Should You Retake Your GMAT?

The GMAT is certainly not like your average college exam. It’s rather challenging and requires sound and well-rounded knowledge in order to obtain a mark those colleges will consider looking at when accepting students. Considering how difficult it is, it’s not uncommon for students who have already taken the GMAT to consider taking it again, especially if the marks obtained don’t quite meet the standards that graduate schools are looking for.

On occasion you may hear of MBA applicants being accepted into an MBA program with a GMT score as low as 640 GMAT, but the truth is that the norm typically involves accepted students having much higher scores of 700 or more, particularly in the more competitive programs. What MBA hopefuls should be focusing on is aligning their scores within the 80{71195d179bd11ae4566371d1fa73c27ae7416757fca7a92f2f4aa3ab4cf9637b} range, which is where the majority of schools typically list their admitted class profile. Click here to learn more.

Many experts within the GMAT test prep industry agree that all students should plan on taking the test twice, even if they are striving for high marks. If the score you obtain after your first try is already at or over your goal, then you can always forego the second attempt. Don’t forget – the top schools across the country want to see scores that are within the 80th percentile for the quantitative section. So, if you score 100{71195d179bd11ae4566371d1fa73c27ae7416757fca7a92f2f4aa3ab4cf9637b} in verbal but low in quantitative, it would be wise for you to retake the exam.

Having said that, there is little reason to retake the GMAT exam if you score over 700. You have already been able to prove that you’re able to handle the quantitative part of the curriculum, so you should then turn your attention to making sure that all of the other components of your application are as strong as they can be.

Don’t forget that that this number is mainly for those who are aiming for a top MBA program. If your score is 680, carefully consider whether or not you want to retake the test, because you might be better off honing in on your essays instead. Students who are looking at programs within the top 20 to 50 should determine what the average scores of admitted students are in order to more accurately determine their target GMAT score.

Students who are vying to get into business school are often a little too hard on themselves when they make mistakes on their exams, but every mistake made presents a learning opportunity and the chance to improve. As such, don’t get too discouraged if the first score you get is not what you’d hoped. Instead, think of it as a chance to practice and then do better the next time around.

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