How to Set Up for the Online GMAT

Online GMAT: Getting Your Computer Ready

GMAC is responsible for ensuring test center computers are ready for students on exam day, but when you take the GMAT online, that responsibility falls on you. GMAC lays out the system requirements on its website to ensure that you're able to take the test on your computer, and explains how to properly set it up for the exam. Once test day arrives, you can simply sit down in front of your computer and show how all your studying and hard work has paid off.

The exam is desktop or laptop only. That means no tablets, mobile devices, or even a laptop touchscreen, and extended keyboards or more than one monitor are also not permitted. It's recommended that you take the exam on a home computer, since school or workplace computers have security features that could block or interfere with the test.

You want to have the best internet connection possible throughout the GMAT without any glitches or interruptions. GMAC recommends using a wired network instead of wireless, and that you have a reliable, stable connection speed of 2 Mbps down/up. Tethering to a mobile hotspot is not allowed. Anyone else who will be in your home while you're taking the test should find something offline to do, as it's advised that no one else use the internet at the same time. 

You will have to download and install a secure browser in order to take the test. There are two operating system versions available, one for Windows and one for Mac. A systems check will then run that automatically tests to make sure your operating system, browser, and internet connection meet the requirements, and that your computer has a working webcam, microphone, and speakers. You must have a Windows 10 or 11 operating system, or a Mac OS 11.0 – 14.6., and a Chrome or Safari browser with internet cookies enabled and any pop-up blocking settings disabled.

Once you've gone through these steps and checks, your computer is ready for you to take the GMAT. This should be done at least one week before the test, but consider taking care of it as soon as possible after registering for the online exam. Getting it done early will remove this concern from your mind and your to-do list, so you can focus your attention on preparing for the test.

Online GMAT: What You Can and Can't Have in Your Work Space

Taking the GMAT from home doesn't mean you get a break on what you're permitted to have with you during the exam. GMAC has strict rules about what online test takers can have in their work space, and you're not allowed to have any of the banned items on your desk, within your reach, or in your sight for the entire test. Familiarize yourself with GMAC's requirements and prepare your work space at least a couple of days in advance so you're not scrambling on the morning of the exam to make sure it can pass muster. 

Items that are permitted include approved I.D., prescription eyeglasses without the case, water in a clear container, and allowed medical comfort items. Cough drops and pills must be unwrapped and not in a bottle or container. You can have a physical whiteboard during the test, use the one provided on-screen, or both. If you're using a physical whiteboard, it must be erasable and no larger than 12 inches by 20 inches (30 centimeters by 50 centimeters), and you can have two dry erase markers and one eraser. 

The list of prohibited items is a lot longer. It includes paper, pens, pencils, chalkboards, writing tables, tissues/napkins/paper towels, cell phones, headphones, electronic devices, pagers, watches, wallets/purses, bags, hats, coats, books, and notes. No food or drinks are allowed except for water in a clear container, and there's no smoking or gum chewing permitted. 

Taking the GMAT is a solo endeavor, so no one else can be in the room with you at any time. Any other monitors or computers in the room must be unplugged and turned off, and glass walls, doors, or windows must be covered.

Online GMAT: Test Day – Verifying Your I.D.

Online test takers will have to verify their identification on exam day, just like those who take the GMAT at a test center. Review what you'll need to have ready ahead of time so the process goes smoothly. 

When you register for the online exam, you'll be asked to answer several security questions. You will have to provide the answers on test day, so make a note of them and keep them someplace secure. Make sure it's a location that you'll remember, so you're not wracking your brain the day before the exam trying to remember what you did with the answers. 

You will also upload a photo of your I.D. during registration. Driver's licenses and passports are the main forms of I.D. accepted, with government-issued national/state/province identity cards and military I.D. cards also allowed. It must have your name in the Roman alphabet exactly as you registered it, the same date of birth you registered with, a recent and recognizable photo, and your signature.

During check-in on the day of the exam, you will be asked to answer the security questions from registration. An online proctor will then verify your I.D. to check that it matches the photo you uploaded, and that the name on it matches the one you used to register.

