GMAT For Dummies 2020: Book + 7 Practice Tests (2020)

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GMAT For Dummies 2020: Book + 7 Practice Tests (2020) provides real-world examples to reinforce your learning.

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GMAT™ 2020 For Dummies® with Online Practice
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ
07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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GMAT™ 2020 For Dummies®
To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to
www.dummies.com and search for “GMAT 2020
For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Table of Contents
Cover
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with the GMAT
Chapter 1: The Lowdown on the GMAT
Knowing Why the GMAT Is Important
Timing It Perfectly: When to Take the GMAT (And What to Bring)
Forming First Impressions: The Format of the GMAT
Knowing Where You Stand: Scoring Considerations
Repeating the Process: Retaking the GMAT
Chapter 2: Maximizing Your Score on the GMAT
Discovering Strategies for Successful Guessing
Winning the Race against the Clock
Getting Rid of Wrong Answers
Playing It Smart: A Few Things You Shouldn’t Do When Taking the
Test

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Tackling a Case of Nerves with Relaxation Techniques
Devising a Plan of Attack
Chapter 3: Mastering Business School Admissions
Choosing a Business School
Lining Up Your Ducks — Applying to Business Schools
Crafting Effective Business School Essays
Part 2: Vanquishing the Verbal Section
Chapter 4: Applying What You Learned (We Hope) in
Grammar Class: Sentence Correction
Building a Solid Foundation: Grammar Basics
Pointing Out Mistakes: Common Sentence Correction Errors
Implementing an Approach to Sentence Correction Questions
Sentence Correction Practice Problems with Answer Explanations
Chapter 5: Not as Enticing as a Bestseller: Reading
Comprehension
Judging by Appearances: What Reading Comprehension Questions
Look Like
Approaching Reading Passages
Sticking to the Subject: Types of Passages
Approaching Reading Comprehension Questions
Reading Comprehension Practice Questions with Answer
Explanations
Chapter 6: Thinking This through Logically: Critical
Reasoning
Focusing on “Critical” Concepts: An Overview
Making a Case: Essentials of Informal Logic
Thinking Inside the Box: Question Types
Stalking Your Prey: How to Approach Each Question Type
Critical Reasoning Practice Questions and Answer Explanations
Chapter 7: Bringing It Together: A Mini Practice
Verbal Section
Working Through Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions
Understanding What’s Right with Answer Explanations

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Part 3: Acing the Analytical Writing Section
Chapter 8: Analyze This: What to Expect from the
Analytical Writing Assessment
Fitting in the AWA with the Rest of the GMAT
Calling 411: Your AWA Writing Tools
Analyzing an Argument
Racking Up the Points: How the GMAT Scores Your Essay
Chapter 9: Present Perfect Paragraphs: How to Write
a GMAT Essay
Avoiding Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics Errors
Building a Better Essay: Ten Steps to a Higher Score
Chapter 10: Deconstructing Sample GMAT Essays
Defining GMAT AWA Scores
Taking a Look at Sample Essays
Chapter 11: Sampling a Series of Writing Prompts
Sample Prompt #1
Sample Prompt #2
Sample Prompt #3
Sample Prompt #4
Part 4: Conquering the Quantitative Section
Chapter 12: Getting Back to Basics: Numbers and
Operations
Just Your Type: Kinds of Numbers
It’s Not Brain Surgery: Basic Operations
Using Little Numbers for Big Values: Bases and Exponents
Checking Out the Ancestry: Roots
Order of Operations: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
Splitting Up: Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages
Making Comparisons: Ratios and Proportions
Playing the Numbers: Scientific Notation
Chapter 13: Considering All the Variables: Algebra

