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Just about a year from now, GMAC will launch the Next Generation GMAT. Starting in June 2012, right in between admissions cycles for most US business schools, test-takers will be scored on a new Integrated Reasoning section.

The GMAT has actually been modified 9 times in the past to better suit needs of test-takers and business schools. The upcoming enhancement will be the 10th version of the exam.

The reason for this upgrade? GMAC has consistently conducted surveys of b-school faculty members. In the most recent years, those surveyed indicated the need for students to be able to evaluate information from a variety of sources and draw integrated conclusions. In short, the Integrated Reasoning section will assess students’ ability to handle the complex, knowledge-rich business environment of the modern world.

The new GMAT section will not be computer adaptive, but some questions may have multiple parts. The questions will display information from multiple sources, such as charts, graphs, and spreadsheets. Test-takers will need to make strong decisions through evaluating and relating the data given.

The Integrated Reasoning section will be 30 minutes long and take the place of one of the two essays on the Analytical Writing section. Because research data indicate that scores on the two essays are tightly correlated, GMAC feels comfortable cutting down the Analytical Writing section. Replacing part of the writing section with the Integrated Reasoning questions rather than simply adding a new section also keeps the length of the GMAT exam consistent, at about 4 hours including breaks.

Test takers will continue to receive a separate score for their essay, and they will also receive another score for the Integrated Reasoning section. The Integrated Reasoning score will not be a part of the main score, which includes the Verbal and Math sections of the GMAT and is out of 800.

GMAC promises that test prep materials addressing the new section will be available in April 2012 if not before.

To read more about the Next Generation GMAT, go to: http://gmac.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=112