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Understanding How The GMAT Test Questions Are Created

The following post was creating to give you a better understanding of how the GMAT test was created. One of the processes in creating GMAT test questions is called layering. This is a technique used by a GMAT test writer to make a question more difficult. The GMAT test is a computer adaptive test, and computer adaptive tests give us questions based on the difficulty level that we are at on the GMAT test.

To make these GMAT questions, ACT (which makes GMAT test questions) engages in a process called “normalization,” wherein all GMAT written questions are tested by actual test takers to determine what percentage answer the GMAT test questions correctly. Based on the number of GMAT questions answered correctly, the GMAT question may need to be made harder. If too few people answer the GMAT question, the GMAT question may need to be made easier. ACT is looking to make a pool of GMAT questions that covers a range of difficulty from the easiest to the hardest GMAT questions.

To find these GMAT question takers, “experimental” GMAT math questions and verbal questions are given on every GMAT test. These GMAT questions are interspersed with the actual, scored GMAT questions with no way to identify them as experimental.

Additionally, the GMAT test writers at ACT have an understanding of what makes a 50th percentile GMAT question, or a 75th percentile GMAT question. Each GMAT test is designed to evaluate an understanding in the same range of areas, so the GMAT test writers have to come up with different strategies to test the same concepts at different levels of difficulty. We hope you enjoyed this article about how GMAT test questions are created.

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