What is the GMAT?
Universities may ask you to sit an entrance exam as part of the application process. For those attending a business school in America and the UK, the GMAT is one you may be asked to complete.
The application process is pretty much the same for everyone, though some will also need to attend interviews and others will sit an admissions test or entrance exam. The GMAT is one aptitude test that some universities ask their applicants to take as part of the application process. Let's go through what the GMAT is, what the exam includes and which universities ask you to sit it.
What is the GMAT?
GMAT stands for Graduate Management Admission Test. It's a computer adaptive test (CAT) designed for the school to test a student's abilities. It's aimed at testing your analytical and quantitative reasoning skills under timed conditions.
The GMAT sections
The GMAT has had different versions over the years but is currently split into three sections that are scored separately. You'll have a certain time to complete each section. These sections are:
- Verbal: Tests your reading comprehension, critical reading and sentence correction of the English language.
- Quantitative: Designed to test your maths skills and how you infer the answer. This can include questions with algebra, fractions, statistics and geometry.
- Data Insights: This is a combination of Verbal and Quantitative, presenting you with a problem with more information than you need. It's your task to work through the data to solve the problem.
How long is the GMAT?
The GMAT is 2 hours and 15 minutes. During this time you'll work through the 64 questions, split across the three sections. This breaks down to the following timings:
Section | No. of questions | Duration | Score Range |
Verbal | 21 | 45 min | 60-90 points |
Quantitative | 23 | 45 min | 60-90 points |
Data Insights | 20 | 45 min | 60-90 points |
Like other exams, you can apply for extra time if you meet the accommodation criteria. This could be up to double the time originally given for the GMAT.
How is the GMAT scored?
While each section is scored separately, you will receive a total score for your GMAT. When applying to business schools, they'll mostly look at your total score but will want to see if you can perform well across all three areas.
Each section is scored in 1-point increments, but when this is used to create a total score, it increases in 10-point increments and will always end in a 5. The total score can range anywhere from 205 to 805.
What is a good GMAT score?
Each university will have its benchmark for applicants, and will also depend on how the rest of the class performs. The more competitive, and highly ranked the business school or MBA program is, the higher you should expect the score needed to be.
Any total score above 615 is considered good and 675+ is considered an excellent score.
While scores and averages for different business schools are always changing, here's a look at recent average scores needed for certain business schools in the UK, including Russell Group universities.
How much is the GMAT exam?
The GMAT costs roughly £225 ($300 USD) but will depend on the location where you sit the exam and whether it's online or in-person testing.
If you need to reschedule your exam, there are some fees attached and will vary depending on the notice you give. If you cancel altogether, you may be able to get some of the cost refunded, however, this will be less the closer to the test date you leave it.
Where to take the GMAT exam
There are 11 GMAT test centres across the UK and Ireland. These are:
England
- Crawley
- London
- Reading
- Salford
- Sutton Coldfield
- Watford
- Wolverhampton
Northern Ireland
- Belfast
- Ireland
- Dublin
- Scotland
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
More universities are now offering a virtual version of the test, so you can study and sit the exam at home too.
How to study for the GMAT
It's good to begin your studying 2-6 months before your scheduled exam. The more time you leave yourself, the better chance you have of achieving a higher score. You'll be able to pinpoint your strengths and find the best places to focus your practice over the coming months.
Like other tests, one of the best ways to revise is with past papers and existing resources you can find online. Some universities may offer these for applicants on their website too.
When to take the GMAT
To know when you need to sit the GMAT, you'll need to first know the deadline for applying to the business program. Once you know the application deadline, you can work backwards and book your GMAT from there. We recommend sitting the GMAT as early as possible to avoid extra stress and delays. It's also good to know that your GMAT score is valid for five years so there's no harm in starting your revision early to get ahead of the admissions cycle.
How to get your GMAT results
In the UK, you'll receive your results on the same day you complete the test, known as your Scores Report. You can then send this report to up to five institutions. If you need more, you'll need to pay an additional £27 per report.
You can choose to receive an Enhanced Score Report with a more detailed breakdown of your scores. This will cost an extra £24.
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