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Defining the Elements: Algebraic Terms
Maintaining an Orderly Fashion: Algebraic Operations
Extracting Information: Factoring Polynomials
Minding Your Ps and Qs: Functions
Putting On Your Thinking Cap: Problem Solving
Chapter 14: Getting the Angle on Geometry: Planes
and Solids
Fishing for the Answers: Lines and Angles
Trusting Triangles
Playing Four Square: Quadrilaterals
Showing Their Good Sides: Other Polygons
Eating Up Pieces of Pi: Circles
Getting a Little Depth Perception: Three-Dimensional Geometry
Chapter 15: Keeping in Step: Coordinate Geometry
Taking Flight: The Coordinate Plane
Slip-Sliding Away: Slope and Linear Equations
Fully Functioning: Graphing Functions
Chapter 16: Manipulating Numbers: Statistics and
Sets
Joining a Clique: Groups
Setting Up Sets
Making Arrangements: Permutations and Combinations
Meeting in the Middle: Mean, Median, and Mode
Straying from Home: Range and Standard Deviation
Predicting the Future: Probability
Chapter 17: It’s All in the Presentation: GMAT
Quantitative Question Types
Enough’s Enough: Data Sufficiency Questions
Taking a Look at Data Sufficiency Practice Problems
Houston, We Have a Problem: Problem Solving Questions
Trying Out Some Problem Solving Practice Problems
Chapter 18: All Together Now: A Mini Practice

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Quantitative Section
Tackling GMAT Math Practice Questions
Checking Out the Answer Explanations
Part 5: Excelling on the Integrated Reasoning Section
Chapter 19: Best of Both Worlds: The Integrated
Reasoning Section
Understanding What the IR Section Is All About
Figuring Out How the IR Section Is Scored
Making the Most of Your Time
Approaching Each Question Type
Chapter 20: Deciphering Data in Charts and Graphs
Approaching Integrated Reasoning Data in Five Easy Steps
Translating Information in Tables
Making Comparisons with Bar Graphs
Evaluating Line Graphs
Clarifying Circle Graphs (Also Known as Pie Charts)
Extracting Data from Venn Diagrams
Part 6: Practice Makes Perfect
Chapter 21: GMAT Practice Test
Answer Sheet
Section 1: Analytical Writing Assessment
Section 2: Integrated Reasoning
Section 3: Quantitative
Section 4: Verbal
Chapter 22: Practice Test Answers and Explanations
Section 1: Analytical Writing Assessment
Section 2: Integrated Reasoning
Section 3: Quantitative Reasoning
Section 4: Verbal
Answers at a Glance
Part 7: The Part of Tens

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Chapter 23: Ten Question Types You’ve Got a Good
Shot At
Main-Theme Reading Questions
Specific Information Reading Questions
Sentence Corrections
Exception Questions for Reading Passages
Strengthening or Weakening Critical Arguments
Data Sufficiency Math Questions
Math Problem Solving with Figures
Math Problems Involving Basic Operations
Substitution Math Problems
Graph- and Table Analysis Questions
Chapter 24: Ten Writing Errors to Avoid
Composing Complicated Sentences
Presenting Your Text in Passive Voice
Wasting Time with Unfamiliar Words
Using Unclear (Or Zero) Transitions
Going Overboard with Generic Terms
Writing in Informal English
Giving a Laundry List of Examples
Succumbing to Sentence Fragments
Announcing a Position without Explanation
Putting Aside Proofreading
Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Increase Your Chances of
Getting into Business School
Accumulate a Little Work Experience
Ace the Interview
Apply Early
Apply While You’re Upwardly Mobile
Capitalize on What Makes You Unique
Demonstrate Interest
Focus on Fit
Get the Right Recommendations

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Study for the GMAT
Write a Memorable Admissions Essay
Index
About the Authors
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 4
TABLE 4-1 Idiomatically Correct Constructions for the GMAT
TABLE 4-2 Correlative Expressions
Chapter 12
TABLE 12-1 Rules for Multiplying and Dividing with Exponents
Chapter 13
TABLE 13-1 Defining Terms for Functions
TABLE 13-2 Mathematical Symbols for Equality and Inequality
TABLE 13-3 Common Words and Their Math Equivalents
Chapter 14
TABLE 14-1 Rules for Lines and Angles
Chapter 16
TABLE 16-1 The Weighted Mean of Grade Point Averages
TABLE 16-2 Finding the Probability of the Occurrence of Multiple Events
List of Illustrations
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Fraction of a pie.

