The Future of Graduate Admissions and Assessment: Insights from GMAC’s Ashok Sarathy

In this episode of Tried and Tested, host Isabelle Gonthier, PhD, ICE-CCP, speaks with Ashok Sarathy, Vice President of Assessment Products at GMAC, about the evolving role of assessment in global graduate management education. Drawing on more than two decades in the assessment industry, Ashok shares how GMAC has continuously adapted the GMAT and its broader assessment portfolio to meet changing candidate, institutional, and workforce needs.Recorded live in India during the i-ATP conference, the conversation explores global student mobility, holistic admissions, and the growing pressure on assessments to be more flexible, digital, and candidate-centered, while still maintaining rigor. Ashok discusses how technology and AI can improve preparation, fairness, and efficiency, while also highlighting where caution and strong governance remain essential.What you’ll learn:How GMAC approaches the balance between assessment rigor and candidate experienceWhy holistic admissions models are reshaping the role of standardized testingKey barriers students face when pursuing global graduate management educationHow assessments can better reflect real-world and workforce-relevant skillsWhere AI can enhance personalization, scale, and fairness in assessment designWhy human-in-the-loop oversight remains critical when applying AI in testingWhat the future of admission testing may look like, including lower-stakes pathwaysWho should listen:Assessment and testing professionals navigating digital and AI-enabled changeHigher education leaders involved in admissions and student mobility strategyCredentialing and assessment program owners balancing rigor and experienceTest development and product leaders responsible for portfolio strategyOrganizations exploring the future of admissions testing and candidate pathwaysAbout the Guest:Ashok Sarathy is Vice President, Assessment Products at GMAC and a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Test Publishers (ATP). At GMAC he is responsible for establishing the Assessment Portfolio Strategy, identifying opportunities for new Assessments and has P&L responsibility of the portfolio.Ashok has spent than 22 years in the assessment industry, initially enabling GMAC to transition the development and the delivery of the GMAT exam to new partners and in the process redefined the digital user experience associated with taking the GMAT exam. He implemented several innovations to improve the integrity of the GMAT Test.Later he launched the Next Generation GMAT exam, adding a new “Integrated Reasoning” section to the exam with input from faculty at business schools. He then assumed a product management role responsible for the P&L of the key products within the council’s assessment portfolio, launching new assessments like the NMAT exam and other candidate-friendly enhancements that enabled test takers to embark on their journey towards a management career. He developed and implemented the strategy to overhaul the supply chain necessary to deliver the portfolio of Assessment Products to drive market relevance, establish core capabilities and drive operational effectiveness.In 2020 he led the move to have GMAC’s suite of Assessment Products (the GMAT, the NMAT and the Executive Assessment) delivered online at the onset of COVID-19. He also evolved the customer care model to drive a timely and more satisfying response to candidate inquiries. Managing the intersection between applicants and management institutions, Ashok is always looking to develop and enhance assessments that are relevant, efficient and offer great test taking experience.