
The Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) is a standardised exam for graduates to assess their business aptitude based on - problem-solving, communication, and strategic thinking skills. Conducted for over 50 years now by GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council), GMAT 11th Edition which is also the latest version, tests applicants in three sections (1) Quantitative Reasoning (QR), (2) Verbal Reasoning (VR), and (3) Data Insights (DI).
GMAT's sections collectively assess applicants' quantitative logical reasoning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and data analysis skills. GMAT is a computer-adaptive test (CAT), and includes only MCQ-based questions. The GMAT test is popularly taken by applicants not just aspiring for an MBA abroad but also courses like MIM, MS in Management and other business-related courses.
- The GMAT is administered both at home and at an exam centre.
- The GMAT Exam fee in India is USD 275 for the GMAT at a test centre whereas, USD 300 is charged for taking the GMAT exam at home.
- The GMAT exam dates are available around the year and registrations are open 24 hours before each GMAT exam date.
- The GMAT 11th Edition is 2 hours and 15 minutes long and is a more flexible, efficient and condensed format of the exam.
- GMAT 2025: Key Highlights
- What is GMAT?
- GMAT Eligibility For Indian Students 2025
- GMAT 2025 Exam Pattern
- GMAT Syllabus 2025
- GMAT Registration & Slot Booking 2025
- GMAT Exam Fees in India 2025
- GMAT Exam Dates 2025
- GMAT 2025 Test Centres
- GMAT Results & Scores 2025
- GMAT 2025 Preparation Tips
- GMAT 2025 FAQs
GMAT 2025: Key Highlights
Exam Name |
GMAT |
---|---|
GMAT Exam for 2025 - Focus Edition Transition | The GMAT was replaced by the GMAT Exam (Focus Edition) on February 1, 2024. |
Conducted by |
GMAC |
Official Website |
https://www.mba.com |
Popularly Given for |
MBA, MIM or other PG Business Courses |
Accepted in |
India & Abroad |
Types of Questions |
All MCQ-based |
Mode of Conduction |
Online: either at home or at a test centre |
GMAT Exam Fee |
NOTE: Convert USD to INR to check the latest fee before making the payment |
Question Distribution |
|
Scoring Scale |
205 - 805 |
Overall Duration of Exam |
135 minutes + an additional 10-minute optional break |
Sectional Duration |
45 minutes per section |
How to register for GMAT |
Online through https://www.mba.com |
Score Reporting | Official Score Report available in mba.com account within 48 hrs. |
Score Validity | Scores valid for 5 years; reportable for up to 10 years. |
Retake Policy | Max 5 attempts in 12 months; 8 times in entire lifetime; minimum 16-day interval between retakes. |
Cancellation/Refund Policy | >60 days: USD 110/120 refund; 15–60 days: USD 80/90 refund; <14 days: USD 55/60 refund; No cancellations/reschedules ≤ 24 hrs before test - no refund. |
Total GMAT Takers in 2024 |
115,286 |
GMAT Contact Details for Indian Students |
Phone: +91 120-439-7830, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. IST |
Commonly asked questions
What is GMAT?
The GMAT entrance exam is meant to judge the analytical abilities of the candidates in the quantitative section and verbal reasoning sections.
- Even though the GMAT exam is meant for MBA admissions, students are not required to prepare anything related to management.
- GMAT judges the basic mathematical and verbal skills that are required for you to survive your B-School academics. Hence, students who do not have to management background must not be worried about their GMAT preparation.
- The GMAT is designed in a manner to test students based on their logical skills can attempt this entrance exam.
Check out what is GMAT test is for more details in the video below:
GMAT Full Form
The full form of GMAT is the Graduate Management Admission Test. This standardised graduate exam is required for admission to MBA and other postgraduate business-level courses abroad. The latest version was denoted as the GMAT Focus Edition or GMAT (11th Edition), now referred to simply as GMAT to avoid confusion.
Why Take GMAT Exam?
Applicants should consider taking the GMAT exam for the following reasons:
- The purpose of taking GMAT is to understand the applicant's aptitude for graduate business courses. It also helps the admission committee gain an overview of the potential of applicants to pursue a rigorous graduate business school program.
- Achieving a considerably high GMAT score showcases the commitment of applicants to pursue management studies at the graduate level.
- GMAT exam assesses skills of problem solving, data analysis and critical thinking, which in turn shows the admission committees how fit the applicant will be for the business management program. Plus, GMAT demonstrates the applicant's preparedness to pursue such competitive courses as the MBA.
- The GMAT scores are a key parameter for admissions to universities abroad for MBA or MIM admissions.
- There are various merit-based scholarships based on GMAT scores, so those who have a score can avail them to ease financial load to attend expensive B-schools abroad.
