What started as a response to the pandemic is now officially here to stay, and as of October 20, 2021, the rules regarding the Online GMAT have been shifted to more or less align with the test center exam.
The full details are below, but a few high level points:
Rather than 2 separate options to take it at home, you now will just count at home exams towards your limit of 5 per 12 month period/ 8 per lifetime.
Also, they’re going to stop charging less for it.
GMAC has finally announced the revised date for the upgraded online exam. See the official statement below, but the short version is: Curren version will continue along for another month, but you can sign up now to get a significantly improved at-home experience:
My big question is about testing limits. Currently the GMAT can only be taken 5 times in a 12 month period or a maximum of 8 times in your life in the test center, but this is entirely separate the at-home/ online version that you can twice.
As the two exam experiences become more similar, I wonder whether these limits will eventually be merged or whether they will continue to function separately.
For those of you eagerly awaiting the change in format, bad news. The new version of the exam will not be released on April 8 as initially planned, but will be delayed until at least mid-May.
Our recommendation? Take the current form of the Online exam if you’re sure that you’re ready or up against a deadline, but otherwise wait it out.
See GMAC’s official announcement below:
The most annoying things about the at-home exam were pretty clearly:
That you cannot see your score for several days after taking it and must exist in a state of score purgatory;
That you must take the exam in a fixed order even if you’ve learned from practice exams that you do better otherwise; and
That you do not get any breaks.
All of these things felt like arbitrary penalties for sitting for the exam at home. Was there any reason for them?
With this latest announcement, GMAC solved all 3 problems:
This definitely tips the scales further in favor of taking the exam at-home, and shows that this is likely going to be a permanent option.
Some people will be disappointed to see that the essay has joined the online format, but to me that is a small price to pay. Think about it this way: What you finished your GMAT and I said, “You can wait 4 days for a score, or if you spend the next 30 minutes writing an essay, you can see it immediately,.” Wouldn’t that seem like a good deal?
My only other complaint is that GMAC is not yet offering Enhanced Score Reports (ESRs) for the at-home exam, which is now the one remaining advantage of test-center appointments.
The biggest downside of the exam at home has been the fact that you cannot take it more than once.
But GMAC, ever willing to accept your money, has graciously changed that policy. At the end of this month, they will begin to allow you to take the exam at home twice.
Will they stop here? Or will they eventually allow you to take the exam 3x? Only time will tell.
If you’d prefer to take the exam in something like what is pictured above rather than your own home, good news!
Limits spots are currently available in SF Bay Area testing centers. For whatever reason, there are a good number of spots within the next week, a few scattered dates through October, and then what seems like a normal schedule resuming in November.
NOTE: You are REQUIRED to wear a mask when you take the exam in a testing center. If you’re planning to do so, we recommend that you take your practice exams with a mask, to make sure that you replicate testing situations and find a mask that works well for you.
Our current read on the situation? Take the GMAT at home, with a whiteboard. But if you’ve already done that, consider snagging one of the few in-person seats that are available before round 1 deadlines roll past.
In great news, GMAC will start allowing people to use a REAL whiteboard when they take their GMAT at home for appointments starting on June 11, 2020! The whiteboard can be up to 12 inches by 20 inches, but can’t be larger than that. You can also have one dry erase marker and one dry marker eraser. In our view, this addresses the biggest disadvantage to taking the GMAT at home, assuming access to reliable internet and a webcam.
Even if you’ve taken the at-home exam once, you can take it again!
Some test centers in the US are OPEN for test-center exams. Usually, face masks are required. For example: as of 5/19, Eugene, OR currently has many spots available in July. If you want to schedule your exam and then travel to that destination, check here to search for spots in Eugene or in other open test centers. As of now, we haven’t located other open test centers anywhere on the West Coast.
One of our students just took the GMAT at home, and passed on the following advice (I added the emphasis in bold):
One tip I wanted to share since it almost happened to me and I've been seeing it on the web...in the beginning after running the system check, taking my pics, etc. (I had even popped out the whiteboard and drew my grid for quant - which you can do before the exam begins since the whiteboard is there the whole time), the screen went blank and I got an error message. I chatted the proctor who said she was calling me, but my phone was in the other room (of course). Before I got up to answer it I asked if I should, and she said no you cannot leave your desk. If I had gotten up to get the phone as she instructed, my exam would've been invalidated! Anyway, restarting the computer and testing program resolved it, so that was a relief.
4/24: Great video with 4 people’s experiences taking the GMAT at home
4/22/20 A good article on tips for improving performance on GMAT at home.
