by In February 2021, the GMAC made some important announcements regarding the online GMAT exam, or more popularly known as the GMAT from home. These changes have been made to make the testing experience more flexible for test takers, in view of the evolving times. The changes will be effective from April 8, 2021. Let us look at the changes before we go on to analyze their relevance and efficacy.
1) Return of the AWA Essay: When GMAT when online from home last year, the AWA essay section was removed, which made the test shorter. But now the AWA section is going to be reintegrated in the from-home version as well, meaning that the test will be longer by 30 minutes.
2) More breaks: In the current GMAT from home format, there is only one 8-minute break available. But with the revised format, test takers can take two breaks. This allows test takers more time to mentally unwind and gear up for the next sections.
3) Select the Section Order: As was the case with the in-center GMAT, test takers can now choose the order of their sections. The three available orders are:
a) Quant, Verbal, IR, AWA
b) Verbal, Quant, IR, AWA
c) AWA, IR, Quant, AWA
4) Get Your Unofficial Scores on the Spot: After the GMAT from home option was introduced, the unofficial scores were available only within seven official days. However, starting April 8, test takers can see their scores as soon as they finish their test, and can even decide to cancel their scores after previewing them.
The changes mentioned above have a lot of benefits for test takers. The most important feature is the option to see your scores immediately after finishing your test. This means that the suspense of scores will not weigh you down and the weight to see your scores will be over on the spot. The option to take two 8-minute breaks certainly allows more breathing space to test takers. But in the revised format, test takers need to take the essay as well, which could be seen with mixed responses. While the return of the AWA does mean that the duration of the test is lengthier and test takers have to prepare for an additional section, it could also serve as an opportunity to show your writing skills, critical thinking and organizational abilities to universities. The option to select the sections means that you could start with Quant or Verbal, which are the more critical sections of the exam, and attempt them when you are more fresh and focused.
While starting your GMAT Preparation course, it is important for you to be aware of these changes so that you can opt for the best GMAT coaching classes that can really help you boost your scores by focusing more on your weak areas. At the onset of your GMAT test preparation in Delhi, it is important to start with a practice test to know what is your current level and get a feel of what the test looks like. There are various GMAT coaching institutes in Gurgaon, Delhi, Pune and Bangalore that offer a range of courses to choose from: live online tutoring, one-on-one instruction, small group coaching or even compact crash courses. You can choose a test prep plan that suits your requirements the best. But whichever learning/prep option you opt for, you need to ensure that you are practicing with a proper study plan, so that your preparation goes in the right direction and in a guided manner. While studying, keep a track of your errors by maintaining an error log and take practice tests which reflect the pattern of the real exam at regular intervals.
Find Best GMAT Test Preparation Institute in Bangalore, GMAT coaching classes in Delhi, GMAT online classes with guaranteed high scoring result.
