Answers to Your Questions (FAQs)
Get answers to your questions about the Next Generation GMAT exam.
Q: Why is Integrated Reasoning being added?
A: Since 1953, the GMAT® exam has been developed for business schools, by business schools, and it has evolved along with their needs. In a 2009 survey, 740 management faculty worldwide indicated that Integrated Reasoning skills are a prerequisite for 21st century management students.
Q: How is the scoring changing?
A: The Quantitative, Verbal, and Total scores are not changing, and the Analytical Writing Assessment score will remain separate but be based on one 30-minute essay rather than two. Like the AWA, the Integrated Reasoning will have a separate score and will not figure into the Total score, which is based only on your performance on the Quantitative and Verbal sections. Integrated Reasoning scores will range from 1 to 8 in single-digit intervals.
Q: Why is the writing section being streamlined?
A: Admissions directors have said, and recent research has shown, that most test takers get similar scores on both essays, making a single essay acceptable for predicting performance.
Q: Will the Next Generation GMAT exam allow calculator use?
A: An online calculator with basic functions will be available for Integrated Reasoning, but not for the Quantitative section. You will not be allowed to bring calculators into the testing room.
Q: Is the new section computer adaptive?
A: No, but it is timed, and pacing is important. You may not skip questions or go back and change your answers once you’ve submitted them.
Q: When is the last day I can take the current version of the GMAT exam?
A: June 2, 2012. The GMAT exam will not be offered June 3 or June 4 while test centers prepare to administer the new version of the exam.
Q: Should I take the GMAT exam now, or should I take it after June?
A: You should take the test when you’re ready. The GMAT exam is a timed test that includes question formats that you may not have seen on other standardized tests. You should be familiar with the question formats and the pacing required to finish the exam before you sit for the test, whether that is before or after June 5, 2012. Keep in mind that most of the test is not changing, including the Quantitative and Verbal sections, which count toward your Total score.
Q: How long will it take to get Next Generation GMAT scores?
A: Official Score Reports will be available within 20 days after the test date. GMAC has promised a 20-day score report turnaround for many years, but over the past few years, test takers and programs have experienced a quicker turnaround. With the launch of the Next Generation GMAT exam, GMAC continues to promise a 20-day score report turnaround, and the turnaround will be closer to the 20-day time frame. As usual, you should test well in advance of any application deadlines.
Q: If I have taken the GMAT exam before, can I take the Integrated Reasoning section without taking the rest of the test?
A: No. The Integrated Reasoning section will not be offered separately.
Q: Some of the Integrated Reasoning questions require multiple responses. Is there partial credit if I get some but not all of the parts correct?
A: You must get all parts of the question correct to receive credit. The questions are designed to measure your integrated reasoning skills, and the responses to a single question are interrelated so that answering them all correctly demonstrates your ability to integrate data to solve complex problems. Additionally, the IR score scale has been designed to reward a candidate’s ability to synthesize multiple streams of information and evaluate possible outcomes as opposed to randomly guessing an answer.
Q: How will Integrated Reasoning scores be reported?
A: Integrated Reasoning scores will be reported on a scale of 1-8, in single-digit intervals. You will not see your IR score on your unofficial official score report at the test center, but it will be on your Official Score Report available within 20 days.
Q: Why won’t the unofficial score report I get at the test center include my Integrated Reasoning score?
A: Since the Integrated Reasoning section is new, we need to be able gather data about each question that is administered and equate candidates’ performance to a common scale. IR scores will be reported after we adjust for the minor differences in difficulty of the test forms so that IR scores are comparable across time. This process takes approximately 20 days. Official Score Reports with all scores, including IR, will be sent to schools when all scores are available.
Q: Will my Integrated Reasoning score percentile change as more people take the test?
A: It may. Percentiles, which tell you the proportion of scores below your given score, are calculated on the previous three years of data. For the first six months after the Integrated Reasoning section launches, percentiles for all Integrated Reasoning scores will be adjusted each month and then updated annually on the same schedule as the other GMAT percentiles. Your IR scaled score will not change, but as the pool of test takers with IR scores grows, IR percentiles will most likely change.
Q: How can I tell if my score percentile changes?
A: Updated percentile tables will be posted on mba.com. Also, if you view your score reports online later, order additional score reports, or retake the exam, you may notice the IR percentile has changed to reflect the updated pool of test takers. Schools may log into the score reporting website to see any percentile updates, as well.
