BASIC GMAT® FAQ’s

Q. What is the GMAT®?
A. GMAT® stands for Graduate Management Admission Test. It is a standardized test designed to help admissions officers evaluate the academic potential of prospective applicants.

Q. Who conducts the Test and when is it held?
A. The test is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) and it is held all year round (except weekends and public holidays) at specific test centers across the globe. A passport is the mandatory primary form of identification required.

Q. How many times can one take the Test? What should be ideal number of attempts?
A.  You can take the test no more than five times within a year and once in any calendar month.

Q. What is the cost of the GMAT®?
A.  The registration fee for the GMAT® is USD 250. If you want to reschedule the date, time, or location of your test you have to pay a rescheduling fee of USD 50. There is a USD 80 refund if you cancel the test a minimum of seven days before your test date.

Q. How many schools can I send my scores to on the day of the GMAT®?
A. On the day of the GMAT® you can send your scores to 5 schools for free. Every additional score report you request after the test will cost USD 28/ report requested.

Q. How long are the scores valid?
A. The scores are valid for 5 years but ideally Universities accept scores for the test taken in the last 3 years.

Q. How are scores reported to the University?
A. Universities will accept only official score reports from Pearson VUE. In case you apply to schools other than the 5 you have listed on your examination date, you need to send additional score reports (currently USD 28/per school) for the same. Pearson VUE keeps record of all tests taken in last 5 years and will report all of these to a school you apply to.

Q. Which score is counted for Admission at Universities?
A.  Most universities take the highest score. Some might even take the best scores in different sections from different Tests. As long as the scores are improving, it's to the advantage of the Test taker.

Q. What is the meaning of Computer Adaptive Test (CAT)?
A. GMAT® is a computer-based test in which the difficulty level of the questions (and consequently the score) goes on increasing or decreasing according to whether a given question is answered correctly or wrongly respectively. This process goes on till the computer finally adapts to a difficulty level aptly suited to the test taker.

Q. What is the structure of the Test?
A. GMAT® Format

Q. How are the scores calculated on the Test?
A. The GMAT® score depends upon the following three factors:

• The number of questions answered
• Difficulty level of the question answered
• Number of questions completed

Q. What are experimental questions on GMAT®?
A. There are 9 questions on the Quantitative section and 11 questions on the Verbal section that are experimental questions and are unmarked. They are solely for the purpose of research by question framers and they do not contribute to the GMAT® score (irrespective of the fact whether they are answered correct or wrong). But unfortunately there is no way to figure out which questions are experimental.

Q. How is the GMAT® scored?
A. Theoretically, each of the Quantitative and the Verbal section is scored a on a raw scale of 0-60 but practically the scores appear in the range 9-51. These are combined together to give the overall GMAT® score between 200 and 800. The percentile scores gives the performance of the test taker with respect to other test takers, to gauge the competition while applying for Admissions to Universities.

Q. Is GMAT® the sole criterion for the Admissions?
A. No, GMAT® is, in fact, just one of the other very important selection criteria. Other factors include job experience, leadership ability, motivation and thought process, interpersonal skills, educational background, etc. These criteria are determined through a candidate’s application essays, recommendation letters etc. To know more about these features and the process of applying to a global MBA please click http://www.imsindia.com/studyabroad/index.htm

Q. Can I cancel my GMAT® score?
A. Yes the GMAT® scores can be cancelled immediately after completing the test. As soon as the test gets over it asks the Test taker to cancel the test score or continue. If a test taker wishes to cancel the score, Pearsons Vue will report this to the university (that the score has been cancelled and not the score), when it asks for the score of a student who has applied to that particular University.

Q. How do I register for the GMAT®?
There are four modes of registration for the GMAT®  viz:

• Telephone
• Fax
• Postal  Mail
• Online

Note: All test appointments are scheduled on first come first serve basis.

TELEPHONE
You can register by phone only if you are using International Credit Card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express).

STEP 1: Call up Pearson - Noida at  +91 0 120 4324628 between 9.00 a.m to 6.00 p.m. Telephone lines are open Monday through Friday, except on public and national holidays.
Note: You are required to call up at least 2 business days prior to your preferred test date.

