Sad pug didn't get quite the GMAT score he was hoping for...

So y'all've taken the GMAT! You spent hours and hours studying, you woke up at the crack of dawn on examination twenty-four hours and got to the test centre early on, you remembered all of your formulas, and you lot mastered the obscure grammar rules. But you still didn't get the score yous hoped for. Should you retake the exam?

Many students think about retaking the GMAT exam, merely have questions about the procedure: Can you lot retake the GMAT? Should you retake the GMAT? What do schools think nigh students who take retaken the GMAT?

In this guide, I'll explain the GMAT retake policy and discuss whether or not information technology's a good idea to take the exam more than than once. Past the finish, you'll have a clear thought of whether or non retaking the GMAT is the best choice for you.

Can You Retake the GMAT?

Yeah! It's absolutely possible to retake the GMAT, but in that location are restrictions on when and how often you tin can have the test.

You lot tin only take the GMAT once every 16 calendar days. This time restriction ways that yous need to wait a footling over 2 weeks in between each time y'all take the examination.

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You can accept the GMAT no more than five times in a twelve-month period (i.eastward., one year).

You cannot take the GMAT more than eight times in your entire lifetime.

Brand sure y'all consider this GMAT retake policy when you lot're deciding if and when to retake the exam. In the side by side section, I'll talk more about how yous can decide whether or not retaking the GMAT is the right option for you.

Should You Retake the GMAT?

Well, it depends. If you got a score you're happy with, and then no, you don't demand to retake the GMAT. If yous're not happy with your score, on the other paw, you may want to have the exam over again.

A good rule of thumb is thatyous should consider retaking the GMAT if your score is below the average scores of admitted applicants at your target schools.

Follow these steps to determine if your score is depression plenty to merit retaking the GMAT:

  • Showtime, put together a list of all the business organization schoolhouse programs that you plan to use to.
  • Next, research the boilerplate GMAT scores of these schools. Y'all tin can notice this information in a number of places. Nearly schools share this information on the program's admissions page. You lot tin can also try calling the admissions department if you can't discover the info there. 3rd political party sources, similar Usa News, too listing the average GMAT scores of many schools.
  • Add the average GMAT scores for each schoolhouse to your listing of business school programs. Discover the highest boilerplate GMAT score of all the programs.
  • You'll desire your score to at least as loftier as the highest boilerplate GMAT score of your target programs. This helps make sure you'll be higher up the adequate score range for all of your programs.
  • If your score is lower the highest average GMAT score of your target programs, you lot'll desire to consider retaking the test.

Still, before yous commit to retaking the GMAT, at that place are a number of factors to consider. I'll exist discussing those factors in depth in the next two sections.

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Does Retaking the GMAT Look Bad to Schools?

OK, so, you may want a higher score, but retaking the GMAT tin make you a weaker candidate in MBA admissions, right?

In curt, no, it won't. Retaking the GMAT doesn't make you look bad! Many students retake the GMAT, so schools are used to seeing applicants with more than 1 set of GMAT scores. In fact, taking the GMAT more than than once tin can show a school that you're committed to improving on your work.

Still, make sure you lot spend fourth dimension studying the concepts that you struggled with the offset time you took the examination. Making solid improvement each time you took the examination will aid you look better in the committee's eyes than taking the exam and not improving at all. Making improvements shows that you're able to assess your strengths and weaknesses and improve your academic performance accordingly.

Consider the fact that the boilerplate net gain for exam-takers taking the GMAT a second time is 31 points, according to GMAC. You'll want to make certain your score is improving past at least 31 points in order to friction match the comeback rate of other applicants.

five Factors to Consider When Retaking the GMAT

Every bit I mentioned before, retaking the GMAT tin be a wise decision for many test-takers. Most test-takers improve on their 2d time taking the test. Notwithstanding, before you become ahead and spend the actress time and money to take the GMAT over again, consider these factors.

#ane: How Far From Your Goal Score Are You?

The kickoff thing yous'll desire to consider when deciding whether or not to retake the GMAT is how far you are from your goal score. If you're between 10 – xx points away, retaking the GMAT might non be such a big deal. This range is shut enough to put you within range of the average GMAT scores at your target programs.

If y'all're betwixt twenty-50 points abroad from your goal score, retaking the GMAT could definitely help meliorate your score. Make certain y'all assess your strengths and weaknesses and spend time fixing the areas that gave you trouble the first-time around.

If you're over l points abroad from your goal score, you might want to consider adjusting your target schools. An comeback of more than than 30 points is above the average improvement fabricated by test-takers when they retake the GMAT, then you'll need to put in some serious study time to make those kinds of gains.

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#2: How Much Time Do You Have Before Application Deadlines?

Y'all'll want to brand sure that any new GMAT scores tin be submitted prior to the application deadlines at your target schools. On average, GMAT scores take around twenty days to arrive at schools (if you select the program recipients before you take the examination), so brand sure you lot have plenty time to get your scores in before the deadlines pass.

#3: How Much Fourth dimension Have You Spent Preparing?

If you've already spent over 100 hours preparing for the GMAT, yous won't see equally many gains equally if you lot've simply spent l hours preparing for the GMAT. You lot become the greatest score benefits from your first hours of studying, so preparing for more 100-120 hours probably won't make a substantial improvement to your score.

#four: What Can You Improve or Change About Your Exam Day Experience?

Recollect about your examination mean solar day experience. What tin you practise differently? Maybe yous were thrown off by the fact that you can't use a estimator on the quant department, so you lot tin spend time preparing without a computer. Perchance yous were running belatedly on test 24-hour interval and can practice the road to your test center alee of time and then you lot're not stressed the second fourth dimension effectually.

#5: Will Taking the GMAT Over again Exist a Financial Hardship?

The GMAT is an expensive test. It costs $250 every time you lot have the GMAT. Fifty-fifty if you got a fee waiver the starting time time yous took the GMAT, yous'll more than likely take to pay out of pocket for your second round of testing.

Consider how much money you are willing to spend to better your score and whether the cost will actually be worth it.

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What's Adjacent?

Decided to retake the GMAT? Cheque out our GMAT written report plans to aid you build a plan to improve your scores.

Observe the correct GMAT prep tools for yous with our guides to GMAT books, do tests, apps, and other online prep resource.

Not sure if you lot tin can get your score high enough for the programs you lot're interested in? Acquire about MBA programs that don't require the GMAT in our guide to 67 MBA programs that don't require the GMAT.

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