GMAT is a computer adaptive test for pursuing management studies abroad. Due to the pandemic, the candidates can avail of the GMAT exam either at the test center or online. Candidates can now book their slots 6 months in advance. Candidates need to log in to mba.com for GMAT Registration. Aadhar Card can also be used as an ID during GMAT Registration. The GMAT exam fee for both the GMAT test center and online exam registrations is now US$275 inclusive of GST(INR 20,457.53). The duration of the GMAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes excluding the analytical writing section. GMAT exam pattern comprises four sections - Verbal reasoning, Quantitative reasoning, Integrated reasoning, and Analytical Writing (optional) offering MCQs. The total number of questions in these three sections is 79 and the analytical writing section contains only 1 descriptive question. 

Latest Update:

• GMAC now allows candidates to book their slots 6 months in advance and use Aadhar as ID for registration.

• Candidates planning to appear for GMAC 2022 can go through GMAC Prep Guide tips to crack the exam.

• The online GMAT exam delivered presently includes 5 free GMAT score reports.  

GMAT Online is available for candidates to take GMAT from home for safety measures. Candidates have a permanent option to take the GMAT at the test center or online. To increase flexibility, online exam slot booking is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you can register an exam date up to 24 hours before an available testing window.  You can continue to monitor conditions and look to add future appointment dates as required.

Four enhancements have been observed in GMAT Online:

• Getting GMAT score instantly,

• Selecting the order of the section,

• 8 minutes break for two times,

• Inclusion of AWA. 

Top business schools accept the score of the online GMAT. Applicants fail to understand the right time to take the GMAT. The candidate should follow the application deadline of the desired business school before booking the slot.

GMAT Official Guide

Every year, GMAC released an edited version of the GMAT official guide 2022 for the aspirants. GMAT official guide 2022 retained all questions of 2022 and added a few more new questions for practice. 

• For GMAT Quant section there are 262 questions where 32 new questions are added 
• For the Data Sufficiency section, there are 502 questions where 10 new questions are added
• 163 Flashcards 
• For GMAT Verbal there are 50 new questions added where 31 and 19 new questions are added in Sentence Correction and Critical Reasoning respectively. 

Official GMAT Podcast

GMAC launched official GMAT podcasts for the aspirants to access intricate details of the exam. In the podcast, you will get to know various tips on taking the exam and how to maximize your GMAT experience. GMAT podcast comprises different topics as the following –  

In the Episode 1 podcast, Matt Hazenbush interviewed Pam Brown, the Director of Product Management at GMAC. She gave an overview of the 8 week GMAT study plan and asked to focus on the essentials. The plan started with getting accustomed to the GMAT exam pattern and question types. It goes on to practice from the official GMAT practice papers and consulting the GMAT Official Guide.

In the Episode 2 podcast, Eric Chambers interviewed Vineet Chhabra, the Senior Director of Product Management at GMAC about the differences in GMAT online and test center methods. He has clearly stated how the online GMAT exam is a product of a pandemic without any AWA section. 

In the Episode 3 podcast, Matt Hazenbush interviewed Pam Brown, the director of Product Management at GMAC. The discussion is mostly about candidates who are looking for more challenging preparation materials. Pam has mentioned the GMAT Official Advanced Questions which comprises around 300 more challenging questions.

In the Episode 4 podcast, the senior director at GMAC, Vineet Chhabra talked about the 10 most common myths that GMAT aspirants are concerned about. Candidates need to know about these myths before commencing GMAT preparation.

Every Monday a new podcast is launched. This will give you all the insights on the graduate business assessments and success strategies.

Change in GMAT Question Pattern

GMAT has different sets of questions and different time slots for all four sections. The GMAT Exam pattern 2022 outlines the basic framework of the exam.

• Pure Reasoning questions in GMAT Quant Section 
• Conversion Questions (like Miles to Kms) 
• Set Questions (where terms like both or neither are used in GMAT quant to depict the specific group of people) 
• Geometry questions in GMAT Data Sufficiency sections (like coordinate geometry) 
• The choice of selecting the order of the exam

The cost of the GMAT Online is $275, which is $50 less than the previous cost. Due to this epidemic outbreak, GMAT testing has been suspended in many locations due to safety issues. GMAC announced candidates can schedule GMAT both online or at the test center as per convenience. In the newly updated GMAT 2022 online format, the Analytical Writing Assessment section has been added. Aspirants can book the test before 24 hours only as per the slot availability. Aspirants can also take exams at the nearby test centers only if it is safe. To request disability accommodations, candidates must wait for the authority to approve the accommodations before scheduling the date.  Candidates can complete GMAT online registration following a few easy steps. 

