GMAT Online - What We Know [Master Topic]

It is. There haven’t been any issues with online gmat not being accepted. Only one program (Wharton) said that they are extending their acceptance of gnat online for the next year (vs 5 that the score is valid)... a very odd statement that is not clear what it means but otherwise we haven’t any any other indicators.




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Hey bb,

I have been seriously preparing for GMAT for past 3 months and I intend to take my exam in the next month.
I am joining work in September end and want to get done with my GMAT before that.I know that you said that schools are accepting the GMAT online scores as they are the traditional ones,but I want to ask your opinion on the below :
The Test centers in my area have opened up but the number of reported cases of COVID-19 are increasing rapidly.
Therefore,I am scared to take the exam in the center and prefer the online one even though I would love to have the optional break between Quant and Verbal but I guess I will get used to it after few mock attempts.
I want to apply to B schools next year or maybe a year after that, if I do not get accepted to B school of my choice.Meanwhile strengthen my profile along with my full time work.
What I am apprehensive about is - What if schools next year or a year after that request the candidate to take the exam again at the test center (considering the risk associated with COVID -19 reduces ) .Like Wharton,other schools start to not accept\reduce the validity of the online scores and prefer the test center scores?I am asking this because I am not applying to schools this year but I do not want to take the exam again because preparing for exam again with work will be challenging for me.
Since I am at the peak of my preparation , What do you think I should do?
I know there are a lot of ifs in my sentences but I want to understand what is a better option in your opinion - taking GMAT online or overcome my fears and take the exam at the center?

Thank you.

Mixed experience. I had to wait for 55 mins until the proctor joined. Almost fell asleep in front of the screen waiting for them.

Gave my test yesterday. And i am honestly flabbergasted. The test initially gave some challenging quant questions, but then kept on looping between extremely tricky and extremely easy questions (A 5th Grader in india could solve them ) . So i do not really know how i fared in the actual test. I have answered GMAT Prep 1,2,5,6 with scores of - Q49,Q50,Q49 and Q48. But i am not sure how i fared in this test.

By the time i reached verbal it became worse. The RC were complex and never ending . Then the last 2 RC were shorter but the sentences used words i hardly understood

Apart from waiting for results, i have started preparing to answer it again

Did anyone who has recently given a test centre GMAT experience how uncomfortable wearing a mask is during the exam. Also if you wear spectacles along, it makes it worse. Apart from touching the mask again and again to adjust and touching so many places during break and not having enough time or bandwidth to sanitise each time, have water etc etc. it's like double the stress and sort of does not feel the safest for covid times.

Same happened with me, it was first GMAT experience, thought i will score not more than 650 but ended with 690 just like getting out on 99 in the game of cricket.
So u cannot tell or predict ur score until it comes.

Gagan

Same happened with me, it was first GMAT experience, thought i will score not more than 650 but ended with 690 just like getting out on 99 in the game of cricket.
So u cannot tell or predict ur score until it comes.

bb and others - I just gave the online GMAT and had a weird technical issue. Kindly let me know if I should do anything about it.

I did the check-in in 5 mins, and the proctor came immediately. He/she asked me for a 360 degree view of the room, then after all that, told me they're giving clearance to proceed to the test. After that, however, the screen just went black. I was thinking the test was probably loading, but nothing happened. I did not know what to do, and so asked the proctor in chat to kindly help. There was no response for a while, and in a minute or so, the software froze (the mouse icon turned into a loading one, and nothing was clickable anymore). I waited for 6-8 mins for it to come back, but it was like really stuck with no sign of coming back. I was hoping I would get a call from the proctor during this time to ask me what went wrong and help me out, but did not receive anything.

So, I switched off the laptop (using the power button), hoping to restart the process again and speak to the proctor (since the questions and the actual test had not started, I thought this was the best approach). As soon as the laptop turned on, thankfully, I saw the first screen of the test (where they ask you to confirm if your name is so and so). It was a little surprising to see that, but I guess my test resumed from the point where it had previously got stuck. I opened the chat (to see if there were any remarks from the proctor) but the chat was exactly the same as before. So, I just continued and started the test. Everything went smoothly after that till I finished.

