ISB aspirants applying to PGP/EEO/YLP require a valid GMAT or GRE score. In March 2023, GMAC, the organization that conducts GMAT, announced sweeping changes to the existing structure of GMAT. These are the most prolific changes that GMAC has implemented, in the 70+ years of GMAT’s history. GMAC calls this new GMAT, the GMAT Focus Edition.
At a total of 135 minutes, this will be a version that will be considerably shorter (almost 1 hour shorter) than the older version of GMAT.
Structure of the new GMAT Focus Edition
Following would be the structure of GMAT, going forward:
What has changed
- Three 45-minute sections, no essay (AWA) and no Sentence Correction
- Geometry no longer appears as a topic in Quant
- Question Review & Edit, Select Section Order, and improved score sending options
- Detailed performance insights through Official Score Report
- Ability to send GMAT scores to 5 schools for free, after you know your score (and not before) !
What has not changed
- GMAT continues to be question adaptive
- Students can appear in the exam either at the center or online (at home)
- The contents that students are tested on, largely continue to be similar to the old GMAT (except for Sentence Correction and Analytical writing assessment)
Scoring on the GMAT Focus Edition
Each of the 3 sections on the GMAT Focus Edition is scored on a scale of 60-90 in 1-point increments, and the final GMAT Score is on a scale of 205-805, in 10-point increments. Note that in the older format, GMAT score was on a scale of 200-800, in 10-point increments.
Will these B-schools like ISB and IIMs accept scores from new format for 2024 uptake?
Hi Kauntay, while we have not heard of any official confirmation/denial from ISB in this regard, we are reasonably sure that ISB will accept new format scores for 2024 intake. The only issue is that since the new GMAT will start getting administered earliest in October this year, students will most likely be only apply to R2 of ISB.
Since Gmat focus edition has a different scoring scale, do you think it can create a slightly dismal impression for our score, for eg, a 715 vs a 720, both score look pretty good but surely 720 just looks little better.