Taking the GMAT: A First Hand Account

I took the GMAT last weekend, and I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I thought that a quick guide on how the process works would be helpful to other MBA hopefuls.

Taking the test requires an appointment. This can be arranged at the MBA website a few weeks in advance. The fee is $250 USD. After you set the appointment, you can download a test prep program at no additional charge. I recommend this because the program is set up just like the real test.

The test is administered by Pearson Professional Centers. The center I went to was a suite on the third floor of an office building.

The entrance room of the suite had a desk, several chairs and a bank of small lockers. I was given a number and a basic information sheet to read. When my number was called, I was asked to provide identification. They only accept ID that meets certain requirements: government issued, not expired, showing your name exactly as you listed it in your appointment, photo, signature and date of birth. I used my driver's license. After showing my ID, my photo and fingerprint (right index finger) were taken.

Next I had to empty my pockets and place everything I had brought in a locker. They wouldn't even let me keep my Chapstick. I was given a locker key, and that, along with my ID and the clothes on my back, was all I was allowed to take into the testing room.

I was led down a short hall to the testing room. The hall ended at a large desk with a computer in front of a bank of windows. The test takers were visible through the windows. You have to prove your identity every time you enter or leave the testing room, so I had to give my fingerprint again. It appeared on the monitor of the computer on the desk and glowed green when it matched. Then I was led into the testing room.

It was a small room with about fifteen computers lining the walls. The computers had dividers between them like study desks in a library. I was led to a computer and given earplugs, a marker and a yellow booklet with six sheets of laminated legal-size graph paper. I was told that if I needed a new booklet or marker to raise the item in the air and the proctor would bring a new one.