According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) which conducts the GMAT Test, the number of Indian applicants seeking management education at top global business schools has increased. Along with an increase in CAT registration numbers, there has been an increase in the GMAT test takers from India in 2012. Indian GMAT Takers prefer USA (51%), India (18%), UK (8%), Singapore (7.5%) and France (5%) as education destinations.

"Testing year 2012 has witnessed the highest ever GMAT Volume in India till date. Indian citizens, the third largest citizenship group taking the test, took 30213 GMAT exams, a figure that increased 19 percent in 2012. A total of 128 programs in India at over 80 business schools accept GMAT scores for admission in 2012, with a rise of 49 percent over 2011 and a growth of 450 percent over the last five years. A number of applicants from diverse backgrounds take the test adding to the diversity requirement in business schools”, said Ashish Bharadwaj, regional director, South Asia, GMAC.

Chinese citizens, the second largest citizenship group after US, were 20 percent of global test takers, with a total of 58196 exams showing a rise of 45 percent over 2011.

Tests taken by non-US citizens rose 19 percent in 2012 and represented 59 percent of global GMAT volume.

"The percentage of GMAT exams taken by women was 42.9 percent in 2012, a record for the third year," said David Wilson, GMAC President and CEO. GMAT, as a test, provides an opportunity to a student who is flexible about the countries in which he would like to study and work.

The total GMAT volume for 2012 (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012) was 11 percent higher than that in 2011 and was close to 8 percent higher than the previous numbers of 265613 in 2009. total of 286529 GMAT exams were taken with 831337 score reports sent to 5281 graduate business and management programs world-wide.

The increase in the GMAT takers is accompanied with an increase in CAT 2012 registrations as well. IIM K, the institute organizing CAT this year, reports that about 2.14 lakh candidates registered for CAT 2012 as compared to 2.05 lakh candidates in 2011, a growth of 4.5 percent over the last year.

The GMAT test is available to candidates over 300 days a year at 18 test centers in 17 cities. GMAC is based in Virginia and has regional offices in London, Gurgaon and Hong Kong.