GMAT exam’s new feature offers option to select section order

In a continuing effort to enhance the GMAT exam experience for test takers, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) on Thursday announced the upcoming launch of Select Section Order, a new feature that will provide candidates the flexibility to customise their GMAT experience by choosing the section order in which they feel most comfortable taking the exam. Select Section Order will be available to test takers worldwide beginning July 11.

“The idea of being allowed to choose the section order had been commonly requested by test takers,” said Ashok Sarathy, Vice President, Product Management, GMAC. “We conducted a pilot in 2016 to test this feature and received an overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 85 per cent of participants surveyed expressing that this new feature boosted their confidence prior to even taking the exam. Our pilot findings also concluded that taking the exam in different section orders continues to maintain the quality and integrity of the GMAT scores.”

The GMAT has four sections. When implemented on July 11, test takers will select their desired section order at the test center on exam date, immediately prior to the start of the exam. Test takers will be able to choose from three options:

• Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal (original order);
   
• Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment; or
   
• Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment.