Formally, the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is a standardized exam that is used for admission purposes to graduate level management and business programs across the United States and abroad. More informally, it’s the exam standing between you and business school. In this article, we cover what to expect in terms of GMAT question quantity and format.
This is a question I see in comment sections all the time: “how many questions is the GMAT?”. Improper grammar, of course, but a lot of people ask this very question. Let’s dive in.
The GMAT is comprised of several sections. The total exam time is around three hours and thirty minutes including breaks and instructions.
The Quantitative Reasoning section of the test is now 31 questions, which need to be answered in 62 minutes.
The Verbal Reasoning section has 36 questions that need to be answered in 65 minutes.
The Integrated Reasoning section has 12 multiple-choice questions that will need to be completed in 30 minutes.
The Analytical Writing Assessment provides exam takers with 30 minutes to complete one essay based on a provided topic.
This means there are 80 total questions on the GMAT (including the essay as a “question”). That doesn’t sound so bad does it?
That said, students often find the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GMAT to be the most difficult. As such, it may be a good idea to purchase a GMAT prep course to help you prepare for this section. Prep courses from the likes of Princeton Review and Kaplan will provide tips and strategies to help you attack the math related questions on the exam.
The types of questions vary by section. For the most part though, the types of questions found on the GMAT include:
The questions above are usually presented in multiple choice format.
The Quantitative section tests knowledge in basic geometry, algebra, and arithmetic.
The Verbal section tests grammar, logic skills, and reading comprehension.
Other than GMAT tutors, taking GMAT practice tests are often the best way to get ready for the Quant and Verbal sections of the exam. Companies such as Target Test Prep and Magoosh offer GMAT practice questions that are highly realistic of the real exam.
The Integrated section tests a candidate’s ability to make inferences based on provided data.
The Analytical Writing portion will require an analysis of an argument on business or a general interest topic.
The math questions are found in the Quantitative section of the test. This section has 31 multiple-choice questions, and you are not allowed to use a calculator on this part of the test.
Some math may be involved with the Integrated Reasoning section, and you are allowed a calculator.
Below are two sample math questions similar to what exam takers may see on the GMAT.
Question 1: Company X sold 1,500 units of its product for $9 each and 750 units for $6 each. If the company’s cost of producing each unit of the product was $7, what was the company’s profit or loss on the sale of 2,250 units?
(A) $2,250 loss
(B) $750 loss
(C) No profit or loss
(D) $2,250 profit
(E) $18,000 profit
Question 2: The population of City X increased from 2 million in the year 2000 to 2.5 million in 2015 and the gross domestic product of the city in 2000 was 3/8 less than that in 2015. What was the approximate percent change, rounded to the nearest integer if required, in the per capita gross domestic product of the city from 2000 to 2015?
(A) 22% decrease
(B) 22% increase
(C) 28% increase
(D) 53% increase
(E) 113% increase
The problems can range from easy to very difficult, so having a good grasp of arithmetic is essential. Again, you may want to consider using a Kaplan GMAT prep course or Princeton Review GMAT course to help you get ready for the math section of the exam.
The GMAT has 36 of these types of questions. They will rely on logic, grammar, and reading skills. For certain students, this may actually be the most difficult section of the exam, especially for ESL students and students who struggle with English. If that is the case, you may want to consider using a GMAT prep course to help you prepare for this section.
In the first question, you will determine whether the section in italics is correct, or if the sentence should conclude differently.
Question 1: To better differentiate its product from generic brands, the cereal company first hired a marketing firm that specializes in creating campaigns to build brand awareness and then retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal.
(A) then retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal.
(B) retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal.
(C) then retooled its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal.
(D) then will retool its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal.
(E) then produces a variety of different shapes of cereal through retooling its factory.
In the second question, you will use critical reasoning to determine the correct answer.
Question 2: One food writer wrote that reducing the number of animal products in one’s diet can contribute to better health and well-being. Based on this claim, some people are eliminating meat from their diets to be healthier.
The argument above relies on which of the following assumptions?
(A) Increasing the amount of vegetables and grains in one’s diet can contribute to better health.
(B) There will be no corresponding increase in the amount of dairy products in the diets of those who are eliminating meat.
(C) Most food writers believe that some amount of animal products is necessary for a healthy diet.
(D) Not all healthy lifestyles require a vegetarian diet.
(E) Many people who do not eat animal products make decisions for health reasons.
Questions you will find on the GMAT include problems involving data sufficiency, problem solving, reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction. There are 80 total questions on the exam.
There are usually 8-11 data sufficiency questions on the GMAT.
There are usually 12-14 reading comprehension questions on the GMAT.
Around 10-12 questions on the GMAT are considered experimental and do not count towards your score.