All CoursesIf you want to make it into top business schools in the world to pursue your MBA, then you need to attempt the GMAT. Your scores in the GMAT exam determine your admissions into these universities, hence, it is important that you prepare for the exam diligently. Each section is scored separately but your total GMAT scores is the sum of the Verbal and Quant sections. Now, if you are wondering is there negative marking in GMAT exam, then the answer is no. GMAT doesn’t penalize test takers with negative marks for incorrect answers. However, it is essential that you complete the exam and answer all questions within the specified duration, otherwise it might impact your scores.
Now, let’s give you a brief overview of the GMAT exam and the scoring pattern of each section.
GMAT Exam
The GMAT is a computer-adaptive exam, which means that your performance in the previous section of the exam will determine the level of difficulty of the next section. Moreover, the GMAT exam consists of 4 sections — Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Analytical Writing and Integrated Reasoning. The duration of the exam is 3 hours and 30 minutes, which includes 2 optional eight minute breaks. In the table below, we have provided further details of the exam such as the types of questions in the exam, the duration for each section and the scoring range. Take a look.
| Section | Scoring | Duration | Types of Questions |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 6-51 (1 point increment) | 62 minutes | Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency |
| Analytical Writing | 0-6 (0.5 point increment) | 30 minutes | Analysis of an Argument |
| Integrated Reasoning | 1-8 (1 point increment) | 30 minutes | Two-part Analysis, Multi-source Reasoning, Table-analysis and Graphics Interpretation |
| Verbal | 6-51 (1 point increment) | 65 minutes | Sentence Correction, Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning |
As you can see from the above table, there are no GMAT negative marking for any of the sections. Therefore, you can rest assured that answering a question incorrectly will not result in any loss of marks on your overall GMAT score.
To help you prepare and do well in the exam, here are a few tips for you.
Tips for Your GMAT Exam Preparation
- Map out a detailed study plan that takes into account the time you have left for your exam, your strengths and weaknesses in each section, and the complete syllabus of the exam.
- Invest in good study materials. Since there are a lot of resources that are not credible, it is necessary to spend time selecting good quality materials like the Official Guides by GMAC (the creators of the GMAT).
- Practice with solved sample papers to help you understand how to answer questions in each section.
- Attempt mock exams on a regular basis to test your knowledge and gain an estimate of the score range you are likely to achieve with your preparation. In addition to the above, mock exams also familiarize you with the computer-adaptive testing method and it also helps you develop effective time management strategies.
So, practice well, be efficient in your prep, and do not worry about GMAT negative marking as there is none. All you need to do is focus on scoring well by answering all the questions in the exam correctly, as much as possible.
Good Luck!
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