Topics Tested on the GMAT

Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)

At the most basic level, the essays test your ability to develop a coherent narrative (including a clear position, strong organization and persuasive reasoning) and your control of language (including diction, syntactic variety, and grammar). Below is a rubric for the skills necessary to achieve a certain score.

Position; examples Organization Language (syntactic variety, grammar, usage, diction)
6 clear; astute strong throughout superior; few errors
5 clear; well-chosen mostly strong strong; few errors
4 clear; relevant adequate adequate; some errors
3 limited; weak poor poor; some major or frequent minor errors
2 unclear; few or none disorganized poor; frequent major errors
1 no position or examples no organization poor; major errors that severely interfere with meaning

Quantitative Section

The Quantitative section tests your knowledge of certain mathematical concepts, rules, and formulas, as well as your ability to carry out calculations or reasoning based upon that knowledge. Below is a list of the major skills tested on the Quantitative portion of the GMAT.

Topic Area Sub-Topic
Arithmetic Divisibility and Primes
Odds and Evens
Positives and Negatives
Consecutive Integers
Exponents
Roots
Order of Operations
Digits and Decimals
Fractions
Percents
Algebra Algebra Basic Equations
Exponential Equations
Quadratic Equations
Formulas, Sequences, and Patterns
Inequalities
Geometry Polygons
Triangles and Diagonals
Circles and Cylinders
Lines and Angles
Coordinate Plane
Word Problems Rates and Work
Ratios
Combinatorics and Probability
Statistics and Sets

Verbal Section

The Verbal section tests your knowledge of certain grammar, punctuation, and language usage rules, as well as your ability to comprehend and make reasoned judgments about a given text. Below is a list of the major skills tested on the Verbal portion of the GMAT.

Question Type Topic
Sentence Correction Subject-Verb Agreement
Parallelism
Pronouns
Modifiers
Verb Tense, Mood, and Voice
Comparisons
Idioms
Connecting Words
Punctuation
Quantity Expressions
Critical Reasoning Understanding Argument Structure, including Counter-Arguments
Finding / Interpreting the Conclusion
Determining Assumptions
Devising or Evaluating a Plan of Action
Reading Comprehension Understanding Passage Structure
Finding / Interpreting the Main Idea
Understanding / Evaluating Specific Details
Making Inferences
Evaluating Counter-Arguments
Determining Assumptions