[re-applicant] Should I retake the GMAT or switch to the GRE

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Dear Community,

First of all, thank you for providing great tips, it's always nice to go through your posts when looking for answers!

I am looking for advice from experts on my particular case re GMAT retake. I applied to two business schools last year and didn't get in, so am considering improving my profile. One of the steps to do so is to get from 680 to +730. I have a very long history with the GMAT (see below), so I am trying to answer three questions:

- On my current GMAT report, 4 scores are shown (the ones in red below), and I wonder whether I will get penalised even if get a higher score on the next test? My assumption is that if I do get a +700, they (admissions committee) will see this more as an exception rather the norm given the history

- Would it be worthwhile to consider the GRE?

- Given the resources I've already used (see below), what is my best route to success? (e.g. another tutor / another programme) I have 3 months to prep for the exam (leaving 2 months for the actual application writing etc.)

My background

French management consultant working in London with a MiM from top European business school

Actual and practice history

11/2013 - official test 1 - 600 Q40 V32
02/2014 - official test 2 - 530 Q31 V31
08/2014 - official test 3 - 660 Q43 V38

12/05/2018 - Veritas prep 1 - 580 Q36 V34
09/10/2018 - GMAT official mock test 1 - 540 Q30 V35
18/10/2018 - Veritas prep 2 - 630 Q44 V33
24/10/2018 - Veritas prep 3 - 640 Q41 V37
26/10/2018 - Veritas prep 4 - 590 Q39 V33
29/10/2018 - Veritas prep 5 - 660 Q46 V35
01/11/2018 - Veritas prep 6 - 680 Q46 V38
04/11/2018 - Veritas prep 7 - 680 Q46 V38
05/11/2018 - GMAT official mock test 2 - 670 Q44 V39
08/11/2018 - GMAT official mock test 3 - 680 Q42 V40
10/11/2018 - GMAT official mock test 4 - 720 Q47 V42
05/11/2018 - GMAT official mock test 5 - 660 Q43 V38
15/11/2018 - official test 4 - 680 Q47 V36
05/11/2018 - GMAT official mock test 6 (retake of mock test 3) - 760 Q49 V46
21/12/2018 - official test 5 - 620 (cancelled)
09/01/2019 - official test 6 - 680 Q42 V40


My materials

Used in 2018:
- Veritas prep book
- Veritas tutor in Europe (20 hours) - quite good
- Quant tutor (10 hours) - not great though
- Official books

Used in 2014:
- ECONOMIST
- GMATPILL
- DABRAL

Commentary

When reflecting on what went wrong with previous exams:
- On the personal side: unstable life with a lot of travelling involved
- On the prep side: not enough focus on understanding what really was being asked and being methodical
- On the test side: stress (especially for quant section) leading to lack of confidence etc. AND not enough timing strat prep

Thank you!

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by [email protected] » Sun Mar 31, 2019 9:34 am
Hi deralexandre,

First off, a 680/Q47 is a strong score, so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. You're ultimately asking a series of Admissions questions though, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and application plans. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/ask-an-mba- ... t-f40.html

The more information that you can provide to those Experts (about your Profile) and the specific Schools you want to apply to, the more likely those Experts will be to offer the pointed advice that you're looking for.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
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