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Chapter 14
FIGURE 14-1: Line, line segment, and ray.
FIGURE 14-2: Acute angle.
FIGURE 14-3: Right angle.
FIGURE 14-4: Obtuse angle.
FIGURE 14-5: Angles of a triangle are in proportion to their opposite sides.
FIGURE 14-6: The base and height of a triangle.
FIGURE 14-7: The 30:60:90-degree triangle.
FIGURE 14-8: The 45:45:90-degree triangle.
FIGURE 14-9: Similar triangles.
FIGURE 14-10: A parallelogram.
FIGURE 14-11: Finding the area of a parallelogram.
FIGURE 14-12: The bases and height of a trapezoid.
FIGURE 14-13: Radius and diameter of a circle.
FIGURE 14-14: An arc and central angle.
FIGURE 14-15: A chord.
FIGURE 14-16: Inscribed and circumscribed figures.
FIGURE 14-17: Tangent line.
FIGURE 14-18: Volume of a rectangular solid.
FIGURE 14-19: Surface area of a rectangular solid.
FIGURE 14-20: A cube.
FIGURE 14-21: A right circular cylinder.
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15-1: Points on the coordinate plane.
FIGURE 15-2: Finding slope.
FIGURE 15-3: Types of slope.
FIGURE 15-4: The graph of y = 4x + 1.
FIGURE 15-5: Graphing lines and inequalities.
FIGURE 15-6: Finding the distance between two points.
FIGURE 15-7: A parabola with its vertex on the origin.
FIGURE 15-8: Straight lines that pass the vertical line test.
FIGURE 15-9: Graphs of curved lines (parabolas).
FIGURE 15-10: Domain and range demonstrated by a parabola.

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FIGURE 15-11: Domain and range demonstrated by a sloping straight line.
FIGURE 15-12: Domain and range demonstrated by a horizontal line.
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16-1: Venn diagrams showing the union and intersection of sets.
FIGURE 16-2: Distribution of the standard deviation from the mean.
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17-1: Data sufficiency answer elimination chart.
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19-1: The GMAT calculator.
FIGURE 19-2: Sample table analysis format.
FIGURE 19-3: Sample multi-source reasoning format, background tab.
FIGURE 19-4: Sample multi-source reasoning format, contract tab.
FIGURE 19-5: Sample multi-source reasoning format, guest list tab.
Chapter 20
FIGURE 20-1: You’re likely to see a table like this one as part of a GMAT
integ...
FIGURE 20-2: Simple bar graph.
FIGURE 20-3: Simple bar graph showing ranges of values.
FIGURE 20-4: Bar graph with multiple categories.
FIGURE 20-5: Segmented bar graph with subcategories.
FIGURE 20-6: Line graph.
FIGURE 20-7: Scatter plot or scatter graph.
FIGURE 20-8: Scatter plot with trend line.
FIGURE 20-9: Scatter plot with multiple variables.
FIGURE 20-10: Circle graph or pie chart.
FIGURE 20-11: Venn diagram of 100 cat and dog owners.
FIGURE 20-12: Venn diagram of 100 pet owners.

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Introduction
You’re merrily skimming through the admissions requirements for your
favorite MBA programs when all of a sudden, you’re dealt a shocking
blow. Your absolute top choice program — you’ll die if you don’t get in
— requires that you take the Graduate Management Admission Test
(GMAT). And you thought your days of speed-reading passages and
solving for x were over.
Many MBA programs include the GMAT as an admissions requirement,
so you’ll be in good company. But how do you prepare for such a
comprehensive test? What are you going to do? Get out your spiral
notebooks from undergraduate courses and sift through years’ worth of
doodles? Many years may have gone by since you encountered a
geometry problem, and we bet your grammar skills have gotten a little
rusty since English 101.
Clearly, you need a readable, concisely structured resource. Well, you’ve
come to the right place. GMAT For Dummies 2020, with Online Practice,
puts at your fingertips everything you need to know to conquer the
GMAT. We give you complete math and grammar reviews and provide
insights into how to avoid the pitfalls that the GMAT creators want you to
fall into. We also try to make this book as enjoyable as a book that devotes
itself to setting up equations and critiquing arguments can be.
About This Book
We suspect that you aren’t eagerly anticipating sitting through the GMAT,
and you’re probably not looking forward to studying for it, either.
Therefore, we’ve attempted to make the study process as painless as
possible by giving you clearly written advice in a casual tone. We realize
you have a bunch of things you’d rather be doing, so we’ve broken down
the information into easily digested bites. If you have an extra hour before
work or Pilates class, you can devour a chapter or even a particular section
within a chapter. (If these eating metaphors are making you hungry, feel

