New GMAT Launching in 2013

Question

The GMAT—the contentious entrance exam required by most important business schools—is set for an upgrade. Dubbed the “Next Generation GMAT”, the test's administrator, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), says it is responding to changes in the business school market, such as an increase in specialised masters programmes and more variations on the traditional MBA.

https://www.economist.com/business/busin ... d=13381945

isa · Answer

Interesting. I wonder what else the test will cover? I can't imagine that they will get into any specific subject areas like finance or accounting. I'm guessing they'll just change the types of questions in each section...

Jamico7 · Answer

I just graduated as an undergrad in the Spring and I am planning on working a couple years and then applying to MBA programs sometime between 2012-2014. I want to take the GMAT soon to get it out of the way, but does anyone think if I end up applying in 2013 or 2014 that MBA programs will still take scores from the "old" test?

shadow · Answer

i would imagine that they would do the same thing that undergrad schools did when they changed over to the new SAT. i THINK they still took the old tests for however long they would normally be "good " for. so therefore, the 5 year rule would still apply for the GMAT (your GMAT score is valid for 5 years from the day you take it). however, this is pure conjecture on my part.

bb · Answer

I agree - percentiles will still hold and the "old" scores will still be taken. The same happened to TOEFL as well - schools used 2 score sets of scoring ranges. Actually, it happened to TOEFL twice, so was confusing, but everyone lived.

bgs7b6 · Answer

More info on this "next generation" test can be found on GMAC's web site: https://www.gmac.com/gmac/TheGMAT/The+Next+Generation+GMAT/ Should be exciting to dissect after more details are released! :-D

strikethree · Answer

Here is the update to what has been just conjecture to this point:

"Two years from now, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the primary gatekeeper to business school for generations of MBA students, will get its biggest makeover in more than a decade, with the addition of a new section designed to test advanced reasoning skills, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) announced on June 24 at its annual industry conference in San Diego."

https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/co ... 048037.htm

Read the article from BW for full details.

I think this new change is appropriate for what the GMAT tries to accomplish (the assessment of analytical thinking). Most schools don't put much emphasis into writing scores anyway so this seems like a good idea.

The article says the change will take place in two years so there still is a lot of time to take the current GMAT. I think I actually prefer this new section (mostly deals with interpreting data) over writing since I hate writing.

Thoughts? I didn't read anything about a scoring change...

bb · Answer

I am not sure they have a lot of details to release at this point... still 2 years to go; probably not even in the testing stage at this point.

strikethree · Answer

Well the article did say they were testing these questions. It said that they were a year ahead of schedule.

"INTERPRETING TABLES OF DATA
In one sample question that GMAC has released, students are asked to look at a table that sorts like a spreadsheet and detail the number of passengers and airline movements at 21 airports around the world. Students are then presented with a list of statements about the information in the table and asked to determine which of the statements are true based on the data in the spreadsheet. Other exercises ask students to use the same table to assess the reason for or likelihood of certain outcomes, or to use the table to determine where other airports rank."

Interestingly, they added that the GRE was going to be reformed as well:
"The GMAT's changes come as it faces an increasingly important competitive threat from ETS, which has persuaded hundreds of business schools to accept the GRE for admissions. In August 2011, ETS will unveil its own revised test with new features designed with B-schools in mind. They include new types of questions in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections, new answer formats, and an on-screen calculator. David Payne, an ETS vice-president and chief operating officer for college and graduate programs, said in a statement that business schools and test takers have given positive feedback, adding that ETS is "completely focused" on the changes."

Here's another interesting tidbit:
"During portions of the section, students will wear headphones, a new feature that will help schools assess students' auditory learning style"

So we might see (or rather hear) a listening portion too.

bb · Answer

Also some more here in Video Format: https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/bl ... /06/a.html

lalol · Answer

I just graduated from college two months ago and started doing some preliminary research on business schools. I was thinking of applying to b-schools in 2-4 years and I was wondering if I should take the GMAT before this change.

I'm assuming there will be very little test prep guides for the new section and I am worried that I won't do well in the new section without adequate preparation.

I was also in the guinea pig year of the new SAT and I remember colleges still accepted the old SAT score. I assume it would be the same with b-schools as well?

Suvorov · Answer

Good thing I still have time to do the old test :D Would hate all the format studying to go to waste.

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