The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) announced two changes impacting test-takers starting in July 11, 2017. Most importantly, students may now select the order of the GMAT sections. In addition, the test center profile you see immediately after the exam has been removed.

In this article, I’ll go over how the option to select GMAT section order works and how you can use it your advantage.

Select Section Order and Removal of Test Center Profile

Beginning on July 11, 2017 students who take the GMAT are now able to choose the order in which they complete the four sections of the exam (the Analytical Writing Assessment, the verbal section, the quant section, and Integrated Reasoning).

The GMAT sections are now available in three different orders: the original GMAT section order and two new possible orders. Here are the three GMAT section orders you are able to choose from:

• Option 1: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal (original order)
• Option 2: Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
• Option 3: Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment

You’ll be presented with the three section order options immediately before you take the exam (after you’re given instructions on how to complete the GMAT and have been asked to provide the names of your prospective schools). You’ll then have two minutes to select the order you want.

You’re will also no longer be asked to complete a profile about your undergraduate academic history, personal demographics, etc., after you take the test. Instead, you will be able to fill out this information anytime before or after you take the GMAT at your profile on mba.com. GMAC made this change to give test-takers a more streamlined and convenient experience at the testing center.

How to Select Your GMAT Section Order

Now, you’re probably wondering what these changes mean for you. Let’s go over how you can choose the GMAT section order that works best for you and the other ways that this new flexibility will affect you on exam day.

Prospective business schools are not able to see what order you completed the GMAT sections in (the order you choose won’t be on your score report), and the order in which you take the sections will not affect how your exam is scored. So you don’t need to worry about selecting a certain section order to look more impressive.

Instead, you should select your GMAT section order based on your own strengths and weaknesses. This will look different for everyone. When you choose your GMAT section order, take your own testing patterns into account.

For example, a student with high testing anxiety who struggles with the quant section might choose Option #3 in order to get quant out of the way right away so they can focus fully on the subsequent sections.

Meanwhile, a student who’s comfortable and familiar with the verbal section might choose to complete that section first (Option #2) instead, using their easiest section as a warmup for later, more challenging sections.

A non-native English speaker who feels uncomfortable with writing at length might choose Option #1 in order to avoid burnout by the end of the exam, when they’ll have to complete a writing sample.

The bottom line is that you’ll have to pick what GMAT section order works best for you and your unique needs and skill set. There’s no “right” or “wrong” except what works or doesn’t work for you.

You should also definitely choose your section order before the day of the exam, so you can be well prepared for exactly what you’ll encounter when you take the GMAT. You should practice the order of GMAT sections you choose well in advance of exam day.

How Does This Affect Your GMAT Breaks?

Now that you’re able to select the order in which you complete the GMAT sections, your optional breaks are available at the following points during the exam.

Will GMAT Prep Materials Reflect This Change?

Official GMAT prep materials like the GMAT Prep Software and GMAT Exam Packs 1 and 2 have been updated to reflect the change in section order flexibility since July 31, 2017.

If you have already purchased or downloaded these products before July 31, 2017, you will be provided with a free software upgrade that will incorporate the changes into your existing downloads.

The Bottom Line: GMAT Select Section Order

Being able to select the order in which you complete the sections of the GMAT will allow for more flexibility and choice on your part. Try out different options, choose wisely, and good luck!

What’s Next?

Not sure if you’re ready for GMAT exam day? Check out our 18 expert tips to rock test day.

If you’re looking to retake the GMAT, our guide to rescheduling the exam will help.

For more information on the GMAT format, check out our guide to the four exam sections.

The post How to Select the Best GMAT Section Order for You appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) can be one of the most intimidating sections of the exam for test-takers. Many students feel unsure of what is expected of them on the GMAT essay or how it’s scored. But there’s nothing to fear as long as you prepare!

In this article, I’ll go over the basics of the GMAT essay, the structure of the prompt, and how the Analytical Writing Assessment is scored. I’ll also give you plenty of GMAT essay tips and strategies to help you ace the Analytical Writing on test day.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), frequently called the GMAT essay, consists of a single question. The AWA prompt will ask you to read a brief passage that presents an argument. In your essay, you will explain and critique the argument and the reasoning behind it. The GMAT AWA measures your ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written English, to think critically, and to analyze an argument.

The AWA is always the first section of the GMAT. It is the only section of the GMAT that is not multiple choice. You have 30 minutes to complete your writing sample, and there is no specific word count minimum or maximum.

The GMAT AWA Prompt

The basic structure of the GMAT essay prompt is the same on every test. You will always be given an argument and asked to analyze it. You won’t be asked to give your own opinion.

GMAT AWA prompts don’t require any business know-how or any outside knowledge of a specific topic. They cover subjects such as economics, politics, leadership, education, social issues, marketing, and the environment, among many others.

Here’s a sample AWA essay prompt:

Note that the directions and the two paragraphs after the quoted section will appear on every AWA prompt. They won’t change at all from test to test. The passage in quotes is the argument itself that you’re being asked to critique. Remember, you’ll never be asked for your personal opinion on the subject at hand, only your critique of the flaws in the argument being presented.

You can find a successful sample response here. Note that the author of the high-scoring sample response begins by paraphrasing the original argument and explaining its basic reasoning and conclusion. The author analyzes a different specific flaw in the argument in each body paragraph (four in total). He examines several false assumptions in the original argument that render it invalid. In the conclusion, the author restates the major flaws in the given argument. This writing sample is a great template for your own practice essays.

You can find a lengthy list of actual past GMAT essay prompts here. I highly recommend practicing with them! Analysis of an Argument prompts are very similar from test to test, so past prompts perfect for GMAT prep.

How Is the GMAT AWA Scored?

For the Analytical Writing Assessment, you’ll receive a score between 0 and 6, scored in half point intervals (so you could get a 5.5, for example, or a 5.0). You’ll be scored on your ability to express ideas effectively, to give examples to develop those ideas, to analyze the given argument accurately, and to demonstrate your grasp of written English.

Your final score is based on the average of two independent scores, one from a reader and one from an electronic scoring engine. The essay-scoring engine analyzes structural features (related to essay organization, such as having an intro, conclusion, and body paragraphs) and linguistic features (which may include the vocabulary, grammar, spelling, key words, and sentence structure used in the essay). The other reader is a trained expert GMAT essay scorer, usually a university faculty member. If there is a disparity of more than one point between the two scores, a third reader will score the essay as well.

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) defines a score of six as ‘outstanding,’ a score of five as ‘strong,’ a score of four as ‘adequate,’ a score of three as ‘limited,’ a score of two as ‘seriously flawed,’ and a score of one as ‘fundamentally deficient.’ A score of zero is ‘unscorable,’ which you’ll only get if you don’t write in English or write a clearly off-topic essay.

So what does it take to get a perfect score on the GMAT writing section? Here are the official GMAC scoring guidelines for an essay that should receive a perfect score of six:

As you can see, the four main aspects of your essay that will be evaluated by your reader are the quality of your analysis, the development of your ideas, the effectiveness of your support (i.e., the examples you give you back up your ideas), and your mastery of writing in English. An essay scoring 5.0 or 5.5 might clearly explain and analyze the argument at hand, for example, but demonstrate a less sophisticated ability to communicate that analysis, or one idea may not flow logically into the next.

The rest of the GMAT AWA scoring guidelines can be found here.

The business schools you select on exam day will receive your AWA writing sample itself as well as your AWA score, if they so choose. You can learn more about how business schools will use your AWA scores here.

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment Word Processor

On test day, you’ll use a basic word processor to write your essay. If you’re familiar with any standard text editor like Word or GoogleDocs, it should feel fairly comfortable to you.

You’ll see the prompt at the top of the screen as you write. You’ll be able to type with a standard keyboard, cut, paste, and undo your previous action. However, there are no keyboard shortcuts. (Control +X won’t allow you to cut text, for example.)

I recommend that you write as many practice AWA responses as you can using the actual GMAT word processor, available in the GMATPrep software or GMATWrite, both provided by GMAC. This will help you to prepare for the actual circumstances of exam day and to feel more confident with any AWA prompt you get. If you don’t want to use the official materials, at least try to type your practice essays rather than writing them out by hand in order to simulate test conditions as closely as possible.

How to Study for the Analytical Writing Assessment: 6 Strategies

• Study logical fallacies. Every argument in a GMAT essay prompt will have several flaws in its premise, or its underlying reasoning, which you’ll need to be able to diagnose in order to score well on the essay. These flaws in reasoning are known as logical fallacies. Familiarize yourself with the most common kinds of logical fallacies (here’s a great list), so you can identify and discuss them on test day. Common logical fallacies in GMAT AWA prompts include the straw man, the insufficient sample, ad hominem, non sequitur, and circular reasoning, but you’ll find many others.

• Practice writing timed AWA samples with real topics under simulated test conditions. Use the GMATPrep software or the official list of real former GMAT essay prompts to practice writing essays as a regular part of your exam prep. Try to simulate testing conditions as much as possible: take no more than 30 minutes, don’t use any outside sources, and use a basic text editor. If you want to go a step further and have your practice essays scored by expert readers, you can use GMAC’s official writing tool, GMATWrite.

• Learn the art of breaking down arguments. Your job in the GMAT writing section is to break down a given argument into its various parts. What is the foundational reasoning of the argument, and what’s the conclusion that the author reaches? Why is that reasoning flawed, and/or why doesn’t it logically lead to the author’s conclusion? What would need to change about the argument in order for it to be logically sound? You can practice doing this with any kind of argument. Read editorials, newspaper articles, and other forms of persuasive writing and try to analyze them. Find the holes in their logic, if you can. Here’s a good guide to the parts that make up an argument.

• Have someone proofread your practice essays. This tips is particularly if you are a non-native English speaker or have trouble with technical errors, since you want to spot these issues and resolve them. Don’t just learn from your corrections on a single practice essay. Instead, try to find patterns. Do you repeatedly spell a certain word incorrectly? Do you regularly have trouble with run-ons or fragments? Take note of these issues, brush up on any grammar concepts you need to, and make sure you routinely correct your mistakes as you write practice essays.

• Read sample essays by fellow GMAT test-takers. You can find and learn from plenty of high-scoring sample GMAT AWA responses at blogs like the GMAT Club.  Evaluate the essays honestly as you read. Why do you think they scored well? What is lacking in your own writing samples that these essays achieve? The more you understand about what readers look for when scoring your essay, the better you’ll be able to plan your approach to writing it.

• Create a template for how you plan to format your essay. The GMAT essay is not the time for creativity, especially since one of your graders is an automated essay-scoring engine. Choose a template and stick to it every time you practice, including the number of body paragraphs you want to use and how you want to structure your introduction and conclusion.

5 Top GMAT Essay Tips for Test Day

• Create an outline. You may feel like an outline is a waste since your time is so limited, but a brief outline will save you time and energy in the long run. Write your outline on either the provided GMAT scratch paper or in the AWA text editor itself (but make sure to erase when you’re done!). Take notes as you read the prompt on the logical fallacies you see in the argument. Next, choose the topics of your 2-4 body paragraphs and list them. Select a supporting example to back up your ideas in each body paragraph. This will be your blueprint for yourself as you write.

• Stay on topic. The AWA rubric requires you to stay on topic and respond to the specific question. This may seem obvious, but it can be easy to stray under time pressure. You can make it clear to your readers that you are staying on topic by directly quoting or using key words or phrases from the prompt.

• Use standard essay structure. Your GMAT essay should follow standard 4-5-paragraph essay structure: introduction, 2-4 body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each body paragraph should clearly address a specific (and different) aspect of the prompt. For example, you might address a different logical fallacy in each body paragraph. Also, every GMAT AWA response should contain an introduction, in which you should explain the main points of the argument at hand (without a too-extensive summary) and introduce the flaws you’ll be discussing in your critique, and a conclusion, in which you restate and paraphrase your main points, linking all your ideas together. Your introduction and conclusion should both be more concise than your body paragraphs, which should be more developed.

• Use transition words and phrases to give examples or to move on to a new concept. Each time you provide an example, shift between ideas or body paragraphs, or introduce an idea, it’s a good idea to use a transition word or phrase such as ‘for example,’ ‘similarly,’ ‘in the same vein,’ ‘in conclusion,’ or the like. Practice using them in your essay prep. Here is a good list of effective transition words and phrases.

• Leave time to proofread. Leave at least three minutes, but preferably five, to proofread your GMAT essay for technical errors in spelling, grammar, or structure before you submit your writing sample.

Review: Everything You Need to Know About the GMAT Essay

Let’s review the key points you need to know about the GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment.

• The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment requires you to write an essay, using a basic word processor, that critiques a provided argument. It is the first section of the GMAT and is to be completed in 30 minutes.

• The AWA is scored by two readers in half-intervals on a scale of 0-6. You’ll be scored on your analysis, the examples you use, the development of your ideas, and your ability to write cleanly and effectively in English.

• To prepare for the AWA, you should familiarize yourself with logical fallacies, practice writing timed AWA responses under simulated test conditions with real GMAT prompts, practice breaking down arguments in other forms of persuasive writing, have someone you trust proofread your work, read sample high-scoring essays, and create a template for how you plan to format your essay on exam day.

• In order to do your best on test day, try the following GMAT essay tips: create an outline before writing, stay on topic, use standard essay structure, use transition words and phrases in your essay, and leave time to proofread.

What’s Next?

