 "GMAT")
An overhaul of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is under consideration. The changes will include the removal of the "analytical writing assessment" section and the introduction of "data insights", The Times of India (TOI) has reported.
Global CEO of Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), Joy Jones, was quoted as saying in the newspaper that the new format of the test, "GMAT Focus Edition," will be launched for testing in Q4FY24, and the older version of the test will be phased out in the first quarter of 2024.
New changes in GMAT
With the introduction of "data insights" along with the quantitative and verbal reasoning sections, the GMAT will become a more concise assessment in which some "non-essential items" will be removed.
Jones added that questions on data insights would be taken from some of our previous content on integrated reasoning and data sufficiency.
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He said that each section of the exam will be made more concise while maintaining the integrity of the performance that business schools expect from the candidates.
What is GMAT?
The GMAT assessment is a computer adaptive test specific analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English. The test is used as a benchmark for admissions into top business schools worldwide. Generally, candidates aspiring to do a Masters in Business Administration take this test. It was first conducted 70 years ago, in 1953.
Over 7,700 programmes in 2,400 universities and colleges recognise the GMAT scores and accept the same for admissions to business education at various levels. Over 170 colleges and universities in India accept GMAT scores to determine eligibility.
How were the changes decided?
The changes have been made based on surveys of over 60 partner business schools and 5,400 students, discussions with market development teams and input from industry experts were also collected to implement the changes.
What has the GMAC CEO said about the changes?
The test will no longer have the analytical writing section, about which GMAC CEO Joy Jones said, "Particularly because the schools have shared that they have other means of analysing a candidate's analytical writing ability, longer form essays certainly give out relevant information. But in a trade off between shorter and more focussed exam or longer form essays, schools and candidates were supportive of us dropping that section," TOI reported.
GMAC CEO Jones added that preparatory material for the new format will be issued by the end of the second quarter of this year, and the new test will be launched by the end of this year.