Data Surveyed by KAPLAN that since 2014, organizations prefer professionals with GMAT score increased by 44%. GMAC decides for the interim GMAT exam to take control of this epidemic situation. Geoffrey Basye, spokesperson of GMAC told that this interim GMAT will manage the integrity of the exam remotely.

Why Apply for GMAT?

GMAT is known to be the best predictor of success in management programs globally. No other exam has such wide acceptability as GMAT. Every year 200,000 students from all over the world take the GMAT exam for applying to a graduate business program. Your exam is guarded against bias and you can take it whenever you are ready. The GMAT Exam interfaces you with the best-fit business college.

As per the graph, in the last 3 years, the number of examinees of GMAT has gone through a fall if we look from a global perspective. But in India, the number of candidates increased by 3000. In the global base, the number of male, as well as female candidates, decreased in the last 3 years. But in India, the number of female candidates increased and it is the highest in the last 3 years. Most candidates enrolling for MBA programs across the world are above or around 28 years. Few other aspects of applying GMAT are as follows:

• Return on Investment (ROI) is quite higher after the candidates pursue MBA from abroad 
• With a large diversity in the class profiles, an MBA aspirant will come across people across industries 
• After graduating from any top business school, candidates will get numerous career opportunities to choose 

Personalized Program Recommendation By GMAT Score

For GMAT test-takers, a unique service of My Recommendations is available. Through this service, a detailed list of the top 10 recommended business schools is provided to the test-taker according to profile, GMAT scores, and interests. By sending the score report to the business school, candidates can compare the GMAT score with other available scores at those same recommended business schools. Based on that recommendation, candidates receive a GMAT competitive rating based on 

• Excellent 
• Above Average 
• Average 
• Low

With the help of this competitive rating, candidates can make an informed decision about any program at the recommended business school.

Is the GMAT Test Hard? 

More than 2 lakhs of candidates appear for the GMAT every year. Only 6% of candidates can score 700+ score and the average score of top universities is 720 or above. The timing pressure and computer adaptiveness of the GMAT will always keep the candidates under constant pressure. GMAT is more tricky than hard. Candidates need to build the concept to crack the GMAT.

Which one is easier GMAT or GRE?

If you are someone competent in the quant section then opt for the GMAT exam rather than GRE. Logic problems are found more in GMAT, whereas geometry questions are noticed more in GRE. GMAT vs GRE: Which one is easier is a common question that comes to the mind of each aspirant. So it depends on which exam is taken by the candidate for MBA admission.

What is the purpose of an MBA from Abroad?

People invest in pursuing an MBA from the top business schools in the world. Before applying to a particular business school, one must know about the return on an investment after completion of the program. Each year Financial Times calculates ROI for the world’s top 100 business schools and their value for money rank. ROI is not only dependent on the amount invested and salary earned after graduating but also on the other accumulative costs, fees, course length, salary earned by the alumni, and other aspects.

Business School	Money Value	Rank in 2022
University of Florida: Warrington	1	26
Pennsylvania State University: Smeal	2	54
Durham University Business School	3	5
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: College of Business	4	47
Brigham Young University: Marriott	5	33
University of Cambridge: Judge	6	9
Melbourne Business School	7	80
Insead	8	4
Mannheim Business School	9	71
Texas A & M University: Mays	10	86
HEC Paris	11	9
ESMT Berlin	12	81
Shanghai Jiao Tong University: Antai	13	37
University of Oxford: Said	14	21
University of St Gallen	15	68
Warwick Business School	16	43
University College Dublin: Smurfit	17	99
University of Georgia: Terry	18	100
IMD Business School	19	25
University of Connecticut School of Business	20	77
Renmin University of China Business School (RMBS)	21	38
SDA Bocconi School of Management	22	29
University of Texas at Dallas: Jindal	23	81
National University of Singapore Business School	24	15
WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management	25	64

How Will I Fund My MBA Abroad?