To learn more about the format of all the GMAT sections, check out our complete guide to the GMAT format.

Want to understand all the ins and outs of how your test will be scored? Our expert explanation GMAT scoring is a great resource.

If you’re nervous about the AWA and Verbal sections of the GMAT, our articles on GMAT verbal question types and GMAT vocabulary will definitely help you prepare.

The post GMAT Essay: Format, Scoring, and Tips for the AWA appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

The GMAT quantitative section is probably the most notorious and daunting section of the exam. There are many myths surrounding the quant section of the GMAT, such as that it tests extremely advanced math concepts or that it’s impossible to achieve a perfect score. However, by building your understanding of the quant section through careful preparation, it’s more than possible to do well on this challenging part of the GMAT.

In this complete GMAT quantitative review, I’ll be giving you an in-depth look into the format of the section and what skills are tested on it. I’ll also take you through a detailed look at the two types of GMAT quant questions (data sufficiency and problem solving). Finally, I’ll give you tips that’ll help you achieve success in your test preparation and on test day.

GMAT Quantitative Overview

The GMAT quant section tests your ability to analyze data and draw conclusions using reasoning skills.  There are 31 multiple choice questions on this section that test your abilities in these areas, and you’ll have 62 minutes to complete the section. The quant section is the third section of the test, after the analytical writing assessment and integrated reasoning sections.

Like the two previous sections on the GMAT, you’ll take the quant section on a computer. However, unlike the integrated reasoning and analytical writing assessment, the quant section is adaptive. What that means is that the difficulty of the questions you get will be adjusted as you get questions right or wrong. If you’re struggling, you’ll receive easier questions. If you’re doing well, you’ll receive more difficult questions. Your score on the quant section is determined by three things: the number of questions you answer, the number of questions you answer correctly, and the difficulty of the questions you answer.

Quant scores technically range from 0 to 60, but the range in which people actually score is 6 to 51. Your quant score also contributes to your GMAT total score, which ranges from 200 to 800.

What’s Tested on the GMAT Quantitative Section?

The quant section tests your content and analytical knowledge of basic math concepts, such as arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Contrary to popular belief, the GMAT quant section doesn’t test on advanced math concepts. In fact, you only need to know high-school-level math for the GMAT quant section. You’ll see the following concepts on the test:

• algebraic equations and inequalities
• arithmetic
• decimals
• percentages
• ratios
• exponents and square roots
• geometry and coordinate geometry
• integers
• factors
• multiples
• number lines
• variable operations

Rather than testing your knowledge of complex mathematical concepts, the GMAT wants to see how you apply your knowledge of basic math concepts on two types of questions: data sufficiency and problem solving. While both question types will require you to do the same kinds of math, they’re testing very different skills. The problem solving questions test how well you can figure out the answers to different kinds of numerical problems, such as knowing how much commission to give on the sale of a good. The data sufficiency questions test your ability to determine whether information is adequate enough to solve problems. We’ll talk more about these two types of questions in the next section.

The 2 Types of GMAT Quant Questions

There are two types of GMAT quantitative questions: data sufficiency and problem solving. In this section, I’ll go into more detail about the format of each question type and give you an example problem and solution for each.

If you’d like to get more in-depth information about strategies for either of these sections, check out our detailed data sufficiency and problem solving guides (coming soon).

Data Sufficiency

Data sufficiency questions are multiple choice questions that come with two statements of data. Your job is to figure out whether or not the statements provide sufficient data to answer the question. Then, you’ll have to decide whether one or both statements, by themselves or together, give you enough information to answer the problem. You’ll have the same five answer choices for every data sufficiency question:

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
3. Both statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
4. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Let’s look at what a data sufficiency question looks like in practice.

Data Sufficiency Sample Question

Here’s an example of a data sufficiency sample question that’s retired from an actual GMAT.

First, let’s look at the features of this data sufficiency question. Notice how the question comes first (“Is the average (arithmetic mean) of x and y greater than 20?”). After that, the two statements are listed. Your job is to figure out whether each of those statements is enough to solve the question, either by themselves or together. Let’s look at the solution for that problem.

Data Sufficiency Sample Question Explanation

The first step for any question on the quant section is to understand what the question is asking you to find. This question is asking you to determine the mean of x and y. The mean (or average) can be expressed as the sum of both numbers divided by 2. So, you can express the mean of x and y in either of these equations:

(x + y)/2 > 20

x + y > 40

Now, you’ll want to turn your attention to each statement. Let’s look at statement 1 first. For this statement, you’ll need to express the statement as an equation and then simplify to solve for x + y. First, let’s figure out your equation. The statement says that the average of 2x and 2y is 48. That information yields this equation:

(2x + 2y)/2 = 48

Next, you can simplify to isolate x and y.

2x/2 + 2y/2 = 48

x + y = 48

Think back to the first inequalities. We said that we can express the mean of x and y as either (x + y)/2 > 20 or x + y > 40. In the math we just did for statement 1, we simplified the equation to show that x + y = 48. 48 is greater than 40, which satisfies the requirement that x + y > 40. That means that the information is sufficient.

Now, let’s look at our second statement. Whenever you’re solving a data sufficiency question, you want to first solve the statements by themselves before considering them together. We solved statement 1 by itself, now we’re solving statement 2 by itself.

Statement 2 says that x = 3y. That means that we can substitute for x in our original inequality.

x + y > 40

3y + y > 40

Remember, x = 3y. So, in my second equation I substituted in 3y for x. Now, I can combine like terms.

4y > 40

y > 10

So, solving this inequality shows us that y is greater than 10. But let’s think back to what the question is asking us. The question is asking us if x + y > 40. From solving this inequality, we don’t have enough information about y or about x to see if x + y > 40.

You can also solve statement 2 by substituting values for x and y that satisfy the condition x = 3y. For instance:

If y = 7 and x = 21 then (x + y)/2 = 14, which is NOT greater than 20.

If y = 40 and x = 120, then (x + y)/2 = 80, which IS greater than 20.

Because there’s the possibility to get an answer greater than OR less than 20 for statement 2, we’ll need more information to solve the problem.

The correct answer to this sample question is, then, is A: Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.

Problem Solving

Problem solving questions are multiple-choice questions that test high school math skills. These questions are much more traditional and straight-forward than data sufficiency questions. For these questions, you’ll need to use basic math concepts from topics like arithmetic, algebra, and geometry to solve math problems. Let’s take a look at a problem solving sample equation.

Problem Solving Sample Question

Here’s an example of a problem solving sample question that’s retired from an actual GMAT.

Notice how the problem solving sample question looks much more like a question that you would see in your math class or on another standardized test. All problem solving questions have five multiple choice answers.

Problem Solving Sample Question Explanation

The first step to solving this problem is to figure out what it’s asking you and what it requires that you know. You’re trying to figure out the total cost of food for 7 adults on a 5-day trip. In order to do that, you need to figure out the cost of food per day for each adult. You can find that by looking at the costs of the 3-day trip.

In order to determine the food costs per person per day, divide the total food cost ($60) by the total number of adults (4), and then divide that by the number of days (3). Your equation should be: (60/4)/3 = x, when x is the food cost per person per day.

(60/4)/3 = x

(15)/3 = x

5 = x

The food cost per person per day is $5. Let’s plug that into an equation to determine the cost of food on the 7-day trip: $5 (food cost per person per day) * 7 (number of adults) * 5 (number of days) = y (total cost of food on a 7-day trip)

5 * 7 * 5 = y

5 * 7 * 5 = 175

Total food cost per day on a 7-day trip is $175. So the correct answer is B.

10 Tips for Mastering the GMAT Quantitative Section

In this section, I’ll give you some tips that’ll help you as you practice and get ready to take the GMAT and some tips that’ll help you succeed on test day.

Overall GMAT Quant Study Tips

In your GMAT quantitative review, keep in mind these overall tips that’ll help you build your speed, accuracy, and confidence in solving data sufficiency and problem solving questions.

Master the Fundamentals

The GMAT quant section only tests high school math concepts. That means that you’ll have likely seen every skill you need to master the test. The key, then, lies in mastering these fundamentals. You won’t be able to use a calculator on the GMAT, so you’ll have to be fast with your basic calculations. Practice multiplying and dividing decimals and fractions. Memorize the exponent rules. Memorize common roots and higher powers. These simple tips will build your confidence and save you time on test day.

Use What You Know

GMAT quant questions are designed to look very complex and intimidating. However, no matter how difficult the question may look, remember that you’ll only need to use high school level math to answer it. Start small on these questions by using what you know. If you break the problem down into small steps, beginning with what you know, you’ll be able to work towards an answer.

Plug-in Smart Numbers

Plugging-in numbers is a useful strategy for solving questions. If a question gives you only variables and doesn’t ask you to solve for a number, you can pick values for the variables to make them easier to work with or to test statements.

However, you want to make sure you’re using smart numbers. -1, 1, and 2 are good numbers to plug in if you don’t have any confines, because they’re easy and manageable. If the question asks you to use a specific type of number (e.g., a multiple of 3), make sure you’re using one that’ll be easy to do basic calculations with (e.g., use 6 instead of 54).

Data Sufficiency Tips

The data sufficiency section is different than any other math test section you’ve seen before. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you’re preparing for and taking the GMAT.

Evaluate the Statements Individually First

Evaluating each statement individually will help you answer data sufficiency questions quickly and more easily. Evaluate statement 1 first, then evaluate statement 2 by itself. When you do evaluate statement 2, you’ll need to forget everything you did for statement 1. Pretend that they’re two different questions. Once you’ve determined whether each statement is sufficient on its own, you’ll be able to put them together. This strategy will also save you time. For instance, if neither statement is sufficient on its own, you’ll be able to eliminate answers A, B, and E. If both statements are sufficient on their own, you’ll be able to eliminate A, B, C, and E right away.

Memorize the Five Answer Choices

Every single data sufficiency questions has the same 5 possible answers:

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
3. Both statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
4. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

The 12TEN mnemonic can help you remember those answers and save you time:

• 1: only statement 1
• 2: only statement 2
• T: both statements together
• E: either statement
• N: neither statement

Know the Two Types of Questions

There are two basic kinds of data sufficiency questions: value questions and yes/no questions. By learning to identify which type a given question is, you can be sure you understand what it’s asking and how to answer it.

Value questions ask you to find a numerical value (e.g., what’s the value of 5x?). For value questions, if you’re able to find a specific value using the information in either statement, then that statement is sufficient.

Yes/no questions ask you whether or not something is true (e.g., is y an even number?). For yes/no questions, a definitive yes or a definitive no answer are both considered sufficient. An answer that is sometimes yes or sometimes no is not sufficient.

Remember: a definitive answer is always sufficient. An answer that may or may not be correct is not sufficient.

GMAT Quantitative Test Day Tips

Here are some tips that’ll help you ace the quant section on test day.

Spend time reviewing the information in graphs, charts, and tables

There will be a number of questions on the GMAT quant section that require you to interpret charts, graphs, and tables. Try to spend at least 30 seconds reviewing the information on these. It’s extremely important that you read the axis labels, the key, and the units of measurement so that you’re correctly interpreting the information contained in the graph, chart, or table and using the right information to make your calculations.

Read questions carefully

One of the most common mistakes you can make on the GMAT is to answer the wrong question. The people who write the GMAT will purposefully include questions that ask things like “Which of the following may not be true?” which can be commonly misread or misunderstood as “Which of the following may be true?” Make sure that you read every question carefully so you’re finding the correct answer to the correct question.

use your scrap paper

Even though the GMAT quant section test on high school math skills, use your scrap paper as much as possible. Writing down your calculations will help you see any mistakes and force you to make sure you’re thinking through every step of the question, especially since you can’t use a calculator on the GMAT quant section.

work backwards

If you’re not sure where to start on a question that asks you to solve for a specific value, remember that the test has already given you the right number — you just have to find it among the wrong ones. You can work backwards by plugging in the possible answers until you find one that works.

Moreover, the GMAT normally arranges answer choices in the ascending numerical value, so you can save time by starting with the middle answer. Then you can determine whether you need to go higher or lower with your answer and eliminate multiple incorrect answers at once.

GMAT Quantitative Review: What You Need to Know

The GMAT quant section can be daunting, but with careful preparation and attention-to-detail on test day, you’ll be able to master it. Spend time during your practice developing a deep familiarity with the two types of questions on the quant section (data sufficiency and problem solving) and mastering the basic math fundamentals tested on this section and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goal score.

What’s Next?

If you think you’ve gotten a good handle on the quant section, check out our guide on mastering the three questions of the GMAT verbal section.

Still confused by data sufficiency? Check out our in-depth guide to learn more about this unique test question type.

Find out more about what makes up your GMAT total score and how business schools weight it against your quant score.

The post GMAT Quantitative: 10 Tips to Master the Math Section appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

The GMAT verbal section presents a unique challenge. While many test-takers spend hours and hours mastering the strategies and formulas necessary to do well on the quant section, the verbal section can often seem more opaque and intimidating. In this guide, I’ll give you concrete, actionable strategies that you can use to demystify and master the GMAT verbal section.

First, I’ll talk about what’s on the GMAT verbal. Next, I’ll talk about the three question types on the GMAT verbal section, and give sample questions for each. Finally, I’ll give you some strategies for preparing for the GMAT verbal and for acing the verbal section on test day.

What’s on the GMAT Verbal Section?

