{"id":16894,"date":"2019-02-01T21:29:15","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T21:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/?p=16894"},"modified":"2019-08-30T17:34:04","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T17:34:04","slug":"retake-the-gmat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/blog\/retake-the-gmat\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Retake the GMAT?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

In most cases, it\u2019s a smart move to retake the GMAT! There are a number of reasons it might help your applications, and very few downsides. However, to help you make an informed decision, let\u2019s go into the pros and cons of retaking the GMAT.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Normal to Retake the GMAT<\/b><\/h4>\n

There are various statistics out there regarding how many people retake the GMAT. The consensus is that, while most people take the GMAT once, a sizeable minority take it two times. According to Poets & Quants, as of 2016, <\/span>28% of test-takers took the GMAT a second time<\/span><\/a>. ExamPal <\/span>cites a higher number<\/span><\/a>, at 38%.<\/span><\/p>\n

More serious applicants are more likely to keep working for a high score. So, it\u2019s likely that at least a third of applicants to top MBA programs retake the GMAT. If you take the GMAT twice, admissions committees won\u2019t find it strange.<\/span><\/p>\n

Far fewer applicants take the GMAT three or more times. The GMAC hasn\u2019t publicly released the exact numbers, but <\/span>evidence suggests that those numbers are small<\/span><\/a>. Three attempts may not stand out too much, but four or more will put you in a small minority. That doesn\u2019t mean that submitting four or more scores will keep you out of your dream school. But it does mean you\u2019ll stand out among other applicants, and not necessarily in a positive way.<\/span><\/p>\n

What If It Takes Three (or Four, or Five) Tries to Hit Your Goal Score?<\/b><\/h4>\n

Unless you have a really good reason, you probably shouldn\u2019t submit more than three GMAT scores to schools. But here\u2019s a secret: retaking the GMAT is still possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you cancel a GMAT score<\/a>, schools won\u2019t even see that you took the GMAT on that day. It\u2019ll be exactly like the test never happened. If you retake the GMAT and somehow get a worse score, you can cancel that score before even leaving the testing center. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, taking the GMAT has its costs. Taking the test costs $250. Canceling a score at the testing center is free, but canceling a score after you leave (within the next 72 hours) costs $25. That\u2019s not to mention the huge investment of time and energy involved in studying for the GMAT. <\/span><\/p>\n

Also, you can only take the GMAT five times in one year, or eight times in total. That rule exists to keep people from retaking the GMAT over and over to copy and sell official questions. Since you see the questions whether you cancel your score or not, a canceled score <\/span>does<\/b> count against your eight-test limit. <\/span><\/p>\n

For information from the GMAC about canceling GMAT scores, <\/span>click here<\/span><\/a>. In general, if you retake the GMAT and get the same score\u2014or a lower score\u2014than you got the first time, go ahead and cancel your score.<\/span><\/p>\n

Will Retaking the GMAT Increase Your Score? <\/b><\/h4>\n

If you retake the GMAT, you\u2019ll probably get a higher score. But that\u2019s not a guarantee! In fact, up to 25% of test-takers get a <\/span>lower<\/span><\/i> GMAT score when they take the GMAT twice. Whether you\u2019ll be one of the lucky 75% depends on several factors: <\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How high was your first GMAT score?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Why didn\u2019t you hit your goal score? <\/span><\/li>\n
  3. What did you do to prepare for your second GMAT? <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The lower your GMAT score, the more likely you are to score higher when you retake the GMAT. <\/span>Here\u2019s what happens, on average, when people take the GMAT a second time<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Manhattan<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re at a 580 and hoping to break into the 600s, retaking the GMAT is a good choice. If you have a 710 and you want a 760, it\u2019s much less likely that retaking the GMAT will get you there.<\/p>\n

    Whether you score higher will also depend on <\/span>why<\/b> your first score was low. Improving your GMAT abilities takes time and hard work. Just retaking the test and hoping for a better score isn\u2019t usually enough. <\/span><\/p>\n

    However, there\u2019s one big exception. In some cases, you\u2019ll get a lower score than you \u201cdeserve\u201d on your first GMAT. <\/span>In other words, your official score won\u2019t reflect what you\u2019re actually capable of.<\/b> If this happens to you, retaking the GMAT\u2014and taking it \u201ccorrectly\u201d the second time\u2014can earn you a lot of points quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

    That isn\u2019t just speculation. Two facts from <\/span>this GMAC article<\/span><\/a> suggest that some test-takers don\u2019t get the score they\u2019re capable of, and that these test-takers benefit most when they retake the GMAT: <\/span><\/p>\n