Familarise with GMAT Syllabus!

Overview of The GMAT Exam and Its Purpose

The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) helps you confirm your admission to the topmost B-schools and colleges worldwide. 

The standardized test is accepted by 2300 colleges presenting 7000 MBA programs. Each section determines the student’s problem-solving, data analysis, mathematical skills, and critical thinking and reasoning competencies through various questions.

Moreover, these skills are essential for candidates to possess for a lucrative career in management. The GMAT scoring ranges from 200-800. The exam medium is English, and it is conducted offline and online.

Importance of Understanding the GMAT Syllabus

Understanding the GMAT syllabus is the foremost step to succeeding in the exam. It allows students to learn about the question types and how to tackle them. It also informs students about the topics and skills required to solve them accurately.

Becoming familiar with the GMAT syllabus and topics also boosts their morale and confidence. They know what to focus on in their preparation and how to improve their skills over time.

If this is your 1st GMAT attempt, understand and familiarise yourself with the current GMAT exam syllabus immediately. It will give you a good head start on your exam preparation.

Sections Included in The GMAT Exam

The GMAT comprises 4 sections. 

They are as follows –

1. Verbal Reasoning
2. Quantitative Reasoning

• Integrated Reasoning

1. Analytical Writing Assessment

Visit the official GMAT portal for more information. You can also contact AbroAdvice for exam insights and suggestions from field experts.

Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section

The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section comprises topics of general interest like business or any other subject discipline.

Through your writing competence, the section will evaluate your ability to critique a presented argument. Some fallacies will feature in the prompts. You will need to identify and aptly address them. 

You must also determine incorrect comparisons, vague language, sampling issues, and causation vs correlation.

Description of The Tasks and Question Types

The question will appear as a description. You must present the reasoning of the argument using evidence.

Moreover, you must also establish which evidence will strengthen or refute the argument or what alternations will make it more logically correct. You may also have to evaluate the conclusion. 

Skills Assessed in The AWA Section

• Analyzing arguments
• Communicating thoughts and ideas 
• Establishing argument reasoning with evidence 

Download a sample GMAT paper and get accustomed to the AWA questions. Try solving 2-3 each day. Ask a friend to review your answers and present feedback with scope for improvements.

Focus on your word usage and support your views with evidence.

Integrated Reasoning (IR) Section

The GMAT IR section evaluates students’ ability to analyze and interpret data from case studies. They are 12 questions in total. The total solving time is 30 minutes.

The Section Divides Into 4 Segments –

1. Multi-source Reasoning
2. Two-part Analysis

• Table Analysis 

1. Graphics Interpretations

Types of Questions and Formats

Multi-source Reasoning 

You will get 2-3 tabled pages for each question left side of your computer with answer options on the right. You will need to determine the relevance of the data and even identify discrepancies. 

Graphic elements like tables, graphs, diagrams, charts, etc., will feature as specific questions. So, read each question carefully. Understand the graphic element and options. Pick the answer that has the most support from the presented data.

Two-part Analysis

It will present a specific issue or scenario and require you to pick 2 answers per the presented data. Both answers will be connected to one another, much like two parts of solving an equation. 

The answers will be presented in table format. It will have a column for each answer choice. You must pick the best answer for the 1st and 2nd parts of the question within the set time.

Table Analysis 

You will get questions as table analysis. You will have a data table that you must sort by column. The selected answers will be in sets of statements like Yes/No or True/False. 

Graphics Interpretations

In this segment, you will get questions in a visual or graphic form. You will also get complementing texts to decipher the exhibited details in the graph. Your task will be to complete the statement using the correct value from the drop-down options. 

Skills Assessed in The IR Section

• Data interpretation
• Reasoning competence 
• Logical thinking skills
• Synthesizing data sources 

Procure some GMAT practice papers online and start practicing the IR section (with other text sections). It will help you familiarise yourself with the question types and give you sufficient practice to take your skills to the next level.

Quantitative Reasoning Section

The GMAT math section (the Quantitative section) comprises 31 questions. The total time is 62 minutes. 

The question sequence also varies. They may come easier or harder per the accuracy of your previous answers. Plus, once you enter your answer, you can’t go back. 

Furthermore, the Quantitative section (Mathematic section) features 2 crucial types of questions.

• Problem-solving (PS)
• Data Sufficiency (DS)

While both questions need the same set of solving skills, tackling them requires different methods.

Mathematical Concepts and Topics Covered

• Arithmetic – Number systems, Averages, Ratios and Proportions, Allegations and Mixtures, Percentages, Profit and Loss and Discounts, Distance, Speed, Time, and Work concepts. 
• Algebra – Algebra elements, Linear equations, Quadratic equations, Inequalities, Logarithms, Functions.
• Geometry – Triangles, Lines and Angles, Circles, Polygons, Coordinate Geometry, Solids (3D geometry)
• Modern Mathematics – Probability, Set Theory, Permutation, and Combination, Series, and Sequences.

