The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized, three-part test delivered in English. Th e test was designed to help admissions officers evaluate how suitable individual applicants are for their graduate business and management programs. It measures basic verbal,mathematical, and analytical writing skills that a test taker has developed over a long period of time through education and work.

GMAT scores are used by admissions officers in roughly 1,800 graduate business and management programs worldwide. Schools that require prospective students to submit GMAT scores in the application process are generally interested in admitting the best-qualified applicants for their programs, which means that you may find a more beneficial learning environment at schools that require GMAT scores as part of your application.

Because the GMAT test gauges skills that are important to successful study of business and management at the graduate level, your scores will give you a good indication of how well prepared you are to succeed academically in a graduate management program; how well you do on the test may also help you choose the business schools to which you apply. Furthermore, the percentile table you receive with your scores will tell you how your performance on the test compares to the performance of other test takers, giving you one way to gauge your competition for admission to business school.

By answering questions that have appeared on the GMAT test before, you will gain experience with the types of questions you may see on the test when you take it. As you practice, you will develop confidence in your ability to reason through the test questions. No additional techniques or strategies are needed to do well on the standardized test if you develop a practical familiarity with the abilities it requires. Simply by practicing and understanding the concepts that are assessed on the test, you will learn what you need to know to answer the questions correctly.

Because a computer-adaptive test cannot be presented in paper form, GMATPrep software was created to help you prepare for the test. Th e software is available for download at no charge for those who have created a user profile on www.mba.com. Th e software includes two practice GMAT tests plus additional practice questions, information about the test, and tutorials to help you become familiar with how the GMAT test will appear on the computer screen at the test center.

We recommend that you download the software as you start to prepare for the test. Take at least one practice test to familiarize yourself with the test and to get an idea of how you might score. As your test date approaches, take more GMAT practice tests as possible to determine whether you need to shift your focus to other areas you need to strengthen.