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

So you've taken the GMAT! You spent hours and hours studying, you woke up at the crack of dawn on examination day and got to the exam eye early on, y'all remembered all of your formulas, and yous mastered the obscure grammer rules. Just you notwithstanding didn't get the score y'all hoped for. Should you retake the exam?

Many students think nigh retaking the GMAT exam, but have questions about the process: Can you retake the GMAT? Should you retake the GMAT? What do schools recollect near students who have retaken the GMAT?

In this guide, I'll explain the GMAT retake policy and discuss whether or not it's a good idea to take the exam more once. By the terminate, you'll have a articulate idea of whether or non retaking the GMAT is the all-time choice for y'all.

Can You lot Retake the GMAT?

Yep! It's absolutely possible to retake the GMAT, but there are restrictions on when and how often you lot tin take the test.

You tin can only take the GMAT in one case every xvi calendar days. This fourth dimension restriction means that you demand to wait a piffling over 2 weeks in between each fourth dimension you take the test.

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Y'all tin can take the GMAT no more five times in a twelve-calendar month flow (i.east., one twelvemonth).

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

Make sure you consider this GMAT retake policy when you're deciding if and when to retake the test. In the adjacent section, I'll talk more about how you can decide whether or not retaking the GMAT is the correct choice for you lot.

Should You Retake the GMAT?

Well, information technology depends. If you got a score you're happy with, and so no, you don't need to retake the GMAT. If you're not happy with your score, on the other hand, yous may want to have the exam over again.

A good dominion of pollex is thatyou should consider retaking the GMAT if your score is below the average scores of admitted applicants at your target schools.

Follow these steps to make up one's mind if your score is low enough to merit retaking the GMAT:

  • Offset, put together a listing of all the business organisation school programs that you plan to apply to.
  • Next, research the average GMAT scores of these schools. You can notice this data in a number of places. Most schools share this data on the program'south admissions page. You lot can also attempt calling the admissions department if you lot can't find the info there. Third party sources, like US News, too listing the average GMAT scores of many schools.
  • Add the average GMAT scores for each school to your list of business school programs. Notice the highest boilerplate GMAT score of all the programs.
  • Y'all'll desire your score to at least as high equally the highest average GMAT score of your target programs. This helps brand certain yous'll be above the adequate score range for all of your programs.
  • If your score is lower the highest boilerplate GMAT score of your target programs, you'll want to consider retaking the test.

All the same, before you commit to retaking the GMAT, there are a number of factors to consider. I'll be discussing those factors in depth in the next ii sections.

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Does Retaking the GMAT Wait Bad to Schools?

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

In brusque, no, it won't. Retaking the GMAT doesn't make you await bad! Many students retake the GMAT, so schools are used to seeing applicants with more than than 1 set of GMAT scores. In fact, taking the GMAT more than than in one case can testify a school that y'all're committed to improving on your piece of work.

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

Consider the fact that the average net gain for examination-takers taking the GMAT a second time is 31 points, according to GMAC. You'll want to brand sure your score is improving past at to the lowest degree 31 points in social club to match the improvement charge per unit of other applicants.

five Factors to Consider When Retaking the GMAT

As I mentioned before, retaking the GMAT can be a wise decision for many test-takers. Almost test-takers improve on their 2d time taking the test. Notwithstanding, before you lot go ahead and spend the actress fourth dimension and money to take the GMAT again, consider these factors.

#1: How Far From Your Goal Score Are You lot?

The offset thing y'all'll want to consider when deciding whether or non to retake the GMAT is how far yous are from your goal score. If y'all're between 10 – 20 points away, retaking the GMAT might not be such a big deal. This range is close plenty to put yous inside range of the average GMAT scores at your target programs.

If you're between 20-50 points abroad from your goal score, retaking the GMAT could definitely help meliorate your score. Make sure you assess your strengths and weaknesses and spend time fixing the areas that gave you trouble the first-time effectually.

If y'all're over 50 points abroad from your goal score, y'all might want to consider adjusting your target schools. An improvement of more than 30 points is above the average improvement fabricated by test-takers when they retake the GMAT, so y'all'll need to put in some serious study fourth dimension to brand those kinds of gains.

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#two: How Much Time Practice Yous Have Before Awarding Deadlines?

You lot'll want to brand sure that any new GMAT scores can be submitted prior to the application deadlines at your target schools. On average, GMAT scores take around twenty days to get in at schools (if you select the program recipients before y'all take the exam), so make sure you have enough fourth dimension to go your scores in before the deadlines pass.

#iii: How Much Time Take Y'all Spent Preparing?

If you lot've already spent over 100 hours preparing for the GMAT, you won't run across every bit many gains as if you've only spent 50 hours preparing for the GMAT. You lot get the greatest score benefits from your get-go hours of studying, so preparing for more than 100-120 hours probably won't make a substantial improvement to your score.

#4: What Can You Amend or Change About Your Test Solar day Feel?

Call back virtually your test solar day feel. What can you do differently? Maybe yous were thrown off by the fact that yous can't utilize a calculator on the quant section, so you lot can spend time preparing without a computer. Mayhap yous were running late on test twenty-four hours and can practice the route to your test middle ahead of time and then you're non stressed the 2d time effectually.

#five: Volition Taking the GMAT Again Be a Financial Hardship?

The GMAT is an expensive test. It costs $250 every time yous take the GMAT. Even if you got a fee waiver the first time you took the GMAT, you'll more than likely have to pay out of pocket for your 2nd round of testing.

Consider how much coin you are willing to spend to improve your score and whether the cost will really be worth it.

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What's Next?

Decided to retake the GMAT? Bank check out our GMAT study plans to assistance you build a plan to improve your scores.

Find the right GMAT prep tools for you with our guides to GMAT books, practise tests, apps, and other online prep resources.

Not sure if you can get your score high enough for the programs y'all're interested in? Learn 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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