GMAT

Graduate Management Admission Test

This is an examination for those who want to study in business schools all over the world. This is one of the many criteria used for admission into business schools. Some of the well-known undergraduate and master’s courses in business, like MBA require bright minds and the graduate management admission test ensures that the best are selected. The GMAT is used mainly in the commonwealth countries, and has been established in many other business speaking countries all over the world. It is computer based and requires the payment of US$250 fee. The GMAT is done twice in a year and the demand for it increases year after year.

GMAT examines the skills of the applicant in writing, mathematics and spoken English. It takes about four hours to complete the GMAT including the breaks. Most business schools will ask for your GMAT when you make applications to them and the scores will be valid for five years only. This is an advantage, considering that a lot of business school entry exam scores are not valid for such a long time. One is expected to score a mean of 540 to be allowed into most business schools. This means that you need to have passed with an aggregate of about 70% to be seen as a potential candidate.

This examination starts with analytical writing, followed by the quantitative and verbal part. Even as the GMAT will last about 5 years, it is not advisable to make applications with scores that are older than 2 years; it never looks good on any CV. A candidate who is below the age of 18 has to have written permission from parents and guardians and has to send a form to GMAT customer services first.

There are worldwide GMAT centers in which you can take your GMAT and you may have to pay more than the standard fees of US $250 depending on the tax rates in these countries. Rescheduling of an exam can be done a week before sitting the exam but this will cost US $50 more than the usual fees. However any rescheduling done less than a week to the examination will be charged US$250 depending on the requirements. Rescheduling fees change all the time and one will have to abide by the current standards required of rescheduling examination. Cancellation of the examination a week before the examination entitles you to a refund of $80 but this is not the case if you have cancelled the GMAT less than a week to the examination. All the fees are subject to change anytime and will be subject to taxes as well.

Payments are made online using debit cards and credit cards. Other forms of payment include money orders and personal checks. All the payments have to be made in full and be well addressed to be accepted. The fees must include the taxes to be paid and must be sent early enough to allow for the processing of the check. Always keep in mind that it can take a lot of time for the letter to reach the United States. Payments made in other currencies apart from the US dollar will never be accepted. You can retake the GMAT several times in a year and not less than a month apart. The maximum times you can retake the GMAT in a year is five. Those who manage to score 100% in the exam will not be allowed to sit the exam again in the next five years. Those who take the exam more than five times in a year or less than a month apart will forfeit their test fees and will not get their scores. Depending on the circumstances they may not be allowed to sit the GMAT for several years.

Last modified: 2011-04-30 09:04:39