STEP 2: Mention the following:

• Your choice date.
• The city where you wish to take the test.
• The Test Centre Code (the latest test centre codes are available on www.mba.com)
• Your Passport Number.
• Your Credit Card Number

STEP 3: A confirmation number, date and time of the test, and location of the test centre will be given to you immediately.

STEP 4: A confirmation Letter mentioning the date and time of the test and location of the test centre will be mailed to you.

Note: If you do not receive a confirmation, call GMAT® Customer Service, in your region at least seven business days prior to your first-choice test date. If you miss your appointment and did not call GMAT® Customer Service, your test fee will not be refunded.

POSTAL MAIL OR FAX

STEP 1:  Fill up the GMAT® Appointment Scheduling form located on Page 29 of the GMAT® bulletin completely. (You can download the GMAT® bulletin from www.mba.com)
Note: 1) In case you have applied for your passport, mention the same in the form.
2) The Country Code of India is IND.

STEP 2: Make a Dollar Draft of the relevant amount from a Forex branch of any bank.

STEP 3: Mail the GMAT® Appointment Scheduling Form in Bulletin to Pearson VUE along with a Dollar Draft, to the following address.
Pearson VUE
Attention: GMAT® Program
PO Box 581907
Minneapolis, MN 55458 –1907
USA
You can send your form either by Registered Post or Courier.
In case you wish to Fax the form across, the fax number is +61 2 9901 3330 for the Asia Pacific region.

Note:The form must be sent at least 3 weeks prior to your first-choice test date.

STEP 4: A confirmation letter mentioning your date and time of the test and location of the test centre will be either faxed or mailed to you.

Note: If you do not receive a confirmation, call GMAT® Customer Service, in your region at least seven business days prior to your first-choice test date. If you miss your appointment and did not call GMAT® Customer Service, your test fee will not be refunded.

Online: You can schedule your test online on www.mba.com. Click on “Register now for GMAT®” link and follow the instructions given.

Q. Which business schools accept the GMAT®?
A. Over 1900 graduate business schools around the world use GMAT® scores as part of their application process. The complete list can be found on https://www.mba.com/mba/Service/Testing/Testing?WT.mc_id=PageContent&Action=SCHOOLSEARCH#2

Q.  What programs does IMS offer for GMAT® preparation?

A. IMS offers test preparation and admission advisory services for GMAT® aspirants via our Study Abroad MBA Program.  The features of this program have been described below for your reference:  

Test Preparation Program Features

Our test preparation program is a 12 week 25 session 75 hour classroom module. Here in addition to the classroom material you will also be provided with IMS' GMAT® preparation set. This set is inclusive of: 

• Theoretica - Concepts and Strategies required tackling the Verbal and Quantitative Sections.
•  Octane Series - Series of questions rated at the highest difficulty level.
•  Axiom Book -Definitions and formulae necessary for the GMAT®
• Analytical Writing Guide- Sample Essays and strategies to tackle the AWA section.
• CD tests- 3 Computer Adaptive and 5Computer Based Tests

Admission Advisory Program Features

The admissions advisory part of your program will help you out on the following fronts:

• School Shortlisting – involves selecting a set of the programs most suited to your profile and aspirations.
• Application Essay and CV Review – involves providing content, language and grammar edits for your CV, Application Essays, SOP’s and Scholarship Essays.
• Recommendation Review – involves assisting you in picking out the right recommenders and providing you with draft outlines and pointers for persuasive letters of recommendation.
• Interview preparation – involves conducting simulated business school interviews (in person or telephonic) and providing you with school specific interview research
• Finance and Visa Preparation – involves assistance on all aspects of securing financial aid, educational loans, visa preparation (including visa interviews).

In addition to the Study Abroad MBA program, we also have only test preparation options via the MaxPrep® GMAT® classroom program and correspondence material in form of the MaxPrep® GMAT® study pack. To know more about these offerings please click http://www.imsindia.com/studyabroad/gmat/  or email us on consulting@imindia.com

You can also visit your nearest IMS centre to inquire about these program offerings. You can locate our centres on http://www.imsindia.com/ims_batch_admin/ims_centre_new.htm