For most prospective MBA students, there is an instance when they have to consider their current GMAT results and decide whether their score is good enough to open the doors of their dream schools for them.
If not, then retaking the test becomes an option. Still, does having a second go at this exam actually help to boost your result? Or is there a possibility that retaking will only make everything worse?
If you want to improve your results significantly – by all means, retake the GMAT. However, GMAT scores are not above the law of diminishing returns, which means that retaking the test could only hurt your case.
Too Much of a Good Thing
According to Accepted.com, if you give GMAT preparation even more effort and time, there will be a point where all this effort will start having negative effect. Even if your score is getting better, multiple test retakings might make it more difficult for you to enroll in a business school.
How Much Is Too Much?
When is it time to stop trying to improve your results? How much is still okay, and how much means that the admission committee might want to reject your application?
If you take the test twice or even three times, it can only benefit you, as it shows your determination in obtaining a business education. Business schools tend to look favorably on such situations. Conversely, if you retake the GMAT more than six times, it only hurts.
However, recently the GMAC became much more flexible in allowing prospective students to cancel their GMAT results. In 2015, every test-taker gained the opportunity to cancel their score for free while at the test center, or for some fee if it is done within three days after taking the test. Canceled results may be reinstated as well. If you cancel your results in time, your school of choice will not see them at all. Still, the admissions committee can see the number of cancelations on your GMAT report. There is also a limit on taking the GMAT now – you can take it no more than eight times throughout your life (and no more than five tries during a year).
Actually, while multiple GMAT retakings show you’re a persistent and determined candidate, it also shows that you are giving too much effort to only one part of your application package. Without doubt, it can backup your case, but it is not everything – there is still your academic background, job experience, skills etc.
All in all, the best you can do is make your application balanced without putting all your eggs in one basket and trying to enhance the GMAT score, neglecting your essays and other application aspects. If your score is too low for your designated universities, you can always consider less prestigious higher education institutions.
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