If an MBA is in your future, you'll need to take the GMAT. Most business schools require the GMAT as part of the application process for any graduate business program, including the MBA. This guide to how to take the GMAT will show you what you need to do.

• The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council. It consists of four separately timed sections, covering three topics — analytical writing, quantitative skills and verbal ability. Before taking the test, you need to register and prepare for the exam.

• You can register for the GMAT online, by phone, by fax, or by mail. When scheduling the appointment make sure that your name and birthdate match the ID you'll be using the date of the exam.

• When you register for the test, you'll receive free GMATPrep® Software that include tutorials that will familiarize you with how to take a computer-adaptive exam. The tutorials cover using a mouse, entering responses, moving on to the next question, using the word processor and how to access the Help function.

(Creative Commons photo by Eric James Sarmiento)

• The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test.

1. Each section has a number of questions of varying difficulty.
2. One question is presented to the test taker by the computer at a time.
3. If you answer correctly, the next question will be harder. If you answer incorrectly, the next question is easier.
4. You may not skip a question or go back and change your answer as each question is scored before the next one is presented.
5. Wrong answers will lower your score, so you should not guess on the GMAT.
6. The time and number of questions remaining are shown on the screen as you are tested. There is a penalty for not completing a section, so keep an eye on the time and pace yourself.