GMAT Exam Pattern 2024: Total Marks, Marking Scheme

GMAT exam pattern 2024 is set by the conducting body to analyze different aspects of the candidates' abilities. They set the question paper in such a way that the candidate's answer can be judged. Candidates can check out the GMAT Entrance Exam Syllabus as well.

Due to time restraints in the GMAT online exam, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) had omitted the Analytical Writing section of the exam. However, according to the new pattern, topics including Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, and Analytical Assessment Writing are going to be part of the exam again.

GMAT 2024 exam pattern analyses the logical, verbal, analytical, and numerical ability of a candidate. This basic test decides whether a candidate can perform in an MBA course or not. Hence, the authority has given four major topics on which a candidate can work.

They provide sufficient time for the examination with short breaks to make sure the candidate is not stressed. The candidates must know the exam pattern for GMAT well to prepare for the exam thoroughly.

GMAT Exam Pattern Highlights

Before preparing for the GMAT exam, an aspirant has to be aware of the GMAT exam pattern. This knowledge helps one to build strategies to score high.

GMAT Test Pattern - Explained

GMAT exam question paper has 4 major sections and they are Analysis of Argument (Analytic Writing Assessment), Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Reasoning, and Integrated Reasoning.

The entire duration of the GMAT exam is 3 hours and 7 minutes (exclusive of break duration). Students can prepare by writing mock tests to get acquainted with this timing. More features related to the GMAT exam pattern have been listed below.

• Pre-Built Clock: The GMAT exam has a pre-built clock that cannot be stopped neither can it be reset.
• On-Screen Calculator: Candidates can use an on-screen calculator, that appears on a test window to solve the quantitative questions and minute calculations at the time of examination.
• Question Pattern: GMAT is a computer adaptive test, hence the level of each question is based on the answer given by a candidate to the previous question. There is no negative marking scheme in the GMAT exam.
• Algorithm: When a candidate answers a question correctly, the algorithm used in the GMAT examination makes subsequent questions to become tougher and tougher. Likewise, when a candidate answers a question incorrectly, the subsequent question is made easier.
• Level of Difficulty: Candidates are not evaluated by a sheer number of questions they got right, but for the level of difficulty they face during GMAT examination.

GMAT Revised Entrance Exam Pattern

The GMAT format or online examination pattern based on the four topics they will be tested on has been tabulated below. A note must be taken that the breaks haven't been included in the table below.

GMAT Revised Entrance Exam Pattern

Section	Number of Questions	Time Allotted
Quantitative Reasoning	31	62 Minutes
Verbal Reasoning	36	65 Minutes
Integrated Reasoning	12	30 Minutes
Analytical Writing Assessment	1	30 Minutes

GMAT Marks Distribution (Revised) 

The GMAT marking scheme for online exam consists of 4 sections only i.e; Analytical Assessment, Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal and Integrated Reasoning. All the sections and their corresponding number of questions are tabulated below:

• Analytical Assessment: 1 question in 30 minutes
• Quantitative Aptitude: 31 questions in 62 minutes
• Verbal: 36 questions in 65 minutes
• Integrated Reasoning: 12 questions in 30 minutes

Note: There will be 5 minutes before the candidate begins the Integrated Reasoning Section and the order of the sections is fixed as shown above. The total exam time is approximately 3 hours and 7 minutes with an additional 15 to 20 minutes for the proctor check-in and breaks.

GMAT Test Pattern

Section	No. of Questions/ Time Limit	Question Type	Score Range
Analytical Writing Assessment	1 Topic - 30 minutes	Analysis of an Argument	0-6 (0.5-point increments)
Integrated Reasoning	12 questions - 30 minutes	Multi-Source Reasoning, Graphics Interpretation, Two-Part Analysis, Table Analysis	1-8 (1-point increments)
Quantitative	31 questions - 62 minutes	Data Sufficiency, Problem Solving	6-51 (1-point increments)
Verbal	36 questions - 65 minutes	Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction	6-51 (1-point increments)
Total Exam Duration	3 Hours 7 Minutes

GMAT Exam Scoring

Generally, overall GMAT scores range from around 200 to 800 for most candidates. This score includes the performance of a candidate on all 4 sections combined.

• The candidate's performance on the Analytical Writing Assessment and the Integrated Reasoning sections are calculated separately by the GMAT algorithm.
• A GMAT score of Verbal and Quantitative ranges from 0 to 60.
• An average candidate's GMAT score lies between 9 to 45 in verbal and 7 to 50 for quantitative.
• Verbal and Quantitative scores cannot be compared to each other.
• The GMAT exam is a computer-adaptive test, which means if a candidate answers a question correctly, the next question will be more difficult than the last one, and vice versa for a candidate who answers wrongly.
• A candidate is ranked as per the number of answers he/she gets right, as well as the GMAT exam's difficulty level, and the time taken on each GMAT exam section.
• If a candidate answers several questions incorrectly in a row, then his/her GMAT score has a significant chance of lowering. 
• There is a complicated, patented algorithm in place to assign the GMAT scores, that nobody knows.
• GMAT score will also decrease notably with every unanswered question.

Officially, few options are available for the GMAT exam pattern. A candidate can choose the order of sections when he/she attempts the GMAT exam.

• Analytics Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, verbal (Original order).
• Verbal, Quantitative Aptitude, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment.

GMAT 2024 Exam Points to Remember

• Students must answer all parts of a single question accurately to receive credit.
• Candidates will not get any partial credit.
• Candidates must submit responses to all parts of the question before moving on to a new question on other screens.
• Answer option for one question cannot be used in solving other questions.
• Candidates must keep in mind that the intended purpose of the GMAT exam is to predict student's performance in graduate business programs.