Harmonised Test goes International

Anca Gurzu
Asia is witnessing a dramatic increase in demand for graduate business education as more candidates in the region are writing an American standardised admission test and choosing to study closer to home. A new analysis released by the Graduate Management Admission Council, known as GMAC, the US-based association representing leading graduate business schools worldwide, shows that the number of students in Asia taking its graduate management admission test has increased 75% between 2005 and 2009.
This demand has outpaced that of all other regions. North America saw a 30% increase in examinations taken during the same period, Europe increased by 25%, and the Middle East and Africa by 43%.
"In Asia, especially India and China, we are seeing both a rapid economic growth rate and a population boom," says Alex Chisholm, a senior analyst at the council. "Having a graduate education gives people the ability to stand out and get a better job."
The test, created in 1954, is a critical part of the admission process for many business schools around the world. According to the council, the test was taken 265,613 times worldwide in the testing year 2009 (ending in June), bringing the global test volume up 7.55% from the previous year.
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Source: University World News, Issue No: 0102 22 November 2009