It is a big worry for the candidates who plan to pursue MBA from abroad. There are few ways to finance an MBA

• Without any collateral, many financial service providers provide loans to Indian students who aim to pursue MBA abroad. These fintech companies follow algorithms to make predictions of repaying the loan.
• Banks provide collateral-based education loans. Either parents or any relative will act as a “guarantee” to sanction a loan from the bank in the alternative of keeping assets like property, fixed deposits, government bonds, provident funds, and more.
• Very few need-based and merit-based scholarships are also available. These scholarships are offered based on your GMAT scores and academic profile. 
• GMAT Scholarships are also available to the candidates based on the score secured. 

GMAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The GMAT Syllabus comprises topics from Quant, verbal, integrated reasoning, and analytical writing. This detailed GMAT Syllabus will help the candidates to plan for preparation. The four sections of the GMAT Syllabus cover 50 topics.

Four sections of the GMAT are as follows:

Analytical Writing Assessment	In this AWA section, the test taker’s ability to think critically and communicate has been measured
Integrated Reasoning	The GMAT IR section tests how well a test taker analyzes a plethora of data to evaluate information represented in multiple formats
Quantitative Reasoning	GMAT Quant section measures how well a test taker comes to conclusions using analytical skills and reasoning
Verbal Reasoning	GMAT Verbal measures how well a candidate reads and understands the written material and evaluates arguments out of it

GMAT Registration

Applicants can complete GMAT Registration at any time of the year. The best time to take the GMAT is a year before seeking admission in the B-school. Test takers should register for the preferred date as per preparation status. It is advisable not to book slots at the last moment. Candidates can book the exam dates for GMAT after checking the available slots. 

How to Register for GMAT

Candidates can register for GMAT easily by following a few steps. You should follow the instructions given while registering. To reschedule or cancel GMAT, candidates also have to follow a few steps as per instructions. GMAT registration can be completed in three different ways

• Online
• Offline (fees via post)
• Postal Mail

Resumption of GMAT Testing 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, GMAT testing had come to a halt and most of the test centers were closed. But recently, there has been a resumption of the test centers across India, but some places are still not conducting the test. GMAC arranged provision for either test center delivered or at home GMAT for safety purposes. Candidates must check the official GMAT website for any updates.

GMAT Eligibility

Before GMAT registration, candidates should know about the minimum eligibility criteria required for GMAT. The following criteria are required for GMAT eligibility: 

• Applicants should have a basic educational qualification from any registered university or college
• Candidates should be minimum of 18 years of age, if a candidate is below 18 years then require a no-objection certificate from the guardian
• A candidate must have a valid passport to appear GMAT
• Applicants can appear for the GMAT only 5 times a year and 8 times a lifetime
• Candidates can appear for the GMAT only after 16 days after the first held exam
• There is no specific requirement for work experience but this criterion is preferred by the top business schools of the world.

GMAT Fees

The GMAT exam fee is $275 or INR. 20576.19. However, it differs in some countries. One needs to pay $50 for rescheduling exams on different dates. GMAT exam fees can be paid online or offline mode. Check the below table for rescheduling and cancellation fees:

Reschedule Fees	Cancellation Fees
1 to 14 days prior to appointment: $150	1 to 14 days prior to appointment: $200 ($50 refund)
15 to 60 days prior to appointment: $100	15 to 60 days prior to appointment: $175 ($75 refund)
More than 60 days prior to appointment: $50	More than 60 days prior to appointment: $150 ($100 refund)

GMAT Score

With the survey conducted by GMAC, it is shown that as compared to global students, mostly engineers from India prefer pursuing the GMAT. Engineers prefer taking the GMAT every year due to its strong data sufficiency and problem-solving questions. In the global scenario, the percentage of students appearing for the GMAT. The data shows the change of GMAT score over the years.

Most business and commerce background students prefer the GMAT for their approach. After business and commerce background students, engineering background candidates are the second most one who pursues GMAT. Whereas in comparison to global students, the educational background of Indian students appearing for GMAT is quite different

With mathematical skills, the engineers perform the best compared to the candidates from other educational backgrounds. Besides engineers, candidates from business and commerce backgrounds also score well on GMAT. In comparison to old times, now top business schools of the world prefer candidates across educational backgrounds to bring diversity to the business world. With different educational backgrounds, candidates can bring changes in approaches.

Even with such wide background of candidates for GMAT, data surveyed by GMAC in the last five years is presented through the graph:

According to the graph, the total number of applicants increased by 3500 in India and the number of woman applicants increased by around 1600 in 3 years. Following GMAT Score Trends can help to to track the number of interested students taking GMAT. An interesting factor here is that along with the number of applicants, the score has also increased in the last 3 years.