I'm slightly worried about 2 things.

1. Should I inform GMAC about the issue? I'm worried the recording might have been broken at the initial point where the laptop was off for a brief 1 minute or so. Though it was before the actual test had started.

2. This is on a different tangent. After the verbal section, I clicked on chat and asked the proctor if I could go out of the room and take a break (I read somewhere that one should get up only after taking permission). But I didn't get any response from the proctor. I waited but 2-3 mins, and when only 3/5min remained of the break, I showed my whiteboard to the screen, wrote in chat that I am taking a quick break, and went away. Was this okay? Anything to worry about? I lost 2-3 mins of the break just waiting there in the first place, but still slightly worried.

UPDATE: I got my scores after 2 days of giving the test. So I guess there was no issue.

You can leave during the break. Proctors notoriously take a long time to get back with you and sometimes they will not go back with you within 10 minutes so you will end up missing your whole break if you ask for permission. When it’s Breaktime, you can show your whiteboard get up and leave exactly like you did. (It is only during the test you should not be getting up).

I have no idea about the test and interruption. If GMAC invalidate your test for any reason, you can retake it but they are notoriously difficult and usually side on the safe side. I am leaning towards not telling them anything because I don’t see how this would change anything for you.

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Okay thanks bb

If anyone else has any input on the issue, please kindly share.

HI! After months of studying, I have already made an appointment to take the gmat online on thursday... I have alreayd done the system test... Do I have to do anything else? Maybe upload some photos of the workspace? Where can I do so if apply?
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1. Since you were able to start and finish the test to your satisfaction, there would normally be no need to inform GMAC of anything. You didn't sign any agreement to that effect. If GMAC later asks you, then you could explain to them. They would have the recording. I suppose that they are used to seeing similar experiences with others by this time.

2. Proctors will not always respond exactly at the time you want them to. Proctors rotate and not all of them will be keeping track of your break times. You followed appropriate procedures for the break.

I booked my online exam date today. When I log into my mba.com account and go the pearson page, it says No exam scheduled. Does it take some time for it to show up? Can someone answer? So that I can follow up with customer care if needed.
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It usually takes 24 hours to get updated on the website... You should have gotten an email confirmation from GMAC regarding your exam id... That should suffice... However, according to what I’m aware of, you will be able to see the appointment details on your webpage. You’ll have to go the ‘Register for online exam’ tab and it is there that you’ll be able to find it...
Hope I have made myself clear..

Regards

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I am following the same steps. I did get the mail but am unable to see the appointment details. When were you able to see the details on your account?
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You’ll not be able to see the appointment details on your home page...

Ya, I know. I am checking on the Pearson page. Attached screenshot. It is not showing the appointment.

Edit: I found the details after clicking on the Open Online exam link. This is weird that it doesn't in the upcoming appointment. Or is it the same for everyone?

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It’s the same for everyone. It doesn’t show up in the upcoming appointments, only test Center based appointments reflect on that page

Hi guys. I took GMAT last week, but didn't got the score I wanted, nor I got near anything, that I was getting in on the official mocks just beforehand. Therefore, I'm going to retake the GMAT and I now want to try GMAT Online. However, I have couple questions:
1. I know that the top schools have already pledged to accept the GMATO scores. But, I'm planning to start in Sep, 2022; even though I want to get rid of GMAT now, as I won't have time for it afterwards. How likely it is that the schools will say that they no more accept those scores and require I retake the test at the center?
2. Because AWA is omitted from the test, is GMATO nevertheless considered a good alternative to center-based GMAT? Or is it just another proof that nobody cares about your AWA that much?

Thanks a lot.

GMAC answer to retakes:

Thank you for your question. At this time, you can only take the GMAT Online exam once. No retakes will be permitted, with the exception of technical issues.
As we adjust to a new norm and extend online test availability through 2020, we continue to listen to market feedback to guide our enhancements to the GMAT Online exam experience.
Should the decision be made to modify this policy, you will be notified via your registered email address.
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