GMAT Expands Reach, Further Strengthens Test Security Measures; Graduate Management Admission Council Launches New Partnership with Pearson VUE and ACT for Test Delivery and Development

Business Wire, Jan 4, 2006

MCLEAN, Va. -- The Graduate Management Admission Test(R) (GMAT(R)) has expanded its reach and is now available at more than 400 testing centers in nearly 100 countries around the world. Test security measures have also been enhanced to prevent cheating.

Each GMAT test taker must now provide a fingerprint when they first check in and every time they enter the testing room. That unique fingerprint, along with a digital photograph and signature, becomes a permanent part of a test taker's record.

These improvements to the exam are made possible by a new partnership between the Graduate Management Admission Council(R) (GMAC(R))--owner of the GMAT--and a pair of companies renowned for delivering and developing top-notch academic assessments, Pearson VUE and ACT, Inc., respectively.

"The integrity of the GMAT is critical to business schools," said Bob Swieringa, dean of Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management and former chair of the GMAC board of directors. "It's the best objective tool we have for predicting how well a student will perform. We want to know--and students want to know--that every applicant's GMAT score truly reflects his or her ability to succeed."

The GMAT itself is not changing. People will continue to tackle an individually tailored series of questions designed to gauge their math and verbal ability levels--and forecast their academic performance in business school. The standardized test builds on more than 50 years of research and experience to ensure that each person's score is comparable to every other person's score, regardless of their background.

"The best has just become better: better global access, better technology and better security--an unbeatable combination for our customers," said David A. Wilson, president and chief executive officer of GMAC.

Pearson VUE, the company now administering the GMAT through its global network of test centers, is providing an increased level of service to test takers and schools. People receive their official scores faster through Pearson VUE's online score-reporting system. This system also allows admissions offices to more efficiently obtain scores for their applicants and gain a deeper understanding of how they stack up with their competition.

ACT now manages the development of the GMAT. ACT is responsible for the development of GMAT questions, construction of item pools, implementation of test specifications, scoring of the Analytical Writing Assessment essays, and working with GMAC to strengthen the exam's capacity to remain in step with the evolving needs of business schools.

About GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council(R) (www.gmac.com), based in McLean, Va., is a non-profit education organization of leading graduate business schools worldwide, dedicated to creating access to and disseminating information about graduate management education. The GMAT(R) exam was created in 1954 and remains the first and only standardized test specifically designed for graduate business and management programs.