The GMAT is designed to show your skills to prospective business schools. The verbal section is an important part of evaluating your capabilities as a candidate because it shows how well you’ll be able to understand and communicate ideas. The GMAT verbal section tests your ability to read and understand written material, to evaluate arguments, and to correct sentences so that they conform to standard written English.

The verbal section is the fourth section on the GMAT. You’ll take the verbal section right after your second 8-minute break. You have 65 minutes to complete the 36 multiple-choice GMAT verbal questions.

The GMAT verbal test is computerized and adaptive. What that means is that you’ll take the test on a computer (as you will with the rest of the GMAT) and that the difficulty of the questions you get will be adjusted as you get questions right or wrong. If you’re struggling, you’ll receive easier questions. If you’re doing well, you’ll receive more difficult questions. The questions you get right or wrong on the GMAT verbal section contribute to your GMAT total score.

Verbal scores range from 0 to 60. Your verbal score contributes to your GMAT total score, which ranges from 200 to 800, and is made up of your scaled verbal and scaled quantitative scores.

The 3 Types of GMAT Verbal Questions

The GMAT verbal section has three question types: reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction. I’ll explain what skills each question type tests and walk you through a sample question for each type.

Reading Comprehension

The reading comprehension questions test your ability to understand, analyze, and apply information and concepts presented in written form.

What does this mean? Basically, you’ll be reading passages and answering questions based on what’s directly stated or implied within the passage. These questions are designed to show business schools how well you are able to understand written material.

Sample Question

Directions: After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question. Answer the question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.

Transnational cooperation among corporations is experiencing a modest renaissance among United States firms, even though projects undertaken by two or more corporations under a collaborative agreement are less profitable than projects undertaken by a single corporation. The advantage of transnational cooperation is that such joint international projects may allow United States firms to win foreign contracts that they would not otherwise be able to win.

Which of the following is information provided by the passage?

1. Transnational cooperation involves projects too big for a single corporation to handle.
2. Transnational cooperation results in a pooling of resources leading to high-quality performance.
3. Transnational cooperation has in the past been both more common and less common than it is now among United States firms.
4. Joint projects between United States and foreign corporations are not profitable enough to be worth undertaking.
5. Joint projects between United States and foreign corporations benefit only those who commission the projects.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation

The question asks us to determine which information is provided in the passage. For this question, we’ll need to find textual evidence that supports our answer, because the question stipulates that the information is “provided in the passage.” For each of the answer choices, ask yourself whether or not you can find textual support.

Answer A is incorrect because the passage doesn’t directly discuss or imply anything about the size of the projects the companies are working on. Make sure that you only focus on answers that are supported by the text.

Answer B is incorrect because the passage directly states that the value of transnational cooperation is in winning foreign contracts. The passage doesn’t talk about any results regarding high-quality performance.

Answer D is incorrect because while the passage does state that transnational projects are less profitable than single projects, it doesn’t imply that they aren’t profitable.

Answer E is incorrect because the passage suggests that joint projects benefit the United States firms, since they are awarded new contracts (“may allow United States firms to win foreign contracts that they would not otherwise be able to win”).

Answer C is correct because the phrase “experiencing a modest renaissance” implies that the transnational projects are coming back into favor after being out of style for a while.

Critical Reasoning

Critical reasoning questions focus on arguments. Critical reasoning questions measure your skills in crafting and evaluating arguments, as well as making or evaluating a plan of action based on an argument. These questions are designed to show business schools how well you’re able to present and defend information.

Sample Question

Directions: Select the best of the answer choices given.

The interview is an essential part of a successful hiring program because, with it job applicants who have personalities that are unsuited to the requirements of the job will be eliminated from consideration.

This argument logically depends on which of the following assumptions?

1. A hiring program will be successful if it includes interviews.
2. The interview is a more important part of a successful hiring program than is the development of a job description.
3. Interviewers can accurately identify applicants whose personalities are unsuited to the requirements of the job.
4. The only purpose of an interview is to evaluate whether job applicants’ personalities are suited to the requirements of the job.
5. The fit of job applicants’ personalities to the requirements of the job was once the most important factor in making hiring decisions.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation

Start by considering the argument. The argument of this passage statements that the interview is an essential part of the hiring program. That means that we are looking for the answer that a.) focuses on the interview, and b.) focuses on what or how the interview is made successful.

Answer A is incorrect because the passage states that the interview is “an essential part” of a successful hiring program. The word “part” indicates that the hiring program is only one piece of a successful hiring program, which means that the hiring program must contain other pieces in order to be successful.

Answer B is incorrect because the passage doesn’t discuss developing a job description. In fact, the passage doesn’t even imply anything about a job description. You can rule out this answer because it talks about something that’s not part of the passage. Always stick to the information that’s actually contained or implied in the passage, rather than extrapolating.

Answer D is incorrect because, while the argument does state that the interview evaluates applicants’ personalities, it doesn’t suggest that that’s the only purpose of the interview. Note the word “only” in the answer choice. Be careful of categorical words like “only,” “all,” “always,” “never,” and “exclusively.”

Answer E is incorrect because the argument focuses on how to find people who don’t fit to the program, not how to find people who fit with the program. It doesn’t imply that an applicant’s personality is the most important part of the hiring process, either.

Answer C is correct because the argument focuses on eliminating candidates whose personalities are unsuited to the job. The ability to eliminate unsuited candidates assumes that interviewers are able to determine what makes a candidate’s personality suited or unsuited.

Sentence Correction

Finally, sentence correction questions test you on conventions of standard written English. In these questions, you’ll be asked to correct sentences that may contain grammar or word usage errors in order to show your ability to present a clear, concise, and grammatically correct argument.

Sample Question

Directions: This question presents a sentence, part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

1. significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of
2. significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
3. significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of
4. significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
5. significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

Correct Answer: B

Explanation

Answer A is incorrect because the phrase “are a cost to business” is in the passive voice. The conventions of standard written English consider the passive voice to be unclear and inexact.

Answer C is incorrect because the phrase “already with business costs of” is awkward and wordy. The GMAT prefers sentences to use clear, simple language that is logical and easy to understand.

Answer D is incorrect because the phrase “significant in compounding should modify effects of drug and alcohol abuse” is unclear and wordy. The use of the word “and” incorrectly suggests that the sentence is referring to the “drug and alcohol abuse,” instead of the “effects.”

Answer E is incorrect because the phrase “significant in compounding should modify effects of drug and alcohol abuse” is unclear and wordy. The use of the word “and” incorrectly suggests that the sentence is referring to the “drug and alcohol abuse,” instead of the “effects.”

Answer B is correct because the word “which” correctly correlates to the subject (“effects”) and the phrase “already cost business” simplifies and clarifies the language in the original sentence.

GMAT Verbal Tips

In this section, I’ll take you through some tried-and-true GMAT verbal tips for acing each question type.

Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension Strategies

The reading comprehension questions on the GMAT verbal section measure how well you understand a text. The critical reasoning questions measure how well you can analyze an argument. Though these GMAT verbal questions are fairly different form each other, I’ve grouped them together here because there are a lot of similarities in how you should approach them.

These questions might seem intimidating, but the GMAT verbal tips I’ve outlined below will help you read and understand more easily.

Ask Yourself Questions

Active reading is an important skill for achieving a good score on the GMAT verbal section. The passages on the GMAT aren’t designed to be particularly interesting. However, by continuously asking yourself questions, you can engage yourself in the passage and make sure you’re focusing on important ideas. Think about asking yourself the following questions:

• What’s the main focus of the passage? (What’s the passage mostly about?)

• What’s the purpose of this passage? (Why did the author write this passage? What’s the author trying to convince the reader of?)

• How is the passage organized? (Think about the introduction, body, and conclusion – what happens in each of those sections?)

• What evidence is used to support the main idea or argument in this passage? (Once you’ve figured out the main idea or main argument, think about what the author is saying to support those ideas).

Understand the Basic FormulaS

For both the critical reasoning and the reading comprehension, there are just a few basic question styles you’ll see again and again. Figuring out what kind of question you’re answering will help you determine what kind of answer to look for, because you’ll be able to hone in on the specific parts of the text that will help you find the answer.

There are three general types of reading comprehension questions:

• Questions about the main idea of the article, which require you to think about overall ideas.

• Questions about specific details, which ask you to find and paraphrase a specific claim.

• Questions about inferences, for which you’ll have to understand ideas not explicitly stated in the passage.

Similarly, there is a limited set of question styles you’ll see on the critical reasoning:

• Questions about strengthening or weakening the argument, which require you to determine the evidence that would bolster or undermine the passage’s main point.

• Questions about assumptions and paradoxes, which ask you to identify the ideas underlying the argument.

• Questions about inferences, which ask you draw logical conclusions from the argument.

Pick a Reading Strategy and Stick to It

It’s important to have a solid reading strategy when approaching the GMAT verbal. Reading on the GMAT is different from reading in your daily life. The texts on the GMAT verbal test are purposely dense and hard to read. It can be easy to get lost in these passages, or waste time focusing on insignificant details. Having a reading strategy will help you target your reading to find the most important information from the passage. You’ll also be able to better budget your time because you’ll have a specific way you’re approaching each text and question set. Having a reading strategy ensures that you’ll be able to immediately be able to dive in and dissect a passage, without wasting time trying to figure out your approach.

There are few different approaches to reading for the GMAT. Some ask you to read the passage in full first before turning to the GMAT verbal questions. Some ask you to read the questions first before searching for information in the passage. Some ask you to skim the passage first, then look at the questions, then go back to the passage. Each of these strategies has its own pros and cons. I’m not going to recommend a specific strategy here, because a lot of this recommendation depends on what you’re good at as a reader. During your practice, try out each of these strategies. Find the one that feels the best to you and yields the best results, and then stick to that. That way, you’ll get faster and better as you keep working.

Don’t Draw on Outside Knowledge

Everything you’ll need to know to answer the questions will be found in or directly inferred from the passage. You’re not required to know anything special, and you’ll find all the information you need to learn in the passage itself.

If the passage’s topic seems confusing or obscure, don’t worry! That’s the point. Even if you do know something about the topic, resist the temptation to rely on that knowledge to answer the question. Stick to what’s in the passage and you’ll have all the information you need.

Focus on the Argument

Critical Reasoning passages are all about the argument. The GMAT critical reasoning section tests your ability to analyze an argument. The arguments cover the types of topics that you’ll be likely to see during and after business school. You’ll be expected to be able to analyze the validity of the argument, even if you’re not at all familiar with the overall topic.

While you may be worried that you lack the background information to understand an argument, the GMAT doesn’t require you to have any prior knowledge. You’ll be able to learn everything you need to adequately answer critical reasoning questions by reading each passage. To make sure that you’re drawing the right conclusions, keep your focus on the argument itself, without getting distracted by extraneous information. What is the main argument of the passage? What details support or weaken the main argument? By finding the main argument of the passage, you’ll be able to clearly work through the details in the passage and decide whether or not each detail supports or detracts from the argument.

Sentence Correction Strategies

The sentence correction questions on the GMAT can be tricky, especially for non-native English speakers or those who don’t have a strong command of standard English grammar conventions. Check out my tips below to help you succeed in your prep.

Review Grammar Topics

The grammar tested on the GMAT is very different than grammar you use in everyday life. For instance, many people use the word “this” in everyday life to refer to a nebulous idea. For the GMAT, the word “this” needs to clearly refer to a noun in the text.

Most people don’t talk with the kind of formality tested on the GMAT, so review the rules tested on the exam to make sure you know what to look for.

Look for Multiple Grammatical Errors

On sentence completions questions, many answer choices have more than one grammatical error. Before you mark an answer as correct, make sure every part of the answer is actually correct.

Don’t “Rely on Your Ear”

Like I mentioned before, the GMAT follows esoteric grammar rules that we rarely use in day-to-day speaking. Don’t go on what “sounds right” for grammar questions (with the exception of idiom questions). Make sure you’re figuring out what actually follows the grammatical rules, not what you’d say when talking to your friends.

Overall GMAT Verbal Tips for Test Day

Even the most prepared test-takers can feel some anxiety on test day. Here are some GMAT verbal tips that you can use across the GMAT verbal test to help you succeed.

Find The Evidence

For the reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions, make sure you can find the evidence to back up your answer. You should be able to point to a direct part of the passage that explains why your answer is right. Even in the case of inferences, you’ll be able to find parts of the text that imply why your answer is correct. If you can’t find any evidence, then your answer is likely wrong.

Break Down the Questions

The questions on the GMAT verbal section follow specific question patterns, meaning that they often ask about the same kinds of things.

For instance, many critical reasoning questions ask you to “find an assumption” made in the text. To answer these questions, you’ll need to determine what assumptions strengthen the passage’s main argument. You’ll also be asked to find answers that either strengthen or weaken an article’s conclusion. For these questions, you want to make sure you know the article’s main argument so that you can figure out what will best support it or detract from it.

On the other hand, many reading comprehension questions may ask you to decide what an author would agree with. For these questions, you’ll want to find evidence in the text that supports a potential perspective. By spending some time figuring out what the question is actually asking you, you’ll know what to look for in the passage.

REPHRASE INTO YOUR OWN WORDS

The GMAT verbal uses long-winded phrases and esoteric language to try to intimidate test-takers. You’ll be asked to read passages about boring topics that you know and care little about. The GMAT verbal section purposely uses complex language and potentially dull topics to try to confuse you as a reader. One of the ways that you can combat the difficulty of the passages is by rephrasing into your own words. Find the parts that you understand and translate it into clear phrases that make sense to you.