For more details, check out: Top Reasons to Take GMAT Exam
Commonly asked questions
GMAT Eligibility For Indian Students 2025
As such, GMAC (the organisation that conducts GMAT) does not specify GMAT eligibility criteria for appearing in the GMAT Focus Edition. Students who wish to apply for business courses at the master’s level will be eligible for admission only if they submit GMAT scores if the institution requires them.
Also, no educational degree requirement is supposed to be furnished while registering for the GMAT Focus Edition to prove one’s eligibility criteria. However, the applicant may be asked when and from where they will complete their graduation and the course. GMAT eligibility is as follows:
- The candidate must be 18 years of age. There is no upper age limit for candidates who are eligible for the GMAT. If the candidate is between 13 and 17 years old, they must have written permission (NOC) from their parents or a legal guardian.
- GMAC has not announced any official statement regarding the qualifications as per GMAT eligibility required to appear for the GMAT exam.
- Since GMAT is a standardised exam required for postgraduate admissions, having a bachelor's degree is generally better.
- No work experience is required to be furnished for eligibility for GMAT Focus.
This is all about GMAT eligibility criteria, and nothing has changed much after GMAT Focus came into play.
Commonly asked questions
GMAT 2025 Exam Pattern
Since the GMAT exam pattern has changed over time, it is essential to compare both versions before beginning preparation. Let us first understand how the old GMAT exam version differs from the latest GMAT Focus pattern and then discuss the new one in detail in the following sections.
Old GMAT vs GMAT Focus Pattern
Here is a comparative study on the old GMAT exam pattern versus the GMAT Focus Edition pattern in the table below for applicants:
Features |
GMAT 10th Edition (Old) |
GMAT Focus Edition (New) |
---|---|---|
Exam Duration |
3 hours 7 minutes |
2 hours 15 minutes |
Sections |
QR, VR, IR, AWA |
QR, VR, DI |
Question Type |
MCQs + 1 Essay |
All MCQs |
Total Questions |
80 |
64 |
Scoring Range |
200-800 |
205-805 |
Section Order |
Fixed options |
Any order possible |
Review/Edit Answers |
No |
Yes (limited) |
Free Score Sending |
Before the exam (5 schools) |
After score (5 schools) |
AWA, Sentence Correction & Geometry Topics of Testing |
Yes |
No |
Integrated Reasoning (IR) |
Separate Section |
Integrated into Data Insights |
Data Sufficiency (DS) |
Part of Quantitative Reasoning |
Part of Data Insights |
Flexibility |
Limited |
High |
Enhanced Score Report (ESR) |
Paid |
Free |
Optional Breaks |
2 x 8 minutes |
1 x 10 minutes |
Score Equivalence (710) |
90th Percentile |
93rd Percentile |
Mean Score |
574.51 |
546.01 |
As given above, there are all the changes in GMAT format that are live for the past two years now. As applicants can see, the AWA, Sentence Correction, and Geometry have been removed. And Integrated Reasoning is now a part of the new section - Data Insights. Data sufficiency is a part of the Quantitative Reasoning section. Now that GMAT Focus Edition vs Classic GMAT is understood, here is the new GMAT pattern.
GMAT Focus Edition Pattern
The latest GMAT exam paper has a new pattern. The GMAT Focus Edition pattern is straightforward and clearly defined by GMAC. The Focus Edition exam paper has three sections, each lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes. The new GMAT format is as follows:
GMAT Focus Edition Sections |
Total Number of Questions Tested |
Time Allocated |
---|---|---|
Quantitative Reasoning |
21 Questions |
45 minutes |
Verbal Reasoning |
23 Questions |
45 minutes |
Data Insights |
20 Questions |
45 minutes |
There are 64 questions in the new GMAT format, which are equally marked and in the MCQ format. There is no writing or essay section on GMAT Focus Edition. Additionally, candidates can take two optional eight-minute breaks during the GMAT exam. Read more about the GMAT Exam Pattern in detail.
Commonly asked questions
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GMAT Syllabus 2025
The GMAT Focus Edition syllabus tests the candidate's abilities on various parameters. Further, the syllabus of GMAT for the three sections is as follows:
- Quantitative Aptitude consists of Arithmetic and Algebraic Math questions.
- Verbal Reasoning consists of Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension-related questions.
- Data Insights is basically a data analysis skill test set of questions and tests applicants on topics of - Data Sufficiency, Multi-Source Reasoning, Table Analysis, Graphics Interpreattion and Two-Part Analyses.
Since the latest version of GMAT referred to as the GMAT Focus Edition is rolling, a further slashing of timing and one entire section has been witnessed. Applicants have a lower number of questions which are to be answered based on pure logic and the application of rules. For further details on topics tested on each of these sections, applicants can check out, the GMAT Syllabus.
Commonly asked questions
GMAT Registration & Slot Booking 2025
According to GMAC, applicants can do GMAT registration 6 months before the GMAT Test date or a maximum of 24 hours before the GMAT exam date. However, the students are advised to plan their GMAT exam 2025 and book their slots well in time. To register for GMAT Focus, the applicants can go for GMAT registration online on the official website. The GMAT registration can happen in less than 15 minutes. A lot of times, students do not knwo how to register for GMAT exam. To help students understand how to register for GMAT systematically, they can follow the steps given below.
