Background - The Current GMAT Exam

The GMAT exam is the only admissions test designed by business schools for business schools. It was created in 1953 by nine business schools that decided they needed their own special test to evaluate and admit the best students for their programmes. Five decades of research and continuous improvement have proven the GMAT exam to be the most reliable indicator of academic success in graduate management education. Today, it is used by almost 5,000 programmes in 1,900 schools, including all schools in the EIU ranking.

In 2008, more than 250,000 prospective business students took the GMAT exam in more than 90 countries. The reach and stature of this computer-adaptive exam reflect its ability to help quality schools find the students around the world who are the best match for their programmes and for the demands of the marketplace. The process of continually reviewing and revising the exam is a rigorous one. An international panel thoroughly studies each potential new question before it is pilot-tested with candidates who represent the diversity of the GMAT test-taking pool. Questions are carefully screened to ensure they are culturally bias-free.

A Time to Explore and Innovate - The Next Generation

Advancements in technology and measurement are making a significant impact on assessments. At the same time, more specialized master’s programmes and more variations on the traditional MBA are available worldwide. As the business marketplace has changed, so too has graduate management education. All of these factors have inspired GMAC to take an innovative approach to the GMAT exam.

The Next Generation GMAT, slated for completion in 2013, will build on the solid foundation of the current exam, while utilizing advances in testing technology and science to provide better, even more precise measures of skills. It will also offer measures of new skills applicable to both traditional MBA and new business programmes. The development process is rigorous, detailed, and collaborative so that the Next Generation GMAT can provide the right information to help schools admit the best students for their programmes.

The Three-Phase Process

The process of developing the Next Generation GMAT involves three phases over the next five years: skills research, pilot-testing, and operational readiness. Throughout each phase, GMAC will solicit feedback from key school professionals, including faculty, admissions officers, and programme directors.

Phase One: Skills Research

GMAC is currently identifying and reviewing potential new skills that the GMAT could measure. Faculty members from leading business schools around the world are being recruited to review and rate the importance of various skills and make recommendations for change based on new expectations of students for a new era.

Phase Two: Pilot-Testing

During this phase, GMAC will utilize the first phase research to design and pilot-test enhancements to meet the needs of business schools. The goal will be to determine the most effective approaches to measuring the skills that are valued in a graduate management programme classroom and creating the optimal test-taker experience.

Phase Three: Operational Readiness

Before launching the new test, GMAC will ensure that it is easily accessible to all test takers and that test centres are upgraded as needed. New test-preparation materials will be developed and made available to candidates before the first new tests are delivered.

The Final Result

What will the Next Generation GMAT look like? Will it be more difficult? Will there be more or fewer questions, perhaps in a different format? Right now, numerous options are being identified, reviewed, and measured—an important and time-consuming activity that is critical before a new test begins to evolve. Developing the best assessment possible hasn’t happened overnight—and GMAC is committed to conducting the thorough review and continual testing at each step along the way to deliver a successful Next Generation GMAT, meeting the needs of business schools and students well into the future.