Save Energy (and Take the Breaks)

The verbal section is the last section of the GMAT, and it’s a doozy, with the most questions of any section. It also requires a lot of reading. You’ll need to conserve some energy through the first three sections to ensure you aren’t totally burnt out when you get to the verbal.

Make the most of the eight-minute break you’ll get before this section. It’ll refresh you and help you get back in the swing of things after you’ve finished the quant section.

What’s Next?

Looking for GMAT quant tips? Check out our guide to the GMAT quant section.

Wondering what makes up your GMAT total score? Learn all about it in our comprehensive guide.

Find the best online practice materials using our guide to the best GMAT online practice materials.

The post GMAT Verbal: How to Master the 3 Question Types appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

To truly understand the GMAT, you need to break it into pieces. There are four sections in the exam, each with its own challenges and demands.

There are some shared themes throughout the GMAT sections, but each stands on its own and requires unique preparation. This guide will go over the four GMAT sections in full so you know exactly what to expect from each one and how to get ready for exam day.

To start, let’s go over a general overview of the four GMAT test sections.

What Are the 4 GMAT Sections?

The four sections of the GMAT are Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative, and Verbal, always in that order. The AWA and Integrated Reasoning sections are 30 minutes each, and the Quantitative and Verbal sections are 75 minutes.

Altogether, the four GMAT sections take three and a half hours to work through. This chart shows the length of time, number of questions, and average time per question in the four sections of the GMAT.

The AWA section asks you to write an essay in response to a prompt, but the remaining GMAT sections are multiple choice. The Quantitative and Verbal sections are unique because they are both adaptive.

On an adaptive section, questions are selected as you go to match your ability level. If you’re getting questions wrong, then the subsequent ones should be a little easier. If you’re acing everything, then the questions should get progressively more difficult.

This adaptive format means that no two versions of the GMAT are exactly the same. It also means that it’s important to answer all of the questions in each section so that the scoring algorithm can get the most accurate measure of your skills.

The GMAT sections are unique, but they all draw on your critical reasoning and problem solving skills. As the GMAT is a test for business school, the exam often asks you to examine evidence, draw conclusions, and evaluate solutions. All in all, the GMAT tests the writing, math, verbal, and data interpretation skills you need to succeed in business school.

Now that you have a general sense of the GMAT test sections, let’s take a closer look at each one, starting with AWA.

GMAT Section #1: Analytical Writing Assessment

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section asks you to write an essay in response to a short prompt. You’ll get an excerpt featuring an argument and then be asked to evaluate the strength of that argument.

You will be given a set of instructions, followed by the short argument you need to assess. Your instructions will always say this:

You’ll also be reminded that your job is to evaluate the argument, not to present your own opinion on the topic.

Helpfully, GMAC published a comprehensive list of most of the AWA prompts it’s ever used. Below is one example, but you can practice writing essays from this full list of GMAT AWA prompts.

Your essay will be graded between 0 and 6 in half-point intervals, and you’ll get the score on your official GMAT score report about 20 days after you take the test. Your essay will be graded by one person and one machine. A third grader may offer input if the two scores differ by more than a point.

You can check out the rubric that graders use to score the essays. An essay with a top score of 6 “clearly identifies and insightfully analyzes important features of the argument” and “effectively supports the main points of the critique,” along with other requirements.

Beyond familiarizing yourself with the AWA rubric, what can you do to get ready for the AWA section of the GMAT?

Tips for the AWA Section

How can you write an essay that will earn you a high AWA score? There are several challenges in this GMAT section, not the least of which is time. Since you only have 30 minutes, you should be strategic about how you divide up your time.

You might spend three to five minutes at the beginning familiarizing yourself with the prompt and writing a quick outline of your essay. Then, you should spend the majority of your time, perhaps 20 to 24 minutes drafting and leave three to five minutes at the end to proofread and revise.

Structure is very important for the AWA essay. You don’t want to go off on a rambling narrative, but instead should stick to a four to five paragraph essay with a clear introduction, two to three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Since the arguments are brief, most will have some assumptions and blind spots. It’s your job to pick out the two to three major flaws and describe them with specificity. You should also bring in effective supporting examples that support your analysis. As mentioned in the prompt, these may be counterexamples that would weaken the argument in the excerpt.

As you strengthen your AWA essay writing skills, you should read highly scored sample essays and familiarize yourself with the AWA rubric. Write timed practice essays from real AWA sample prompts and grade them yourself or with a friend. Above all, aim to write an essay with a clear structure and specific examples.

GMAT Section #2: Integrated Reasoning

Integrated Reasoning is the newest of the GMAT sections. It was introduced in 2012 to bring skills of data interpretation and evaluation into the GMAT.

This 30-minute section asks 12 questions, each of which integrates your verbal, math, and reasoning skills. The questions are multi-part, so in reality, you have quite a few more than 12 questions to answer in Integrated Reasoning.

There are four main question types in Integrated Reasoning. They are graphics interpretation, multi-source reasoning, two-part analysis, and table analysis questions.

Graphics interpretation questions feature a graph, chart, or other kind of graphic. Below the graphic, you’ll have two fill-in-the-blank statements. To choose your answer, you’ll use a drop down menu, as in the sample question below.

This sample question includes a rather unusual graphic. Other graphics interpretation questions might feature more typical graphics, like bar graphs, scatter plots, or pie charts.

Multi-source reasoning questions present three tabs of information, and you’ll need to click through each one to get the full picture. These tend to the be the most time-consuming question types, as they have several questions that accompany the same information.

This sample question shows a multi-source reasoning question and one of three accompanying questions. On the real test, you’ll be able to toggle between the three tabs.

Two-part analysis questions contain two columns, and you’ll choose one answer for each. The questions may be entirely math, entirely verbal, or a mix of both.

Finally, table analysis questions present a table of information that you must manipulate to find the answers to a series of questions. You can sort the table by column to answer the accompanying questions. When you sort a column, it will rearrange itself in alphabetical or numerical (low to high) order.

The question will include three statements, and each statement will appear next to a dichotomous answer choice, like true/false or yes/no. To find your answer, you’ll need to consider each statement in relation to the information in the table.

This sample question asks you to select “Yes” if the statement can be proved true with the information in the table. If it can’t, then you would select “No.

Throughout the Integrated Reasoning section, you’ll get information in a variety of formats, like passages, tables, charts, graphs, or other unusual graphics. Your job is to interpret the data, draw conclusions, and evaluate statements.

Beyond familiarizing yourself with the four question types in Integrated Reasoning, what else can you do to get ready for this challenging section?

Tips for the Integrated Reasoning Section

One of the biggest challenges of the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section is figuring out what a question is asking you. You should practice answering all four IR question types. The problems are not very intuitive, so having seen and solved these question types before will automatically help.

In most cases, you should read the question before spending much time looking at the graphs or passages. You might glance over a graph or passage to get your bearings, but then you should read the question to figure out what you’re looking for. Once you understand your assignment, then you can look more closely at the data to locate your answer.

The reason it usually helps to read a question first is because each graphic, table, or passage will have a lot of extraneous information. You don’t need to know everything about each information source. Instead, you need to sift through the data to find specific information.

As mentioned above, tables will have sorting functionality, so you can rearrange columns to help you answer a question. You could arrange a column in alphabetical or numerical order. If a question is asking you to compare a car with a high speed versus a car with a low speed, to give one example, then you could sort the chart by speed from lowest to highest. That way, you can make sure you’re looking just at the cars with the highest and lowest speeds.

As you look at the data, make sure to pay close attention to units. A graphic may show speed in hours while a question asks about speed in minutes, to give one example.

Not only do you need to be comfortable reading various types of graphs and charts, but you also need to be comfortable using the on-screen calculator.

Finally, keep in mind that the Integrated Reasoning section calls for an integration of your math and verbal skills. In addition to data interpretation, you’ll need the same reading comprehension and fundamental math skills in this section that you will in Verbal and Quantitative.

You’ll need to work efficiently, know when to guess and move on, and divide your time in a way that will allow you to answer all of the questions before the timer runs out.

GMAT Section #3: Quantitative

The Quantitative section is all about math. It’s your first adaptive section on the GMAT, and it asks 31 math questions in 62 minutes. There are two question types in the GMAT Quantitative section, problem solving and data sufficiency.

Problem solving questions are typical multiple choice math questions that you must solve for one correct answer. Here’s one example of a problem solving question involving algebra.

Data sufficiency questions are more unusual. They present a problem followed by two pieces of information. Then you need to decide whether the first statement, the second statement, both together, or neither give you enough information to solve the original problem.

Here’s an example of a data sufficiency problem involving geometry. All data sufficiency problems will have these same five answer choices.

Quantitative questions are challenging, but you might be relieved to hear that they don’t test especially advanced math. The main concepts tested are arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, plus you’ll get word problems that will call on one or more of these skill areas.

You won’t have to do particularly advanced calculations either, as you can’t use a calculator in this section. On average, you have about two minutes per question.

You’ll have to work quickly and efficiently to do well in the GMAT Quantitative section. What else can you do to meet your goals?

Tips for the GMAT Quantitative Section

To prepare for the GMAT Quantitative section, you should review fundamental math concepts in arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, as well as practice answering word problems. Once you’ve reviewed concepts, you should drill these skills by answering lots of practice questions and taking timed practice tests.

Timed practice tests will help you develop a test-taking rhythm, so you can get to all of the questions in time. You’ll also know when you’re wasting too much time on a question and would be better off guessing and moving on.

Beyond answering lots of practice questions, you should also memorize the answer choices for data sufficiency questions. These will always be the same, and you don’t want to waste time figuring out what they’re asking on test day.

You don’t have to write out a full solution to data sufficiency questions. Instead, you should do just enough to know whether you have enough information to solve a problem.

You won’t get a calculator here, but you can use provided note boards and markers. Take advantage of these materials to write out your work. Writing out problems will help you keep your thinking straight, plus there’s enough arithmetic in this section that mental math will only take you so far.

GMAT Section #4: Verbal

Like the Quantitative section, the Verbal section of the GMAT is adaptive. The difficulty levels of the questions fluctuate as you go along to match your ability level. The Verbal section tests your reading, reasoning, and grammar skills with 36 multiple-choice questions.

The GMAT Verbal section has three question types: reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence corrections.

Reading comprehension questions are probably the most time-consuming, because you’ll have a passage to read along with three to five accompanying questions.The questions might ask about main point, specific details, tone, purpose, organization of ideas, or other features of the passage.

Here’s one example of a passage and two of its five accompanying reading comprehension questions.

The second question type, critical reasoning, is reminiscent of the essay prompt in the AWA section. It gives you a few factual statements or a short excerpt of an argument, followed by a multiple choice question. This question type asks you to consider evidence, draw a conclusion, or evaluate the statements in some way.

Here’s one example of a critical reasoning question in the GMAT Verbal section.

Finally, sentence corrections mainly ask about grammar. You’ll get a (typically wordy) sentence with a word or phrase underlined. If the underlined portion has a grammatical error, you’ll choose an answer that shows what it should say instead.

If the underlined portion is correct, then you’ll go with the first answer choice, which will always look identical to the underlined portion.

As you can see, the Verbal section tests your reading comprehension and grammar skills. What can you do to set yourself up for success in this GMAT section?

Tips for the GMAT Verbal Section

To prepare for Verbal, you should approach each question type separately.

For reading comprehension questions, you need to sharpen your speed reading skills. Rather than wasting time reading each and every word of a passage, skim the paragraphs with an eye on structure, tone, point of view, and purpose.

Critical reasoning questions require the same critical eye as the AWA prompt. You’ll want to practice evaluating and analyzing arguments with an eye on assumptions, flaws, and unfounded claims.

Finally, you should study rules of grammar to get ready for sentence corrections. You might get tested on parallel structure, subject-verb agreement, or other common rules.

The sentences in these questions are often extremely wordy, so it can help to break them up into their component clauses and mentally cross out the superfluous ones. On a sentence with a subject-verb agreement error, for instance, there may be a long clause between the subject and the verb to distract you. Try blocking out the extra clause so you can focus on the important parts of the sentence.

Now that you have a sense of all four sections of the GMAT and how to approach them, let’s consider how they function during the admissions process. Do admissions officers look at all four section scores equally, or do they care about some GMAT sections more than others?

How Important Are GMAT Section Scores in Business School Admissions?

While GMAT section scores are used in business school admissions, they actually take a backseat to the GMAT total score. As mentioned above, the total score is based on Quantitative and Verbal scores, and it ranges from 200 to 800. When applying to business school, your GMAT total score is the most important value on your score report.

While admissions officers remain relatively close-lipped about how they evaluate applications, it seems that they use the total score in their initial review of an application. If the score is up to scratch, then they move on to review section scores as a secondary factor.

Since the total score is based on Quantitative and Verbal scores, this means that the Quantitative and Verbal sections are more important in business school admissions than AWA or Integrated Reasoning.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore these other two sections, as an extremely low score could stand out as a red flag. However, they’re not your top priority when studying for the GMAT.

The one exception is for non-native English speakers taking the GMAT. The AWA score becomes more important when admissions officers are assessing your English level, particularly in writing. If an applicant sends a strong essay but a low AWA score, then this discrepancy could cause concern.

