Women and the GMAT
Friday, August 25, 2017 | 12:00 AM
In general, fewer women than men take the GMAT world-wide. In 2014, 243,000 people took the test, and there were 33,000 more men than women. In the U.S. alone, about 20,000 more men took the test than women, for a total of 87,000 test takers in 2014. Percentagewise, women took 43.3 percent of the GMAT tests in 2014, and 54 percent of them said they took the test to pursue an MBA.
Overall, however, women MBAs make up only around 30 percent of MBA candidates at business schools in the United States. However, many business schools have made significant efforts to equalize gender ratios in recent years.
Historically, there has been a gap in GMAT scoring between men and women, with men scoring higher. However, that gap is narrowing. The mean score for men for tests taken in 2008 was 555, while it was only 519 for women. For tests taken in 2012, the mean score for men was also 555, but women improved to 534.
Hopefully, we will continue to see this gap close as gender equality improves throughout the U.S. and worldwide. One way that women MBAs can continue to improve their GMAT scores is by finding the right prep material. Every student is different, and each has different learning needs. Since more men take the GMAT than women, some GMAT prep material may cater to men’s needs more than women’s. Therefore, women could benefit from researching different GMAT prep options to find the right fit for their needs.
Learn about University of Texas Rio Grande Valley online MBA Program.
Source:
GMAC: Profile of GMAT Testing: Citizenship Report, TY 2010 Through TY 2014
GMAC: Women and Graduate Management Education (2015)
GMAC: Profile of Graduate Management Admission Test Candidates 2012-2013
FairTest: Where Are the Women MBAs?
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