What to Expect on the Enhanced GMAT Online Exam
The GMAT online was originally offered as a temporary solution to the closing of test centers during the pandemic. But after a year of extending its cut-off dates, an “enhanced” version promises to be a permanent alternative.
Last April, amid the earliest stages of the global pandemic, GMAC — the organization that administers the GMAT — announced what was to be a temporary emergency measure: a new, at-home version of the exam called GMAT online. But after extending its cut-off dates three times within nine months, GMAC finally announced that it will offer the GMAT online indefinitely. While it won’t replace the conventional version of the exam, which is hosted at testing centers, the GMAT online appears to be a permanent alternative.
The GMAT Online Exam
GMAT online exams can be taken almost anywhere with reliable internet access and are offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Administered remotely by a human proctor, they involve additional check-in and security measures to ensure test integrity.
Both the structure and scoring of the GMAT online make it comparable to the standard GMAT: the Quantitative, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning sections all contain the same number of items in each section and the same amount of time to complete each section, and they are scored using the same algorithm and scale as the conventional exam.
In its first year, the GMAT online has differed from the site-based exam in two key ways: it has not included the Analytical Writing Assessment and, unlike the standard exam, has not allowed test takers to choose the order of its sections. Instead, all exams appear in the same order: 1) Quantitative, 2) Verbal, 3) Integrated Reasoning. GMAC provides a useful infographic displaying the relevant differences between the GMAT Online and the standard version of the exam.
One of the biggest initial controversies surrounding the GMAT online concerned the use of a whiteboard during the exam. At first, only a virtual whiteboard was permitted, but many users found it disorienting, and some reported their virtual whiteboards freezing or crashing. GMAC has since addressed these concerns by improving their software, permitting physical whiteboards, and making the whiteboard available for practice on their website. Prospective test takers can now fully familiarize themselves with its features well before their exam.
Despite these hiccups, the GMAT online exam has been a success: more than 45,000 tests have been administered in over 150 countries, and reports have been sent to more than 4,000 programs. And since updating the online exam last June, the experience of test-takers has been largely positive. Building on this success, GMAC will soon unveil a revised version.
The Enhanced GMAT
Beginning on May 20, the current version of the GMAT online will be replaced by the Enhanced GMAT online exam. Four major changes will serve to make the online exam more like its conventional, site-based counterpart:
Test takers will be able to decide the order in which they take sections of the exam;
The Analytical Writing Assessment will be included in the online exam;
Breaks will be longer and more frequent; and
Test takers will have the ability to preview unofficial test scores right away rather than waiting seven business days.
In short, these changes mean that the differences between taking the GMAT online or at a testing center come down to preference for location and, to a lesser extent, cost: the GMAT online costs $250, while, at least at U.S.-based testing centers, the conventional option costs $275.
Which Version of the GMAT to Take?
While testing centers remain open in many areas, the GMAT online poses a better option for many test takers. Not only is it unlikely to be cancelled due to public health concerns, but far more testing dates are available. As of this writing, there is only one available time slot for an on-site GMAT test within 100 miles of Portland, Oregon, whereas GMAT online appointments are available around the clock.
Test takers who wish to avoid the Analytical Writing Assessment, however, should be sure to schedule their GMAT online before May 20, when the Enhanced GMAT online exam becomes their only option.
To learn more about the GMAT online format and how to prepare, please contact our team or schedule a no-charge consultation for a personalized recommendation.