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free to take a snack break.)
In this book, you can find
Plenty of sample questions so you can see just how the GMAT tests a
particular concept. Our sample questions read like the actual test
questions, so you can get comfortable with the way the GMAT phrases
questions and expresses answer choices.
Detailed explanations of the strategies for mastering all four sections
of the GMAT. Enjoy a grammar review for the verbal reasoning
section, an extensive math lesson to help you with the quantitative
reasoning section, a summary of good writing practices for the
analytical writing assessment, and a how-to on reading all kinds of
charts and graphs for the integrated reasoning section.
Seven practice tests. One appears in this book in Chapter 21, and
you’ll find that one, plus five others online. Ultimately, the best way to
prepare for any standardized test is to practice on lots of test questions,
and this book, along with the accompanying online test bank, has
around 500 of them.
Time-tested techniques for improving your score. We show you how
to quickly eliminate incorrect answer choices and make educated
guesses.
Tips on how to manage your time wisely.
Suggestions for creating a relaxation routine to employ if you start to
panic during the test.
We’ve included all kinds of information to help you do your best on the
GMAT!
You should find this book easily accessible, but a few things may require
explanation. A few of the chapters may contain sidebars (a paragraph or
two in a shaded box) with quirky bits of information that we think may
interest you but aren’t essential to your performance on the GMAT. If
you’re trying to save time, you can skip the sidebars.

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Foolish Assumptions
Although we guess it’s possible that you picked up this book just because
you have an insatiable love for math, grammar, and argument analysis,
we’re betting it’s more likely that you’re reading this book particularly
because you’ve been told you need to take the GMAT. (We have been
praised for our startling ability to recognize the obvious!) And because
we’re pretty astute, we’ve figured that this means that you intend to apply
to MBA programs and probably are considering working toward a Master
of Business Administration.
Generally, MBA programs are pretty selective, so we’re thinking that
you’re pretty motivated to get into the program of your choice. Some of
you are fresh out of college and may have more recent experience with
math and grammar. Others of you probably haven’t stepped into a
classroom in over a decade but possess work skills and life experience that
will help you maximize your GMAT score despite the time that’s passed
since college.
If math and grammar are fresh in your mind and you just need to know
what to expect when you arrive at the test site, this book has that
information for you. If you’ve been out of school for a while, this book
provides you with all the basics as well as advanced concepts to give you
everything you need to know to excel on the GMAT.
Icons Used in This Book
One exciting feature of this book is the icons that highlight especially
significant portions of the text. These little pictures in the margins alert
you to areas where you should pay particularly close attention.
This icon highlights really important information that you should
remember even after you close the book.

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Throughout the book, we give you insights into how you can
enhance your performance on the GMAT. The tips give you juicy
timesavers and point out especially relevant concepts to keep in mind
for the test.
Your world won’t fall apart if you ignore our warnings, but your
score may suffer. Heed these cautionary pointers to avoid making
careless mistakes that can cost you points.
Whenever you see this icon in the text, you know you’re going to
get to practice the particular area of instruction covered in that
section with a question like one you may see on the test. Our
examples include detailed explanations of how to most efficiently
answer GMAT questions and avoid common pitfalls.
Beyond the Book
Be sure to check out the free Cheat Sheet for a handy guide that covers
tips and tricks for answering questions in each section of the GMAT. To
get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and enter “GMAT
For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
You also get access to seven full-length online practice tests, as well as
100 flashcards (50 verbal and 50 quantitative). To gain access to the
online practice, all you have to do is register. Just follow these simple
steps:
1. Register your book or ebook at Dummies.com to get your PIN. Go
to www.dummies.com/go/getaccess.

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2. Select your product from the drop-down list on that page.
3. Follow the prompts to validate your product, and then check your
email for a confirmation message that includes your PIN and
instructions for logging in.
If you do not receive this email within two hours, please check your spam
folder before contacting us through our Technical Support website at
http://support.wiley.com or by phone at 877-762-2974.
Now you’re ready to go! You can come back to the practice material as
often as you want — simply log on with the username and password you
created during your initial login. No need to enter the access code a
second time.
Your registration is good for one year from the day you activate your PIN.
Where to Go from Here
We know that everyone who uses this book has different strengths and
weaknesses, so this book is designed for you to read in the way that best
suits you. If you’re a math whiz and need to brush up only on your verbal
skills, you can skim Part 4 and focus on Parts 1, 2, and 3. If you’ve been
writing proposals every day for the last ten years, you can probably scan
Part 3 and focus your attention on the math review in Part 4. Because the
integrated reasoning section differs so significantly from other
standardized test questions, you’ll benefit from reading Part 5 regardless
of your math prowess or verbal genius.
We suggest that you take a more thorough approach, however. Familiarize
yourself with the general test-taking process in the first two chapters and
then go through the complete GMAT review, starting with the verbal
section and working your way through the analytical writing, math, and
integrated reasoning sections. You can skim through information that you
know more about by just reading the Tips and Warnings and working
through the examples in those sections.
Some of our students like to take a diagnostic test before they study. This