Question Types and Formats

The featured questions will be in Multiple-Choice Pattern sequences. Each question will be based on the above syllabus. 

Refer to the table below to learn more about GMAT quantitative section syllabus. You can also check the official GMAT portal for more updates.

You may even speak to Our GMAT Specialists well-versed with the latest exam syllabus.

Verbal Reasoning Section

The verbal reasoning section in GMAT determines your language and comprehension reading skills. You will evaluate readable materials, develop rational arguments and present correct answers that echo your perspectives and understanding of the passage.

Here’s A Detailed Breakdown of Verbal Topics Covered in the GMAT

• Critical Reasoning – 9-10 questions. 
• Correcting Sentences – 12-13 questions
• Critical Reading – 13-14 questions.

The total time is 65 minutes, and the total number of questions is 36. 

Critical Reasoning – What You Must Do?

• Here you must determine the argument’s structure and its conclusion.
• You must establish the existing evidence to substantiate the conclusion.
• Decide what assumptions come about when transitioning from evidence to outcome. 

Correcting Sentences – What You Must Do?

Here you will use your English proficiency to correct flawed sentences. The featured statements will be contorted and long. You must determine the correct version from 4 alternative options.

Critical Reading – What You Must Do?

• Read the passage carefully and summarise the central message.
• Distinguish ideas mentioned specifically by the author.
• Make inferences per text information.
• Access the stanza’s logical structure.
• Deduce the tone and attitude of the explained topic/message.

Strategies for Improving Verbal Skills and Understanding Question Types

There are ways to improve your verbal skills and grasp questions. Refer to the suggestions below.

• Always think as you read. 
• Grasp the author’s stance and agenda behind the text.
• Analyze the questions deeply and think what’s the best answer in your mind.
• Resort to structural reading to understand the context.
• Practice the verbal section using GMAT sample papers.
• Include routine reading as part of your GMAT preparation.
• Create mental notes whenever you read something.
• Work on improving your vocabulary to express your thoughts better.
• Follow solved papers and tutorial videos to further clarification.
• Filter out filler words and focus on the hidden message when reading.
• Set a target score and monitor your performance with mock test scores. 

Reading is the best solution to augmenting your verbal skills and understanding question types. Also, don’t hesitate you state your mind after grasping the main message. 

Book a meeting with our experts for more GMAT section-wise advice and insights. 

GMAT Syllabus: Key Math Topics

The below Table Highlights What Includes in The GMAT Quant Section:

Strategies for Preparing and Mastering Math Concepts

• Use GMAT practice papers and online mock tests to improve the quant section.
• Understand the fundamentals of each syllabus topic.
• Familiarise how to solve them and work hard to improve your solving time.
• Make a math notebook to pen down your sorted process for each topic question. 
• Hire a personal tutor to help you improve your math know-how and solving accuracy.
• Apply math questions to real-life issues.
• Practice each day. Set a specific time or day for improving math-solving skills.

Often, proper practice can make this section the high-scoring option for GMAT takers. Keep at it diligently and always stay positive. Perseverance and dedicated practice will eventually help you improve your skills and self-confidence.

GMAT Syllabus: Key Verbal Topics

The GMAT verbal section is designed to evaluate your command of English through analyzing argument skills, correcting sentences, and critical reading. 

The crucial verbal topics to focus on are as follows 

• Basic Sentence structure: Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives
• Verb Tense
• Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions
• Pronoun Agreement
• Subject-Verb Agreement
• Modifiers
• Parallelism
• Phrases and Clauses
• Articles
• Parts of speech
• Direct and Indirect
• Active to Passive

Additional Tips to Help Prepare for the GMAT Verbal Section –

• Focus on common grammatical and sentence construction mistakes to avoid.
• Increase your vocabulary arsenal through extensive reading.
• Understand the correct use of all these topics through routine practice with GMAT sample papers.
• Incorporate writing practice like short essays or solving passage questions from mock test papers.

Study Materials and Resources for the GMAT

Students often seek quality study materials for each section of the GMAT syllabus. Fortunately, they have no shortage of options online and offline.

They will also find several online mock test sample papers and other learning resources to upskill for GMAT.

Some helpful GMAT study materials and resources are as follows :

• GMAT™ Official Guide Quant Review 2022: eBook & Online Question Bank
• GMAT™ Official Guide Verbal Review 2022: eBook & Online Question Bank
• GMAT™ Official Guide 2022: eBook & Online Question Bank

Students can procure these resources from the official GMAT portal.

Tips for Creating an Effective Study Plan

• Determine your target verbal and quant scores. 
• Set a timeline for preparing GMAT through practice papers and mock tests.
• Establish a study sequence by adhering to the set exam structure and your target GMAT score.
• Use the above resources and other books from offline to familiarise yourself and improve each section of the GMAT syllabus.
• Regularly review your performance.
• Strive to score more than your previous attempts. 

AbroAdvice offers quality consultation and exam preparation tips to help students ace their upcoming GMAT.

Set up a meeting and discuss your needs with us today or whenever you see fit.