GMAT Eligibility 2024: Qualification, Age Limit, and Needed Documents

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) does not have strict eligibility requirements. The exam targets students wishing to pursue management-related courses abroad. Although, there are some schools in India like the Indian Institute of Management that also accept the GMAT for some courses. Some prominent programs that require a GMAT score for admission to prestigious universities include Master of Business Administration, Master in Management, Master of Finance, M.Sc Marketing, etc. The GMAT exam is conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) which has specified guidelines for GMAT eligibility. The same council introduced GMAT as a standardized test to assess the student’s ability to perform in Business Schools worldwide. 

More than 100,000 interested candidates apply for the GMAT exam every year as it is one of the most trusted tests accepted by Ultra-Competitive Business Schools. The GMAT score is accepted in a total of 110 countries around the world. Check: GMAT Accepting Colleges

Continue reading to have a thorough understanding of the GMAT eligibility criteria and other relevant information. 

Check how to apply: GMAT Registration

GMAT Eligibility 2024

The test is open to applicants from all over the world no matter how they identify themselves on the basis of race, sex, religion, or background. However, there are some basic criteria laid down by GMAC that have to be fulfilled by candidates in order to successfully book a slot. Check: GMAT Slot Booking 2024

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Qualification

Any candidate who has graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a recognized board or university is eligible to appear for the GMAT exam. There is no minimum or maximum academic percentage required to register for GMAT. Apart from fresh graduates, various working professionals who have work experience in hand also sit for the GMAT exam. Freshers can opt for courses like MIM, Deferred MBA, MFIN, etc as a minimum of 3-4 years of work experience is essential for getting admitted into top MBA schools abroad. 

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Nationality

As mentioned above, there are no specified nationality criteria for the GMAT exam as students from all around the world appear for this test. GMAC has set out regulations that will apply to all candidates regardless of their country of origin. 

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Age Limit

There is no specified maximum upper age limit to be eligible for the GMAT exam. Various applicants who appear for the test are above 40 years of age. Candidates need to be at least 18 years of age to register for the exam on the official website. But, applicants between the age of 13 to 17 will need their parents’ consent to be eligible for the exam.

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Work Experience

To give the GMAT exam, a candidate can either be a fresher or an industry professional. - neither will prevent you from sitting for the GMAT examination. 

However, if a candidate wants to pursue MBA as his/her management course, he/she will need suitable industry experience of a few years. Competitive Business Schools do not enrol students in their MBA program if they are freshers without work experience. For instance, the University of Oxford, Harvard Business School, etc require at least 2 years of work experience excluding internships. The average work experience of the enrolled students in Dream B schools is about 4 to 5 years. 

Although, there are a few exceptions wherein some exceptional B-schools like Stanford welcome students for their MBA program with limited to no work experience depending on how strong their application is. 

GMAT Eligibility 2024: English Proficiency

One can sit for the GMAT exam even if they are less proficient in English. In fact, many students whose medium of instruction in school was not English, still ace the GMAT exam. However, once the candidate secures a satisfactory score on GMAT, he/she will have to appear for TOEFL or IELTS to prove their English language proficiency. 

Most Dream B-schools like Stanford and MIT require their students to be fluent in English. That’s why English Proficiency is another requirement that makes a candidate’s application stronger and decides their eligibility. GMAT is not a language examination, hence, candidates are required to sit for exams like TOEFL and IELTS which test the English proficiency of the candidates. 

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Personal Information 

When applying for the GMAT exam, candidates are required to provide some vital legal information about themselves, which may include:

• Photograph and signature
• Name and Address 
• Country of citizenship
• Date of birth
• Contact details
• Government-issued identification, etc

GMAC recently authorized Indian candidates to prove their identity through Aadhaar Card. Candidates in India will now have the option to validate their identity via their Aadhaar Card or passport while registering for the GMAT exam as long as the Card is valid and current. 

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Attempts

As per the GMAT retake policy, candidates who have registered for the GMAT exam get to have a maximum of five attempts in a year and eight attempts in a lifetime. Applicants can sit for the GMAT exam once every 16 days. If candidates are not satisfied with their GMAT score, they can re-register for a retake on the official website. 

GMAT Eligibility 2024: Documents

On the day of the exam, applicants may be asked to present some IDs for identity verification purposes. Students may question what are the applicable forms of IDs prescribed by GMAC. 

International Passport: When taking the test somewhere other than one's country of citizenship, a passport is always necessary. Passports that have reached their expiration date cannot be used, and renewal documents do not extend their validity.

Alternative kinds of identification (other than a passport) might be accepted in limited places.

For Indian students, Indian candidates must approach the testing facility on the day of the exam with a valid international passport. They will forfeit the exam cost and be required to pay the whole fee yet again if they do not have the appropriate passport. No exceptions apply.

Adhar Card can be used as a legitimate ID, but only for tests taken at home if candidates intend to take the exam online. The test centres will not accept this ID. The name on one’s Adhar must match the exact name that was used while registering, and the Adhar number must be linked to one’s mobile number. 

Moreover, The identification that students submit to the online proctor on exam day MUST correspond to the passport they uploaded when registering. Within 48 hours of the appointment time, the specific submitted ID cannot be changed in any way. Make sure that:

• The ID is not expired and is legible
• The name should be in the Roman alphabet, displayed precisely as you entered it when registering, with the initials in the appropriate order and arrangement.
• The date provided while registering should match one’s date of birth
• Recognizable and current photos should be used
• The signature should match and be correct