4/21/20 Here’s a good account of someone actually taking it at home online.
GMAT club helpful webinar on the online test at home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msHroJQj2cc
From GMAC:
https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-online/gmat-online-experience/about-the-gmat-online
https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-online/gmat-online-experience/policies-and-procedures
TC advice: if you’re applying round 1 this Fall or later, keep studying and do not do anything to prepare specifically for the online at home test. Nobody knows what the future holds, but it’s likely that either a) the GMAT will return to being in-person at some point this summer; or b) the GMAT will change the at-home format so that it is more student friendly. There is some anecdotal evidence that GMAC is reconsidering the unreasonable requirement that students use an on screen whiteboard with a mouse instead of a scratch pad.
If you have to take the GMAT for late round 3 deadlines right now, give us a call and let’s talk about it: 415-323-5728.
If you do decide to take it, note the following details:
When
Available April 20 through June 15 as of now. But this end date might be extended by GMAC.
Fees
Cost: $200
Reschedule (up to 24 hours before exam): $25
Cancel (up to 24 hours before exam): $100
No appointment changes can be made within 24 hours of test.
There is no scratch paper or laminated pad allowed--only an onscreen whiteboard where you can only use your mouse to draw or the keyboard to type. You cannot use a touchscreen---for example you can’t use an iPAD. You may be able to use a computer that has a touchscreen, but you can’t actually use the touchscreen. If you don’t have a mouse, you can use a touchpad as a mouse--but you can’t use a touchscreen, a stylus, an attached track pad, or any kind of digital pen. You can resize the onscreen whiteboard so it doesn’t take up the full screen.
The onscreen whiteboard has a “pen” tool where you can use your mouse to draw, take notes, write expressions or equations. It has a “text” tool where you can type onto the whiteboard. There’s a pan tool where you can pan around and go to a different part of the whiteboard. There is a zoom in and zoom out function, which is very helpful. For example, if you put your time chart on the first page, you use your pan tool to go to the next area, and then you can zoom out to locate your time chart.
UPDATE 4/23: It appears that wireless mice are allowed, according to a chat with Pearson Vue. I wouldn’t rely on this, however--so make sure you have a wired mouse as a backup in case you don’t have. According to the video linked to above from 4/24 update, GMAC has stated only wired, not wireless, mice are allowed.
Here’s a good preview of the whiteboard where you can practice using it:
MBA.com released a practice whiteboard.
https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat-online/prepare-for-your-exam/online-whiteboard:
A great video about the online whiteboard, including some advantages of using the online whiteboard:
No repeat test taking in online format (can only take it once online)
Can use Mac or PC
The check-in process is supposed to take only 15 minutes
Test times are available 24/7
No headphones (including noise-cancelling headphones) or earpieces allowed.
This test will not count towards your GMAT maximums (meaning it won’t count towards the 5 GMAT/calendar year limit or 8 GMAT exams per lifetime limit).
Questions will be the same content and difficulty levels. The exam will be scored the same way. The questions will not change just because you don’t have scratch paper.
No essay section
Order of the sections is fixed: quant, verbal, then IR
Optional 5 minute break after the verbal section only. No break in between quant and verbal
For those with testing accommodations, accommodations will be available in May for GMAT online
No scratch pad--built in whiteboard with mouse only(see above for more discussion of this)
The check in process-- a live proctor will check your surroundings via webcam.
Proctors only speak English.
GMAT online: according to GMAC you cannot cancel your score if taking the exam online--but according to GMAT club who spoke with GMAC, you can cancel your score but NOT after you see your score. they email you the score within 7 business days of taking the exam. [UPDATED 4/24: GMAC has now told people you’ll get scores 2 weeks after you take the exam, not 7 days as previously promised] You will not see your score right after your exam. According to GMAT club, you can cancel your score at the end of the exam if you think you didn’t do well, but then you will never see your score.
Main advice seems to be do not cancel, because it’s really hard to understand how you did on the GMAT. Also, since business schools take your highest scored exam, there’s no real downside to keeping your exam.
Scores are sent to you within 14 days of the exam (during this time GMAC reviews the video of you taking the exam to try to catch cheating).
No score preview
At this point, no score cancellation
Scoring and the scoring algorithm will be exactly the same as test center GMAT.
A live proctor will watch you while you take the test. You will have communication (by video, but mostly by live chat). The clock will continue to run, though, as you talk to your proctor.
You have to keep your hands in view of the proctor at all times. If not they will ask you to do so.