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is a fancy way of saying that they take one of the full-length practice tests
before they read the rest of the book. Taking a preview test shows you
which questions you seem to cruise through and which areas need more
work. After you’ve taken a practice exam, you can focus your study time
on the question types that gave you the most trouble during the exam.
Then, when you’ve finished reading through the rest of the book (Parts 1,
2, 3, 4, and 5), you can take another practice test and compare your score
to the one you got on the first test. This way, you can see just how much
you improve with practice.
This book provides you with a bunch of practice tests, but you can never
get enough practice. So, if after taking all the practice tests provided at
dummies.com, you still crave more, visit the official GMAT website at
www.mba.com and download the free GMATPrep software from there. This
software mimics the computerized format of the test and gives you
practice on the types of mouse-clicking and eye-straining skills you need
to succeed on the exam. That way, you can experience using the same
software you’ll see on the exam.
We’re confident that if you devote a few hours a week for at least six
weeks to practicing the skills and tips we provide for you in this book,
you’ll do the best you can when you sit in front of that computer on
GMAT test day. We wish you our best for your ultimate GMAT score!

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Chapter 1
The Lowdown on the GMAT
IN THIS CHAPTER
Finding out how MBA programs use your GMAT score
Deciding when to take the GMAT and knowing what to bring
Figuring out the format of the GMAT
Understanding how the GMAT is scored
Considering whether you should retake the GMAT
Congratulations on deciding to take a significant step in your business
career! More than 100 countries offer the Graduate Management
Admission Test (GMAT), and according to the Graduate Management
Admission Council, more than 7,000 programs at 2,300 universities and
organizations in 110 countries use the GMAT to make admissions
decisions. That said, you’re probably not taking the GMAT because you
want to. In fact, you may not be looking forward to the experience at all!
But the GMAT need not be a daunting ordeal. A little knowledge can help
calm your nerves, so this chapter shows you how admissions programs use
your test score, and addresses the concerns you may have about the
GMAT’s format and testing and scoring procedures.
Knowing Why the GMAT Is
Important
If you’re reading this book, you’re probably thinking about applying to an
MBA program. And if you’re applying to an MBA program, you probably
need to take the GMAT. Many MBA programs require that you submit a
GMAT score for the admissions process. (Some may require other tests or
no test at all, so make sure you check each program’s admissions

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checklist.)
Your GMAT score gives the admissions committee another tool to use to
assess your skills and compare you with other applicants. But if you’re
seeking a career in business, you’re probably resigned to being continually
assessed and compared. The GMAT doesn’t attempt to evaluate any
particular subject area that you may have studied, but instead it gives
admissions officers a reliable idea of how you’ll likely perform in the
classes that make up a graduate business curriculum. Although the GMAT
doesn’t rate your experience or motivation, it does provide an estimate of
your academic preparation for graduate business studies.
Not every MBA applicant has the same undergraduate experience,
but most applicants take a standardized test. Other admissions
factors, like college grades, work experience, the admissions essay or
essays, and a personal interview, are important, but the GMAT is a
tool that admissions committees can use to directly compare you with
other applicants.
The most selective schools primarily admit candidates with solid GMAT
scores, and good scores will certainly strengthen your application to any
program, but you shouldn’t feel discouraged if your practice tests don’t
put you in the 90th percentile. Very few students achieve anything near a
perfect score on the GMAT. Even if you don’t score as high as you want
to, you undoubtedly have other strengths in your admissions profile, such
as work experience, leadership ability, good college grades, motivation,
and people skills. You may want to contact the admissions offices of the
schools you’re interested in to see how much they emphasize the GMAT.
That said, the GMAT is a very important factor in admissions, and
because you’re required to take the test anyway, you should do everything
you can to perform your best!
Timing It Perfectly: When to Take