It’s also useful to note that Integrated Reasoning is new, but it’s been growing in importance from year to year. In 2012, only 22% of business schools said it was important, as opposed to 59% in 2015 according to a Kaplan survey. As time goes on, the IR score will likely continue to take on weight in the admissions process.

Essentially, your GMAT total score is more important than your individual section scores, and your Quantitative and Verbal scores are given more weight than AWA or IR scores. As for these two major sections of the GMAT, is one more important than the other?

Quantitative Vs. Verbal GMAT Scores: Which One’s More Important?

When it comes to Quantitative and Verbal scores, is one more important than the other? Some admissions officers suggest that section scores take on more weight depending on your educational background.

If you majored in the humanities, then officers may pay more attention to your Quantitative score to make sure you have the math chops to do well in business school. If you were a math major, then they may look at Verbal scores to ensure your reading comprehension skills are up to scratch.

Because of the math-heavy curriculum at many business schools, some officers have suggested that the Quantitative score is the more important section score.

In a Poets and Quants interview, Dee Leopold, the former managing director of admissions and financial aid at Harvard Business School, said, “people have to be able to do the analytics. Not everyone has to be an Excel monkey and build models, but you do have to be numerate and not phobic about numbers. When you don’t see evidence to do the guts of the work here, you realize you are putting this person at risk unnecessarily.”

The Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley similarly emphasizes the importance of math skills in its admission requirements, stating that, “the Admissions Committee looks carefully at quantitative proficiency when making its admissions decisions.”

Both Quantitative and Verbal scores are important, but some schools emphasize that they need to see evidence of proficiency in math to make sure that prospective students can handle a math-heavy business school curriculum.

This shouldn’t affect your test prep a great deal, as you should spend time getting ready for both the Quant and Verbal GMAT sections. However, it does mean that a high Verbal score may not be enough to balance out a low Quantitative score.

If you’re uneasy about your Quantitative performance, then it may be worth retaking the GMAT so you can send off an application that shows evidence of your proficiency in math. In closing, let’s go over some final thoughts about the GMAT sections and how to prepare for each of them.

GMAT Sections: Final Thoughts

There are four distinct GMAT test sections, each with its own demands and idiosyncrasies. What the sections have in common is an emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking.

Whether you’re writing an essay, interpreting a graph, solving a math problem, or reading a passage, you’ll need to keep a critical eye, evaluate information in front of you, and sift through a large amount of data to identify what’s most important and discard what’s not.

While each section calls for specific preparation, any studying you do will likely help you across the entire test. By developing your critical thinking skills and efficiency as a test-taker, you’ll be better prepared to tackle the challenging GMAT sections and to focus throughout a long, demanding test.

While you should study for all four sections, you should prioritize the Quantitative and Verbal sections, as they are most important in the business school admissions process. By achieving your target scores in these sections, along with solid AWA and IR section scores, you can show the admissions committee your commitment to joining the business school community.

What’s Next?

The GMAT is a tough test, but it’s definitely possible to achieve your target scores. Check out this guide to learn just how difficult the GMAT is and how to tackle the challenge.

Have you come up with your GMAT study plan? This guide gives you 23 essential tips for designing a customized GMAT study plan that will help you achieve your goals. (coming soon)

Taking GMAT practice tests is an essential part of any study plan. Check out this full list of free practice tests you can take online!

The post The 4 GMAT Sections: What to Expect on the Test appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Do you want to know what’s on the GMAT? Do you have a general idea of the sections, but want to get a better idea of what to expect on test day? Are you confused about this whole ‘adaptive testing’ thing?

In this article, I’ll go over the GMAT structure and timing, the fundamentals of CAT (computerized adaptive testing),  and a breakdown of the question types in each section of the test. Finally, I’ll discuss what the GMAT format means for you and offer tips on how to prepare for exam day.

Article Roadmap

• What is On the GMAT?: The Basics
• The GMAT is a Computerized Adaptive Test
• Breaking it Down: GMAT Sections and Question Types
  • Analytical Writing Assessment
  • Integrated Reasoning
  • Quantitative Section
  • Verbal Section
• Tips: How to Make the GMAT Format Work for You
• Review: GMAT Format

What Is on the GMAT? The Basics

The GMAT has four timed sections, with two optional eight-minute breaks. Here’s a breakdown of the sections.

As you can see from the chart, the actual GMAT is just over three hours long. With breaks and sign-in time, ‘exam day’ usually takes about 3.5 to 4 hours.

As of July 2017, you can choose the order in which you complete the GMAT sections. Find out more about this change to the GMAT here.

What Is a Computerized Adaptive Test?

The GMAT is a CAT (Computerized Adaptive Test). This means that all parts of the GMAT are computerized, including the writing assessment. However, you only need basic computer know-how to take the GMAT. The exam is not technologically complicated.

You don’t need to learn any new skills if you can use a basic word processor/text editor (for the writing assessment), a standard calculator, and basic computer software. Essentially, you only need to know how to point, click, type, cut, and paste to successfully take the GMAT.

Note that there is no paper version of the GMAT. The GMAT is only delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers in a computerized adaptive format.

Computerized GMAT Exam Format: What to Expect

As I noted above, the computerized GMAT format is pretty straightforward overall: you type up your essay and then use drop down menus and simple multiple choice forms to select your answers for the other sections. Nonetheless, there are a couple of unique features and quirks you should be aware of.

A timer at the top righthand corner of your screen will keep track of how much time you have left in each section. You won’t get any other notifications about the time as you go along.

You will need to confirm each of your answers before you move on to the next question. When you’re satisfied with an answer, you’ll click ‘Next’ at the bottom righthand corner of your screen. A screen popup will ask if you are OK with your answer; you’ll click ‘yes’ or ‘no’ before moving on. This can throw some test-takers off at first, so it’s a good idea to practice with computer simulated tests to get the hang of it.

You can’t go back to previous questions once you’ve answered them. Even within the same section, you cannot go back to a previous question once you’ve confirmed your answer. This means you’ll have to be especially aware of the time as you complete each question.

Adaptive Testing: The Fundamentals

Adaptive testing is one of the major points of confusion for the average GMAT test-taker, but it’s not as complicated as it sounds. In a nutshell, ‘adaptive testing’ means that each test is individualized based on an algorithm that calculates a student’s ‘level’ as they answer questions of varying difficulty.

The GMAT begins each section by ‘assuming’ that the student is of average skill level and able to answer questions of medium difficulty. If the student answers most easy and medium questions correctly, the test adjusts to offer more difficult questions to place the student in his/her appropriate score range. If the student answers medium-level questions incorrectly, the test will adjust to offer the student easier questions.

This algorithm ultimately determines the student’s GMAT score for all the multiple-choice sections (Integrated Reasoning, Verbal, and Quantitative). The Analytical Writing Assessment is scored by live graders after the day of the test, so it’s not adaptive.

It is nearly impossible to determine how you’re doing as you go along and strategize accordingly, so it’s better not to try. It’s much harder than you might think to guess the difficulty of any given test question, especially under exam pressure and a time crunch. Even if you could tell whether a question is hard or easy, that knowledge is unlikely to make much difference in your ability to answer the question correctly.

The bottom line: It’s good to understand the basics of adaptive testing so you know the fundamentals of how your scores are calculated, but don’t obsess over it. It’s better to prepare well and do your best on every single question, no matter how easy or difficult it seems.

Breaking Down the GMAT Format: Sections and Question Types

Now let’s get into the details about each section and the question types in each one. Remember that there are four GMAT sections: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal.

Analytical Writing Assessment

You’ll receive one essay prompt in the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) and will have thirty minutes to complete it. The prompt will present an argument and ask you to critique it. This section assesses your critical reasoning and writing skills and your ability to communicate effectively in the English language.

Analysis of Argument Prompt

Each AWA prompt will begin with an argument, as in this example from a previous GMAT:

Arguments will be related to advertising, marketing, management, and other areas that are relevant to a business student, but no prior knowledge of the topic is necessary to succeed on the essay. You won’t be asked to provide your own opinion, but to critique the underlying assumptions and the evidence presented by the argument in the prompt.

After the argument, you’ll see this prompt, asking you to critically analyze the argument you’ve been provided:

Tips for Succeeding on the Analytical Writing Assessment

1. Below the prompt will be a basic text editor that allows you to type, cut, and paste. You will write and submit your essay here.
2. You can and should use your erasable notepad (provided by the testing center) to write an outline of your critique as you read the prompt and before you start writing. Don’t include notes or outlines in the provided text editor; they will be read as part of your essay.
3. You can’t indent paragraphs using the text editor, but you can hit ‘enter’ between paragraphs to separate them. This will help you organize your ideas.
4. When you’re finished, click ‘Finish’ and you’ll be asked to confirm your answer. If you click ‘Yes,’ you’ll move on to the Integrated Reasoning section without a break.
5. You can find more sample AWA prompts here to help you prepare here.

Integrated Reasoning

Integrated Reasoning (IR) is the second section of the GMAT. You will have 30 minutes to complete 12 questions. This section tests your ability to integrate and analyze data from various sources and to make sound inferences and come to logical conclusions based on that data. There are four question types in the IR section, and they may appear in any order.

Multi-Source Reasoning

In Multi-Source Reasoning questions, you will be asked questions about a set of information organized by tabs. Here’s an example:

Information may include historical background, statistics, or charts. Note that in this example, you could find out more about ‘Techniques,’ ‘Artifacts,’ or ‘Budget.’ Clicking each tab will display a different set of information.

For these question types, remember that you will be asked more than one question about the same set of data.

In Multi-Source Reasoning, you are being tested not only on your ability to integrate different kinds of information, but also to discern which information is relevant to a given question. Choose wisely. Not all the tabs will be important for every question, and some questions will require you to refer to multiple tabs to synthesize information from different sources.

Graphics Interpretation

Graphics Interpretation questions will require you to answer questions about a table, graph, or chart, like this one:

In these questions, you’ll see incomplete statements about the information presented in the graphic. You will use a drop down menu like the one above to make the statements complete and accurate. Choose an answer from each drop down menu. There is no partial credit if you choose only one of the drop-down items correctly.

Two-Part Analysis

Two-Part Analysis questions will ask you to read a passage and solve a two-part ‘word problem’ using two multiple-choice columns:

Here, you would choose one option from the ‘Must not happen in the location’ column and one option from the ‘Must happen in the location’ column.

Read two-part analysis questions carefully; while they may appear simpler than the other question types, they often require you to make inferences based on subtle details in the passage.

Choose only one answer in each column. You cannot choose the same answer for each column. Both must be correct to receive credit.

Table Analysis

In Table Analysis questions, you’ll be asked questions based on tables with a variety of data, like this one:

Each Table Analysis question will ask you if certain statements are True/False or Inferrable/Not Inferrable based on the information available in the table. Choose one answer for each statement.

All of your answers must be correct to get credit for a Table Analysis question. As in the rest of the IR section, there is no partial credit.

Take advantage of the ‘Sort By’ button. This button allows you to organize the table horizontally or vertically based on whatever piece of information you want to highlight. This is a great tool to give you a quick visual shorthand and will help you zero in on the relevant information for the question at hand.

On-Screen Calculator

An onscreen calculator with basic functions is provided for you in the IR section. You can access it by clicking “Calculator” on the upper lefthand corner of your screen.

The calculator will then appear in the center of your screen:

Besides standard arithmetic and square root operations, the IR calculator also includes four memory buttons on the lefthand side:

1. MC, Memory Clear, which clears and resets the memory.
2. MR, Memory Recall, which ‘remembers’ and displays whatever is in recent memory.
3. M+, Memory Addition, which adds the current entry to the current stored memory.
4. MS, Memory Store, which stores in the current memory whatever is displayed on the screen.

The top row has three buttons: Backspace, CE (Clear Entry), and C (Clear All).

The IR calculator doesn’t follow order of operations.

Tips for Succeeding on the Integrated Reasoning Section

1. You must answer all parts of IR questions correctly to get credit for them. This can’t be reiterated enough. There is no partial credit for any IR question. If there’s a three-part question and you only get one part incorrect, the question as a whole is marked ‘wrong.’ So, if you’re trying to hurry, don’t guess on the last part of a question just to move on.
2. Don’t be tempted to use the calculator too often. It may save you time for basic calculations, but you really don’t need to use it for most of the IR section. Integrated Reasoning doesn’t test your math skills; it tests your ability to make sound decisions and think logically, and you have to do so in quite a time crunch. Don’t let the calculator distract you.

Quantitative Section

The Quantitative (Quant) section of the GMAT test format is 62 minutes long and consists of 31 questions. This section tests your ability to use basic math and quantitative reasoning skills to draw conclusions from given data. There are two question types in the Quant section: Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving.

Data Sufficiency

Like the other sections of the GMAT, the Quant section contains a strong logic component. In that vein, Data Sufficiency questions ask you to consider an initial question and two statements, labeled (1) and (2), and decide whether the statements are sufficient to answer the question asked. Take a look at this example:

Note that the five choices listed under the question and two statements in this example will be the same for every Data Sufficiency question, so they’re easy to spot.

You should memorize the five Data Sufficiency answer choices before you take the GMAT. This will save you a great deal of time so you only have to consider the given question and two statements, instead of wrestling with the answer choices on top of those, too.

