Table of Contents

1. Everything You Need to Know About a GMAT Retake

1.1 GMAT Retake Lifetime Limit

1.2 The Enhanced Score Report

1.3 Canceling Past GMAT Scores

1.4 9 Lives Appeal

2. How Often Can I Retake the GMAT?

2.1 A School’s View on a GMAT Retake

“Failure is free education.” While as humans, we don’t like to fail, it happens. The GMAT is extremely competitive and it only makes sense that you want the highest score possible to impress your dream business schools. It is totally normal to retake the GMAT numerous times, but let’s unpack some limitations and why you can’t and shouldn’t take it every week!

As of January 2022, the number of GMAT retake attempts sit at 8 per person. Although you may cancel parts or all of the previous GMAT scores, the tests still count towards your lifetime number. If you had to cancel, reschedule, or no-showed at a preceding GMAT test appointment, it does not count in your total 8.

One cheat code in the GMAT process, would be to strongly analyze your strengths and weaknesses in GMAT sections by pulling an ESR. This report looks closely at how much time you allocated to single questions/sections, difficulty on those questions, and how well you carried yourself with question categories. If you’re not seeing an improvement after sitting for repetitive exams, the ESR is a must.

One important detail to take into account is your ability to cancel GMAT scores that you do not want schools to see. You are allowed to cancel one of the four sections, the total GMAT, or even request a rescore for the AWA portion. When schools receive an Official Score Report, none of your canceled areas will be shown, unless you reinstate them.

The business school applicant’s Hail Mary is the ninth GMAT retake attempt. Despite the fact that it is rarely approved, GMAT hopefuls are able to file an appeal with the GMAC to request a final retake. If this is not approved, students can sit for the GRE instead and see if their business schools accept their scores. 

In a 12-month period, applicants are permitted to test for GMAT success up to 5 times. If you wish to retake GMAT in one month, you must wait 16 days between exam dates. One workaround to this rule is taking one test offline, and one test online. Therefore, if you sit for the GMAT on December 1st, you could technically take the online exam the following day.

Most business schools do not care how many times you have taken the GMAT as opposed to how well you scored. Someone with fewer attempts and a high score will look more admirable than an applicant with more numerous attempts and a high score, but it does not exclude their chances as harshly as expected.