The GMAT is offered by appointment, at your convenience, almost every day of the year. You will be required to register online before making an appointment.
Before you register, find a testing center that’s convenient for you and determine whether that site has available seats. Each testing center operates on its own schedule and can accommodate varying numbers of test takers. To locate a testing center near you, go to mba.com.
Available time slots change continuously as people register for the test. You will find out what times are available at your chosen testing center when you register. You may be able to schedule an appointment within a few days of your desired test date, but popular dates (especially weekends) fill up quickly.
Admissions deadlines for business schools vary. Check with the schools and make your test appointment early enough to allow your scores to be reported before the schools’ application deadlines.
You may register and schedule your appointment online, by phone, by mail, or by fax:
The fee to take the GMAT is US$250 worldwide (at the time of printing). It is payable by credit card online or by mailing in a check. If you have questions about GMAT registration, visit mba.com or call 800-717-GMAT (4628).
When scheduling your test appointment, be sure that the spelling of your name and your stated date of birth match the ID you will present at the testing center. If those do not match, you will not be permitted to take the test, and your test fee will be forfeited.
If you need to reschedule the date, time, or location of your appointment, there is a US$60 fee (as this book goes to press) as long as you reschedule at least seven days before your original appointment. If you need to reschedule fewer than seven days before your original date, you have to pay the full registration amount again. Rescheduling can be done online at mba.com or by calling one of the numbers listed previously. If you reschedule over the phone, you may be subject to an additional fee. You cannot reschedule an appointment by mail or fax.
If you need to cancel your appointment, you will receive a US$80 refund (as this book goes to press) as long as you cancel at least seven days before your original appointment. If you cancel fewer than seven days before your original date, you forfeit the entire registration fee. For registration fees paid by credit card, the refund amount will be credited to the card. If the fee was paid by check or money order, you will receive a check in the mail. Cancellations can be made online at mba.com or by calling one of numbers listed previously, based on your location. If you cancel over the phone, you may be subject to an additional fee. You cannot cancel an appointment by mail or fax.
You should arrive at your testing center 30 minutes before the time of your scheduled appointment. You must complete a number of security measures before you will be allowed to take the exam. A late arrival (15 minutes or more) may result in your being turned away from the testing center and forfeiting your test fee.
You will be asked to present ID—no exceptions. The following are the only acceptable forms:
If you aren’t a citizen of the country in which you take your test, you’ll probably need your passport. In some countries, a passport will always be required. Visit mba.com for the current requirements.
The ID must be current (not expired) and legible, and it should contain all four of the elements listed below. If you do not have one ID with all four of these elements, you will need to bring a second ID (also from the list above) that shows the missing elements.
If these elements do not match what the test administrator has on file for you, you will not be allowed to take the GMAT, and your test fee will be forfeited.
Before you schedule your test appointment, make sure you understand all the requirements that are particular to your situation and have acquired or renewed the ID you will use. Also, note that if your ID is found to be fraudulent or invalid after you take the exam, your scores will be canceled and your test fee forfeited.
Once your government-issued ID is approved, the administrator will take your palm scan, signature, and photograph using digital equipment. The testing rooms are also equipped with audio and video recorders, which are active during the exam. If you do not complete the entire check-in process or refuse to be recorded, you will not be allowed to take the GMAT, and your test fee will be forfeited.
When you arrive at the center, you will be asked to agree to the GMAT Test Taker Rules & Agreement. Once you are seated at a workstation, you will electronically confirm that you agree to the GMAT Non-Disclosure Agreement and General Terms of Use statement. If you do not agree, you will not be allowed to take the GMAT, and your test fee will be forfeited. If you are caught violating the agreement, the business schools that you’re applying to will be informed of this fact.
The following items cannot be brought into the testing room:
Essentially, you can’t bring anything that may cause distractions, provide aid during testing, or be used to remove exam content from the testing room. (Note that you are not permitted to use a calculator for the Quantitative section, though there is an onscreen calculator available for the Integrated Reasoning section.) It is possible that your testing center has storage space available, such as lockers, where you can leave possessions that are prohibited from the testing room. However, this may not be the case at all centers. Call your testing center to inquire about storage and plan accordingly.
You will not be allowed to smoke, eat, drink, or use a cell phone in the testing room. In fact, you won’t be allowed to use a phone or send a text message at all once the test has begun, even during breaks.
You also cannot leave the testing room without the administrator’s permission. Some testing centers provide earplugs to keep noise to a minimum; if this interests you, call your testing center for details. Should you have any questions or problems during the exam, raise your hand and wait for the administrator to approach you.
The length of your appointment is approximately 4 hours. Two breaks are scheduled into the exam. Each time you leave and return to the testing room, your palm will be scanned. If you exceed the allotted break time, the excess time will be deducted from the next section of your exam. For more information on administrative regulations and testing procedures, visit mba.com.
You may select up to five schools to receive your scores before you take the test. Your registration fee will cover that cost. Before Test Day, decide which schools you want to get your GMAT scores and bring that list with you. You will not be able to change the list once you have made your selection.