The registrations for the online GMAT exam (the interim GMAT) are now open. The online GMAT is introduced as an alternative by the GMAC since the standard test center-based exam is suspended due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The GMAT Online exam is open to all test takers but is mainly geared towards supporting students in their business school pursuits in the coming months.

## GMAT Online: Structure of the Test

The Online GMAT will have only 3 sections, i.e. Quantitative, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning. The AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment) section has been omitted from the test. The other three sections will have a comparable number of items/questions as the center-based exam:

• QUANT

No. of Questions – 31

Time – 62 minutes

• VERBAL

No. of Questions – 36

Time – 65 minutes

• IR

No. of Questions – 12

Time – 30 minutes

Other details:

1. Section order will remain fixed for the Online GMAT as Quantitative, Verbal, and IR.
2. Total duration of the test will be 3 hours, including the 15 minutes check-in time. students can take one optional 5 minutes break before moving to the IR section.

## Score Scale

Just as the number of items and questions in the Online GMAT are comparable as the in-person exam conducted in the test-centers, the scoring algorithm and score scale will also maintain consistency for the Section scores and Total score. The score reports will include individual section scores, total scores, and the percentile of the candidates.

Note:

a) The GMAT Online scores are also valid for 5 years and will not be limited by the 12-month and lifetime GMAT limits. Students will only be allowed to take 1 GMAT Online test.

b) Unlike the test-center version of GMAT, students will not be able to view their unofficial scores at the end of the exam. The official score will be sent to them via email within 7 business days of completing the exam.

## Appointment for the Online GMAT Exam

• Appointment dates will be made available from April 20, 2020 to June 15, 2020.

Students can expect greater flexibility with the online GMAT since the test is available 24*7 and appointment for the test can be scheduled up to 24 hours before an available slot. Appointment dates may be extended if needed.

Due to certain regulatory restrictions, some locations where the Online GMAT exam will not be available are – Mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Slovenia.

• The GMAT Online exam can be taken on any of the two systems – Windows or Mac.
• For the time being, the proctoring support will only be available in English.
• Areas where test centers are open and safe to access, students can physically go and take the exam.
• The Online GMAT exam will be hosted on mba.com where you will also register for the test.
• Candidates with disabilities will be provided appropriate options to meet with the eligibility criteria.

The Online GMAT exam will cost less than the standard in-person test. The registration cost of the online exam is $200 USD and includes 5 score reports that students can choose to send to 5 selected schools. Since the test does not provide an unofficial score at the end of the exam, students will have to option to either select the schools at time of registration or wait till their official scores are received. ## Rescheduling or Cancelling the Exam In case you wish to reschedule or cancel your exam, you can do so before 24 hours of your scheduled exam time. You will be required to log in to your mba.com account where you had registered for the test. No changes in the appointment will be possible within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment. Rescheduling Fee –$25 USD

Cancellation Fee – \$100 USD

Students must take note that, as of now, the Online GMAT exam is only a temporary alternative to the standard test-center version of the GMAT, keeping in consideration the current climate impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic. GMAC introduced the online test to ensure the safety of the candiadates as well as the test center staff, and the situations can be expected to go back to normal once the spread of the virus is contained.

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