GMAT
The standard admission test for MBA, Master in Management and other graduate business programmes worldwide, including ISB, IIM PGPX/one-year MBAs and top US and European business schools.
Eligibility
There is no formal educational requirement, but business schools expect a bachelor's degree or final-year status. The minimum age is 18; candidates aged 13-17 need written parental consent. You can take the test up to 5 times in a rolling 12-month period and 8 times in total, with at least 16 days between attempts. Scores are valid for five years.
Age limit: Minimum 18 (13-17 with parental consent); no upper limit
Exam pattern
The test is computer-adaptive at question level and takes 2 hours 15 minutes, with one optional 10-minute break. It has three sections of 45 minutes each: Quantitative Reasoning (21 questions), Verbal Reasoning (23 questions) and Data Insights (20 questions). You choose the order of the sections. You can bookmark questions and change up to three answers per section at the end. The total score runs from 205 to 805, with each section scored 60-90 and weighted equally. There is no separate writing section. Leaving questions unanswered carries a heavy penalty.
Syllabus at a glance
Quantitative Reasoning covers arithmetic and algebra problem-solving at roughly Class 10 level, with no geometry and no calculator. Verbal Reasoning covers Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension; Sentence Correction has been removed. Data Insights covers Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpretation and Two-Part Analysis, and an on-screen calculator is allowed in this section.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Test appointments (centre and online) | Year-round; online slots available 24/7 | confirmed |
| Latest sensible test date for Round 2 deadlines (allowing one retake) | By mid-Nov 2026 | expected |
| ISB PGP and one-year Indian MBA later rounds (Class of 2028) | Dec 2026 - Mar 2027 | expected |
| Round 2 MBA deadlines at most US/European schools (2027 intake) | Early-mid Jan 2027 | expected |
| Official scores released after test | Usually within 3-5 working days | confirmed |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- GMAT Official Guide (latest edition) – GMAC
- GMAT Official Guide Quantitative Review – GMAC
- GMAT Official Guide Verbal Review – GMAC
- GMAT Official Guide Data Insights Review – GMAC
- Manhattan Prep GMAT All the Quant / All the Verbal – Manhattan Prep
- The PowerScore Critical Reasoning Bible – David M. Killoran
How toppers play it
- Missing several questions at the end costs far more than guessing wrong, so always finish every section. Guess strategically on time sinks rather than leaving questions blank.
- Use the section-order choice. Many Indian test-takers do well starting with Quant or Data Insights while they are fresh and ending with Verbal; test both orders in mocks.
- Treat Data Insights as the deciding section. Learn the fixed Data Sufficiency answer choices (AD/BCE method) cold and practise reading tables and graphs quickly.
- Use the edit option sparingly. Bookmark only questions where you can realistically fix an error, as you get at most three changes per section.
- Track your average time per question (about 2 minutes 8 seconds for Quant, 1 minute 57 seconds for Verbal) in an error log, and drop questions that pass 3 minutes.