In this context, ‘sufficient’ means ‘I could answer this question fully with ONLY the information in this statement or these statements.’ That means, for example, that the first two choices ask you if, given each statement separately, you could answer the question correctly.

Problem Solving

Problem Solving questions will ask you to choose one multiple choice answer to complete an equation or solve a word problem. Here’s an example:

Problem Solving questions draw from basic knowledge (such as the number of days in a month) and common secondary-level education math skills. In contrast to Data Sufficiency questions, Problem Solving questions are similar to the kinds of questions you might see in the Quantitative section of the GRE, SAT, or ACT.

Tips for Succeeding on the Quantitative Section

1. There is no calculator on the Quantitative section. Only the Integrated Reasoning section allows you access to a standard calculator. You can use your erasable notepad to do calculations, but if you review number properties in your preparation for the GMAT, you shouldn’t need to use it much.
2. You have about two minutes for each question in the Quant section. Keep track of the time as you go along, and don’t spend too long on any one question.
3. The Quant section draws from secondary level math skills like arithmetic, geometry, and algebra. They’re not overly difficult, but you may have forgotten some of the details. A review of these skills will be helpful to you in your exam preparation.

Verbal Section

The GMAT Verbal Section takes 65 minutes and consists of 36 questions. The Verbal section tests your ability to read critically, to make sound inferences and draw accurate conclusions from those readings, and to correct errors in grammar and sentence structure. There are three question types in the Verbal section: Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction.

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension questions will present you with a brief passage and questions that ask you about its tone, main idea, details, or structure. Questions may also ask you to draw inferences from the information in the passage. Here’s a sample Reading Comprehension passage:

Reading Comprehension passages are always nonfiction; there is never a fiction/literature passage in the bunch. They might draw from humanities, business-related topics, or the natural or social sciences. However, the exact subject doesn’t that much since you don’t need any outside knowledge to be successful on Reading Comprehension questions.

Generally speaking, there will be one or two longer Reading Comprehension passages (around 350 words) and around three shorter passages (around 250 words). Each Reading Comprehension passage is accompanied by a series of several questions. You will be shown the same passage alongside each one (usually around four).

Critical Reasoning

Critical Reasoning questions ask you to evaluate, unpack (break down), or draw conclusions from a given argument or short passage, like this one:

Pay close attention to what you’re being asked. Are you being asked to make an inference, for example, or to discern the main idea? Knowing will help you choose what to focus on and select a strategy.

Read each answer choice fully before you choose one of the five. There could be subtle missteps that you’ll overlook if you don’t read every answer choice.

Sentence Correction

Sentence Correction questions present a sentence with an underlined portion. Your job is to choose, out of five answer choices, the choice that would best replace the underlined portion of the given sentence:

As in this example, the first answer choice is always a direct repetition of the original underlined portion. The other four answer choices all differ from the original in some way.

In Sentence Correction, you’ll be tested on grammar concepts like punctuation, adjectives and adverbs, phrases and clauses, run-ons and fragments, dangling and misplaced modifiers, and the like. But if you don’t know what some of those are, it’s OK! You need to know about the concepts, not the terms.

Incorrect answers might be grammatically incorrect, redundant, ambiguous, illogical, or otherwise awkwardly written or ineffective. You won’t be tested on spelling.

Tips on Succeeding in the Verbal Section

1. You have about a little over a minute and a half for each question in the Verbal Section. Move as quickly as you can without sacrificing accuracy.
2. Every question type in the Verbal section requires only one multiple choice answer.
3. Read each sentence all the way to the end, particularly in Sentence Correction questions. Sometimes an answer choice will seem fine at the start, but the ending is what’s incorrect. It can be tempting to skim, but if there’s one section where you don’t want to do this, it’s the Verbal section.

Tips: How to Make the GMAT Format Work for You

Whew! Now that we’ve gone through a breakdown of each section, you should have a much better idea of what the GMAT test format will look like onscreen. Familiarity with the question types is a great start on your road to GMAT prep. Here are some other ways to make the GMAT exam format work for you rather than overwhelm you:

1. Take a simulated computerized adaptive test. For this kind of a test, doing practice questions on your own probably won’t be enough. Instead, you’ll want to be more familiar with test day conditions so you feel more relaxed the day of the test. You can simulate the real GMAT exam format using the free GMATPrep software, offered by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) to everyone with an account at mba.com (also free).
2. Familiarize yourself with the format of each section and question type. Recognizing each question type quickly will empower you to approach each question with more confidence and a more effective strategy.
3. Don’t be afraid of guessing. There are no penalties for incorrect answers on the GMAT, so don’t be afraid to take a guess and move on to the next question if you’re taking too long. However, if you prepare sufficiently, you will almost always be able to eliminate one or more of the answer choices, which increases your chances of getting the question correct.
4. You should always take the optional breaks on exam day. This will refresh your mind and help you mentally ‘reset’ before the next section.

Review: GMAT Format

In this article, we’ve covered the GMAT structure and format, some logistics for test day, the fundamentals of computerized adaptive testing, and a few tips on how to make the most of the GMAT test format. Let’s recap some of the main takeaways:

• There are four sections of the GMAT: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal. Each one has a different set of question types. You’ll encounter the same question types in each section no matter when you take the test or how well you do on each question.

• You can choose the order in which you want to take the GMAT sections.

• The GMAT is a computerized adaptive test, which means that the test adapts to your skill level as you go along in order to compute your score.

• But on test day, you shouldn’t worry about figuring out whether each question is difficult or easy. Instead, you should focus on answering every question to the best of your abilities.

• Reread this article whenever you need to and take an official computerized test to make sure you’re fully prepared for the GMAT exam format. Familiarity is power!

What’s Next?

Ready to sign up for the GMAT? Read our step-by-step guide on how to register for the GMAT.

Worried about the GMAT section will be too difficult for you? We break down how hard the GMAT actually is.

Curious about how to prepare? Check out our sample GMAT study schedules and tips on building your own prep plan.

The post GMAT Format: What to Expect On The Test appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Introduced in June of 2012, Integrated Reasoning is the newest section of the GMAT. The test makers added this challenging section to emphasize skills of data interpretation on their business school exam.

This guide will go over everything you need to know about the Integrated Reasoning GMAT section, including its purpose, question types, and how you can prepare for it. To start, let’s go over a basic overview of GMAT IR.

What Is the Integrated Reasoning GMAT Section?

As of June 5, 2012, GMAT Integrated Reasoning (IR) is the second section of the exam, after the 30-minute Analytical Writing Assessment. It’s 30 minutes long and asks 12 questions, leaving you with an average of 2.5 minutes per question.

The section is scored between 1 and 8 in single unit intervals. Your Integrated Reasoning score doesn’t count toward your total score out of 800, which is based solely on your Quantitative and Verbal scores.

When you look at Integrated Reasoning sample questions, you’ll see a variety of tables, charts, and graphs. Some questions will also feature passages. Your job in this section is to interpret and synthesize data from multiple sources and to use this data to draw conclusions and evaluate statements.

The tables have sorting functionality, so you’ll be able to reorganize information in alphabetical or increasing numerical order to highlight what’s most important. You can also use an on-screen calculator tool for questions that require math.

The GMAT Integrated Reasoning section is all about data. You’ll sort through a large amount of information, pick out significant details, and use a combination of math and verbal skills.

So why did the test makers add this data-heavy section to the GMAT in the summer of 2012?

What’s the Purpose of the Integrated Reasoning GMAT Section?

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), skills of “integrated reasoning” are very important for success in the world of business. Business leaders today need to analyze sophisticated streams of data and synthesize complex information to solve problems.

In 2012, GMAC spoke with over 600 employers across the world and asked them to rate how important “integrated reasoning” skills were to their business. The majority of employers said that these skills were essential for business school graduates and that they looked for evidence of them during the hiring process.

Integrated reasoning skills are also important during business school, when students examine hypothetical case studies and solve problems using evidence from multiple sources. Since GMAC tries to make the GMAT as relevant to business schools and employers as possible, it added the Integrated Reasoning section to reflect these expectations.

While employers agree that integrated reasoning is an essential skill, it’s unclear how much emphasis business schools place on the GMAT IR section. As it’s relatively new to the test, does the Integrated Reasoning score matter in business school admissions?

Does the GMAT Integrated Reasoning Score Matter?

Whenever we start to wade into admissions decision territory, the waters get a little murky. Business schools don’t share exactly how much emphasis they place on GMAT scores, instead insisting that their admissions process is holistic and based on a number of factors, including work experience, essays, and recommendation letters.

The clearest idea we have about the importance of the Integrated Reasoning GMAT score comes from Kaplan’s surveys of admissions officers at 200 business schools in the US. In 2015, 59% of respondents said that an applicant’s GMAT IR score was an important part of their evaluation, a significant increase from the 41% that said it was important in 2014 and a huge jump up from 22% in 2012.

As officers have gotten more familiar with the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section (and GMAC has heavily promoted the section), its role in the admissions process has grown. This trend will likely continue as more and more applicants send scores from the updated version of the GMAT.

While math and verbal scores are still more important than IR scores, you should still aim for an above average (ie, above 4.23) score in IR, and even higher if you’re applying to a selective school. If you’re sending off strong scores, then a competitive IR score will reinforce the positive impression you make.

You should also prepare for GMAT IR so that you don’t end up exhausting a lot of mental energy on this challenging section before you even get to math or verbal. Before you can start your GMAT Integrated Reasoning practice, first, you need to know what’s tested in the IR section.

What’s Tested in the Integrated Reasoning Section?

As its name indicates, the GMAT IR section calls for an integration of your math and verbal skills. You’ll need to read graphs, charts, and tables and perform simple calculations. You’ll also have to read through passages and pick out important information.

Because of this integration of skills, any prep you do for the math and verbal sections will also help you in IR. The GMAT IR section isn’t about memorizing content. Instead, it asks you to solve problems, think critically, and draw meaningful conclusions.

Each IR question is multi-part, but you don’t get partial credit. You have to answer all parts of a question correctly to get points.

There are four question types in the IR section, and each should show up more or less equally. The four GMAT Integrated Reasoning questions are multi-source reasoning, table analysis, graphics interpretation, and two-part analysis.

If you see a certain question type a disproportionate number of times, then one or more of those question types is probably experimental and unscored. However, you don’t really have any way of knowing which ones are experimental, so you should treat all of them as equally important.

Read on for a description and example of each of the Integrated Reasoning GMAT questions, plus some tips on how to approach each one.

#1: Multi-Source Reasoning Questions

Multi-source reasoning questions will present you with three different tabs of information. You could get a mix of passages, charts, and graphs, or you could see three of the same source type. Each source will present information on a shared topic.

You’ll get a few questions related to the tabs, and these questions may take one of two formats. The first format is a typical multiple choice question with five answer choices.

The second format involves a two-column grid. In each column, you’ll need to select between two dichotomous choices, like yes/no, true/false, or increase/decrease.

The example below shows a multi-source reasoning question paired with a multiple choice question. As you can see, the first source presents information in the form of a passage. On the real GMAT, you’ll be able to click through each tab to look at all three sources of data.

How to Approach

Multi-source reasoning questions are the most time-consuming question type in the GMAT IR section. They have three different pages of information and several questions that relate to the same topic.

As you prep for the GMAT, you might allow yourself a little longer time on these question types than on the others. You’ll need to review information on three tabs to tackle the questions.

You may have to compare and contrast the various sources. In this way, these questions are similar to reading comprehension questions in the Verbal section. You must be able to comprehend main points, locate details, and synthesize ideas.

#2: Table Analysis Questions

You don’t have to deal with multiple sources of information in table analysis questions. You just have to look at a large table full of data. This table will have sorting functionality, so you can use the drop down menu to rearrange the data by column.

These questions present several statements, and you’ll choose between two dichotomous answer choices, like yes/no, true/false, or, as in the sample below, would help explain/would not help explain.

How to Approach

When answering table analysis questions, you need to take time to understand what the question is asking you to do. In the sample above, you need to determine whether each statement would help explain the information in the table.

For instance, the table shows that only 5% of the Russian population visits a natural history museum each year. This percentage is the lowest of the other countries on the graph. The second statement, “Russia has the fewest natural history museums per capita,” could be one reason why so few people visit natural history museums. If this statement were true, it “would help explain” the information in the table.

As you can see, table analysis questions are not always straightforward, and you need to take some time reading the question and statements to understand what they’re asking.

A table may also be presented in a misleading way. For instance, a question may ask about a ratio from X to Y, and the table may show the ratio from Y to X. It’s your job to use the drop down menu and sort the data in the right way to answer the accompanying question.

On the above sample question, for instance, you could sort by each of the five columns: country/political union, public library, zoo/aquarium, natural history museum, or science/technology exam. If you sort by country/political union, then the countries will rearrange themselves in alphabetical order. If you sort by any of the other columns, then the data will go in order from the smallest number to the largest.

The sorting kind of resembles online shopping. If you were shopping for watches on Amazon, for instance, you could sort them from lowest price to highest. Similarly, you can sort each numerical column in GMAT table analysis questions from lowest value to highest value.

By taking advantage of sorting functionality, you can get to your answers in the most efficient way.

#3: Graphics Interpretation Questions

While multi-source reasoning questions may or may not have graphics, graphics interpretation questions definitely do. You could get any kind of graph or chart, like a pie graph, line chart, bar graph, scatter plot, or some other unusual graphic.

