Taken the GMAT once and feel disheartened with your GMAT score? Are you now contemplating to retake the GMAT again? Don’t worry!!! Read ahead to understand whether re-appearing for GMAT more than once is a good option for you.
According to worldwide Stats, 1 in 5 tests are taken by candidates who had already taken the exam before. So the option of more than once is not unusual.
At times taking the test more than once is the best decision. If you falter, then the only thing you need is to tweak your preparation plan and be more strategic – basically in terms of fixing up your answers to how and when you want to plunge again.
Yes, you may retake the GMAT exam but do remember.
According to GMAC rulebook on GMAT retake policy, you can’t take it more than five times in a 12-month period and not more than once every 16 days. Also, maximum number of tries allowed for GMAT- EIGHT TIMES TOTAL.
Will it be wise to consider a retake?
The biggest factor to consider is whether or not you can get a better score if you retake the test. It’s the obvious concern right? But let me tell you,it is not that simple. If you look at GMAC statistics it is clear that the higher your score, the harder it is to make big improvements in the next attempt. So plan judiciously!
How do you know if you should be scoring higher?
Well, one way is referring back to your mock test scores. If you have been scoring much higher on your mock tests than you did on the day of your actual test – it was just a Bad Day for you. It’s then definitely advisable taking the test again to improve your score. You can re-appear for it again in 16 days timeline.
But if your mock tests are not reflecting positive scores then you should seriously consider making basic changes to your studying approach. Re-strategize is what I would suggest. Just let not anxiety get the better of you and you’ll need to practice a whole lot more.
Some tested ways to prepare for a GMAT Retake:
1.Follow a fixed and strict study Plan-
It is important to keep up the momentum and get right back into it. The GMAT is often compared to a marathon and you don’t want to ‘lose fitness’, by taking a break now. Make sure you stick to a GMAT study schedule to keep you on track.
2. Address your weaknesses-
Did you know if you struggle with geometry or algebra? Further, did you know that you struggle more with compound interest questions than simple interest questions? Were you keeping track of your repeated errors and mistakes? Sentence Correction questions taking a toll? Did you tend to commit “silly” errors when you were almost done with a particular problem?
This time when you study, your goal should be to address your weaker areas. And you can only do this by keeping track of your mistakes, analyzing questions in detail. And most important maintaining an error log in your notebook.
3. Plan your Study approach well-
Keep noting down the answer to certain prevalent questions like
- Why did you miss the question?
- Why was your answer inaccurate?
- How to arrive to the correct answer?
- Methods to be adopted to avoid this the next time around?
With proper practice eventually your common errors and “silly” mistakes will substantially lessen down.
4. Being Calm and composed does the trick.
Stress and anxiety have a negative impact on your performance. Just the right amount of stress can make us more focused with less chance of making errors. So do-not exceed the threshold where stress is no longer beneficial and instead begins to impact the performance.
If you scored dramatically lower on the actual test than on the GMAT Prep mock exam, then stress may have played a major part in not reaching your target score.
Being mindful, meditative and a ZEN state helps.
Takeaways:
The journey is arduous and requires hard work for sure, but its not difficult for you have experience on your side and know what lies at the top of the hill.
As you traverse up the hill again which you have already trailblazed once, stay confident and positive because you have experience in your kitty. With experience comes confidence, followed by domination. Learning to manage your stress and the anxious feel will be easier this time as you are an experienced candidate. Just make practice tests the main part of your study regime and don’t forget to be friends with your log of your errors and mistakes. Trust me it helps!
Enjoy studying error-free!!!
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