The GMAT is written and delivered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), an international organization that represents leading business schools from around the world. More than 200,000 graduates take the GMAT every year. The test is made up of various multiple-choice questions designed to test writing, reasoning, verbal, non-verbal and analytical skills. The answers require a knowledge of specific types of grammar, arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The GMAT has four sections. These are: All sections draw upon analysis and critical thinking. At the start of the test, the candidate can decide in which order to answer the questions. The orders offered are:

Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment

Planning the order in which to approach the sections may help candidates feel prepared and allow time to focus on areas that need more attention. In this article, we’ll look at 12 sample GMAT questions and how to arrive at the best answer for each.

How to Prepare for the GMAT

Adequate preparation is the key to completing the GMAT successfully. It is generally accepted that a candidate should start preparing eight to twelve weeks before the test is scheduled, though many candidates spend much longer than this. Becoming familiar with the format and concept of the GMAT is the first step. It is advisable to study for one section of the test at a time, revising the key principles before going on to practice the associated questions and then moving on to the next section. Pacing is crucial, as each portion of the test is timed. Practice tests can help candidates determine which areas they need to focus on to complete questions within the allotted time. Practicing GMAT sample questions such as the ones demonstrated here is one of the most effective preparation techniques and would prove beneficial when integrated into a GMAT study plan.

GMAT Practice Questions

Now let’s take a look at some free GMAT sample questions for each of the four sections of the test.

1. Integrated Reasoning

The Integrated Reasoning section has a time allowance of 30 minutes and presents 12 questions covering four different areas:

Two-Part Analysis Multi-Source Reasoning Table Analysis Graphics Interpretation

Question 1 – Two-Part Analysis

Two-part analysis questions require candidates to work out two components of a question, then answer from a series of possible answers laid out in a table. Using the table, identify exactly how many bandages the hospital needs to buy from Supplier A and Supplier B to spend the exact budget of $10,000. Place one mark in the Supplier A column and one mark in the Supplier B column. These questions are assessing your ability to extract information and make inferences from the text. Mr and Mrs Smith are looking for a nursery for their son. Here are a series of emails sent between them: Email 1: Hi there, My husband and I are looking for flexible and reliable childcare for our son. We both work in high-pressure jobs which can involve unsociable hours so reliability is important to us. Could you please let us know your availability and opening hours? Hello Mrs Smith, Here at Happy Days, we pride ourselves on creating a warm and safe environment for our charges. Our fees are very competitive and I’m pleased to say that we do have several spaces available so your son could join us immediately. We offer a 10% discount if you sign up within 24 hours of receiving this email. We are glad to hear that our son would be in a comfortable environment and I’m sure that you do prioritize safety. The discount is good, it brings the cost down into our budget of $36 a day. Our main concern, however, is accommodating our long and sometimes unsociable working hours, would this be possible at Happy Days Nursery? The question below is for illustrative purposes, the table you will see in your test will have a lot more data. Statement 2: Volcanoes in Central America produce larger amounts of lava than other countries. Statement 3: The amount of lava produced by volcanoes over 5,000 m is always greater than for those less high. You will need to choose between ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ for each. The graph shows the favorite subjects of children in Class 5a St Andrews School. The subject that is liked 25% more by boys is ___________. A. Math B. English C. PE D. Art E. Computing F. Science A. 50% B. 100% C. 20% D. 5% E. 25% After being presented with an essay prompt, the test taker uses written communication skills to provide analysis and critique of the text. The prompts will usually be around four to five sentences in length and will present an idea or theory accompanied by supporting evidence. The candidate must then critique the structure of the argument without commenting on the topic itself or trying to suggest alternative theories (points will be deducted for this).

Question 2

Since a nearby shop, Dress for Less, opened selling discounted clothing, existing clothing shop, Glamorous, has seen a decrease in footfall of around 20%. The best way to increase sales at Glamorous is to reduce their prices to lower than those of Dress for Less until footfall returns to previous levels. The increased footfall will drive up sales, improving takings and then prices can be raised again.

Question 3

Following the success of our premium and most expensive line of salted caramel cake in a recent taste test and the consequent increase in sales, we should shift our business focus to producing additional lines of premium cake rather than our lower-priced, ordinary cakes. With an economic crisis looming, when consumers can no longer buy major luxury items, such as cars, they will still want to indulge in small luxuries, such as expensive cakes.

10 critical reasoning questions 14 sentence correction questions 12 reading comprehension questions

The time allowance for this section of the GMAT is 65 minutes.

Question 1 – Critical Reasoning

These questions are about evaluating arguments. You might be asked to identify which of the answer options strengthen or weaken the argument you have been given, or identify assumptions that are being made. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the above argument? A. Listening to music before bedtime contributes to restful sleep more than reading does. B. Insomnia is more common among people who play video games before bed than among people who do not. C. Engaging in a bedtime activity that is mentally stimulating often interferes with a person’s ability to fall asleep. D. People who enjoy reading typically like to listen to music just before bedtime. E. Reading quietly is more conducive to restful sleep than a noisy environment. A. the adult male pheasant’s B. those of adult males, their C. the adult male, which has D. adult male pheasants’ E. adult males, whose You may be asked to identify:

The primary purpose of the passage Whether the passage supports or criticizes a certain argument Topics that the passage does or does not cover The author’s intention/viewpoint Inferences that the author is making

4. Quantitative Reasoning

Made up of 31 multiple-choice questions and with a time allowance of 62 minutes, the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GMAT is split into two areas:

Problem-Solving Data Sufficiency

Question 1 – Problem-Solving

These are usually math-based questions that will test your problem-solving ability.

  1. d > b 2. b > e 3. d > a A. 1 only B. 2 only C. 1 and 3 D. 2 and 3 Let’s use an example:
  2. x > 8 2. x > 7 The candidate needs to work out which, if any, of the two answer options are enough to answer the question. A. 1 is enough, 2 is not B. 2 is enough, 1 is not C. You need both statements D. 1 is enough alone and 2 is enough alone E. You can’t answer the question Practicing using the free GMAT questions and answers provided here is a great start to preparing for this important test.