Indians push makes Graduate Management Admission Test truly global

<p style="text-align: justify;">More Indians are taking the US Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) even as there has been a slight dip in applicants for the Common Admission Test (CAT) used to select candidates for the IIMs and other premier B-schools.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />In 2008-09, GMAT saw a spike in demand from Indian and Chinese test-takers, with Indians alone topping 30,000. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the main drivers of demand for GMAT are the Indian School of Business and the IIM, Ahmedabad&rsquo;s executive MBA programme (PGPX).</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />&ldquo;GMAT is officially internationalised with more test-takers being non-US citizens as compared to US citizens. While GMAT is primarily <img style="border: 3px solid black; margin: 3px 4px; float: right;" src="https://images.shiksha.com/mediadata/images/1262578753phpmTEd7F.jpeg" alt="" width="108" height="143">used by US B-schools, demand for GMAT among Indians is driven by the growth of B-schools like ISB and IIMA-PGPX which require GMAT for admissions to their MBA programmes,&rdquo; explained Rahul Choudaha, a higher education specialist based in New York. &ldquo;Tests taken by citizens of India amounted to 30,633 in testing year 2009, a 128% increase during the past five years,&rdquo; he added.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />An analysis of the most recent GMAT testing year, which ran from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009, shows that nearly 51% of the exams administered during the period were taken by non-US candidates. The figures indicate that the number of Indians taking the test rose by 7% in the current year compared to 2007-08. &ldquo;The unprecedented GMAT testing levels we are seeing are a clear indication of the value of graduate management education in today's marketplace,&rdquo; said David A. Wilson, president and CEO of GMAC.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />According to the GMAC report, ISB retained its position as the B-school to which most Indian management aspirants sent GMAT scores. The premier B-school accepts GMAT scores along with several interviews to shortlist candidates.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />&ldquo;Since we don&rsquo;t conduct our own entrance test, we only accept GMAT, which is the standardised international test (and) becomes a platform to evaluate applicants' problem solving, communication and analytical skills. We also get 40% of applicants from non-resident Indians or foreign nationals. We interview around 2,500 applicants for admissions on an average every year,&rdquo; said VK Menon, senior director, Career, Admissions and Financial Aid, ISB.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><br />&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t believe in each institute having its own entrance exam. So, it makes sense to accept globally recognised GMAT scores, rather than the scores of various internal exams,&rdquo; said Hanif Kanjer, director of Rustomjee Business School, Dahisar.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Source: http://www.dnaindia.com</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Date: 4th Jan., 2010</strong></p> <hr /> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>For further details about&nbsp; related courses and colleges please click below:</strong></span></p> <p><a title="Related courses and colleges" href="https://management.shiksha.com/">Related courses and colleges</a></p>