{"id":18797,"date":"2021-01-10T15:17:57","date_gmt":"2021-01-10T15:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/?p=18797"},"modified":"2021-02-24T18:22:52","modified_gmt":"2021-02-24T18:22:52","slug":"the-gmat-online-what-to-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/blog\/the-gmat-online-what-to-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"The GMAT Online: What to Expect"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"gmat-manhattan-prep-coronavirus-covid-updates-news-latest\"<\/p>\n

UPDATE:<\/strong> I took the GMAT online! And boy, do I have a lot to tell you.\u00a0Read all about my experience here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

NOTE: <\/strong>This post was accurate when published but is now outdated. Please follow the link above for updated information regarding all things GMAT Online.<\/em><\/p>\n

You can take the GMAT online! The test will be available from Monday April 20th until (at least) Monday June 15th; GMAC, the organization that makes the GMAT, will reevaluate the timeline as we get closer to June.<\/p>\n

So…what\u2019s up with this online whiteboard? Really?<\/h4>\n

I\u2019m starting here because this is what everybody\u2019s talking about. For test security reasons, GMAC isn\u2019t allowing us to use physical scratch paper. We have to use an online whiteboard tool during the test.<\/span><\/p>\n

I understand why they\u2019re doing this, and I can even appreciate it at one level. I don\u2019t want anyone stealing questions and selling them to other people\u2014that cheapens my score and all of my hard work. I also don\u2019t want business schools deciding that they\u2019re going to \u201cdiscount\u201d scores for tests taken online because the security is more lax. So, at that level, I\u2019m really glad that GMAC takes test security very seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n

But…I\u2019m also pretty nervous about taking the test with this online whiteboard thing. I\u2019m not great with technology; I\u2019m really not sure how much it\u2019s going to affect my ability to take the test. It\u2019s true that I\u2019ve been teaching online for many years and I\u2019ve gotten pretty good at drawing on a whiteboard with my finger on a trackpad\u2014but the pace of class is slower and less relentless than problem after problem after problem on the test.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the great news: My coworkers are awesome. Our dev team, in particular my colleagues Brian Kennedy, Sam Cross, and Irman Ahmetovic, built a replica of the GMAT Online\u2019s whiteboard tool so I can practice! And you can, too. We\u2019ve put the tool in all of our Atlas syllabi, including our free GMAT Starter Kit syllabus. If you\u2019ve got any type of Atlas syllabus, the Manhattan Prep online whiteboard tool is already waiting for you on the <\/span>CAT exam page<\/span><\/a>. Note: You have to be logged in already for that link to work. (If you don\u2019t yet have an Atlas account, sign up for a <\/span>free account<\/span><\/a> and you\u2019ll get access to both the online whiteboard and a free practice CAT exam.)<\/span><\/p>\n

I only have four days to practice before I have to take the GMAT Online and I\u2019m worried that it\u2019s not going to be quite enough time. I\u2019d recommend that you give yourself more like one to two weeks of daily practice\u2014but I\u2019ll update this recommendation after I take the test on Monday and see what it\u2019s like. Maybe it will be better than I\u2019m thinking. (In fact, I\u2019ve played with our whiteboard tool for a couple of hours now, and there is at least one big thing<\/a> that\u2019s actually <\/span>better<\/span><\/i> than physical scratch paper.)<\/span><\/p>\n

When can I take the GMAT Online?<\/h4>\n

From Monday April 20th to Monday June 15th, the GMAT Online will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (I\u2019m signed up for noon eastern time on Monday.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Test-takers who are approved for extended time (1.5x or 2x) or extended breaks will be able to take the exam starting in early to mid-May (exact date still to be announced).<\/span><\/p>\n

A live proctor will monitor your exam. You will need to give the proctor control over your computer and you will be video- and audio-recorded for the entire exam. You can find more on tech requirements later in this post.<\/span><\/p>\n

At this time, you can take the GMAT Online only once. This exam will <\/span>not<\/span> count toward the maximum-5-tests-in-12-months limit or the 8-test lifetime limit. If the GMAT Online continues past June 15th, it\u2019s possible that GMAC will revisit the only-one-online-test restriction.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll pay <\/span>$200<\/span><\/a> (a $75 discount from the regular price in the US) to take the GMAT Online. Your fee also allows you to report your scores to up to 5 schools. For the GMAT Online, you do not have to choose those 5 schools in advance of your test; you can choose them after you see your scores. (More on this in a bit.)<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d already signed up for an in-person exam but it was canceled.<\/h4>\n

If you are currently registered for an in-person exam, you cannot directly transfer that registration to the online exam, but you can cancel your in-person exam (for a full refund) and then separately register for the GMAT Online.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is the test itself the same?<\/h4>\n

The GMAT Online is mostly the same, but the AWA (essay) section has been dropped. The three other sections\u2014Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning\u2014haven\u2019t changed at all and the scoring is also the same (though of course you won\u2019t get an essay score).<\/span><\/p>\n

