint or palm vein pattern, and a photograph. You will be asked to sign a Nondisclosure Agreement and General Terms of Use statement. This is all to keep everything as confidential as possible.
You are not allowed any type of aid during the test or during breaks, of which you are allowed two. You cannot leave the testing building during your breaks and you’re not allowed access to any form of a telephone during your breaks.
GMAT scores become available twenty days after your testing date. You will receive four scores: one for each section of the test and then a total score. Total scores range from 200 to 800. When you receive your scores you will see not only the most recent attempt at the exam but also the scores for any GMAT exam you have taken in the last five years.