The move to Pearson VUE and ACT, Inc., for development and delivery of the GMAT® exam will position the test to meet growing demand worldwide and will provide schools and test takers with a higher level of customer service than ever before.

Although we at GMAC® are excited about the improved services the GMAT® transition will offer, our school constituents and test takers have many questions about how the change will affect them. The following questions and answers address the transition-related issues we have been asked about thus far. We encourage you to contact us at gmattransition@gmac.com to ask other questions that you may have as the transition process continues. We will provide you with a direct response and also will answer your questions in future issues of Deans Digest and other GMAC® communications forums, including Graduate Management News, gmac.com, and a new newsletter that will focus specifically on transition issues, which will launch early in 2005.

Q: Why are you switching to Pearson VUE and ACT?

A: The motivations for our new partnership with Pearson VUE and ACT are to increase global access to the GMAT® exam, take advantage of state-of-the-art security technology, and provide a higher level of customer service to schools and test takers.

Q: Will the GMAT® exam be different after January 1, 2006?

A: The GMAT® will be the same test, but better. Test questions will be developed using the same rigorous standards as before; however, the look and readability of the test will be improved by an upgrade to the typeface and font size. Enhanced technology will be used in test delivery and security, and test takers and schools will benefit from better and more detailed score reporting features.

Q: Will the GMAT® exam still be a valid predictor of success in the core graduate business and management curriculum?

A: The transition will not affect the GMAT® exam’s high validity to predict student success. That is the unique value of the GMAT® exam in business school admissions, and we would never allow that power to be diminished. The exam will continue to be the best admissions tool available for business schools.

Likewise, we will continue to offer the GMAC Validity Study Service free of charge to schools that use the GMAT® exam. This valuable service enables a school to determine how effectively it is using the GMAT® exam in combination with other admissions criteria and how it could improve decision making in the admissions process.

Q: Will scores from GMAT® tests taken after January 1, 2006, be directly comparable to those from tests taken earlier?

A: The GMAT® score scale will remain the same. Admissions professionals will not need to consider when the test was taken when they evaluate a candidate’s scores. Additionally, older scores will still be available in score reports, so test takers can send those scores to schools after January 1, 2006, just as they did before.

Q: Where will the test be administered?

A: GMAC® has worked closely with Pearson VUE and with schools to ensure the most convenient and widespread access to the GMAT® exam. We are pleased to say that the exam will be offered at more than 400 Pearson VUE test centers throughout the world and more times per day than ever before. The extensive Pearson VUE network of test centers is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and has the ability to offer the exam at least twice a day, instead of just once a day.

Q: How will test security be affected?

A: Pearson VUE will offer some of the most advanced security systems available in  high-stakes testing, to safeguard the integrity of the GMAT®. In addition to other methods, Pearson VUE test centers will employ state-of-the-art biometrics, including digital fingerprinting, photographs and signatures, and video surveillance systems. 
Video surveillance also will be used to help us identify suspicious behavior by test takers that could indicate an attempt to breach test security.

Q: What will my school need to do for the transition?

A: GMAC® and Pearson VUE will provide information and training on such topics as how to access the new, more detailed GMAT® score reports. We plan to keep you and your staff fully informed as we move forward with the transition. We will provide clear and consistent communications on all topics that will affect schools and test takers. To provide schools with regular updates on the GMAT® transition, we will launch the GMAT® Transition Update electronic newsletter early in 2005. Log on to gmac.com and add “GMAT® information” to your subscription preferences to make sure you receive these updates.

Q: Will students register for the GMAT® exam in the same way they do now?

A: Yes. Candidates will be able to register for the exam online and through the Pearson VUE Call Center.

Q: If I have questions about the transition, who should I contact?

A: We have created an email address for questions and concerns regarding the transition. Please send an email to gmattransition@gmac.com or call 1-703-749-0131 and ask for Betsy McIntyre, manager, GMAT® marketing.

Q: How will international access to the GMAT® exam be affected?

A: The number of permanent test centers outside the United States will increase by at least 25%. There will be no more paper administrations of the GMAT®, meaning that the test-taker experience will be uniformly better.

Q: Will there be any delays in testing as you switch over on January 1, 2006?

A: We anticipate no delays whatsoever. We will test all new processes and technology to make sure everything is ready for a smooth transition on January 1, 2006.

Q: Will school codes remain the same?

A: An enhancement to the school coding system will allow us to provide more detailed score reporting. Instead of potentially having one identifying code per school, there will be a separate code for each program at a given school. This new coding system will give schools more information for competitive analysis, not just at the school level but also at the program level. GMAC® will provide the new reporting codes in May 2005 and will offer training on how to use them.

Q: Does this transition offer any future opportunities for improving the GMAT® exam?

A: Yes. In fact, the technology provided by our new partners will enable us to explore a variety of new ways of assessing the most important skills. The new technology platform will enable the GMAT® exam to adapt to all kinds of innovations in standardized testing.

GMAC®, GMAT®, Graduate Management Admission Council®, and Graduate Management Admission Test® are registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC®). All rights reserved.

VUE is a trademark of NCS Pearson, Inc.
ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.