Will Retaking the GMAT Improve My Score?

Probably not by much, if we take an honest look at the data. GMAC’s own research found that most repeat test-takers gain very little on each retake, and the higher you already score, the less you’re likely to improve. 

But those averages describe average effort. The test-takers who post big gains are usually those who work harder (and smarter) than average, which is exactly what this article on How to Study for the GMAT is designed to help you do. Let’s get into the data.

If you’re like many people who stumble into our little corner of the internet, the GMAT might have punched you in the gut once or twice already, and you’re probably preparing to retake the test. Odds are good that you’re looking for a significant GMAT score improvement of 50 points, 100 points, or more.

But just how likely are you to improve your score significantly? According to the researchers at the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the organization that creates and administers the GMAT, most GMAT repeat test-takers don’t improve by much at all, unfortunately.

Large GMAT Score Improvements Are Rare

If you’re already scoring in the 600s on the current GMAT, the researchers at GMAC have a message for you: you’ll probably fail in your quest to improve your score. 

In a brief article published in 2011 and an accompanying GMAT blog post (which has since vanished from the internet), the GMAT’s then-chief psychometrician, Lawrence Rudner, tallied up some numbers on repeat GMAT test-takers.

That study used the old 200-800 scale, and the exam itself has changed since then. Rather than translating decade-old figures point for point, here are the principles that still hold true today:

• A significant number of repeat test-takers actually receive a lower score on their second attempt. 
• The average gain on a second attempt is roughly 30 points, and most of those gains are earned by test-takers who scored below 600 on the current GMAT. 
• Test-takers who score above 650 improve very little on average. 
• Gains shrink even further on third and fourth attempts. Statistically, those attempts are rarely better than the second. 

So basically, the people who produce the GMAT are saying that you probably won’t achieve a meaningful score improvement, especially if you’re already scoring 600 or higher on the current exam. 

Why Most Repeat Test-Takers Don’t Improve Their GMAT Score

In a way, GMAC’s data makes sense: the GMAT isn’t a content-based test, and the reasoning skills required for success can be difficult and time-consuming to develop. To make things worse, the test’s creators specifically engineer the GMAT to maximize its “reliability,” meaning that test-takers should be expected to perform similarly on repeated attempts.

So it’s definitely tough to achieve significant GMAT score improvements, but we can introduce you to hundreds of successful test-takers who have enjoyed huge gains on the GMAT. Nearly all of them worked their butts off for the privilege, and that’s exactly why large score improvements are so rare: according to GMAC’s own data, most test-takers spend only dozens of hours preparing for the GMAT, and only a fraction of that study time is spent by repeat test-takers.

In other words, if you’re an “average” test-taker, the odds of improving your GMAT score aren’t great. But the best way to beat the odds is to outwork the average test-taker.

Still, GMAC’s statistics suggest that a large percentage of repeat test-takers are wasting their time, and the data tells you that you’re likely to fail. Now please go out and prove them wrong.