MBA Center Global 
GMAT Online Exam Appointments Extended Through 2020
The GMAC has announced that the GMAT online exam will be made available for students until the end of 2020. Initially, it was a transitory solution, but with rising COVID cases, and a second wave likely to hit in the fall, the dates for the home-based test have been extended till the end of December 2020. The decision was confirmed after an attempt to reopen GMAT test centres in certain nations. Several centres stayed shut or opened with a restricted limit and the uncertainty of the pandemic added to the problems students faced while travelling to centres that did somehow open.
The GMAC has claimed that it has conducted more than 10,000 tests since GMAT Online started in April. They are proudly representing candidates from 124 nations who have sent their scores to more than 2,000 Business College programs globally. Appointments are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Aspirants can schedule an appointment up to 24 hours before a vacant testing window till 31st December 2020. The at-home version of the test is available in most locations, except Iran, North Korea, Mainland China, Cuba and Sudan due to regulatory and local data privacy rules.
GMAT Online Exam vs. Test Centre GMAT
As the world keeps seeing a rise in COVID cases, the Graduate Management Admission Council has made its at-home online form for the GMAT test accessible, until the end of the year. There are however few minute changes in the online and the centre GMAT exam.
For instance, the GMAT centre exam costs $200 while the Online Exam costs $250 internationally and is facilitated on mba.com, where you can enlist for the test also. Regarding content, the contrast between the online GMAT and the test centre version is the omission of the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section. The rest of the test retains a similar structure, including the duration and number of items. It utilises a similar scoring algorithm and score scale for the Section Scores and Total Score. Initially, students were disappointed that they weren’t allowed to take physical notes during the GMAT Online Exam, but GMAC immediately addressed it and test-takers are presently allowed to utilise a physical whiteboard or the online whiteboard tool.
GMAT online VS GRE online
Bearing in mind that students opt between a GMAT or a GRE, the Educational Testing Service and the Graduate Management Admission Council are presently permitting both tests to be taken at home. However, there are slight differences between the online GMAT and GRE that need to be laid out. This is a crux of the notable differences.
| GRE | GMAT | |
| First/ Final Test Dates | 27 March/30 September | 20 April/ 31 December |
| Cost | $ 205 | $ 250 |
| Time of test | 3.45 hours | 2.37hours |
| Difference from Test Centre | None | No AWA |
| Cancel Score After Test | Yes | No |
| Official Scores | Available online within 10-15 days | Available online within 7 days |
| Retake Policy | Can take five times within 12 months with a minimum gap of 21 days | None. Can be taken once. |
| Test Availability | Iran and Mainland China excluded | Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Mainland China excluded |
In conclusion, I would like to say that although the GMAT Online Exam started as a fallback plan, considering the present scenario, it looks permanent even though there is no current news on testing appointments beyond 2020. Some admission consultants are calling it a lasting solution to provide flexibility for business school candidates, and the GMAC has also said that it will open availability beyond 2020.
