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As reported by vabhs192003 here, GMAC is piloting a program that will allow test-takers to select the order of Quant, Verbal, AWA, and IR. This is a cool great thing and probably an indicator of some improvements to come to GMAT. It is always helpful to those who are stronger in one section vs. the other to pick the order of the section since your performance depends on your fatigue. With this option, test takers can now tackle their lower-ranking sections first with the hope of having the best performance there. This is a welcome news to those who were weak in Verbal (most of us) as now we can choose to tackle that section first. It makes the playing field more even for the quant-heavy folks. Will it actually materialize? I think there is a good chance folks will get some points on the first section they choose to tackle but also potentially lose a few in the last one. My guess is that most will choose to have V, Q, IR, AWA. I am hoping perhaps this will make Quant a little harder for the quant-heavy guys and perhaps slow down the erosion/inflation of that score ruler and puts some pressure on Verbal.
Important - the pilot is invitation only at this time. Dates are: February 23, 2016 to March 8, 2016.
If you were lucky to be invited and are planning to take the test around that timeframe, then I would book my test sooner than later. There is a chance the dates will fill up in your test center and you don't want to miss this opportunity. Interesting enough, it is only available to those who have canceled their scores previously. Only 1% of the test volume received the invites, so that's about 2K-2.5K people (out of 200K unique test takers or 250K tests taken). Obviously, if you got the invite, you should consider yourself lucky and jump on the opportunity.
What if you did not get invited?
There is still good news - should the pilot prove positive, which I think it will, GMAC is likely to roll this program to the general population within 3-6 months so most of us can take the test in the summer and pick our own section order. Of course, it may take much longer or GMAC may notice something that they were not expecting and never roll it out. We will see. Either way, it is good news to see that they are hoping to improve our test taking experience and are innovating.
Is this pilot program available to anyone taking the GMAT?
No, participation in this pilot program is by invitation only. Invitations were sent to a random subset of candidates that were registered on mba.com with previously cancelled GMAT scores
More info
More info is available on the new FAQ page for the Pilot program: https://www.mba.com/us/frequently-asked- ... pilot.aspx
_________________
Important - the pilot is invitation only at this time. Dates are: February 23, 2016 to March 8, 2016.
If you were lucky to be invited and are planning to take the test around that timeframe, then I would book my test sooner than later. There is a chance the dates will fill up in your test center and you don't want to miss this opportunity. Interesting enough, it is only available to those who have canceled their scores previously. Only 1% of the test volume received the invites, so that's about 2K-2.5K people (out of 200K unique test takers or 250K tests taken). Obviously, if you got the invite, you should consider yourself lucky and jump on the opportunity.
What if you did not get invited?
There is still good news - should the pilot prove positive, which I think it will, GMAC is likely to roll this program to the general population within 3-6 months so most of us can take the test in the summer and pick our own section order. Of course, it may take much longer or GMAC may notice something that they were not expecting and never roll it out. We will see. Either way, it is good news to see that they are hoping to improve our test taking experience and are innovating.
Is this pilot program available to anyone taking the GMAT?
No, participation in this pilot program is by invitation only. Invitations were sent to a random subset of candidates that were registered on mba.com with previously cancelled GMAT scores
More info
More info is available on the new FAQ page for the Pilot program: https://www.mba.com/us/frequently-asked- ... pilot.aspx
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thesouthpaw
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bb
I am planning to take the exam between that date range. Can I get an invite after I register ?
I think there is a good chance for that but it seems that they have offered this feature only to retakers (my guess to observe performance from take to take)
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EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Expert reply
Hi thesouthpaw,
By the wording of your post, I think you're asking if you can 'request' a new order of the sections - and the answer is likely no. Whatever 'parameters' GMAC is using to make these offers, the offers are not going out to everyone and there's probably some 'sampling rules' that the statisticians are trying to follow. While it's conceivable that you could take your 'first' GMAT and then receive an offer to retest under these conditions, you shouldn't try to plan for that possibility as there's no way to determine whether it's likely to happen.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
By the wording of your post, I think you're asking if you can 'request' a new order of the sections - and the answer is likely no. Whatever 'parameters' GMAC is using to make these offers, the offers are not going out to everyone and there's probably some 'sampling rules' that the statisticians are trying to follow. While it's conceivable that you could take your 'first' GMAT and then receive an offer to retest under these conditions, you shouldn't try to plan for that possibility as there's no way to determine whether it's likely to happen.
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Hi bb, wouldn´t that cause an inflation of Q and V scores? Think about it for a second. Most students have a hard time focusing after 3 hours of test, so it is also about testing one´s stamina and ability to focus, especially in the Verbal section. With the possibility to take the "hardest yet most important" parts of the test early on, students will be fresh, thus less prone to make errors, no?
Last but not least, wouldn´t that be unfair to the students who have taken or will take the GMAT without being able to choose the order of sections?
Last but not least, wouldn´t that be unfair to the students who have taken or will take the GMAT without being able to choose the order of sections?
