MBA admissions officers often say reassuringly that the GMAT score is only one of many criteria they use. Yet it’s also true that if your GMAT score falls below a business school’s normal range – we do mean the range, not the average – chances are you will not be a strong contender. So, what if you take the GMAT and wish that you had done better? Should you retake the GMAT?
The answer is simple: It all depends on you. Okay, maybe that’s not so simple. The following recommendations should help you with your decision.
Look at your dream business school’s GMAT score range.
You should be very familiar with the student profiles of the MBA programs you are targeting. Visit school websites, or find GMAT scores on www.mba.com, under the “Find a School” program profiles.
http://www.mba.com/schools-and-programs/find-a-school.aspx
However, don’t fixate entirely your GMAT score. Just as the admissions officer would, consider yourself as a whole package. If your GMAT score falls in the lower 20% percentile of your target business school’s range, but you have other outstanding qualifications, including a great GPA, you may wish to focus on assembling a stellar application rather than concentrating on GMAT preparation again. But be honest with yourself. When considering your qualifications, you may wish to get an independent second opinion (and by “independent,” I don’t mean your mother).
If your GMAT score falls below your desired business school’s lowest GMAT score, I suggest that you re-assess your GMAT preparation and your target. For example, if your target business school is known to be quantitatively challenging, and you believe that you can raise your GMAT math score, you know where to focus your GMAT prep efforts. If you are afraid of math, but feel comfortable with GMAT verbal, then start looking at other business schools that might make a better fit for you.
Evaluate your performance on GMAT test day.
You may wish to forget forever the agonizing day that you first took the GMAT. Don’t. Instead, review what happened.
You may have been nervous, lost track of time, or regressed to bad test-taking habits. If you did not finish the GMAT, statistics from Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC, the company that offers the GMAT) suggest that you will probably finish the second time. In that case, simply practice, practice, practice, and try again.
But again, be honest with yourself. If you were struggling with a section of the GMAT, or certain types of GMAT questions, then most likely you need more focused GMAT preparation.
In that case, you should not retake the GMAT immediately. You will need a corrective plan of action, and you will need fundamentally better GMAT preparation, typically taking more than a month. For example, if you obtained a scaled score of 28 on GMAT verbal (48th percentile), scoring a 40 (89th percentile) will take several months of sustained effort.
Decide whether you could improve with more GMAT preparation and practice.
Often students do not give themselves adequate time to prepare for their first run at the GMAT. My recommendation is to schedule at least six weeks for GMAT preparation. GMAC reports that GMAT test-takers who scored between 650 and 690 spent on average 120 hours preparing for the GMAT.
So ask yourself whether you spent enough time practicing for the GMAT. If you prepared for the GMAT on your own, you’ve probably been reading through GMAT books and sorting through GMAT materials. You may have spent more time figuring out your GMAT preparation needs than actually practicing.
If you took a GMAT course, you probably spent more focused preparation time. However, additional GMAT practice on your own is vital. Practice not only helps you reinforce your knowledge, it also improves how quickly and confidently you answer the GMAT questions. For example, at my company, Austin GMAT Review, the basic course offers 47 hours of instruction, yet we also know it is your at-home GMAT practice tests that help us diagnose your areas of weakness and refine your GMAT preparation strategy.
Decide whether you could improve with better GMAT preparation.
In general, if you are retaking the GMAT, you should aim for at least a 40-point GMAT score increase. Why 40 points? GMAC advises that GMAT scores within 40 points of each other are functionally equivalent.
GMAC statistics show that repeat GMAT test-takers gained only 30 points on average. However, the students who came to Austin GMAT Review after self-study or taking another GMAT prep course more typically saw an increase of three times that figure when they retook the test, an improvement that is well outside the range of random fluctuation. Am I boasting? Well, yes, of course. However, my point is this: If you use your old GMAT preparation strategy and methods to retake the GMAT, you will most likely end up with exactly the same GMAT score, or something close to it. A significant score increase will take an equivalent effort on your part, and probably a change in strategy.
In short, if you didn’t do as well on the GMAT as you might have, don’t do more of the same.
Take a deep breath, regroup, and decide your next step. You were probably discouraged when you found yourself struggling with GMAT questions after you had thought you done your homework. The good news is that you can probably improve your GMAT score. You may need more coaching in certain areas and a better test-taking strategy, but performing better on the GMAT often just requires better GMAT preparation.
Do not rush to retake the GMAT without reflection.
You can retake the test after a mandatory month’s wait, but I recommend that you do not do so without systematically evaluating (1) what needs to change in your concept mastery and strategy, and (2) whether a month is enough to make the requisite changes. Evidence suggests that test-takers often overestimate what they can change in a month. Remember, your GMAT score could go down, especially if you do not alter your GMAT preparation strategy. So, be realistic and consider, for instance, moving your MBA application to Round 2 from Round 1 if that’s what will give you adequate time to achieve a significant improvement in your GMAT score.
Most MBA admissions committees do not view retaking the GMAT as a negative … if you retake the test only once or twice. In fact, if you do improve your score, you have demonstrated that you have motivation and the capacity to learn and do better. But if you retake the GMAT several times with no score improvement, you have only confirmed the score (and perhaps created the impression that you are out of touch with reality). I cannot emphasize enough: Do not take the official GMAT test as a practice test!
It is also a good idea to confirm how the admissions committee weighs multiple GMAT scores. Most schools only look at your highest total GMAT score, but others may look at the most recent score, an average of test scores, or score performance in one test category.
Don’t panic.
One of my more motivated students got a GMAT score of 740. Yet she wondered whether she should retake the test and try to do better. With that GMAT score, my answer was, “No, go work on your essays.”
A student of mine from overseas lost his nerve on test day and received an average score on GMAT verbal, although he did exceptionally well on GMAT math. He concentrated on perfecting his application, and after being wait-listed at a Top Ten school noted for its emphasis on quantitative skills, he got in.
Don’t give up.
One executive had taken the GMAT three times before coming to Austin GMAT Review. Each time, he came up short of his target MBA program’s requirements. But like any good business person with an important goal, he did not let a few obstacles stand in his way. With targeted tutoring, he overcame his areas of weakness and raised his GMAT score by 50 points to 710.
Time and time again, students have come to my prep company with less-than-stellar GMAT scores on their previous attempts, and we have helped them do significantly better. With focus and the right methods, it can be done.