If you are a GMAT aspirant, you have probably spent more than 100 hours preparing for the exam. It is critical to understand the exam details to perform better. Out of the many basic queries that students have, one of the fundamental is – how long is GMAT? The answer is that the total exam duration is 3 hours and 7 minutes. Two optional breaks, each of 8 minutes, are included in the entire duration.
Introducing GMAT
GMAT, or the Graduate Management Admission Test is a standardized global test that determines your entry to your desired Business Schools. Most business schools across the globe, including the top-tier B-schools for the USA and Europe, consider the GMAT score and percentile ranking as the primary determinant to grant admissions into business courses like MBA.
You are thinking about how long is the GMAT. – This standardized test is lengthy because it expands over 3 hours in duration. The content of the GMAT exam is quite challenging, and most importantly, this is a computer-adaptive test. The test is an accurate indicator of whether a student is eligible to take up the course content of an MBA or not. Your GMAT score will reflect whether you are a potential candidate for the business programs. It is vital to score high on GMAT.
GMAT has four sections that test your Analytical writing assessment, quant, verbal reasoning and critical thinking. The syllabus for the exam is mainly based on the high school syllabus for arithmetic, algebra, and logic. It will also assess your analysis and logical reasoning capability.
Students have an inherent query how hard is the GMAT? The honest answer would be that it depends on your preparation, but universally, students consider the GMAT quite a challenging exam. The skills and content areas assessed in the GMAT exam are essential for the MBA coursework. The exam will test whether you have the capacity for data analysis, the ability to write compelling justifications, grammar skills and most importantly, your numerical skills (arithmetic and algebra).
Suppose you have some basic idea about MBA courses. In that case, you must know that MBA is a diverse regime with plenty of inherent sections like accounting, finance, HR management, business administration and much more. Arithmetic skill, the power to write compelling prices in English with exemplary grammar and not to forget data handling capacity is something all candidates must possess. GMAT is a filter to ensure that candidates who join business courses in the top Business schools of the globe have enough potential to soak up the course.
How Long is the GMAT? – A Detailed Analysis
The duration for GMAT is 3 hours and 7 minutes. Sometimes the duration is also calculated as 3 hours 23 minutes, including three optional breaks equally divided across the entire exam’s time limit. There are four sections in the exam: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative (Q) and Verbal Reasoning (VR). The candidates must arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled onset of the exam. Here is a detailed analysis of the GMAT time slots sections:
| Section | Time Allotted | Total Number of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 30 minutes | 1 Question |
| Integrated Reasoning | 30 minutes | 12 questions |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 62 minutes | 31 questions |
| Verbal Reasoning | 65 minutes | 36 questions |
The best part about GMAT is that you can choose your order of preference of answering the paper. Every section has a distinguished time limit; you can choose which area you want to answer first. The entire exam is split up into four subsequent sections. Understanding that all actions have equal priority regarding the overall scoring for the GMAT is vital. The time durations are primarily based on the number of questions, difficulty level and weightage.
GMAT has offered three variations for the order of sections to choose from
- Option I: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal
- Option II: Verbal section, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
- Option III: Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
The best way to decide which order suits you the best is to opt for multiple rounds of practice tests. Try out the mock tests in various orders. Watch out for which order is best for your efficiency during your GMAT prep. Some students prefer to start with the analytical writing section because it demands creativity. As you begin with the exam, the energy level is at its peak. Writing creative pieces at this time will help save time and make the content unique. GMAT offers AWA to be attempted at the beginning or end. Many students prefer to start with the quant because they perceive it as one of the most challenging actions for GMAT.
How Long is the GMAT? – Decoded
You can expect to be in the examination hall for around 3.5 hours during the exam. The optional breaks will be of 16 minutes. The total time for all the sections will be cumulatively 187 minutes. If you already perceive this time to be too much, try the mock tests. 187 minutes is not too much for the GMAT. Given the type of questions and their difficulty level, this is the right time you need for the test. This time won’t be sufficient to answer all the questions without proper preparation. If you are thinking about GMAT- how to prepare, here is all you need to know.
To perform best at the GMAT exams, follow these simple yet effective steps:
- Always keep track of the time you consume to answer each section. Then break it down into how much time you consume for each question.
- Always try to complete the paper on time at least during the mock tests, because, during the exam, there are probabilities that you will need more time than expected.
- Keep in mind that GMAT is a computer adaptive test. Prepare yourself to comply with the computer-adaptive environment.
Focused smart work can give you the best GMAT scores.
