Many things that giving GMAT again may improve the score, however there is no actual basis for this claim unless you put in more effort and strategise the exam giving better results this time. If you are taking GMAT multiple times, then this blog is especially for you as this will give you an idea as to how to improve your GMAT score. As far as re-taking the exam is concerned GMAT retake limit is up to five times in a year.

There is a lifetime limit too on giving the GMAT exam which is 8 attempts. If you are considering an improvement in the GMAT score after reattempting the exam then mentioned below are a few key takeaways to consider.

Key Takeaways for GMAT Exam

• GMAT Retake Limits – 5 times in a year and 8 times in a lifetime
• Score Improvements – Retaking GMAT can lead to score improvement of 30 points, however it actually varies from person to person
• Business Schools Consideration – Multiple GMAT attempts won’t have a negative impact, because many business schools only consider your biggest score
• Test Strategy – Retake of the exam only makes sense if you have better strategy or GMAT preparation plan in place.
• Costing – Additional fee is applicable for every GMAT retake, thus retake cost should be balanced with GMAT score improvement

Why Students Prefer to retake the GMAT?

Every individual can have a different reason for taking the GMAT again. Mentioned below are few varied reasons about why students prefer to retake the GMAT:

Strengthening Scholarship Application

For those seeing merit-based scholarships need to stay at the top when it comes to GMAT scores. Several business schools, especially the ones that top the charts consider the GMAT scores while they are awarding the scholarships, thus in order to enhance the overall application strength, retaking the GMAT is one way. Retaking can actually improve your score and it can also increase your chances of scoring a scholarship.

Admission Trends

Some schools keep raising their benchmarks and keep increasing their average GMAT scores which is why students retake the GMAT exam in order to stay competitive.

Test-day Issues

Students taking GMAT may face a lot of challenges including lack of sleep, anxiety or other technical challenges. These can actually hamper your performance in the GMAT exam. Students who retake the GMAT are actually familiar with the testing environment which is why their chances of scoring better in the next attempt increases.

GMAT Retake Limitations

Since many students plan to retake the GMAT, however, they should be aware that retaking this exam comes with limits and restrictions. The rules to retake the GMAT are mentioned below:

• 16 day gap – Planning another GMAT attempt? If yes, then you will have to wait for at least 16 days before retaking the exam.
• Lifetime Limit – GMAT can be retaken, however every student is allowed a total of 8 attempts only in their lifetime. Once, the test is taken 8 times, then no retakes will ever be possible.
• Annual Limit – As far as the annual limit is concerned, students are allowed to retake GMAT for up to 5 times within a year. Once these 5 attempts are reached, the candidate will have to wait for the next 12 month cycle.

Keeping a track of the GMAT attempts is important especially if you are giving the exam multiple times.

Factors to Consider before Retaking the GMAT

Retaking the GMAT is to be considered wisely as with every retake you are actually decreasing your attempts and also you are paying for every retake separately. Before retaking the GMAT, there are few factors which you should consider:

Preparation Time – If planning for another attempt, make sure that you have ample time to prepare because lack of preparation means no score improvement.

Current Score Vs Target Score – It’s important to have a clear idea about your target score, so that you can compare your current and target score. Then you can plan accordingly for score improvement.

Application Deadlines – Retaking the GMAT should be aligned with the application deadlines so that you don’t miss out on submitting a competitive application with an improved score.

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Retaking GMAT

• Avoid Retaking GMAT too Soon

The idea of retaking the test is to improve your score, thus it is important to give yourself enough time to prepare for another attempt. A focussed preparation of 4 to 6 weeks is required.

• Ignoring weak areas

After the GMAT first attempt, identify the weak areas in which you performed poorly and try to focus on those areas to improve upon your score. Focus your preparation on sections which need improvement. 

• Ignore simulating test conditions

It is important to practice full length mock tests and make sure that you give the test under timed conditions which is just the same as the actual exam. Simulating the real test conditions helps you manage your real exam wisely.

Important GMAT Retake Study Plan

In order to improve your score some study plan pointers to keep in mind are:

• Targeted practice 

Focus on your weak areas and practice more questions for that section

• Diagnostic Test

Take a diagnostic GMAT test just to know your initial exam preparation level along with your strengths and weaknesses.

• Practice exams

Practice full-length GMAT exams in a timed environment and analyze your results to identify areas that need improvement.

• Study resources

High quality GMAT exam preparation materials are to be used including GMAT coaching from the best GMAT faculty in the industry.

These are some of the ways that can help you to improve your GMAT score after multiple attempts.