The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT,  /ˈdʒiːmæt/ jee-mat) is a computer-adaptive standardized test in mathematics and the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. Business schools use the test as a criterion for admission into graduate business administration programs (e.g. MBA, Master of Accountancy, etc.) principally in the United States, but also in other English-speaking countries. It is delivered via computer at various locations around the world. In those international locations where an extensive network of computers has not yet been established, the GMAT is offered either at temporary computer-based testing centers on a limited schedule or as a paper-based test (given once or twice a year) at local testing centers. As of September 2010, the fee to take the test is US$250.
Scope
The exam is intended to measure verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that the examinee has developed over a long period of time in his or her education and work; test takers answer questions in each of these three areas.[2] in general, the test takes about four hours to complete.

Scores are valid for five years (at most institutions) from the date the test taker sits the exam until the date of matriculation.[clarification needed]

The maximum score that can be achieved on the exam is 800. Over the 3 years concluding in March 2011, the mean score has been 540.4.[3][4]

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is the first section of the test. This is followed by the Quantitative section, and the test concludes with the Verbal Ability section.

Analytical Writing Assessment
The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section of the test consists of two essays. In the first, the student must analyze an argument and in the second the student must analyze an issue. Each essay must be written within 30 minutes and is scored on a scale of 0–6. The essay is scored by a human and by a computer program; each scorer marks the essay with a grade from 0 to 6. If the two scores differ by one point or less, they are averaged. If the two scores differ by more than one point, the essay is scored a third time by a human reader.[5]

The first scorer is "IntelliMetric", a proprietary software by Vantage Learning, which purports to analyze creative writing and syntax by using a number of linguistic and structural features.[6][dead link] The second and third readers are humans, who evaluate the quality of the examinee's ideas and his ability to organize, develop, and express ideas with relevant support. While mastery of the conventions of written English factor into scoring, minor errors are expected, and evaluators are instructed to be "sensitive"[clarification needed] to examinees whose first language is not English.

Each of the two essays in the Analytical Writing part of the test is graded on a scale of 0 (the minimum) to 6 (the maximum):
 0 An essay that is totally illegible or obviously not written on the assigned topic.
 1 An essay that is fundamentally deficient.
 2 An essay that is seriously flawed.
 3 An essay that is seriously limited.
 4 An essay that is merely adequate.
 5 An essay that is strong.
 6 An essay that is outstanding.

Over the 3 years concluding in March 2011, the mean score has been 4.

Quantitative Section
The quantitative section consists of 37 multiple choice questions, which must be answered within 75 minutes. There are two types of questions: problem solving and data sufficiency. The quantitative section is scored from 0 to 60 points. Over the 3 years ending in March 2011, the mean score has been 36.2/60; scores above 50 and below 7 are rare.

Problem Solving
This tests the quantitative reasoning ability of the examinee. Problem-solving questions present multiple-choice problems in arithmetic, basic algebra, and elementary geometry. The task is to solve the problems and choose the correct answer from among five answer choices. Some problems will be plain mathematical calculations; the rest will be presented as real life word problems that will require mathematical solutions.
 Numbers: All numbers used are real numbers. Figures: The diagrams and figures that accompany these questions are for the purpose of providing useful information in answering the questions. Unless it is stated that a specific figure is not drawn to scale, the diagrams and figures are drawn as accurately as possible. All figures are in a plane unless otherwise indicated.
Data Sufficiency

This tests the quantitative reasoning ability using an unusual set of directions. The examinee is given a question with two associated statements that provide information that might be useful in answering the question. The examinee must then determine whether either statement alone is sufficient to answer the question; whether both are needed to answer the question; or whether there is not enough information given to answer the question.

Data sufficiency is a unique type of math question created especially for the GMAT. Each item consists of the questions itself followed by two numbered statements.
 (A) If statement 1 alone is sufficient to answer the question, but statement 2 alone is not sufficient. (B) If statement 2 alone is sufficient to answer the question, but statement 1 alone is not sufficient. (C) If both statements together are needed to answer the question, but neither statement alone is sufficient. (D) If either statement by itself is sufficient to answer the question. (E) If not enough facts are given to answer the question.
Perhaps the easiest way to fully internalize the scope of these questions is to replace the word “is” with the words “must be” — the questions are not asking whether an answer is possible, but rather, whether it "must" be the case.http://tutormba.blogspot.com/