Everyone will take the second of the three possible test orders: You\u2019ll start with Quant, then go straight into Verbal. Then, you\u2019ll get a 5 minute break and finish up with Integrated Reasoning. The total test time will be about 2 hours 45 minutes, including the break. GMAC also says to expect about 10 to 15 minutes for the check-in and test security process at the beginning, so plan for a 3-hour testing experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

When will I get my scores?<\/h4>\n

You won\u2019t get to see your scores at the end of the test, as is usually the case for the GMAT; instead, you\u2019ll receive your scores via email about a week after the test. You can wait until you receive your scores to choose the five schools to which you want to send those scores, without paying anything extra.<\/span><\/p>\n

You also won\u2019t get to choose to keep or cancel your scores\u2014you have to keep them. But, in a recent webinar, GMAC also said that these scores will be kept in a separate database from the usual score database for exams taken in a testing center <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> that you can give schools access specifically to your GMAT Online scores.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s <\/span>possible<\/span><\/i> that this <\/span>might<\/span><\/i> mean that you can choose whether to release these scores, after you\u2019ve seen them\u2014that is, you <\/span>might<\/span><\/i> be able to decide to choose no schools for your GMAT Online scores and, separately, to choose schools to receive your \u201ctaken in a test center\u201d scores (assuming you have scores from a test-center-based GMAT). I hope this is the case but I\u2019m not sure. I\u2019ve sent in a question to GMAC and will update you when I hear back.<\/span><\/p>\n

How is the GMAT Online actually going to work?<\/h4>\n

You can take the exam on a Mac or PC. You\u2019ll need a webcam with speaker audio; you can\u2019t use a headset or earbuds. You can\u2019t use a second monitor, a tablet with stylus, or any other external device. Here\u2019s a <\/span>full list of the system requirements<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll have to show that you\u2019re in a room alone, and software will be listening for any sounds that might indicate the door is opening, someone is walking by, someone else is talking, etc. If they detect anything, they may ask you to pan your webcam to prove that nobody is in the room with you. If a security breach is detected, your test will be ended and your score canceled.<\/span><\/p>\n

Except for the break, you have to stay within the webcam\u2019s field of view for the entire exam. If you leave the field of view, your test will be ended and your score canceled.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you do have a tech issue during the exam, you can talk or chat to your proctor at any time. GMAC has said that there is some resilience built into the platform; if you are briefly disconnected or your machine freezes, for example, your exam will be able to continue from the point at which you were interrupted. If a continuation is not possible (e.g., you lose power for an extended time), GMAC\u2019s security team will review the recording; assuming that the tech issue is verified, the test-taker will be allowed to test again for free. (In this case, you will have to start again from the beginning\u2014this is no different than the test center losing power and you having to come back on a different day.)<\/span><\/p>\n

A Future Case Study Coming to a B-School Near You?<\/h4>\n

Big picture: GMAC is very clearly calling this an interim, temporary measure. Some of the restrictions in fact seem designed to encourage most people to <\/span>wait<\/span><\/i> until they can get back into a regular testing center.<\/span><\/p>\n

You would expect a company that is losing lots of revenue to this pandemic to want everyone to start using the service and paying money immediately. Right? But that is really not the approach that GMAC seems to be taking. If anything, they appear to want only those who truly need to take the exam right now to take it. I respect that they\u2019re not willing to loosen test security, even though I am torn because I\u2019m really nervous about the online whiteboard.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let us be your guinea pigs. We\u2019ll have more for you about everything after we\u2019re able to take the exam ourselves next week. Wish me and my colleagues luck! <\/span><\/p>\n

And if you think that you will or may take the GMAT Online, start <\/span>practicing with the whiteboard tool<\/span><\/a>, a little bit every day (reminder: log into your Atlas syllabus to make that link work). Make today your first day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good luck and happy studying!<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0How to Use the GMAT Online Whiteboard Tool for the GMAT Online<\/a> <\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

You can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GMAT courses absolutely free! We\u2019re not kidding. <\/i><\/b>Check out our upcoming courses here<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n

\"stacey-koprince\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Stacey Koprince<\/a>\u00a0is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.<\/strong>\u00a0Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT \u00a0for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests.\u00a0Check out Stacey\u2019s upcoming GMAT courses here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UPDATE: I took the GMAT online! And boy, do I have a lot to tell you.\u00a0Read all about my experience here. NOTE: This post was accurate when published but is now outdated. Please follow the link above for updated information regarding all things GMAT Online. You can take the GMAT online! The test will be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52892,929,2,9],"tags":[233,291,57957],"yst_prominent_words":[57952,57944,55417,53635,57942,57950,57955,57954,57946,57947,53774,57943,57949,57948,57956,54087,57983,53637,57951,57945],"class_list":["post-18797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmac-news","category-gmat-prep","category-how-to-study","category-taking-the-gmat","tag-gmat","tag-gmat-online","tag-gmat-whiteboard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18797"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19116,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18797\/revisions\/19116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18797"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=18797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}