•  The number of <600 score achievers increased by 1000 in the last 3 years and in 2016, the number of candidates with <600 scores was the highest (16039)
• The number of 600-690 score achievers increased around 1600
• The number of 700+ score achievers increased to around 800

GMAT Mean Score

Before appearing for GMAT, candidates should get an overview of the mean score of GMAT from 2014-2018 as a whole. In the above-mentioned data chart, it is noticed that the mean score GMAT in India from 2014-2019 is higher than the score secured by the candidates globally. To take admissions in the top business schools of the USA or UK, test takers should have a GMAT score of above 700.

GMAT Result

Unlike other exams, you can receive the GMAT Score Report immediately after completing the exam. GMAT AWA score will not be shared at the end of the exam. Candidates will get the option of accepting or rejecting the GMAT score. If the candidate accepts the score, then GMAC will send the score report directly to the institution, if the candidate rejects the score report then none can view the GMAT score. After the completion of the exam, candidates can download the non-official score report of the GMAT. Within 20 days of writing the GMAT, candidates can receive a GMAT score report along with AWA Score. You can download, view or print your official scorecard.

Additional Information About Online Score Sending:

The new policy for sending GMAT scores from applicants’ online exams is in force. The GMAT released online results include 5 free score reports. Once the official online exam score is made available via mba.com, the 5 free score reports need to be used within 48 hours. Additional score reports can be bought for US$35 each. The GMAT exam taken online and at test centers around the world is accepted and entrusted by over 7,000 programs globally.

How the GMAT Score is Calculated?

Candidates will be scored on a fixed scale on all the sections of the GMAT. The GMAT Score Report includes only GMAT Verbal and GMAT Quantitative scores. AWA and GMAT IR are included in the syllabus to measure the analytical aptitude of the candidates.

The GMAT Score Report includes the followings:

• GMAT Quantitative Score (6-51)
• GMAT Verbal Reasoning (6-51)
• Analytical Writing Assessment (0-6)
• Integrated Reasoning (1-8)

GMAT Score Validity

• Candidates have GMAT validity for up to 5 years.
• GMAT Score can be used to pursue an MBA program and for getting a job, as many recruitment companies use GMAT Score for providing jobs.
• If a candidate is not satisfied with his GMAT Result, they can retake GMAT Exam
• However, a candidate can appear for GMAT 5 times only in one year i.e. 12 months.

GMAT Cutoff

Most B schools in the world have set different GMAT cutoff scores. Other than MBA programs in the USA, a GMAT score is also required for MIM programs in European Universities. GMAT cutoff for the top business schools of the world are as follows 

Top Business Schools	GMAT Score
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Massachusetts	720
Stanford University	733
The University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	725
Harvard University, Massachusetts	729
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	719
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	770
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver	550
The University of Western Ontario, Ontario	661
University of Toronto	665
National University of Singapore, Singapore	670
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)	662
London Business School, London	708
University of Oxford, England	690
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne	680
The University of Sydney, Sydney	600+
The University of New South Wales,(UNSW)	650-670
Wharton, University of Pennsylvania	722
McGill University	694

GMAT Cutoff for Countries

Universities across the world have different GMAT cutoff criteria for MBA courses. Across the world, the GMAT score is considered standard for admission requirements. Check the following GMAT cutoff for different countries in the below table:

GMAT Cutoff for Canada	GMAT Cutoff for UK
GMAT Cutoff for Australia	GMAT Cutoff for USA

GMAT Test Centers

GMAT is a computer adaptive test, therefore, GMAC tries to make it easily accessible to every test taker. Across India, there are 34 cities where GMAT exams have been conducted in 39 test centers. Most GMAT Test Centers are closed due to safety measures. Due to COVID-19, GMAC allows candidates to appear for GMAT at home. GMAT Test canter has been kept under hold for security measures towards candidates and test center staff. 

GMAT Preparation

Aspirants aiming to take GMAT have to follow strict plans for preparations. GMAT preparation tips consist of how strategically test taker plans for the exam. For better preparation, many test takers opt for GMAT practice papers to perform well in the exam. GMAT is taken by both students and working professionals. Before start preparing, aspirants must know a few coaching centers that provide the best quality resource materials and mock tests. Considering the current situation many test centers are providing online classes so it is convenient for everyone. Few such GMAT preparation service providers are as follows:

• Kaplan GMAT
• Jamboree 
• eGmat 
• Magoosh 
• The Princeton Review