GMAT Physical Whiteboard Option – GMAC
The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), which administers the GMAT test, announced a GMAT physical whiteboard option on June 4, 2020. This option will be available a week from the announcement i.e. starting on June 11, 2020. GMAC has announced its commitment to making testing widely available through the pandemic and announced additional online test appointments for the GMAT, currently through July 17. Read the statement from GMAC here.
The statement from Vineet Chhabra, GMAC’s senior director and head of GMAT product, said: “As COVID-19 continued to shut down test centers around the world, we made a conscious choice to focus on speed and quality, delivering Online assessments that met our quality and test security standards while also empowering candidates to meet tight admissions deadlines in a virtual environment. While we have seen GMAT Online exam score outcomes comparable to exams delivered in test centers, we’ve heard the market and are excited to provide candidates with options and additional flexibility, helping ensure they can be at their best on exam day.”
In addition to making testing more widely available, GMAC has also been waiving rescheduling and cancelation fees in light of the global pandemic.
GMAT Physical Whiteboard Option
The physical whiteboard has been a much-requested from MBA applicants. We’ve personally heard from dozens of applicants who have rejected the online test simply for this reason. For instance, one applicant wrote:
I have been exploring the online GMAT, but I am not comfortable with the virtual whiteboard mode. I’m a visual learner and my GMAT prep had been focussed on building that capability.
While another applicant switched to the GRE test from the GMAT only because of this reason. This change will bring much reprieve to MBA applicants already harrowed by Covid related disruptions to their lives. For instance, I’ve heard from candidates who are living under the looming threat of layoffs due to the recessionary environment created by Covid, while there are others who have had their promotions delayed, still others have had job offers rescinded and more still are unable to make job changes that were earlier almost guaranteed.
