Test Prep Organizations Stand with GMAC’s Measures to Address Cheating

As the official administrator of the GMAT™ exam, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) takes very seriously the trust you put in our test. Ensuring the fairness and integrity of the exam is at the heart of our values.

Recently, GMAC cancelled the scores of 133 individuals (over 100 from India, specifically) who were found to be engaged in cheating. Based on advanced forensics and security tools, we had overwhelming evidence to cancel these candidates’ scores for serious policy violations, which included proxy test taking (i.e., someone else taking the test on the candidate’s behalf) via an India-based cheating ring backed by Russian hackers. The test takers who used these unfair tactics to attempt to get ahead not only had their recent scores cancelled, but were also banned from future testing with GMAC, and had any previous scores cancelled. Schools to which scores had been sent by these candidates were notified of the test takers’ use of unfair means.

Reactions from test prep organizations and consultation groups across India have been overwhelmingly positive, commending GMAC’s actions following the uncovering of this cheating ring.

“Once again, GMAC has proved the value it places on its Code of Ethical Behavior of Integrity, Accountability, and Excellence,” says Himanshu Kishore, COO of the Manya Group, a test prep organization partnered with The Princeton Review, “to ensure superior quality of the GMAT test by taking stern measures against those who decided to test this foundation. We strongly support and laud this measure that sends a loud and clear message about the values that GMAC stands for.”

Online testing has allowed the testing community to enhance access to their exams and has been a benefit to many candidates, especially during the COVID pandemic when test centers were shut down or had very limited capacity. Taking the GMAT exam, in particular, has never been simpler and more convenient. Unfortunately, as with any new technology, this delivery format also creates an opportunity for malicious actors who attempt to game the system.

“I thank GMAC for its alertness and promptitude on test security and test ethics,” says Prashant Tibrewal, founder of AdmitSquare Consulting and ISB Mantra. “The strength of the GMAT exam has been its consistency over time, even across an extremely diverse range of candidates. While GMAC has done its part in making GMAT more accessible even with the COVID-induced constraints, I invite all test takers to report to GMAC any offers for unethical and unsolicited support they may receive.”

We care about all our test takers, and do not want them to fall victim to bad actors. Often, these services purporting to help candidates achieve higher scores are scams designed to cheat candidates out of their money. We encourage candidates to not be fooled – engaging in these types of activities can result in them being the target of extortion. Despite what these bad actors might offer, there is no “easy road” or “loopholes” to exploit with the GMAT; instead, we encourage students to prepare, and prepare right. Hard work and integrity will pay off, and will ensure that you are the correct fit for the business school you are looking to enroll in.

“This move by GMAC is a very welcome move,” says Soumyo Duttagupta, CEO of test and admission prep institute Jamboree Education Pvt. Ltd. “On one hand, it recognizes and rewards honest test-takers for their hard work, and on the other hand, it assures the Universities of the quality of the applicant pool which they are looking for through GMAT scores. I hope this information reaches all prospective test-takers at the earliest.”

“I believe this step will help both the prospective test takers and the ones whose scores have been canceled. The latter get benefited since they can see such unethical measures do not always go unnoticed, and thus will be nudged against taking unethical shortcuts in the future,” says Chiranjeev Singh, a Private GMAT Tutor.

Candidates caught cheating will face very real and serious consequences beyond just having their scores cancelled, including (but not limited to) being expelled if they’re already in school, being made to leave the country if they’re on a student visa, or direct criminal prosecution by law-and-order authorities. Remember: if an offer from an unreliable source sounds too good to be true, it probably is. No supposed shortcut is worth the risk of jeopardizing your academic career. Instead, we encourage students preparing for the exam to reach out to one of the many respected test preparation organizations and admissions consultants who have weighed in on this situation.

“The move by GMAC to prevent and take action against people using mischievous means is highly commendable, and once again reaffirms their commitment to ensuring free and fair evaluation of the students. This is a welcome move and has won all-around support from consultants like us,” says Alok Bansal, a Private Admissions Consultant.

“At IMS, we firmly believe in academic integrity,” says IMS’s Managing Director-Study Abroad, Kamlesh Sajnani. “It was a bit disheartening to learn about the dishonest behavior of a few students during the GMAT test; however, we are pleased to see that GMAC took the most appropriate step of canceling the concerned test scores. We support GMAC in their move to make the GMAT a fair test and wish them all the best in this endeavor.”

The GMAT exam is relied on by more than 7,000 programs and hundreds of thousands of test takers each year. Fortunately, the number of people who attempt to circumvent the security of standardized tests (whether for monetary gain or in the belief that cheating will help them) is very small; though sporadic instances of ethics code violations have happened before, this is certainly the first time such a large number of violations were found. Nevertheless, GMAC remains ever vigilant when it comes to detecting and deterring this activity.

“Being the most favored exam for more than 7,000 programs across the globe, this is a much appreciated and strong move by GMAC,” says Chinu Vasudeva, founder of Doyen-Ed. “One must not resort to unethical means to get success.”

“GMAC’s move on canceling scores is so apt,” adds the CEO and Founder of Scoreleap, Kalyan Chamarthi. “Every management student should demonstrate a high level of integrity, and there must be zero tolerance for any kind of dishonesty and unethical practices. This step of GMAC’s will be a lesson for those who think they can use unethical means to move past others in this competitive world.”

As new information and technology become available, GMAC will leverage it to look back at past exams and act if warranted. These actions may include cancelling scores, prohibiting test takers from taking GMAC exams in the future, and informing business schools across the world about the actions of said candidates and encouraging them to take strong action. Where law enforcement is involved, GMAC will continue to support investigations to help identify people who engage in illegal and fraudulent behavior.

“Full respect to GMAC,” Hitbullseye test prep’s Head of Marketing Rakesh Rai says. “This reinforces my trust in the GMAT. They have ensured the integrity of their assessments, using the most current technology and methods to deter inappropriate behavior before, during, and after an exam is administered, whether in a test center or online. I am sure aspirants can take a clue from here.”

“GMAC provides me with the constant assurance that I am able to pass on to my students: that their efforts to get a high GMAT score will be truly worth their while and meaningful. There are no shortcuts here,” assures Wizako founder KS Baskar. Swetha Rajagopal, COO of Wizako, adds that “The constant efforts taken by the GMAT to ensure that the scores are reliable and standardized is a reassuring sign of the impeccable quality of the test.”

On behalf of the higher education community at large, GMAC remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the GMAT exam. We will continue using the most current security technology and protective methods to deter inappropriate behavior before, during, and after an exam is administered, whether in a test center or online. GMAC is staying at the forefront of secure browser technology, continuous proctor training, and enhancing our pre- and post-test data forensics. We will continue to adapt as technologies and techniques evolve to ensure all parties may remain confident in the validity of test scores, and to reassure candidates like you that the test is administered fairly.

Candidates, schools, and test preparation organizations alike are our partners in helping to ensure fairness and equality in testing. We encourage anyone who encounters any sort of security concern or suspects cheating to notify GMAC via testsecurity@gmac.com.