I Lied, I didn't get a 799... GMAT Question

I am considering studying for the GMAT over winter break and then potentially taking it when I get back to school. Is 3-4 weeks a reasonable amount of time to devote to the test?

Let's say I take the test and do poorly then take it again and do really well. How is this perceived by B-Schools? Do they average the two scores? Weight them somehow? Just take the highest one? How many times can one take it?

3 Comments
 

Schools usually take the highest score.

Some schools, such as Dartmouth, only take your highest math and highest verbal score in to consideration. So if you get a Q51, V34 on one test and a Q45, V47 on another, Dartmouth will say that your score is Q51, V47.

You can take the test as many times as you want and schools will see your last three exams.

Hope this helps.

 
Best Response

Study for a week or so and then take a diagnostic test. I recommend registering on the mba.com website (you will have to register anyway to take the GMAT), there you will be able to download two practice GMAT exams. They have the exact same structure as you will see on the real exam and use real questions from previous exams. Don't even bother taking any other diagnostic tests such as Kaplan.

If you score in the 700s then no matter how much you study you will not improve your score too much anyway (i studied for two months about an hour or two a day and improved my score by only 10 points). On the other hand, the lower your score is the more room for improvement. If you score in the 500s then I don't think 3-4 weeks will be enough time to prepare.

Good luck!

 

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