EMPOWERgmatRichC
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Expert reply
Hi michaelyb,
You bring up some good points, but I guarantee that everyone at GMAC has already thought through those points. To that same end, everyone at every Business School has already thought about that too. The relatively small group of Test Takers who have been offered these testing options likely won't significantly matter to the application process. Unless they ALL scored at a really high level (which is not likely to occur) and a good chunk of them applied to the same Schools that you plan to apply to (also mathematically unlikely), you really have nothing to worry about. Keep in mind that the application process involves several 'pieces', and the GMAT score is just one of them.
I would not be surprised if GMAC includes a "note" with the Official Score reports that points out the re-ordering of the sections on those Exams (so that Schools have the relevant information needed to assess those specific applicants (in comparison to those applicants who took the GMAT under normal conditions).
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
You bring up some good points, but I guarantee that everyone at GMAC has already thought through those points. To that same end, everyone at every Business School has already thought about that too. The relatively small group of Test Takers who have been offered these testing options likely won't significantly matter to the application process. Unless they ALL scored at a really high level (which is not likely to occur) and a good chunk of them applied to the same Schools that you plan to apply to (also mathematically unlikely), you really have nothing to worry about. Keep in mind that the application process involves several 'pieces', and the GMAT score is just one of them.
I would not be surprised if GMAC includes a "note" with the Official Score reports that points out the re-ordering of the sections on those Exams (so that Schools have the relevant information needed to assess those specific applicants (in comparison to those applicants who took the GMAT under normal conditions).
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Posts: 1,117
michaelyb
That's a good question, and I'm sure that's what GMAC wants to test and measure with this pilot: Does letting students take the exam in a different order have a significant impact on how they do on each section? If the answer is yes, then I bet we won't hear about this anymore once the pilot is over!
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Youraisemeup
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charronecrom
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GMAT 1: 640 Q42 V36
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![New GMAC Feature - Select the Order of Sections on GMAT [Pilot]](/forum/styles/gmatclub_light/imageset/icon_post_target_unread.svg "New GMAC Feature - Select the Order of Sections on GMAT [Pilot]"){kind=icon}
Updated on: 21 Jan 2016, 11:14
Originally posted by charronecrom on 21 Jan 2016, 11:02.
Last edited by charronecrom on 21 Jan 2016, 11:14, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by charronecrom on 21 Jan 2016, 11:14, edited 1 time in total.
Hey guys,
I visit this site nearly everyday but I have never contributed so I guess is time to do so. I am one of those lucky one percenters who got the invitation to participate in the pilot.
The score I cancelled was a 670 and that was back in 12/12/15. I got that score after 4 months of preparation including a live MGMAT class. I was aiming for a 700+, hence why I cancelled the score.
I didn't retake studying again until January (bad mistake by the way), so I'm adding two extra months of preparation as I'm taking the test on 2/27/16.
When you sign up for the test you HAVE to choose the order of the sections, so I chose Verbal, Quant, IR, AWA. Even though I'm not particularly weak on verbal, that is the section that I enjoy the least, so I wanted to get it out of way first and then focus on Quant, which doesn't bother me at all.
The real benefit of me writing this post will come when I post the results of the verbal section. On my last test I got V35, so if taking verbal first can yield a score of V38 or higher then that would be a good indicator that there's a real benefit to take this section first.
I will keep you guys posted.
Cheers!
CT
I visit this site nearly everyday but I have never contributed so I guess is time to do so. I am one of those lucky one percenters who got the invitation to participate in the pilot.
The score I cancelled was a 670 and that was back in 12/12/15. I got that score after 4 months of preparation including a live MGMAT class. I was aiming for a 700+, hence why I cancelled the score.
I didn't retake studying again until January (bad mistake by the way), so I'm adding two extra months of preparation as I'm taking the test on 2/27/16.
When you sign up for the test you HAVE to choose the order of the sections, so I chose Verbal, Quant, IR, AWA. Even though I'm not particularly weak on verbal, that is the section that I enjoy the least, so I wanted to get it out of way first and then focus on Quant, which doesn't bother me at all.
The real benefit of me writing this post will come when I post the results of the verbal section. On my last test I got V35, so if taking verbal first can yield a score of V38 or higher then that would be a good indicator that there's a real benefit to take this section first.
I will keep you guys posted.
Cheers!
CT
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Youraisemeup
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@charronecrome same here... 
Hey btw...does that mean 8th is also included?
Hey btw...does that mean 8th is also included? Attachments
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thesouthpaw
Joined: 03 Dec 2015
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debbiem
Did you book the slot well before the invite ? or you got the invite even before booking a slot ?
debbiem
Cool! I think so! I see no downside...
Congrats!
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Youraisemeup
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thesouthpaw
No Dear,
I did nothing. I just came randomly for some inspiration and saw bb's post like 10 mins back.. and checked my inbox immediately.
charronecrom
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GMAT 1: 640 Q42 V36
GMAT 2: 670 Q46 V35
GPA: 3.33
debbiem
Debbie,
I would like to think so, but most likely that will be determined by test center availability. I originally wanted to take it a week after the 27th but no spots were available.
