5 Changes in the GMAT exam that you need to be aware of!

GMAC has announced several changes in the GMAT Exam policies to enhance test taking experience. Don’t worry! We will summarize all the changes in the GMAT over the last year in this article to help you understand the changes and strategize better. Change 1 – Policy on Retaking the test Well, there’s some good news and there’s some bad news. Let us start with the good news. If you are not satisfied with your test scores, you can retake the test after a 16-day time period (versus the earlier 31-day retake period). This is particularly good if your college application deadlines are right around the corner. Note that you can only take 5 GMAT exams within a twelve-month period. Then, there’s the bad news. GMAC has introduced a lifetime limit of 8 GMAT exams per candidate. This number is still very high for almost all GMAT aspirants. Moreover, if you cannot get it right within 8 exams, you will probably never get it right. TIP – Plan your exams well. You don’t want to be that person who has wasted many attempts because she was either sick or ill prepared or because she did not carry her passport. Change 2 – Cancellation Policy Mostly good news here.

1. You can cancel your scores immediately (you are allowed to view your scores after the exam) at the test center if you are not satisfied with your performance. Cancelling your scores at the exam center is free.

Here is some more good news – The “C” that represents a candidate’s cancelled scores will not be shown on any future GMAT score reports. This feature will be applied retroactively to all previously cancelled test scores, which will be removed from all future score reports that are sent to schools. Your cancelled scores will not be sent to any colleges that you apply.

1. If you cannot make a decision about cancelling your scores at the test center, you have the flexibility to cancel the score within 72-hours of the test.

  But they say, all good things come at a cost. You have to shell out 25$ should you decide to cancel your test scores after you have left the test center.   Here is the bad thing – you only get 72 hours to decide whether you want your GMAT scores to be cancelled.  

1. You can reinstate your cancelled scores for a period up to 4 years and 11 months after the exam date.

After your GMAT score is reinstated, a score report will automatically be sent to the schools you selected on the day of your exam. Cancelled scores will not appear on any GMAT score report sent to schools You will have to cough up 50$ for reinstating your cancelled scores.   Here is a table for your quick reference – [table] [tbody] [tr] [td]Cancellation at the test Center[/td] [td]No charge[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Cancellation after 72 hours[/td] [td]$25[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Cancellation after 72 hours[/td] [td]Not possible[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Reinstate your cancelled score[/td] [td]$50; No extra charge for resending your scores to colleges[/td] [/tr] [/tbody] [/table]   Note that you will still see a “C” on your GMAT score card to ensure an accurate record of your GMAT test taking history. However, cancelled scores will not be displayed on the version of score reports sent to schools. Also, note that if you have taken the GMAT prior to Jul 19, 2015, you are out of luck. GMAC cannot remove the “C” designation in school databases from score reports sent to schools prior to July 19, 2015. TIP – Decide which schools you want to apply and what would be a considered a “safe score” to apply to those colleges before you appear for your test. Change 3 – Authentication code is now the same as your Date of Birth You can now access your official score report on the link provided to you by using your Date of Birth as authentication code. Change 4 – Exam pack 2 with two additional tests has been released So what are you waiting for? Book your slot at CrackVerbal’s Infantry Road Centre or Koramangala Centre to take one of the official GMATPrep tests. We provide all our students with free access to all the six official GMAT tests. TIP – If you are like me and love to solve challenging questions, you can customize your GMATPrep experience using this screen – Open GMATPrep Software >> Click on Practice >> Click on More Options Change 5 – AWA re-scoring service If you are not satisfied with the score you got on the AWA section, you can request for your essay to be reevaluated for 45 $. Note that the request for rescoring must be made within six months of your exam date. Also, you rescored results are final and you cannot submit more than one request for reevaluation of your AWA section. You should get your results typically within 20 days of submission. Be Careful! – Rescoring may result in an increase or decrease in your original AWA score. In the next blog, we will take a detailed look at an ESR report and the exciting changes GMAT has implemented. Adios!! I hope this article helped you in understanding – how to tackle the changes in the GMAT and shine through. If you loved the blog, please let us know in the comments!