Should I Re-Take the GMAT?

Question: Should I Re-Take the GMAT?

Answer: It's very easy to re-take the GMAT, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you should. The following guidelines will help you decide whether you should re-take the GMAT, based on why you want to re-take and why you didn't perform as well as desired the first time.

• Your GMAT score is below average at the schools you're interested in.
  A lower than average GMAT score doesn't necessarily mean that you need to re-take. Remember, half of all admitted students must have scored below average on the GMAT. The best way to find out whether your application would benefit from a higher GMAT score is to call the admissions offices and ask their advice. You may find that they're satisfied with your GMAT score, or that your GPA offsets the lower than average GMAT performance. There's no harm in asking, and it may save you the valuable time required to re-prepare and re-test.

• A business school informed you that you need a higher GMAT score to be a competitive applicant.
  In this case, you should definitely re-take the GMAT. Applications committees are usually quite clear and open about what they're looking for, so follow their advice.

• You were sick, very nervous, or otherwise incapacitated on test day.
  This is one of the best reasons to re-take the GMAT. If you were well prepared, but physical or mental stresses prevented you from performing as well as you could have, chances are that re-taking will give you a significant score boost. Stay prepared by taking practice GMAT questions, and take full practice tests under timed conditions to prepare yourself for the stress of test day.

• You just want a higher score.
  Re-taking does not guarantee you a higher GMAT score - in fact, research has shown that you're not likely to increase your score significantly by re-taking, and you may even decrease it. So do you actually need a higher score? Contact the admissions offices of the schools you're applying to, and ask them whether a higher score would increase your chances of acceptance or scholarships. They may be perfectly satisfied with your current score. Also, can you actually earn a higher GMAT score? You'll need enough time for significant preparation. To ensure an increased score, you'll have to engage in targeted GMAT preparation to determine what sections and question types were difficult for you, then learn to master them.

  Here are a few final factors to consider before re-taking the GMAT:
  

  1. What will my school do with multiple GMAT Scores?
     Ask the admissions offices about this. Some schools average all of the GMAT scores, which would reduce the positive impact of a good score. You'd have to score a lot better on the re-test to make a significant difference. But if your schools only consider your best score, re-taking may benefit you more.
  2. Will my scores arrive in time for application deadlines?
     Make sure that your scores will reach schools early enough to be considered - generally you need to take the GMAT 4 or more weeks before the deadline to ensure receipt.
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