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INSEAD to Expand EMBA Programme and Develop Specialised EMBA Test

New initiatives coincide with the beginning of the New Year and extend INSEAD's global reach

Abu Dhabi, 19 January 2012 - INSEAD, the leading international business school, today announced plans to develop the INSEAD EMBA Test as an alternative to the GMAT and to launch a new Asia section of the GEMBA programme.

The INSEAD EMBA test will align INSEAD more closely with other top business schools, whose EMBA programmes are moving away from GMAT as the only mode of assessment to include in-house tests.

'The INSEAD EMBA Test as an alternative to the GMAT will help maintain and build participant quality and diversity,' said INSEAD Deputy Dean of Degree Programmes and Curriculum, Peter Zemsky. 'Our test will provide a more well-rounded way to assess our applicants and reduce the bias against some cultural and educational backgrounds,' Zemsky continued.

The INSEAD test retains the most relevant GMAT elements from the multiple-choice quantitative and verbal sections while eliminating elements such as knowledge of mathematical rules from trigonometry and permutation, esoteric vocabulary not relevant for conducting global business, and rules of English grammar typically studied in middle school in the Anglo-Saxon education system. INSEAD's test will also include new material to test the effective use of varied data to reach conclusions as well as a mini-case analysis presented orally in order to gauge oral communication - a skill deemed especially important for senior leaders. The INSEAD EMBA test will be administered regularly on each campus and will be combined with a panel interview.

This is being undertaken in partnership with Prep-Zone, a test-prep company founded by two INSEAD alumni in Singapore. Prep-Zone co-founder Mícheál Collins said the inspiration behind the new test was the approach of efficient thinking and delivery he had to adopt in order to cope with the intense nature of INSEAD's EMBA programme.

'This inspired us to propose a new format that zeroes in on what is really needed to perform well in a business school academic environment. Additionally, we realised that to properly gauge the preparedness of a candidate, their sense of business should be tested as well as their cognitive strengths. Hence we added the case presentation to the test, and removed the essay writing part. We felt the evolved test format was a great example of "value innovation" that we learned at INSEAD,' he explained.

While the GMAT will still be accepted, the new test option will be tailored specifically to the seniority and global nature of INSEAD's applicant pool.

'The new year marks an exciting time for INSEAD as we prepare to offer a new section of our Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) programme in Asia in a format that allows candidates in the region the ability to combine their studies within the Asian work context,' said Dipak C. Jain, Dean of INSEAD. 'Developed and based on feedback from candidates in Asia, the new section will include shorter modules, less time away from the office and closer proximity to home as well as the use of weekend modules for much of the core curriculum.'

The new Global EMBA programme, beginning in August 2012, will operate similarly to the Europe and Middle East sections with the admissions requirement, courses, faculty quality and an emphasis on participant diversity and international orientation all being the same. The three GEMBA sections - GEMBA Asia, GEMBA Europe and GEMBA Middle East - will start in their respective region and then come together in the second half of the programme for modules on all three campuses. Participants also share electives with TIEMBA, INSEAD's joint programme with Tsinghua University in China, giving them valuable contact with peers who work in China.

More information about the INSEAD EMBA test is available from the following link:

http://global.emba.insead.edu/home/

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About INSEAD, The Business School for the World
As one of the world's leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures and ideas from around the world to change lives and to transform organisations. A global perspective and cultural diversity are reflected in all aspects of our research and teaching.

With campuses in Europe (France), Asia (Singapore) and Abu Dhabi, INSEAD's business education and research spans three continents. Our 141 renowned Faculty members from 35 countries inspire more than 1,000 degree participants annually in our MBA, Executive MBA and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 6,000 executives participate in INSEAD's executive education programmes each year.

In addition to INSEAD's programmes on our three campuses, INSEAD participates in academic partnerships with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia & San Francisco); the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University near Chicago, and Johns Hopkins University/SAIS in Washington DC.

In Asia, INSEAD partners with Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. INSEAD also partners with Sorbonne University Panthéon-Assas law school, and with Fundação Dom Cabral in Brazil.

In 2009, INSEAD celebrated 50 years as a pioneer of international business education based in Europe. Last year, INSEAD celebrated the 10th Anniversary of our Asia campus in Singapore. In 2012, we mark five years of activity in Abu Dhabi.

Around the world and over the decades, INSEAD continues to conduct cutting edge research and to innovate across all our programmes to provide business leaders with the knowledge and sensitivity to operate anywhere. These core values have enabled us to become truly "The Business School for the World."

More information about INSEAD can be found at www.insead.edu

Press Contact:
INSEAD Abu Dhabi campus
Muroor Road - Street No. 4, P.O. Box 48049
Abu Dhabi UAE
Tel: +971 2 651 5200
Fax: +971 2 443 9428
Joe Chedid, INSEAD Abu Dhabi campus
Tel +971 2 651 5329,
Email joe.chedid@insead.edu

© Press Release 2012