The dates for the entrance test important to get admission to the leading global business schools, GMAT, is extended till 17th July due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. The extension has been announced by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of leading graduate business schools, considering the current situation globally.

Due to the uncertainty regarding the new dates and opening of the test centers, GMAC will offer new appointment dates as required and will till the time will remove the charges for rescheduling and cancellation in case of online tests and also in the case where the test-takers are supposed to visit the test center to give their exams.

• According to Vineet Chhabra, one of the senior directors and head of GMAT (the Graduate Management Admission Test), the Covid-19 has greatly impacted the world, and due to the same many test centers around the world are closed.
• GMAC allowed the students to focus on their speed and quality, delivering online assessments so that they can continue practicing their studies.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many GMAT test centers are now closed internationally, which makes it challenging for the aspirants to give the test. To overcome this problem, GMAC recently introduced an online option for this exam – The GMAT Online Exam, which will allow the test takers to take an online GMAT exam from their home.

GMAT Online Test

The candidates can book for the online GMAT test from homes, which is presently available until 17th July only. The committee is looking for alternatives to add more appointment dates. Earlier the test takers were permitted to do their calculations on the online whiteboard, but now the test-takers can use the physical whiteboard for calculations as per GMAC.

According to the committee, the test takers are now allowed to use a physical whiteboard, online whiteboard, if they support the expected requirements. The appointments beginning 11th June allow candidates to use a whiteboard for giving the GMAT Online exam (from home) and the Executive Assessment Online.

The applicants who have registered for the test must review and be sure that the whiteboard they are going to use on the day of the test must have the specific requirements. Also, they need to keep a dry erase marker, eraser handy while giving the test.

GMAT Online Whiteboard Options

The appointments will start on 11th June 2020. The authority gives permission to the GMAT aspirants to use a physical whiteboard or the online whiteboard while taking the GMAT online test from their homes. The information beneath will help in knowing more about it.

Physical Whiteboard

The test-takers are not allowed to use any whiteboard for the GMAT online exam. The physical whiteboard needs include:

• 1 dry erase whiteboard, maximum size 12 in x 20 in (30 cm x 50 cm)
• 1 dry erase marker
• 1 dry marker eraser

Also, the test takers must note that the following things are NOT allowed when it comes to the physical whiteboard

• Paper and pencil/pen
• Permanent or non-erasable marker
• Tissues, paper towels, or napkins for erasing
• Whiteboard spray
• Paper in a sheet protector
• Writing tabs
• Chalkboards, etc.

How can the test-takers take the GMAT Online Exam?

The GMAT online test will be available from 20th April till 17th July 2020. The candidates are allowed to give this test 24 hours a day, all days in a week. The GMAT aspirants can book an appointment one day before their preferred slot for the online test.

Who is allowed to take the At-Home GMAT Exam?

The online GMAT test will be available to the students in those geographies that are badly impacted by COVID-19. Therefore, anyone who is not able to give this exam now gets a chance to do the same from their comfort zone. While for the test-takers living in Mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Slovenia, GMAC is in talks with the authorities of the government to present a better option.

The registration fee for the GMAT Online

The registration fee for the GMAT online test is 200 USD, it is a reduced fee from 250 USD earlier. The test-takers can reschedule or cancel their GMAT test, which they are supposed to give from their homes at least 24 hours before the actual test time. The reschedule fee is $25, while the charges to cancel the test is $100. No appointments will be entertained within a day of the booked appointment time.

Structure of the Online GMAT test?

There will be no changes in format as compared to the in-person GMAT exam. The total number of questions and the duration of the section is mentioned below:

• Quantitative – 31 questions, the time duration is 62 minutes
• Verbal – 36 questions, the time duration is 65 minutes
• Integrated Reasoning – 12 questions that need to be completed within 30 minutes

However, one of the important changes in the online GMAT Exam that can be given by home is that the AWA section is removed by the test.

GMAT Key highlights

• The duration of the online test will be 180 minutes, where 2 hours and 45 minutes will be the online test-taking time.

• Similar to the in-person test, there will be interactions with them through Live Chat with the Test Proctor throughout the exam till the end.

• Also, the GMAT test-takers need to provide a pass room scan so that they can get approval to give the exam.

• The candidates need to take photos and videos of their desk area for a proctor’s review and make sure no pens, papers, or notes are kept near in the room.

• Beginning 11th June 2020, onwards, physical whiteboards meeting the standards will be permitted to give the test.

• The GMAT scores will be declared within 7 days. The interim GMAT will permit the test-takers to send their scores to some other business schools as well at no additional cost.

• The number of questions in Quant, Verbal, and IR section will be the same.

• The test takers can give the online GMAT exam one time only, no retakes or cancellation of scores is permitted until there is some technical difficulty, and it is proved.

• The online GMAT will not be included in 8 total available GMAT tests

• Online whiteboard is allowed, but no physical whiteboards, papers, pens, or pencils will be allowed while giving the GMAT online test from home.

In case you are planning to apply to a business school, and have enough free time in hand to take the GMAT test, then you can take the GMAT online test from your home. The test-takers will be able to practice in the same environment as that of test day; however, this test is thirty minutes shorter than the in-person GMAT.