Below the graphic, you’ll get two sentences that ask you to fill in the blank. Instead of a blank line, you’ll get drop down menus and be asked to choose among a few answer choices.

As long as you can readily interpret the graphic, these questions tend to be less time-consuming than the others. The sample question below shows T-Rex mass by age.

How to Approach

To prepare for these questions, you should get comfortable reading graphs, charts, and other graphics. Make sure you can immediately understand what a graphic is communicating and collect data from it.

For instance, you may need to find the mean, median, or range of data from a graph. All of these concepts are also useful for the GMAT Quantitative section.

#4: Two-Part Analysis

Two-part analysis questions start with some short introductory material. Then, you’ll see a chart, as in the example below, and need to select one answer in each column.

These questions can be entirely verbal or entirely mathematical. Often, you have to find your answer for one column before you’re able to figure out your answer for the other one.

The example below is a mathematical two-part analysis question that asks you to work with speed and time to figure out how many liters of fuel a car is using.

How to Approach

These questions could call on your math or verbal skills; you don’t really know which. To prepare, you should especially develop your reading comprehension skills, so you know exactly what the two-part question is asking you to do.

You should also review how to calculate rate, speed, profit, and other concepts common to Quantitative word problems.

Beyond understanding the four question types, what else do you need to do to prepare for the GMAT IR section?

How to Prepare for Integrated Reasoning: 9 Tips

What are the best ways to prep for the Integrated Reasoning GMAT section? What skills are specific to this section, and what practice do you need to do to be successful?

Read on for nine key tips to rease your GMAT Integrated Reasoning score, six to guide your prep and the final three to shape your approach on test day.

#1: Brush Up On Your Graph Reading Skills

There isn’t a whole lot of new content or concepts you need to study for the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section. For the most part, it relies on the same math, verbal, and critical reasoning skills that you need for the other sections of the GMAT.

What is unique about GMAT Integrated Reasoning is its inclusion of various graphics, like bar graphs, scatter plots, and line graphs. To get ready, you should review how to interpret data from a variety of graphs and charts, as well as look over unconventional graphics that communicate data in some way.

There’s a lot of work in the GMAT IR section in only 30 minutes, so you don’t want to waste time trying to figure out how to read a certain type of graph. Before you test, get comfortable interpreting data from various sources so that you can readily understand each graphic when you take the test.

#2: Notice Where Math and Verbal Skills Overlap

As mentioned above, you don’t need to memorize a bunch of formulas or learn new vocabulary to do well in IR. In terms of math, you may need to use arithmetic to add numbers or calculate percentages, rates, or profits. You may also need to interpret word problems and figure out what steps to take to solve the problems.

All of these skills are also important for the math section, so they should fall into your Quantitative prep. Similarly, the prep you do for reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions in the Verbal section will help you in the IR section.

If you’re practicing arithmetic, reading comprehension, or critical reasoning for the math and verbal sections, then you may also drill these skills with IR questions. You’ll reinforce fundamental skills, which will help you on all three sections of the GMAT.

#3: Develop a Test-Taking Rhythm With Practice Tests

One major challenge of the IR section is sorting through complex information in a short amount of time. While there are just 12 questions, each question has multiple parts. For all intents and purposes, there are quite a few more than 12 questions in this 30-minute section.

Taking timed GMAT Integrated Reasoning practice tests and paying attention to the timer will help you develop a sense of pacing. You might set certain benchmarks, like you’ll aim to have six to seven questions answered by the time 15 minutes have gone by.

If you haven’t reached that goal, then you might want to take an informed guess on a particularly confusing question. It might be better to skip a question somewhere in the middle than wait, run out of time, and have to guess on a later question that you had a better chance of getting right.

You should also note that some question types may take longer than others. Multi-source reasoning questions, for instance, have three tabs of information, while the other question types only have one. You might allocate more time to answer these questions than other ones.

You should also take time after each practice test to reflect on how much time you spent per question. Some practice tests will show you how much time you spent on each question to help you examine your performance.

#4: Answer Realistic Sample Questions

In addition to taking timed practice tests, you should also practice with realistic, computer-based IR questions. The best ones come from the test makers, and you can find sample questions on the free GMAT Prep Software. You can also purchase additional practice questions and practice tests.

You might also use unofficial practice questions from third parties, but they should represent the same format as what you’ll see on the GMAT. You should be able to click through tabs, sort charts, and use an on-screen calculator tool.

One of the hardest things about GMAT IR questions is figuring out what they’re asking and understanding how to approach answering them. By answering lots of sample questions, you’ll get more skilled at comprehending these tricky, often confusing questions.

#5: Practice Using the On-Screen Calculator

You can’t use your own calculator, but will be able to access an on-screen calculator during the GMAT IR section. You shouldn’t need to make many advanced calculations, but the calculator can be a time saver on math-oriented questions that require you to add up a column of numbers or calculate a percentage.

Using an on-screen calculator can be awkward if you’re not used to it, so practice with it before test day. That way, the calculator will be a time saver and not a time waster.

#6: Study Just Enough to Meet Your Goals

While you definitely don’t want to bomb the GMAT IR section, you also don’t need to take it quite as seriously as the verbal and math sections. At this point, it’s still unclear how much emphasis business schools put on IR scores, and there may be applicants sending scores from the pre-IR section version of the GMAT.

That being said, the IR section is challenging, and you do want to know what you’re up against. If you go into the test blind, then you’ll exhaust a lot of mental energy here before even getting to the math and verbal sections, thereby compromising your math, verbal, and total scores.

Set an IR score goal and work towards it, but balance your prep time in favor of the math and verbal sections.

#7: Be Picky About What Data Matters

There’s a lot of extraneous information in each question. Your job is to sort through the fluff and pick out the important details – just like in integrated reasoning for real life jobs.

Glancing over the data first may help you get your bearings, but then you should read the question. Think carefully about what it’s asking and what you need to know to answer it.

Then, you can look directly for relevant information and pick it out from the table, chart, graph, or passage before you. Your task is not to interpret every piece of information, but rather to sift apart what’s important and what isn’t.

#8: Take Advantage of Sorting Functionality

To help you root out important data, tables and charts have sorting functionality. As discussed above, you can use a drop down menu to reorganize information by different columns.

You can sort a table by columns, and it will rearrange itself in alphabetical order or by lowest to highest number. A table will rarely be organized in a helpful way right off the bat. In fact, it may present information in a way designed to trip you up.

You should carefully read what a question is looking for and then sort the table to prioritize certain data points over others.

#9: Know When to Guess and Move On

As you know, the GMAT IR section is strictly timed and fast paced. If a question totally stumps you, then you might need to make your best guess and move on.

It’s important to answer all of the questions in the section. You’ll get a worse score penalty for missing questions than for getting one wrong.

Since there are some experimental questions thrown in, you can even get a few wrong and still get top scores. If timing is an issue or a question is completely throwing you off, then you should give yourself permission to guess and move on.

If you follow these tips as you get for and take the GMAT, then you’ll be in a good position to tackle the IR section. As we finish up, let’s go over some final thoughts about the Integrated Reasoning section on the GMAT.

Integrated Reasoning GMAT: Final Thoughts

The Integrated Reasoning section was added in 2012 to introduce skills of data interpretation to the GMAT. To excel in business school and beyond, you should be able to evaluate and synthesize information from multiple data streams and use your analysis to make informed decisions.

Since the IR section is relatively new, it hasn’t yet taken on a great deal of importance in business school admissions decisions. That being said, it’s growing in importance each year, and you should still aim to get an above average GMAT Integrated Reasoning score.

To get ready for the IR section, you should practice reading graphs and charts and answer plenty of practice questions. Since this section integrates various skills, your math, verbal, and critical reasoning skills that you develop for other sections will also be useful.

Like the other sections of the GMAT, the IR section wants you to evaluate information and draw evidence-based conclusions. Both of these skills will take central stage in business school and beyond.

What’s Next?

Now that you know all about the Integrated Reasoning section, let’s take a deep dive into one of the most important sections on the GMAT, the Quantitative section. Check out this guide to learn all about the structure, skills, and question types on GMAT math.

Are you familiar with the full format and structure of the GMAT? This comprehensive guide goes over the entire GMAT exam pattern, including sample problems of each and every question type.

Beyond learning about the exam itself, are you interested in how the GMAT is scored? Check out our guide to everything you need to know about GMAT scoring.

The post GMAT Integrated Reasoning: 9 Tips for a Top Score appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

When it comes to taking the GMAT, preparation is key. On average, students who scored a 700 or above prepared for an impressive 121 hours before taking the exam.

This full GMAT syllabus will help you join that group of well-prepared high scorers. You’ll learn everything you need to know about the GMAT, plus get some key tips on how to design an effective study plan.

Let’s start with a general introduction to the GMAT.

Meet the GMAT: What You Need to Know

Before getting to the complete GMAT exam syllabus, there are a few things you should know about the test. The GMAT is a computer-based test administered at test centers throughout the world. It doesn’t have set test dates, but rather is given on an on-demand basis almost every day of the year.

The entire test is multiple choice, with the exception of the first section, which asks you to write a 30-minute essay. You’ll get one question at a time and can never skip or return to questions.

Each section is strictly timed, and you’ll see a timer counting down how many minutes and seconds you have left. You’re responsible for getting to all of the questions in time, or you’ll face a severe score penalty.

Two of the four GMAT sections are adaptive, meaning that the questions you get are tailored to your ability level. You’ll start out with some medium level questions, and subsequent ones will get easier or harder depending on how you’re doing. Because of this adaptive format, everyone gets a slightly different version of the GMAT.

Before you start the GMAT on test day, you’ll agree to a nondisclosure agreement and choose up to five score recipients. After you take the test, you’ll get to see most of your scores and can decide whether to keep or cancel them. If you decide to cancel them, they won’t show up on any score reports.

Now that you have a general sense of GMAT logistics and what to expect on test day, let’s take a closer look at the structure of the exam itself.

GMAT Syllabus: Full Structure of the Test

The GMAT has four sections: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal. The AWA and Integrated Reasoning sections are 30 minutes each, Quantitative is 62 minutes, and Verbal is 65 minutes.

In total, the GMAT is just over three hours, plus you have the option of two eight-minute breaks. To break it down for you, the chart below shows the length of each GMAT section, how many questions it contains, and how much time you have, on average, to answer each question.

This average time per question is just an estimate for your benefit. You’re responsible for getting to all of the questions in time and can divide your time however you see fit. That being said, you don’t want to waste too much time on a single question and then find yourself rushing through the remaining ones.

You get to choose one of three orders for the GMAT sections:

• Option 1: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal
• Option 2: Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
• Option 3: Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment

We’ve covered the overall structure of the GMAT, but what do you need to know about each section? Let’s delve into the skills, content, and question types of each section. We’ll use the standard GMAT section order (option 1 above), starting with the syllabus for GMAT AWA.

GMAT Section 1: Analytical Writing Assessment

Your first section on the GMAT exam syllabus is the Analytical Writing Assessment, or essay. First, you’ll get a tutorial with a 10-minute limit that gives you instructions for writing your essay and using the text box.

You can click through at any time to start the essay, at which point the 30-minute timer will start ticking. You’ll get a short prompt that features an argument. Here’s one example of an AWA prompt, but you can find the full list of AWA prompts here.

After the prompt, you’ll get the following instructions:

As you can see, your job is not to present your own opinions, but rather to evaluate critically a given argument. What else should you keep in mind as you prepare for the AWA section of the GMAT?

Tips for the AWA section

As with all sections of the GMAT, time management on the AWA section is crucial. You’ll have just 30 minutes to produce a well-structured essay. It can help to divide your time up among planning, drafting, and revising.

For instance, you might spend three to five minutes reading the prompt and outlining your essay. Then, you could spend between 20 and 24 minutes drafting the essay. At the end, leave three to five minutes for editing and revising.

Rather than starting to write immediately, you should take a few minutes to write down your two to three main points and supporting examples. Writing a well-structured, well-organized essay is essential for getting a high score, so taking some time to plan before you start drafting is an important first step.

Before the test, you should also learn the 10-minute tutorial so you don’t have to read it too closely on test day. The tutorial gives you useful tips about writing your essay, as it reminds you to,

• Evaluate the argument and plan a response before you begin writing
• Organize your ideas and develop them fully
• Provide relevant supporting reasons and examples
• Remember that you’re not providing your own opinion, but rather evaluating the strength of an argument and what evidence could strengthen or weaken it

You should further familiarize yourself with the rubric that graders (one human, one machine) use to score your essay between 1 and 6. Plus, you can read sample essays to see which ones are successful and which ones fall flat.

Finally, writing your own practice essays under 30-minute time limits will help you sharpen your skills. You can practice with official GMAT prompts and get better at writing well-reasoned, clearly structured essays in just 30 minutes.

Next up is the syllabus for GMAT Integrated Reasoning.

GMAT Section 2: Integrated Reasoning Section

The Integrated Reasoning (IR) section is the most recent addition to the GMAT. It was introduced in 2012 as a way to bring skills of data interpretation into the test.

This 30-minute section asks 12 questions, and it’s not adaptive like the Quantitative and Verbal sections. Each question is multi-part, but there’s no partial credit for IR questions. You must get all parts of a problem correct to get credit.

There are four types of questions in the IR section: table analysis, graphics interpretation, multi-source reasoning, and two-part analysis. You’ll find a variety of graphs, charts, tables, and other graphics throughout the section, as well as short to medium-length passages.

