GMAC has introduced 3 significant changes to the GMAT score cancellation and reinstatement policies in March 2016. We are entering that time of the year when most of you will be taking your GMAT and I thought it fit to update you about these changes in case you are not aware of the same.
Change 1: You can cancel a GMAT score that you accepted within 72 hours
The Background
After you complete the GMAT test, you will get to preview your scores of that test. You will be asked to either accept the score or cancel it. You have 120 seconds to decide whether to accept or cancel the score of that test.
What it was
If you accepted your score, the score was sent to the schools that you selected when you started the test. It will be available on GMAC’s records for 5 years from the test date and will be reported to any school that you wish to send your scores to during this period. If you accepted your score after the preview, you had no recourse at a later date to cancel your score, should you decide otherwise.
What it is
In the new policy, you have a 72-hour window from the time you complete the test to cancel your accepted score. However, you have to pay a fee of USD 25 online on the mba.com portal for using this service.
Note: You will not be charged anything if you cancel the score at the test center after previewing your score. The fee applies only if you decide to cancel after you accepted the score in the test center.
Definitely a welcome change. It gives an opportunity to present a clean slate to schools if you are not happy with your GMAT performance.
Change 2: Reinstate cancelled score window extended to 4 years 11 months
What it was
If you decided to reinstate a cancelled score, you should have done it within 60 days from the date of your exam. You were charged a fee of USD 100 and the process was done online on the mba.com portal.
What it is
The time window has now been extended to 4 years 11 months from the date of your test. You can reinstate a cancelled score if you took the test after January 1, 2014. The fee to get a cancelled score reinstated has been reduced to USD 50.
One of the best things to have been introduced by GMAC as far as making the test friendly to the taker. You get to reinstate a cancelled score practically anytime during the validity of the score.
Change 3: The “C” that represented a cancelled score will be removed retroactively
What it was
A “C” to represent that a GMAT score was cancelled was reported to schools if a test taker cancelled his/her score. Though schools will not know how much you scored, they were privy to the information that you cancelled a score. GMAC removed the “C” for any test taken after July 19, 2015. This was welcomed by many test takers as no one but you will know that you took a test and cancelled the scores.
What it is
The “C” will be removed retroactively even for tests taken before July 19, 2015 for which you cancelled the scores.
An example scenario
You take the test and score a 680. You accept the score at the test center. However, you are not too happy with what you scored and would like to take another shot at the test. You cancel the score within 72 hours of completing the test by paying a fee of USD 25. Your second attempt GMAT does not materialize – you get busy with life. Two years later you decide to apply to schools where your chances of admit with a 680 are bright. You can reinstate the cancelled score by paying a fee of USD 50. The schools that you selected at the time of taking the test will automatically receive your score report. You can request additional score reports to be sent to schools that were not in your original list for a fee of USD 28 per school.
The bottom line
If your GMAT score matches or exceeds your expectation, accept the score and apply based on that score.
Conversely, if you have even the slightest doubt about whether the score is good enough, cancel the score. Should you ever change your mind, you have the option to reinstate for a fee of USD 50. It is a small price to pay for buying time to decide.
Hello Baskar,
I took a GMAT in early 2015( Feb),a nd the score was below expectations ( reasons for that – I cold have cancelled the gmat test but still went ahead and took t.
Never the less, I would like to know, if I can cancel that test score now?
I did not take a GMAT after that – and may take one in future
All these new formalities came after that.
Kindly let me know.
Thanks in advance
Hello
The window to cancel an accepted score is 72 hours from the time you finished the test. You will NOT be able cancel the 2015 score now.However, the window the reinstate a cancelled score is much longer – 4 years 11 months from the time you finished the test.