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the GMAT (And What to Bring)
Which MBA programs to apply to isn’t the only decision you have to
make. After you’ve figured out where you want to go, you have to make
plans for the GMAT. You need to determine the best time to take the test
and what to bring with you when you do. The following sections can help
you out.
When to register for and take the GMAT
When is the best time to take the GMAT? With the computerized testing
procedures, this question has become more interesting than it was in the
days of paper-based tests. When the exam was a paper-and-pencil format
with a test booklet and an answer sheet full of bubbles, you had a limited
choice of possible test dates — about one every two months. Now you’ve
got much more flexibility when choosing the date and time for taking the
test. You can pick just about any time to sit down and click answer
choices with your mouse.
Registering when you’re ready
The first step in the GMAT registration process is scheduling an
appointment, but don’t put off making this appointment the way you’d put
off calling the dentist (even though you’d probably like to avoid both!).
Depending on the time of year, appointment times can go quickly.
Usually, you have to wait at least a month for an open time. To determine
what’s available, you can go to the official GMAT website at
www.mba.com. From there, you can choose a testing location and find out
what dates and times are available at that location. When you find a date
and time you like, you can register online, over the phone, or by mail or
fax.
The best time to take the GMAT is after you’ve had about four to six
weeks of quality study time and during a period when you don’t have a lot
of other things going on to distract you. Of course, if your MBA program
application is due in four weeks, put this book down and schedule an
appointment right away! Be sure to come right back, though. You need to
start studying — and now! If you have more flexibility, you should still

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plan to take the GMAT as soon as you think you’ve studied sufficiently.
All the following circumstances warrant taking the GMAT as soon as you
can:
You want to start your MBA program right away. If you’re
confident that you’d like to begin business school within the next few
semesters, you should consider taking the GMAT in the near future.
After you know your score, you’ll be better able to narrow down the
business schools you want to apply to. Then you can focus on the
other parts of your application, and you won’t have to worry about
having an application due in four weeks and no GMAT score.
You’re considering attending business school. Maybe you don’t
know whether you want to pursue an MBA. Even so, now’s a good
time to take the GMAT. Your GMAT score may help you decide that
you have the skills to succeed academically in graduate business
school. You may think that you don’t have what it takes, but your
performance on the GMAT may surprise you! If you do decide to
apply to an MBA program, you’ll already have one key component of
the application under wraps.
You’re about to earn (or have just earned) your bachelor’s degree.
If you’re nearing graduation or have just graduated from college and
you think you may want to get an MBA, it’s better to take the GMAT
now than wait until later. You’re used to studying. You’re used to
tests. And math and grammar concepts are probably as fresh on your
mind as they’ll ever be.
You don’t have to start an MBA program right away. Your GMAT
scores are generally valid for up to five years, so you can take the test
now and take advantage of your current skills as a student to get you
into a great graduate program later.
Giving yourself about four to six weeks to study provides you
with enough time to master the GMAT concepts but not so much
time that you forget what you’ve studied by the time you sit for the

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test.
Scheduling for success
Whenever you register, you want to consider your own schedule when
picking a test date and time. Take advantage of the flexibility allowed by
the computer format. The GMAT is no longer just an 8 a.m. Saturday
morning option. You can take the test any day of the week except Sunday,
and, depending on the test center, you may be able to start at a variety of
times. Many centers offer 8 a.m. testing times, but some have other
options, even 6:30 at night — great for those night owls who consider 8
a.m. a good bedtime rather than a good exam time. You have a little bit of
control over making the test fit into your life instead of having to make
your life fit the test!
If you’re not a morning person, don’t schedule an early test if you can
help it. If you’re better able to handle a nonstop, two-and-a-half-hour
barrage of questions — not to mention the analytical essay — after the sun
hits its highest point in the sky, schedule your test for the afternoon or
evening. By choosing the time that works for you, you’ll be able to
comfortably approach the test instead of worrying whether you set your
alarm. We’re guessing that you have enough to worry about in life as it is
without the added stress of an inconvenient test time.
Check the GMAT website for the available testing times at the test
centers near you. Then study for the test at the different available
times of the day to see when you’re at your best. Schedule your test
session for that time. Even if you have to take a few hours away from
work or classes, being able to take the test at a time that’s best for
you is worth it. And you may end up picking a test center based on its
available times rather than its proximity to you.
While you’re thinking about the time that’s best for the test, you should
think about days of the week, as well. For some people, Saturday may be a
good day for a test. For others, the weekend is the wrong time for that type
of concentrated academic activity. If you’re used to taking the weekends