Many of the questions call on you to sort and organize information. You’ll get a variety of drop-down menus that let you rearrange data.

Some questions require you to crunch some numbers, so you’ll have use of an on-screen calculator in this section. IR is the only section on the GMAT where you can use a calculator.

Let’s look at a few sample questions of each of the four types of IR questions.

Integrated Reasoning Sample Questions

As you just read, there are four types of questions in the IR section. Here’s an official sample of each one. Note that the examples below are screenshots of official practice questions. On the real test, you’ll be able to click through tabs, use drop-down menus, and reorganize data to answer the questions.

As you can see, each question type has several parts, and you’ll need to be comfortable interpreting and comparing data from a variety of sources and graphics. What else can you do to prepare for the IR section?

Tips for Integrated Reasoning Section

The IR section is all about data interpretation. You need to be able to read tables, charts, graphs, and passages, to pick out relevant points, and to synthesize data from multiple sources.

To get ready, you should first review how to analyze different types of graphics, like bar graphs, scatter plots, and pie charts. You should become comfortable with these graphics and sharpen your speed-reading skills.

You should also try sample IR questions and take practice tests to familiarize yourself with the unique format of this section. You’ll have to learn how to click through tabs, organize data, and use the on-screen calculator.

These questions ask you to look at multiple sources, analyze evidence, discern main points, and make inferences. The more you practice with realistic IR practice questions, the more prepared you’ll be to tackle this tricky section.

Now that you know the basics of the IR section, let’s move on to the GMAT quant syllabus.

GMAT Section 3: Quantitative Section

The Quantitative section asks 31 math questions in 62 minutes. It’s your first adaptive section, so the difficulty levels of the questions will go up and down along with your performance.

GMAT math questions mainly ask about arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. You’ll also get some word problems. Unlike the IR section, you can’t use a calculator here. You will get note boards and markers to write out your work.

There are two types of questions in the Quantitative section, problem solving questions and data sufficiency questions. Problem solving questions are typical math problems that you’ve probably seen on dozens of math tests in or after high school. Here’s one example of a problem solving question that involves fractions and percentages.

Data sufficiency questions are a bit more unusual, as they ask you whether or not you have enough information to solve a problem. You don’t actually have to come up with an answer, but rather have to determine whether you have “sufficient data” to answer a problem.

The following example is a typical data sufficiency question.

All data sufficiency questions will have these same exact five answer choices, so you should go into the test already knowing what your task is. What else should be on your GMAT maths syllabus?

Tips for the Quantitative Section

The GMAT math section is daunting to a lot of people, especially those who haven’t taken a math class in years. If you’re one of those people, you should rest assured that GMAT math doesn’t test very advanced concepts. In fact, you probably learned most of these topics in high school.

The first step in your GMAT maths syllabus, then, is to review the fundamentals of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and word problems. You should review concepts and reinforce your understanding with lots of GMAT practice problems. Official practice problems are the best ones, and they will teach you how to apply your knowledge specifically to GMAT questions.

You should prioritize practice tests as part of your GMAT Quant syllabus, as working quickly and efficiently is half the battle. The more you practice, the more skilled you’ll become at managing your time.

As you take the test, try not to worry about the adaptive format. You can’t really game the system or get a handle on how you’re doing as you go along. If questions feel like they’re getting easier, don’t freak out!

Just keep working on the problem in front of you, and forget about ones that have already gone past. You’ll see your scores at the end of the test, so you should waste mental energy trying to evaluate your performance as you go along.

Finally, let’s go over the syllabus for GMAT Verbal.

GMAT Section 4: Verbal Section

The Verbal section is your final section on the GMAT, and like the Quantitative section, it’s also adaptive. You’ll get 36 questions in 65 minutes.

There are three types of Verbal questions, reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence corrections. They all call on your understanding of English language and grammar and ability to evaluate arguments.

Reading comprehension questions ask you to read a passage and answer several questions about its meaning, logic, and argument. They may also ask you what kind of evidence would strengthen or weaken its central point. Here’s one example of a reading comprehension passage and sample question.

Critical reasoning questions are similar, except instead of a passage, they just present a brief argument. You’ll have to analyze the argument, as well as look closely at its logic, premise, conclusion, and assumptions. The following is an example of a critical reasoning question.

Finally, sentence corrections are grammar questions. You’ll get a wordy sentence that has a certain word or phrase underlined. Your job is to decide whether it has an error and if so, what it should say instead.

As in the sample question below, the first answer choice will always match the underlined portion of the sentence. You would choose the first answer if there’s no error and the sentence is correct as is.

Besides reviewing grammar rules, what else can you do to get ready for the GMAT Verbal section?

Tips for the Verbal Section

The Verbal section tests your ability to interpret and simplify complex information. You’ll need to have solid reading skills. Since you have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in, you should strengthen your speed reading skills. You might do better looking for big picture issues, like main point, tone, and structure, rather than paying close attention to each and every word in a passage.

For critical reasoning questions, you may find that process of elimination is helpful. Look for answer choices that are unrelated to the line of reasoning in the excerpt. All of the answer choices may be true in some way, but only the right one will be relevant to the line of reasoning that the author uses in her argument.

For sentence corrections, you should try decluttering the wordy sentence. Try to mentally cross out extra phrases and words that are only there to distract you from the task at hand.

You may also find process of elimination a useful strategy here. If two answer choices serve the same exact grammatical purpose, then neither can be the correct answer.

As you get ready for the Verbal section, review grammar rules, read widely, answer sample questions, and take timed practice tests. Develop your verbal skills and practice applying them to GMAT questions.

Beyond these study tips specific to GMAT section, what do you need to know about designing your full GMAT syllabus? Read on to find out.

GMAT Exam Syllabus: How to Design a Personalized Study Plan

The GMAT is a challenging test, and preparation is key for achieving your goals. There’s no one size fits all study plan. Instead, the best study plan is customized to your individual strengths and weaknesses.

People who struggle in math will benefit from focusing most on math review and sample questions. The same goes for those who need to grow their verbal skills.

Your study plan also depends on your particular goals for business school, as well as the amount of time you have to study. As you design a customized GMAT syllabus, keep the following 10 tips in mind.

#1: Do Some Research on Business Schools

First and foremost, you’re taking the GMAT to get into business school. Knowing where you want to apply, then, is a key factor in designing your GMAT study plan.

Write down your application deadlines, and determine whether you’re applying for Round 1, Round 2, or Round 3 admissions. Round 1 is usually best, unless you feel that waiting will significantly strengthen your application.

Once you know your deadline, you can choose a test date that ensures your scores will arrive in time. You want to take the GMAT at least a month before your first application deadline. If you think you might need to retake the GMAT, then you should leave yourself even more time.

Once you’ve chosen a date, you’ll know how much time you have to study. Try to set aside a certain amount of time each week for GMAT studying and make a routine of it. If you’re aiming to study a total of 120 hours, then you could do 10 hours a week for three months.

In addition to figuring out your deadlines, you should also look for the average scores of accepted students. Most business schools don’t set a GMAT score cutoff, but they do share data on the average GMAT score of students who they accept into their programs. Once you have this information, you know what GMAT scores you’re working towards.

#2: Set a Goal Score

Once you’ve found the average scores of accepted students at business schools you’re interested in, you can set your own target scores. What would make you a competitive candidate? What do you need to score to send off a strong application?

Setting a goal score is also important when you eventually take the test. You’ll see your Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal, and total scores right in the testing center, and then you have a couple of minutes to decide whether you want to keep or cancel your scores. By going in with a set goal, you’ll know right away whether or not you’re satisfied with your results.

#3: Collect Study Materials

What are the best GMAT study materials? The best ones come from the test makers themselves. GMAC offers a useful and free GMAT Prep Software with a bunch of sample questions and two full-length practice tests.

Since the practice tests are adaptive and draw from a big pool of questions, you can actually take each one more than once. However, you might start to see some repeat problems, so the first time you take a practice test will be your most realistic experience of the GMAT.

GMAC also sells GMAT prep books that are useful for content review. Some high-quality third party companies are Kaplan and Manhattan Prep, though third party questions can never be quite as realistic as official ones.

As you prep, look for full length practice tests that you can take on the computer and have the same timing and format as the real test. You should also think carefully about how you learn best to decide whether self-study, an online prep program, a class, or a private tutor would be the best approach for you.

#4: Take a Diagnostic Practice Test

Before you can figure out your study plan, you need to know your current scoring level. You should set aside three hours to take a GMAT practice test, perhaps one of the tests offered for free by the GMAT Prep Software.

Head to a quiet place and follow the time limits, perhaps even giving yourself two eight-minute breaks as you would on test day. Once you’ve finished the test, you’ll see your IR, Quantitative, Verbal, and total scores.

Since you’ve already set your target score, this initial practice test will tell you how many points you need to improve and how long you should study.

#5: Write Down Your Study Schedule

If you don’t find a way to make yourself accountable, you might find yourself doing more procrastinating than studying. One way to motivate yourself is to actually write down your GMAT exam syllabus.

Whether you use a calendar or a planner, set aside the amount of time on the same day each week. Think about when you have time, when you’re most alert, and how much time you need to study each week to meet your target number of study hours.

Not only will writing down your study schedule help you develop a routine and stick to it, but you can also look back on it to see all the progress you’ve already made.

#6: Review Fundamental Concepts

While the GMAT is largely a reasoning and problem-solving test, you still need to have certain base knowledge. For instance, you need to understand fundamental concepts in algebra, geometry, and arithmetic. You have to know parallel structure, subject-verb agreement, and other rules of grammar, and you must be able to read a bar graph or scatter plot.

The best GMAT prep materials will present lessons in fundamental concepts for each section of the GMAT. You should spend time reviewing all of these lessons, especially any ones that you haven’t encountered in a long time.

Many test takers take the GMAT a few years after graduating college, and their academic skills have gotten rusty. Take time to review core concepts to make sure you can apply them to solving GMAT problems.

#7: Keep an Error Log

One of the best ways to improve your skills is to pay close attention to what you’re getting wrong. You should take notes on any concepts that confuse you or any practice questions you get wrong.

Once you’ve logged your error, think about the source of your confusion. Are you unclear on a certain concept? Did you make a careless mistake? Did you run out of time in a section?

Once you understand why you made an error, you can take specific steps to fix it.

#8: Try Out Test-Taking Strategies

Doing well on the GMAT isn’t just about having great verbal, math, and critical thinking skills. You also need to be a strategic and efficient test-taker. With only two minutes per question, you’ll need to show up on test day with seriously sharpened test-taking skills.

One of the best ways to improve your skills is to take practice tests. You should also try out various strategies, like speed-reading and process of elimination, to boost your efficiency. With enough practice, you’ll be able to train your laser focus and work both quickly and carefully throughout the test.

#9: Assess Your Progress As You Go Along

While you should write down your GMAT syllabus and stick to it, you also shouldn’t be afraid to adjust your approach as time goes on. You may have initially thought you needed mostly math review but then found that the verbal section is also quite challenging.

As you go along, you should reflect on your progress. Pay most attention to your weak areas, even if they’re not where you expected they’d be.

One good way to gauge your progress is to take a GMAT practice test every few weeks. You can see your score improvement (or lack thereof) and figure out what to do next. If progress has stalled, try to identify what’s going on.

You can keep altering your approach to make it most effective for you in the months leading up to your test.

#10: Get Ready for Test Day

Once you’ve reached the finish line and test day is almost upon you, hopefully you feel confident that you’ve done all of the studying you can to this point. Don’t spend the night before the GMAT cramming. Instead, take a break, relax, and get a good night’s sleep.

Head to the test center early, and make sure you know the route. Showing up late or getting lost would just add more anxiety to an already stressful day!

Try to eat a nutritious breakfast, avoid excessive caffeine, and wear comfy clothes. You might also bring healthy snacks and water to reenergize during the breaks.

Finally, you should go in with clear target scores in mind. That way, you’ll know right away whether you want to keep or cancel them at the end of the test. If you do end up disappointed, you can figure out where you fell short this time around and design a more effective study plan for next time.

As long as you spend time getting ready, you’re fully capable of meeting your GMAT goals. As we finish up, let’s go over some of the key takeaways you should remember about your GMAT syllabus.

GMAT Syllabus: Key Takeaways

The GMAT is a three hour computer-based exam that measures your math, verbal, and critical reasoning skills. You’re responsible for managing your time so that you answer all of the questions in each section.

The GMAT a challenging test, and many students spend months getting ready for it. If you have time before your test date, then just a few hours each week can add up to a significant amount of study time.

Before you get going, you should take time to think about your strengths and weaknesses and design a personalized GMAT syllabus. Set specific goals and figure out what steps you can take to achieve them.

By sticking to your study plan and using high-quality practice materials, you can make progress toward your target scores. By the time test day rolls around, you’ll be well acquainted with the structure, concepts, and question types on this challenging exam.

What’s Next?

Have you chosen a GMAT test date yet? Before you register, check out this guide on choosing the best test date and time of day to take the GMAT. Once you’ve decided on a date, check out our article on how to register for the GMAT.

Do you know how the GMAT is scored? Check out our guide to the GMAT scoring system and our article on percentiles to learn all about how your score is calculated and what it means.

The post Best GMAT Syllabus 2018: What’s On the Test and How to Prepare appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.