-
Target Test Prep 20% Off Flash Sale is on! Code: FLASH20
Redeem
Why You Should Plan to Take the GMAT Twice
Over the past five or so years, I have seen more and more students take the GMAT twice. Now that students can cancel a score and never have it appear on record, Ive come to the recommendation that everyone should plan to take the GMAT twice. Read on to find out why!
Taking the GMAT is seriously stressful
Most people become at least a little nervous when taking any standardized test. A computer adaptive test is even more stressful because, no matter how much you study, the test just keeps getting harder as you learn more.
Ive had many students take the test twice, and every single one has told me that they felt more comfortable the second time. They knew what to expect at the testing center, the security procedures didnt stress them out, and they were even better able to handle the small distractions of the testing roomanother student typing, a proctor entering the room, and so on.
For those who know that they get extra nervous when taking standardized tests, having a dry run first test is a great way to help keep a handle on your nerves when you take the test for real, the second time.
Theres no downside: MBA programs use your highest score
Most people have heard that business schools use your highest score, but manypeople dont trust that the schools really dont care about lower scores on yourrecord. In fact, some schools dont even look at your full set of scores until theyve decided what to do with your application (and this used to be true for all schools). Let me take you through that process. (Note: this applies to MBA programs. If you are going for a Ph.D., theprocess may be different and the doctoral program may care about all of yourscores.)
Lets use an example to illustrate whats going on. Last year, Stanfords GraduateSchool of Business* received approximately 8,000 applications spread over 3 roundsof admission. The school admitted just over 400 people, or about 5% of applicants(yikes!).
Now, picture the offices of the admissions people. They have mounds of informationto get through: essays, recommendations, resumes. They know theyll admit onlyabout 5% of the people whove applied. Do you think theyre going to check theofficial GMAT score reports of all 8,000 people?
No way! Instead, they evaluate the applications assuming that you told them thetruth when you reported a certain GMAT score. Once theyve generally decided whothey want to admit (or put on the wait list), then theyll verify the scores just forthose students.
In the past few years, some schools have built in the ability to link your account to your test results after you enter certain pieces of identifying info into your application. If so, then youll see your verified test date(s) pop up in your official application at this point. (*Note: I dont know how Stanford does things; I chose them for the example above because they have an exceptionally low yield, so they make for an especially good example.)
If they dont have access to your full score set at the beginning, then theyve already decided your fate by the time they look up your scores. If they want you, theyrenot suddenly going to reject you because you had another GMAT score that waslower. After all, you did earn that higher GMAT score on which they based theirdecision! (Assuming you did. This should be obvious but here goes: dont lie aboutyour GMAT score on your application.) And even if they do have access to your full score set at the beginning, theyre used to making this decision based on your highest score. Thats how theyve always done it. If you can get that top score once, then you are capable of getting that score period, and thats what they care about.
Theres no downside, part 2: you can cancel your scores
Any canceled test administrations dont show up on your record at all. The schools literally wont even know that you took the test that day.
So if you go in and really dislike your score, just select the button to cancel at the end. Then you dont need to worry about whether some b-school might penalize you for a lower score even if you later earn a higher score. (Though, again, you really dont need to worry about this!)
Know before you go in what kind of score youd want to keep vs. cancel. In the 4 months since this new cancelation policy started, Ive talked to two students whove canceled when the screen flashed a 690 and they wanted a 700+. Seriously! They were only 10 points off and they canceled their scores!! Dont fall prey to a knee-jerk reaction just because the score you wanted isnt on the screen. (You can reinstate your scores within 2 months of a cancelationif you pay a $100 fee.)
I generally tell my students that if they score more than 100 points below their (reasonable) goal, then they should feel free to click the cancel button if it makes them feel more comfortable.
Note my reasonable caveat. If you want a 730, and your practice tests topped out at 580, and then you score a 620 on the real test, please do not cancel that score. You just had your best test ever and you want to keep that score, just in case.
But the GMAT costs $250 thats a downside!
I agree that $250 is a lot of money. If you think about how much money you spent the last time you went to dinner, then $250 is definitely expensive.
But put this figure into perspective. If youre going for a full-time program at a private school, youre looking at a $200,000 price tag! If you attend a public school via a part-time, evening-and-week-end program, business school is still going to cost you tens of thousands of dollars. The cost of one GMAT, $250, is far less than 1% of the cost of b-school. Dont try to save $250 now when a proper investment might get you into a higher-caliber program down the line.
So build two tests into your study timeline. If you end up loving your first score, then you can take that second $250 and go out for a really, really nice dinner. :)
[Edited] Note: this article was edited after first publication. Initially, I said that many / most schools don't check scores until after making the decision. It then came to my attention that more schools had added the functionality described in the article than I had thought, so I edited the article to say that some schools don't check until after and some schools attach the data to the application from the start.
Recent Articles
Archive
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009