How to prepare for and excel at the online GMAT, according to testing experts and instructors

Though the GMAT is a requirement for admission to many MBA programs, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered in-person testing for many people. (The Graduate Management Admission Council has published a list of testing center closures and special procedures that you can see here.)

But you can also take the GMAT Online exam, which costs $200 rather than $275. The test is available 24/7, but testing from your house can have disadvantages, depending on your schedule and setup.

"While it may sound like a dream come true to be able to stay home and sit at the candidate's usual computer, many families are home together," said David Schein, an associate dean, professor, and director of graduate programs at the Cameron School of Business at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. "It may be difficult to find a three-hour window with no possible interruptions." 

One of the most significant differences is that the online GMAT excludes the entire essay portion — the Analytical Writing Assessment section — which may cause some schools not to accept scores, said Ibrahim Firat, the founder of Firat Education, which offers test preparation and other services. 

That leaves three remaining sections with a fixed order and timing: 31 quantitative questions (62 minutes), 36 verbal questions (65 minutes), and 12 integrated-reasoning questions (30 minutes). While the exam time itself is set for two hours and 45 minutes, test takers have 15 minutes to check in to the online proctored system.

If now isn't the right time, the Graduate Management Admission Council has temporarily waived all fees for exam cancellations, rescheduling, and score reinstatement for GMAT test-center appointments. You can read details about the five steps for rescheduling your GMAT exam here.

But if you're going to bite the bullet and take the online test, there are some other important distinctions to be aware of between the traditional GMAT and GMAT Online. Insider tapped four educational-testing experts to guide you through everything you'll need to know to excel on the GMAT Online.

Know the rules and set up your technology accordingly

Firat stressed that candidates couldn't take the GMAT Online more than once, something worth considering if you're worried about messing up the first and only time around. The Graduate Management Admission Council's website says that the only exception to the "no retakes" rule is "technical issues." On a positive note, taking the online version of the GMAT doesn't count toward your 12-month and lifetime limits for taking the traditional GMAT at a test center.

Usually candidates can see their unofficial score at the end of the test, but that won't be available with the online version: Your official score will be sent to the email on their registered record within seven business days. Barring verified technical issues, score cancellations are not allowed.

Stacey Koprince — who has been a GMAT teacher for more than 20 years and is the content and curriculum lead at Manhattan Prep, a sister company of Kaplan that prepares thousands of students every year for the exams — took the test online the first day it became available. She recommended that if anything unexpected happens during your test, you should make sure to report it immediately — on mic and in chat to the proctor and also afterward in writing — as you may be able to reschedule or get a refund.

And the online proctor can cancel your test if they think you're cheating.

"The biggest thing GMAT takers at home should know is: Always be 'head up' and look at the screen during the test," Firat said. "In the event that their heads are down for some time, there is a chance the proctor may cancel his/her test."

That means ensuring your technology is set up properly is key. While you can use both Windows and Mac operating systems on your personal computer or laptop to take the online GMAT (unlike with the online version of the GRE, which doesn't allow for iOS), Schein emphasized the importance of taking the test on a computer using an ethernet connection instead of WiFi. 

"This will assure the candidate of the best connection and relieve the stress of worrying about an interruption in service," Schein said. "The computer will need to have current browsers and operating systems." You can see the full system requirements here.

Online GMAT takers must also use an online whiteboard feature, rather than physical notes, so that the proctor can see what the student is writing, discourage cheating, and delete them once the test is completed. Firat recommended practicing taking the test on Microsoft Word or Text Editor, rather than with a pen and paper.

"My best guess is that, on average, test takers will need a couple of weeks to get to the point where they can do everything they need to do using the online whiteboard," Koprince said. "It's true that I only had about 72 hours to get used to the online whiteboard before I took the official GMAT, but I've been working with this exam for two decades. It's likely that students will need longer than I took. And, frankly, I could have made good use of another couple of days."

Take practice tests online, narrow in on your strengths, and double down on studying your weakest areas

With the exclusion of the essay portion, Schein said business schools would weigh standardized questions more heavily, so you should prepare accordingly.

Joseph Ingram, who is the head admissions consultant for graduate schools at SOS Admissions and a former GRE and GMAT instructor at Stanley Kaplan, said that while he believes taking the GMAT Online from the comfort of your own home is a lot less stressful, the core of GMAT preparation has not fundamentally changed. That means you need to study, since a good score will dramatically increase your chances of admission.

"Also, the good news is that schools are pushing back some of their deadlines, and you have more time to prepare," he added.

Firat suggested that proper GMAT preparation should still start with a baseline practice test, two of which are available for free on the GMAT's official website. 

"This will replicate the test setting at home and give you a good idea about what adjustments you need to make at home prior to taking the official test," Firat said. He advised not studying for this practice test but just taking it to see where you're at in your GMAT learning curve.

Ingram said if you use practice tests that were prepared by a company other than the Graduate Management Admission Council, you should beware that these may not be predictive of your score on the test. 

"The reason is that the test-prep companies generally make their test harder than the actual test in order to better prepare their clients," Ingram said.

Once you've tried your hand at the practice tests, Firat said it would still be smart to purchase a GMAT prep book or program online (or both).

Firat has three favorite resources for GMAT: Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus, Princeton Review Cracking the GMAT, and Manhattan Prep GMAT (the latter of which includes several options for books and online courses). For the at-home version of the GMAT, he recommended practicing the content on the computer from the get-go. 

"If you get too used to paperback, it will be a longer adjustment to do well on the computer," Firat said. 

From there, he said students should review their scores and the analysis of their practice test. They should focus on their strengths first to boost morale, then zero in on the sections that are harder for the next few weeks, he said. 

"After four weeks of solid work on the above steps, review for one week, take practice test two, and repeat the steps above for another four to six weeks, but more targeted and focused," Firat said.