GMAT loses popularity in India, jumps high in China

NEW DELHI: The holy grail of management students - the Graduate Management Admission Test ( GMAT) - has slipped in popularity in India with 25,394 students sitting for the exam in 2011, while China saw a sharp jump with 40,069 candidates in the same year.

Seen for long as the ticket to a US college, a career and a green card, GMAT seems to have lost some of its appeal in India, where 30,633 applicants took the test in 2009. While the numbers are dropping in India, management hopefuls surged in China recording a 200% jump from 13,048 in 2007.

In 2007, India was ahead with 21,481 applicants. The numbers went up marginally over the next two years and have been sliding since then. This, when more applicants in the 25-30 age group are opting for the exam, according to the Asian Geographical Trend Report for GMAT examinees, collated and analysed by the Graduate Management Admission Council that conducts the test.

The percentage of those younger than 25 among Chinese applicants rose from 48% in 2007 to 77% in 2011. For India, that figure was 34% last year, down from 36% in 2007.