How the GMAT has changed in the past 10 Years

Ten years ago..

• Google had just purchased YouTube.

• Twitter had just been founded.

• Instagram was not even a thing!

Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it! A lot has changed around the world in the past ten years -and the same goes for the GMAT. If you’re thinking of taking the GMAT and wondering if you have all the vital information at hand, read on to discover the changes the GMAT has undergone.

Has the GMAT has gotten tougher in the last 10 years?

Yes, in a sense.The test is scored on a curve, and admissions keep getting more competitive with each passing year, so every year, it's a little harder to get your target score.

However, if you dig deeper into the heart of the problem, you’ll realize that it is just as difficult to get a 50 on Quant or Verbal as it was ten years ago. This is because the change is not in the scoring, but in the demographic of the test-taking population.

There are an increasing number of test-takers from China, India and other Asian countries, a lot of them with very well-developed Quant skills and not-so-great Verbal skills, and this has skewed the percentiles. That is, for the same raw scores, you would get a higher Verbal percentile today than you would have ten years ago - and a lower Quant percentile.

So, should you worry about this? Not really! College Adcoms are quite aware of this trend and the reasons behind it, so don’t let the percentile shift trouble you.

Will I get a detailed report of my GMAT scores?

The default GMAT score report that you receive is a pretty basicversion.
But now, you have a new tool in your driver’s seat, and it’s called the ESR!

The new GMAT Enhanced Score Report (ESR) puts you in control of your performance by giving you an in-depth review of your scores.

This report includes features such as an overall ranking of performance, ranking by individual question type, a ranking of your time management skills and average response time, and a report of how you compare against other test-takers.

The ESR can help you focus on your areas of improvement, either for another retake of the GMAT, or for your future MBA classroom!

Can I cancel or retake my score on the GMAT?

As per current policy, you can retake the GMAT up to 5 times in any 12-month period, but no more than once in any 16-day period ( until recently, you could take it no more than once in 31 days).

A positive change that GMAC has introduced is that GMAT scores will no longer be included on a candidate’s school report. So you don’t have to worry about the impact of poor cancelled scores on your candidature.

What’s more, after a recent change in policy, you have 3 days to cancel your score, not just 2 minutes. You can take up to 72 hours after your test to decide whether to cancel - this comes at the cost of a fee, of course. You can also reinstate your score any time, so long as the score is still valid, by paying $50.

What study material do I use to prepare?
When was the last time you looked at MBA.com? If it was some years ago, you need to look again! You'll be surprised at the abundance of guides and tests it has to offer.

Most importantly, besides the free Testprep software that you are entitled to when you register with mba.com, there are now two more paid Computer Adaptive tests that you can download.

We cannot stress enough the importance of practicing official GMAT questions prepared by GMAC!

Now that you've got all you need to gear up for the GMAT, you can jump into the driver’s seat and buckle up, because you're good to go!

By Arun Jagannathan, CEO ,Crack Verbal.