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off, scheduling the test during the week may make more sense for you.
Choosing the time and day to take the GMAT is primarily up to
you. Be honest with yourself about your habits, preferences, and
schedule, and pick a time and day when you’ll excel.
Things to take to the GMAT (and things to leave at
home)
The most important thing you can bring to the GMAT is a positive attitude
and a willingness to succeed. However, if you forget your admission
voucher or your photo ID, you won’t get the chance to apply those
qualities! In addition to the voucher and ID, you may bring a list of five
schools where you’d like to have your scores sent. You can send your
scores to up to five schools for free if you select those schools when
entering your pretest information at the test site. (You can skip this step at
the testing center if you provide your school information when you
register online.) You can, of course, list fewer than five schools, but if you
decide to send your scores to additional schools later, you’ll have to pay.
If you can come up with five schools you’d like to apply to, you may as
well send your scores for free.
Because you can take two optional eight-minute breaks, we
recommend you bring along a quick snack, like a granola bar, and
perhaps a bottle of water. You can’t take food or drink with you to
the testing area, but you’re given a little locker that you can access
during a break.
That’s really all you need to bring. You can’t use a calculator, and the test
center provides a booklet of five noteboards and a special black pen (but
no eraser), which you’re required to use instead of pencil and paper. You
can ask for another booklet if you fill yours up.

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Forming First Impressions: The
Format of the GMAT
The GMAT is a standardized test, and by now in your academic career,
you’re probably familiar with what that means: lots of questions to answer
in a short period of time, now way to cram for them or memorize answers,
and very little chance of scoring 100 percent. The skills tested on the
GMAT are those that leading business schools have decided are important
for MBA students: analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative
reasoning, and verbal reasoning.
The GMAT allows you to choose the order in which you take the four
sections:
The original order of analytical writing assessment, integrated
reasoning, quantitative, and verbal
Quantitative, verbal, analytical writing assessment, and integrated
reasoning
Verbal, quantitative, analytical writing assessment, and integrated
reasoning
Pick the order that’s most comfortable for you. If you’re unsure, we
suggest leaving the less important writing and integrated reasoning
sections for the end when you’re more fatigued. Whether you take the
quantitative or verbal first depends on which section is easier for you. You
may want to lead with your strength or get the section you like least out of
the way in the beginning.
Getting familiar with what the GMAT tests
Standardized tests are supposed to test your academic potential, not your
knowledge of specific subjects. The GMAT focuses on the areas that
admissions committees have found to be relevant to MBA programs. The
sections that follow are an introduction to the four GMAT sections. We
devote the majority of the rest of this book to telling you exactly how to

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approach each one.
Demonstrating your writing ability
You type an original analytical writing sample during the GMAT. The test
gives you 30 minutes to compose and type an essay that analyzes an
argument. You’re expected to write this essay in standard written English.
Although you won’t know exactly the nature of the argument you’ll get on
test day, examining previous essay prompts gives you adequate
preparation for the type of task you’re bound to see.
The readers of your GMAT essay score your essay based on the
overall quality of your ideas and your ability to organize, develop,
express, and support those ideas.
Integrating your reasoning skills
The second GMAT section is a 30-minute integrated reasoning test that
examines your ability to read and evaluate charts, graphs, and other forms
of presented data. You’ll examine a variety of data representation and
answer 12 questions based on the information.
The GMAT categorizes the four basic question types in this section as
graphics interpretation, two-part analysis, table analysis, and multi-source
reasoning. Graphics interpretation and table analysis questions are self-
explanatory: You interpret graphs and analyze tables — simple enough,
right? The two-part analysis questions present a problem and related data,
provided in two columns. You choose a piece of information from each
column to solve the problem. Multi-source reasoning questions provide
you with a bunch of information from which you have to decide what
piece or pieces of data actually give you what you need to know to solve
the problem.
Quizzing your quantitative skills
The quantitative section is pretty similar to most standardized math
sections except that it presents you with a different question format and
tests your knowledge of statistics and probability. In the 31-question

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Graduate Management Admission Test

GMAT For Dummies 2020: Book + 7 Practice Tests (2020)

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