Interview: Gaurav Srivastava, regional director, GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) (estb. 1953) is a mission-driven association of 229 global graduate business schools that include prestigious institutes like Harvard University (US), The Imperial College Business School (UK), INSEAD Business Programs (France) besides 12 India-based members institutes. GMAC’s Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) remains one of the most widely used graduate business school assessments recognized by more than 7000-plus programmes worldwide. Having set up its Gurugram-based India office in 2009, India is the second-largest market for GMAC’s Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and NMAT (formerly NMIMS Management Aptitude Test) test volumes. Gaurav Srivastava, regional director – South Asia, Middle East, and  Africa, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) speaks to EducationWorld’s Dipta Joshi about GMAC’s latest India-based expansion plans. What services does GMAC offer the graduate management education industry?  GMAC offers a suite of research products, professional development opportunities, and world-class assessments built on decades of experience that help management institutes identify the right talent for their programs. Our assessment offerings include the GMAT, NMAT by GMAC, and Executive Assessment exams that help business schools around the world to evaluate business school readiness in the context of executive management programmes. The GMAT, a trusted predictor of academic success in graduate business education, has been developed and designed specifically to assess the analytical and verbal problem-solving abilities and integrated reasoning skills that are vital for real-world business and management success. The NMAT by GMAC enables schools to access the most diverse test-taking populations in India, South Africa, and the Philippines with some of the highest proportions of women and non-engineers taking the exam. Our non-assessment offerings include the GMAC Market Intelligence, the GMAC Media Solutions, and the Graduate Management Admission Search Service (GMASS) database. These research-based databases and solutions allow institutions to make fact-based decisions that influence their strategy, recruitment, and marketing efforts. Our Graduate Management Admission Search Service (GMASS) database has over 2,000 unique combinations of search parameters for more than 30 categories helping schools recruit the right mix of candidates for their programs. We also offer opportunities through our GMAC industry conferences and MBA student tours to connect with prospective students and other school professionals in person. Our MBA Tour delivers 66 events across six continents with over 150 participating schools helping candidates understand why the school or programme is the right fit for them. What kind of guidance do management aspirants receive from GMAC’s India office?   The GMAC India, market development team is based out of Gurgaon, and works closely with candidates, by providing regular guidance on the various assessments, how to prepare for them, any changes in the format of the exams, new product updates on online and test centre versions of the exam, etc.   How did COVID impact the demand for registrations for the GMAT exam and how has the process changed to meet students’ convenience?  The COVID pandemic did disrupt candidates’ plans to pursue management education. Uncertainties on account of travel restrictions, preference for in-person versus online learning, and differing COVID… Posted in Interview