Best of luck.
CT
thesouthpaw
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debbiem
GMAt wants you to get a 700
Youraisemeup
Joined: 17 Oct 2015
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GMAt wants you to get a 700 [/quote]
Hope so.. God knows the best. Anyways yup i got myself enrolled. Thanks bb May God bless!
[/quote]Hope so..
God knows the best. Anyways yup i got myself enrolled. Thanks bb May God bless! 
I am no longer active on this forum.
IanStewart
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Expert reply
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V47
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One thing about the GMAT Verbal section is that it's not supposed to be testing how well you deal with fatigue. It's supposed to be testing your Verbal ability. That was actually one of the motivations to switch to adaptive testing, from paper testing - to get the same scoring accuracy, a paper test needs to be about 50% longer. By switching to adaptive testing, they could shorten the test and reduce the influence of the test's duration.
I'd guess GMAC had been working under the assumption that the test was short enough that fatigue didn't normally have a significant influence on scores. From recent developments, I have the impression that GMAC is acknowledging (and this is all very welcome) that issues like test anxiety and fatigue might have an unfair influence on performance, for some test takers. The recent changes to the score cancellation policy seem intended to reduce test day anxiety, and this new development seems intended to reduce the influence of fatigue, so the GMAT can measure what it's really intended to measure.
But I'd be a bit surprised if a new section sequence made a big difference to average scores. I think the majority of test takers are not substantially affected by fatigue, but at the same time, it's certainly true that some test takers are, and this change will be very beneficial for them. Test takers who are unsure how they're affected by fatigue can do trial runs on their own - take one GMATPrep test like a real test, and then take one with very long (day-long, maybe) breaks between sections. You can compare your performance, in Verbal especially, to see if fatigue seems to be having a major impact on your score. Note also that's one reason not to always follow the advice I sometimes read on this forum, to always take complete tests when you take practice tests. If you always do that, you can't tell if low Verbal scores mean you need to work on Verbal, or you need to work on stamina.
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I'd guess GMAC had been working under the assumption that the test was short enough that fatigue didn't normally have a significant influence on scores. From recent developments, I have the impression that GMAC is acknowledging (and this is all very welcome) that issues like test anxiety and fatigue might have an unfair influence on performance, for some test takers. The recent changes to the score cancellation policy seem intended to reduce test day anxiety, and this new development seems intended to reduce the influence of fatigue, so the GMAT can measure what it's really intended to measure.
But I'd be a bit surprised if a new section sequence made a big difference to average scores. I think the majority of test takers are not substantially affected by fatigue, but at the same time, it's certainly true that some test takers are, and this change will be very beneficial for them. Test takers who are unsure how they're affected by fatigue can do trial runs on their own - take one GMATPrep test like a real test, and then take one with very long (day-long, maybe) breaks between sections. You can compare your performance, in Verbal especially, to see if fatigue seems to be having a major impact on your score. Note also that's one reason not to always follow the advice I sometimes read on this forum, to always take complete tests when you take practice tests. If you always do that, you can't tell if low Verbal scores mean you need to work on Verbal, or you need to work on stamina.
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As a data point, I just received in invitation today, even though I had never cancelled a score. Definitely not retaking though
I also think this will inflate the scores. I know I was having trouble concentrating at the end of verbal on both my attempts, and it's also hard to ignore the anticipation of seeing your score. A lot of native English speakers should be able to get a 5 or 6 on the AWA even on a tired brain at the end.
I would personally do Quant, Verbal, IR, AWA.
I also think this will inflate the scores. I know I was having trouble concentrating at the end of verbal on both my attempts, and it's also hard to ignore the anticipation of seeing your score. A lot of native English speakers should be able to get a 5 or 6 on the AWA even on a tired brain at the end.
I would personally do Quant, Verbal, IR, AWA.
shasadou
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I have just received the invite to retake the test under these new special conditions. Besides that GMAC has granted me a free retake after having reviewed my incident report - a distraction caused by the testcenter.
I am now seriously considering what to do ... Those dates exactly the ones I intended to to sit for exam. It is free this time for me.
For year I have been training myself to take the CAT in the established order. I am always more anxious during the the awa and then get calm during IR. Quant is the most stressful. In verbal though during the last 10 questions I already feel fatigue. So shifting the verbal up at least by 30 mins is a great idea.
If I accept the invite then obviously I will postpone AWA until the end. IR 3d. This gives me comparatively high performance during the initial 75+8+75 minutes. But what should go first?
I am now seriously considering what to do ... Those dates exactly the ones I intended to to sit for exam. It is free this time for me.
For year I have been training myself to take the CAT in the established order. I am always more anxious during the the awa and then get calm during IR. Quant is the most stressful. In verbal though during the last 10 questions I already feel fatigue. So shifting the verbal up at least by 30 mins is a great idea.
If I accept the invite then obviously I will postpone AWA until the end. IR 3d. This gives me comparatively high performance during the initial 75+8+75 minutes. But what should go first?
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