Upcoming Changes in GMAT 2023-24

The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is a standardized test used to measure aptitude for applicants seeking admission to graduate management programs worldwide. The GMAT assesses the candidate’s analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English.

As with any standardized test, the GMAT undergoes periodic updates and changes to ensure its validity and reliability and it’s getting a makeover. If you are a management program aspirant, you need to know this.

In this article, we will discuss the upcoming changes in GMAT.

New GMAT- The Restructure Beginning

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association that represents leading business schools, on 8th March 2023 announced that it will introduce an updated version of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT),” the GMAT Focus edition” will feature a shorter, more flexible, and business focused test.

According to GMAC, the number of applicants has declined over the years globally. In response to significant declines in standardized test applicants, GMAC launched a robust research program in 2021 to objectively understand the needs of schools and candidates to evolve the GMAT exam.

In the below chart, you can find the decrease in applicants and their scores;

GMAC after speaking with school professionals representing a wide range of program types and different size schools and conducting in-depth concept testing with nearly 5,400 prospective candidates globally representing a range of demographic characteristics identified several trends before deciding to bring a change the GMAT structure.

Ashish Bhardwaj, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Development at GMAC: earlier in 2021 said “that by keeping the trends in mind, plans to remodel the GMAT began about 18 months ago”.

“What we’re trying to do with the GMAT Focus Edition is focus on the needs of business schools, what kind of talent they’re looking for, and focus the assessment on what best provides the opportunity for candidates to shine a spotlight on their candidacy.

Bhardwaj added that “The new version will be hyper-focused on business principles and skills, eliminating concepts from the current exam that experts say do not translate as well to business school”.

The upcoming version will be the most significant change to the GMAT since it was converted from paper to computer in June 1997.

GMAT Focus Edition Overview

The new GMAT edition will be efficient, and flexible with a focus on current business needs. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, the new edition will be a more streamlined and practical option for prospective business school applicants and schools.

1. With three 45-minute sections, the test comprises Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Reading comprehension. The newly developed Data Insights section assesses candidates’ data literacy skills and ability to analyze, interpret, and apply data to real-world business scenarios.
2. The Questions in each section have been reduced. The Quantitative Reasoning will have 21 questions instead of 31, the Verbal Reasoning to have 23 instead of 36, and the new Data Insights section will have 20 questions.
3. Removal of Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) reduces the test duration by 1 hour requiring less content to prepare.
4. Bookmarking is a new feature that allows candidates to make notes on any – and as many questions, they are unsure about as they progress through the exam.
5. Question Review & Edit allows candidates to review questions and change up to three answer responses per section within the remaining section time; and Select Section Order, allows all the 3 sections to be completed in any order.
6. The improved Official Score Report now provides detailed performance insights, allowing candidates to assess their strengths and focus areas.
7. Data Insights sections will require candidates to analyze information presented in a variety of formats, including text, graphics, datasets, and tables. The candidate must find connections and make informed decisions. The section will include an on-screen calculator and questions will test a combination of mathematics, data analysis, and verbal reasoning skills.

GMAT Focus Edition Test Structure

The restructured version will offer a detailed score report with performance insights which Bhardwaj says will include detailed insights into each subsection allowing the candidate to understand which area to improve if they decide to retake the test.

The new edition’s total score will include all the 3 sections Quantitative, Verbal, and Data Insights, unlike the current version included only the Quantitative and Verbal. The score will be on a scale of 205 to 805 with 10-point increments.

The individual section will each have a score on a 60 to 90 scale in a 1-point increment.

Access to Scores before Sending to Schools

Similar to the current version, candidates taking up Focus Edition will also be able to send their scores to 5 business schools with no changes. However, one significant change in the upcoming version is the candidates will be able to assess their scores first and will have up to 48 hours to decide which school to send their scores to.

With the current version, the candidates are cautious about where to send their scores, according to Bhardwaj. Unsure whether they get good scores, some people are more conservative and avoid applying to top programs, only to find out they got much higher scores than expected. According to him, this change allows test takers to be “more aggressive” in deciding where to send their scores.

Launch Date and Year

GMAC hinted that the GMAT focus edition is set to debut towards the end of 2023 and the registration is set to start by fall. The existing version will be phased out in early 2024, but the scores will be good for 5 years.

The preparation materials for the Focus edition will be available towards the end of the 2023 second quarter, additionally; the current prep materials will also be relevant for the exam.

Conclusion

According to the responses, the upcoming GMAT will definitely be shorter and flexible compared to the current version, there are chances it will be equally challenging as the current version, but only the preparation materials and the test will help to find out the answer for that.

If you are looking for mentorship in GMAT, reach to our experts Kavitta Mehtta at 3RDiConsulting, overseas education counselors.