Online GMAT: Test Day – Room Inspection and Security

After your identity has been verified, your work area will be inspected by the online proctor, who'll tell you to do a 360-degree scan of the room, including your desk, with the webcam. They will be making sure that no banned items are in the vicinity and that any additional monitors or devices are unplugged. The proctor will also look at anything you have on the walls and potentially ask you to take things down. Once your I.D. verification and room inspection are done, it's test time. The proctor will launch the exam, which will disable any other applications on your computer for the duration of the test. 

The GMAT is two hours and 15 minutes long, and you are entitled to one 10-minute optional break. You can take it after the first section or the second section of the test, but you must wait for the break message to appear on-screen. You're allowed to leave the area to use the restroom during the break, but your camera must remain running, and you can't use your phone or any other devices or non-permitted items. The break is the only time you can leave your computer during the test. The proctor will end the exam and you won't be able to complete it if you step away at any other time. 

If you are using a physical whiteboard, you will have to erase it and show the front and back to the camera three times: before the exam begins, before the break if you take it, and before the end of the test. 

The proctor will monitor you throughout the exam via the webcam and microphone. Remember to keep the camera clearly focused on you, don't look away from the screen for too long, and don't speak out loud or even move your lips as you read questions. The entire testing session will also be recorded.

Online GMAT: The Night Before the Exam

Your aim for the night before the exam is for it to be as calm and low-stress as possible. To that end, you should have checked and prepared your computer well in advance, readied your work space according to GMAC's rules at least a day earlier, and learned what online security procedures to expect the next day. We believe it's important to keep it simple in the 12 hours before the exam:

• Get a good night's sleep. You can't perform at your best on the GMAT when you're exhausted. Go to bed an hour or two early to ensure you get the rest you need.
• Lay out your essentials for the next day. Place your I.D. and the answers to your security questions (if you have a physical copy of them) at your work space. If you're using a whiteboard, put it there as well, along with your dry erase markers and eraser.
• Don't cram. Last-minute cramming won't increase your score, and will just make you frazzled. Trust what you've learned, close the books early, and do something fun and relaxing instead.

Online GMAT: The Rules

In addition to their strict guidelines about what you can have in your work space, GMAC also enforces other exam day rules and regulations. Following are some of the important ones for the online exam:

• Communicating with anyone about the content of the GMAT at any time during testing, including the break, or after the test is forbidden. Reproduction or removal of any part of the exam is also not allowed. Sharing this information during the test via email, message boards, or other means of communication is also strictly banned and subject to consequences.
• The test administrator can dismiss you from a test session for the following reasons: providing false information; attempting to take the test for someone else; failing to provide acceptable identification; possessing or accessing unauthorized personal items or testing aids; refusing to comply with the test administrator's reasonable requests; giving or receiving unauthorized help; attempting to tamper with the operation of the secure browser; accessing computer functions other than those designed for the exam; refusing to follow directions; being disrespectful to the test administrator, and failing to adhere to other procedures, policies, and rules.

Policy violations, even if unintentional, can lead to repercussions. Following are the consequences for two common test day violations:

Policy Violation	Consequences
Accessing unauthorized materials or devices	Score revoked Ban from testing for up to five years Notification to prospective schools
Mouthing questions or reading questions out loud	Score revoked Ban from testing for up to five years Notification to prospective schools

Clearly, following the rules is crucial for test day success. Familiarize yourself with them ahead of exam day, so you can best abide by them and focus on the actual test.

Online GMAT: Takeaway

We'll end with some last-minute tips for when you wake up on exam day and the GMAT is just hours away.

• Make a point to get up early so you have time to wake up fully and not feel groggy. You want to be awake and alert to perform at your best on the GMAT and earn the high score you worked so hard to achieve.
• Eat breakfast. Even if you're not usually a breakfast person, it's particularly important when taking a test like the GMAT. Healthy, protein-rich food will get your brain and body working, fueling you with energy.
• Stay optimistic. If you have a negative attitude, it can drastically affect how you perform. Remember that you will face difficult questions and it's essential not to berate yourself for having trouble at times. Optimism breeds confidence, which breeds exam day success. Maintain a good outlook so you can perform to the best of your abilities!