Next Generation GMAT Exam Now in Development

Through a three-phase development process, GMAC hopes to build on the strengths of the existing exam by incorporating advances in testing technology to better measure prospective applicants’ skills. It also hopes to expand the range of skills tested by the exam to include those applicable to both traditional MBA programs and newer business programs that have emerged in recent years.

As part of the first phase of development, now underway, an advisory group of faculty members from leading business schools is helping GMAC identify and review potential new skills the GMAT could measure. This advisory group met on February 11th to rate the importance of various skills and recommend changes to the GMAT.

“The process of preparing for the Next Generation GMAT has been both well-planned and extremely sensitive to the needs and concerns of business schools,” said advisory board member Luis Palencia, who is associate dean of the MBA program at IESE Business School. “If this first stage is an indicator of the final result, I know that the new exam will be innovative, valuable and successful,” he added.

Using the first-phase research, the second phase of development will involve designing and testing exam enhancements to ensure that they meet business schools’ needs. The third phase will focus on exam accessibility, including upgrading test centers as necessary, developing test preparation materials for the new exam and examining ways to make the exam available to more test takers without compromising security.