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I have a sticky situation regarding the GMAT and I would appreciate any feedback or advice on what to do!

I took the GMAT twice last November and December and scored a 660 both times. I was planning on being done and sticking with that score but something inside me told me I could do better. I took a few months off and then I started studying again in April. By late June I was doing well on my practice tests and was right where I wanted to be (710-720), so I signed up for the test on August 1st.

The day of the test came and I was pumped and ready to get my 700+. I finished up the essay section of the test and went out to take my 8 minute break. During that time a testing irregularity occured and they told us we would be unable to finish our exams. I was beyond devastated.

They have now told me that I can retake the exam whenever I want to. When I log onto my account on MBA.com my test history shows my two test dates from November and December and it states "scores available" and then it shows my August 1st test date and it says "scores not reportable". My question is this - does my third attempt show up when AdCom's look at my GMAT history? I know that if your scores get cancelled then it shows up as a cancellation, but I did not cancel my scores (I didn't even get to take the test besides the essays!). I am afraid that this third "attempt" will show up on my history which would mean that I will have four tries on my record once I take the test again.

I know I can get a better score than a 660 when I take it again, and I have worked so hard to get where I'm at to let it all go to waste because of technical difficulties but I don't want a fourth try to look like a black mark on my application.

I am applying to UCLA, USC, UC Davis, and UW. I am a caucasian 24 year old female with two years of work experience as a financial analyst at a PR firm in NYC. I graduated in Finance with a 3.9 GPA from a decent state school. I have many extracurriculars and leadership volunteer experience.

Do you have any suggestions on whether to retake the test, or how my third try will show up when AdComs look at my history? Does this weigh on their decision in any way?

Thank you for your time,
CJ

Hi -

What a frustrating experience!

Regarding your third attempt, I would contact GMAT customer service to confirm how this will be reported. You can always make use of the optional essay to explain what happened and it should not affect your application.

In terms of taking the test again, given the mishap, sitting for the test again will not hurt you. The average GMAT score for USC and UCLA is ~700+, while for some of the other schools you mentioned, it may be a bit lower. Given that you did all the prep and were scoring in the 700+ range, it seems that you should sit for it again and get the score you were looking for!

I hope this helps.
Regards,
Erin