Are You Eligible for the GMAT Exam?

Last Updated on July 20, 2023 by

If you are planning to pursue an MBA degree abroad, then you need to take the GMAT as it’s an admission requirement in most b-schools. This is a computer-adaptive exam that assesses your analytical, logical and critical thinking skills. Administered by the GMAC (Graduate Management Admissions Council), you can register for the exam by creating an account on mba.com. You will have to schedule your exam on the basis of the application deadlines for the universities which you have shortlisted. You should also keep in mind the time required for your preparation before scheduling your exam.

Now, let’s have a look at the GMAT exam in a bit more detail and also find out whether you are eligible to take it or not.

GMAT Exam Sections:

The GMAT exam comprises of four main categories:

• Quantitative Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Integrative Reasoning
• Analytical Writing Assessment

Order in Which You Can Attempt the Exam:

1. Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment
2. Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal
3. Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment

Things to Remember When Taking the Exam at a Test-Centre:

The exam is conducted across test-centres around the world and you will need to find a centre closest to you and select the same.  When you appear at the centre on the day of your GMAT exam, you have to do the following:

• Submit appropriate identification documents
• Provide a palm vein scan
• Give a digital signature that states that you understand and will abide by the laws of the test-taker rules and agreement.
• Have your digital photograph taken.
• Begin your GMAT exam.

With the current pandemic situation, testing centres have also taken the necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of all the test takers and the staff. Some of the safety precautions taken include — constant cleaning, use of hand sanitizers, social distancing and more. In addition to the above, you are encouraged to wear face masks during the exam.

Once you finish the exam, your unofficial test scores are available immediately.

Now that you are familiar with the GMAT exam and what to do on test day, let us now see the GMAT eligibility criteria.

GMAT Eligibility

How do you decide if you are eligible to take the GMAT exam? Well, according to the GMAC (the administrators of the GMAT exam) there is no particular eligibility criteria for appearing for the GMAT exam. However, it is suggested that you check the requirements of the college or universities you are applying to for admissions. Some requirements are as follows:

• Age: You are required to have completed at least 18 years of age. If you are between the ages of 13-17, then you will need a written consent from your parents or legal guardians. They will have to sign a parental consent form, which can be downloaded from the GMAC website. There is no upper age limit for you to attempt the GMAT exam.
• Academic Qualification: The GMAC has not announced any official statement regarding qualification requirements for the GMAT exam, but, since you are enrolling for an MBA program, you will be expected to have a graduate degree. There are no minimum cut off grades required with regards to your graduate degree to attempt the GMAT exam.
• Nationality: There are no nationality restrictions. Anyone from any country can apply for the exam. The only point to remember is that the identification document requirements might change from country to country.
• Work Experience: Work experience is not necessarily important to take the exam. You could be a fresher or someone with several years of experience and apply for the GMAT. However, several B-school admission committees might value candidates with more years of work experience and achievements in their field of work.
• Number of Attempts: You can attempt the GMAT a maximum of five times in a period of twelve months, with a sixteen day gap between each of your attempts. You are allowed a maximum of eight attempts in a lifetime. You will need to register each time you attempt the exam.

We hope that these above pointers will assist you in understanding more about GMAT and the eligibility criteria for the exam.

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