GMAT Overview – All the details about the GMAT

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized examination used to assess graduate business school applicants in the United States and several other countries. It is accepted by more than 8,000 graduate business programs at over 2,400 universities and is taken by about 115,000 students each year. The test is owned by the Graduate Management Admission Council, a "non-profit organization of leading graduate management schools around the world," and is administered by Pearson VUE. The test is regularly updated, with the most recent update in 2023, and while this version was initially known as the "GMAT Focus Edition," it is now generally referred to simply as the "GMAT." As a general introduction to the GMAT, take a look at the following topics: 

  • GMAT Basics
    This page discusses general information about the GMAT, including the purpose of the test, a brief overview of GMAT scoring, and statistics on GMAT performance at select business schools. Students can also find a summary of Graduate Management Admission Council data on averages and percentiles for all test-takers, which is valuable information for all business school applicants.
  • GMAT Format
    Consult this page for information on the structure of the GMAT. Students can find details on the individual GMAT sections, how the GMAT is administered, an overview of the GMAT's computer-adaptive testing, and how the GMAT's organization is relevant to student preparation.
  • 2023 Changes to the GMAT
    This page provides a summary of the 2023 changes to the GMAT, also known as the GMAT Focus Edition, which include shortening the exam by approximately one hour, removing the required essay, removing geometry, removing sentence correction questions, relocating content from the Integrated Reasoning section, creating a new Data Insights section, allowing test-takers to choose the order in which they complete sections, making all test sections adaptive, allowing test-takers to review and edit answers (provided they have time), changing the scoring so that each of the three sections contributes equally to the GMAT Total Score, providing an enhanced score report for free, and allowing you to select schools to send your GMAT scores to after completing the exam rather than before.

Also discussed are the motives for these content changes, additional policy revisions that apply to the 2023 test, and how the changes impact GMAT preparation and applying to business school.

  • GMAT Administration
    See this page for an overview of GMAT administration. Topics covered include general administration policies, test center rules and regulations, standards for academic honesty, and test security measures. This page also discusses available accommodations for students with disabilities and the procedures for gaining access to those accommodations.
  • GMAT Registration
    Information about GMAT registration can be found on this page. Learn about registration procedures, requirements for acceptable identification, how to find available dates and test centers, applicable registration fees, GMAC privacy policies and protections for student data, and relevant federal and state regulations for the use of student information.
  • Computer Test versus Paper Test
    Read this page for information about the discontinued GMAT paper test and a comparison with the GMAT computer test, which was first administered in 1997 and is now the only available form of the exam. Subjects discussed include availability, distinctions between the tests, using paper tests as material for practice, and how computerized testing is associated with GMAT score inflation and higher GMAT standards at business schools.
  • GMAT Test Center vesus Online
    Find information on this page about taking the GMAT at a test center versus taking it online from your home, including differences in registering and preparing for the test, what to expect on exam day, and that testing location doesn't affect exam content. Subjects include accepted forms of ID to register, computer requirements and procedures for taking the GMAT online, items not permitted in the test center or near you at your home during the exam, and allowed test breaks.
  • GMAT Test-Taking Strategies
    Learn how to approach the GMAT strategically by reading this page. Receive helpful tips for strategic practice and preparation with official and unofficial GMAT exercises, developing the most effective time management skills, guessing answers, and general advice for improving performance through stress reduction and physical well-being.
  • GMAT Scores
    This page features a discussion of GMAT scoring. Students can learn about total scores and section scores and gain an understanding of how scores are converted on the computer-adaptive sections of the GMAT. Also included is a summary of typical GMAT performance (average scores and score ranges of accepted students) at highly selective business schools in the United States, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton.
  • GMAT History
    Consult this page for an overview of the GMAT's history from its first administration in 1954 to the present. Students will learn about the circumstances surrounding the creation of the GMAT, the content of earlier versions of the test, major revisions from the 1950s through the most recent round of changes in 2023, and the consistency and security of the GMAT.
  • GMAT versus GRE
    Business school applicants can get a comparison of the GMAT and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) by reading this page, which will help you decide which test is right for you. Each test has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages with respect to content, degree of acceptance, and accessibility.
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