How Long Do You Have to Wait Between GMAT Exams?
In order to answer that question, we must first analyze how much the test changes when one is administering it and when one is sitting for it. First, if you take the GMAT test before you have prepared for it, then you are not giving yourself the best chance of success. Waiting a week or more before taking your GMAT test means that you are giving your brain and self-preparation ample time to get used to the specific format, study questions, and testing format. This in turn will mean that you do not have as many “surprises” on day one that could throw your entire study plan off, forcing you to rush through sections you are less prepared for, and forcing you to take more tests than you need, resulting in wasted time and money.
But if you wait until after you have studied and taken the exam, then you are giving yourself a little bit of time. This allows you to review what areas you need more focus on, review the types of questions you are less likely to excel in, and make any necessary adjustments. This also gives you a little bit of time to mull over which types of books you may want to buy, or which resources you may want to use for the GMAT test. You have the added advantage of being able to go back over your answers and make sure they match up with the correct answers, making it easier to figure out where you went wrong and how to improve your performance on the exam.
Some people choose to take their GMAT test as early as possible, but this is not always a good idea. Some exams are given out about six months prior to when you will be taking the GMAT. Taking these tests before they are scheduled can result in very low scores, since it can take some months for your brain to catch up to the format of the exam. Also, the longer you wait, the less likely it is that your memory will be able to catch up to the new format of the exam. So, if you are in the process of taking your exam and you have found out it is going to be a few months before you can even start it, consider canceling your test and taking it the next year, when your schedule is more open.
Those who are in the habit of taking their test as close to the time when they plan to take it as possible should seriously consider canceling their test. By doing this, you will notice a significant decrease in how long you will need to wait between tests. Instead of waiting four months for a test, you could instead find that you only have to wait two weeks or less. This is often enough to give you the edge needed to score highly on the test.
The last reason to consider canceling your test is that doing so will also help you keep track of your GMAT study schedule. It is easy to become distracted by other things during a test taking process and fail to study effectively for the GMAT exams. It is also easy to become confused by a test’s format, questions, and practice questions. By keeping track of how long you have to wait between each section of a test, you will know exactly how much time you have to focus on each section and exactly how much studying you have to do to prepare for the exam.
When considering how long do you have to wait between GMAT exams, it is important to be aware that it can actually vary greatly depending on which school you take your test through. In some schools, taking the exam is done over the summer, while other schools take it over a full academic year. In many cases, the school will allow students to take the exam once they have met the requirements, but they may still be required to wait a certain amount of time before taking the exam. This is why it is critical to contact the admissions office at each school that you are interested in attending and find out exactly how long you have to wait. Doing this ahead of time will ensure that you do not end up with a test date that conflicts with another school’s exam date, or worse, with a test date that conflicts with a baseball tournament.
How long you have to wait between GMAT exams will ultimately be up to you. You should never let the exam to determine the path you wish to take, and you should always prepare accordingly. After all, GMAT exams are not the only factor that should be taken into consideration when deciding where you want to go to college. You should also make sure that you have all of the necessary materials that you need when taking the exam, so that you do not waste any time while you are waiting for the GMAT results to drop.