How to Register for GMAT 2025:
How to register for GMAT exam? There is only one way to register for GMAT: by registering online through a laptop or phone. These steps are essential for applicants to know how to register for GMAT exam:
- The applicants must register on MBA.com and choose their GMAT exam dates.
- Choose to register for GMAT either at a test centre or online, choose the appropriate centre and make a payment
- GMAT Focus exam dates are available based on region and seat availability throughout the year. Hence, it is always better to register for GMAT exam dates as soon as possible.
But how to register for GMAT? There are 9 steps to register for the GMAT and different steps for the GMAT schedule. You can read the complete steps for GMAT registration.
GMAT Slot Booking 2025
To appear for the GMAT exam, applicants will have to shortlist the GMAT exam dates before they apply for GMAT. The GMAT slot booking is selecting a suitable time slot for taking the GMAT exam. The GMAT slot booking is essential for understanding when to take the GMAT exam. Booking dates is called the slot booking. So applicants have first to understand the Graduate Management Admission Test registration details and sign up to create an account only then will they be able to book a GMAT exam slot.
Steps to Book GMAT Exam Slot
If you are planning to appear for GMAT Focus, then you will have to check the GMAT exam slots, and this how you can check:
- Sign up on the official website and create your account.
- Once you have created the account, you add your address.
- The window will open to choose your GMAT exam slot. Once you select the dates, confirm and choose the time.
- Pay the fee and appear for GMAT on the chosen GMAT exam slot.
This way you can choose your GMAT exam slot and appear for GMAT based on your time and place convenience.
Commonly asked questions
GMAT Exam Fees in India 2025
The GMAT exam fee in India is USD 300 for GMAT Online and USD 275 if taking GMAT at a test centre. An additional fee applies for rescheduling or cancelling GMAT registrations. Candidates not attending the test will be charged full GMAT exam fees. Following is a breakup of the GMAT exam fee for Indian students appearing for the exam soon:
GMAT Exam Fee Parameters | GMAT Focus Edition Fees | |
---|---|---|
GMAT Focus at a Test Center | GMAT Focus Online | |
GMAT Focus Edition | USD 275 | USD 300 |
Additional Score Report | USD 35 (per report) | USD 35 (per report) |
GMAT Exam Fee 2025 in INR for Focus Edition:
- GMAT Exam Fee Online: USD 300 which is ₹26,451 + taxes (additionally charged)
- GMAT Exam Fee at Test Centre: USD 275 which costs around ₹24,246 + taxes charged additionally
The GMAT exam fee for the Focus Edition is the same, except for the cancellation charges. There have been some changes in the rescheduling time and cancellation charges for applicants in the GMAT exam fee.
Additional Fees for the GMAT (Focus Edition)
Beyond the five free GMAT score reports, there is an additional USD 35 fee charged per score report from applicants. The fee is common for both GMAT at test centre or GMAT Online. Apart from this, there are rescheduling and cancellation fees also, which are charged additionally if applicants wish to make changes to their original exam appointments.
GMAT Rescheduling Fee
Those looking at rescheduling GMAT for any reason, will have to pay the below given additional fee:
GMAT Reschedule Fees | GMAT at Test Centre | GMAT Online |
---|---|---|
<60 days before GMAT appointment | USD 55 | USD 60 |
15-60 days before GMAT appointment | USD 110 | USD 120 |
>14 days before GMAT appointment | USD 165 | USD 180 |
GMAT Cancellation Fee
If planning to cancel GMAT registration, applicants may get some percent of refund in some cases. Check out the details below:
GMAT Cancellation Fees | GMAT at Test Centre | GMAT Online |
---|---|---|
<60 days before GMAT appointment | Refund of USD 110 | Refund of USD 120 |
15-60 days before GMAT appointment | Refund of USD 80 | Refund of USD 90 |
>14 days before GMAT appointment | Refund of USD 55 | Refund of USD 60 |
Applicants should look at these other fee details essential for managing their GMAT appointments' cancellation or rescheduling.
Commonly asked questions
GMAT Exam Dates 2025
Commonly asked questions
GMAT 2025 Test Centres
Commonly asked questions
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GMAT Results & Scores 2025
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Commonly asked questions
Comments
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2 years ago
The current version of the GMAT exam "will continue to be available until early next year". There is no specific date for the same. After MCom, you may opt for an MBA as it will enhance your profile. You might as well venture into a new field (e.g. supply chain management) if you find it interestin
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2 years ago
Hello. Now that you have completed your graduation, you can very well appear for the GMAT exam. Please make sure to check the eligibility criteria for MBA abroad as certain B-schools demand prior work experience. You may also apply for MIM programmes as they are also rewarding. You may check the to