Limit on number of times to take the GMAT?

[MoniqueK]

Hi!

I've now taken the GMAT 3 times. The first time, with very little prep, I scored a 560. The second time, I scored a 640 and received the same score my third time. I know that this time around, with a more focused game plan, I can probably score higher.

Is it worth taking the test again? I've heard that the score matters even after school when applying to jobs. Is the 4th time too much even though my score is increasing or remaining stagnant (never declining).

Thanks!

[StaceyKoprince]

When did you take the first three? Most schools don't care if people take it up to three times. If you take it four or more times, though, the school might examine the issue further (usually not in a positive way).

If one or two of the first three were a long time ago (more than 2 or 3 years), then you can usually get away with a fourth test without having them discount anything. If you took those tests all within the past year, though, then you're going to have to think carefully about whether to put a 4th on your record right now.

You might also want to ask this in the admissions consulting thread, as they are more up on the recent trends / preferences of the schools.

[MoniqueK]

I took the first exam in early 2006.

[RonPurewal]

I know that this time around, with a more focused game plan, I can probably score higher.

interesting juxtaposition of know and probably; you may want to question whether you really do 'know' this, and, if so, to what degree.

as stacey said, taking the test a fourth time is rather imprudent in most cases, so you should make sure that you have ample justification if you decide to do so.
in other words:
if you know that you absolutely need a higher score to get into your target schools - in other words, your 640 is way below the averages for those schools, and you have few or no distinguishing aspects of your application (work experience / ethnicity / int'l experience / entrepreneurship / founding/leadership experience / etc) that will possibly compensate for the differential - then you should probably do the re-take. if your 4th score is still 640 or below, though, then, as stacey has implied, you will most likely be worse off.

this is definitely a scylla/charybdis type situation; good luck whichever way you finally decide.

[MoniqueK]

Thanks, Ron!

I know for a fact that I can score higher the next time. My target school is UCLA (undecided on whether the full-time or FEMBA program is best suited for me) and my dream school is Stanford. I do believe that my score of 640 is not strong enough to compensate for a low GPA for either school. In terms of my overall application, I graduated in three years from UCLA with a degree in Economics and have been working in the entertainment industry since then. I've worked for large media companies (e.g., ABC [Disney] and MTV [Viacom]) promoting from an assistant to my current position as a manager within the Business and Legal Affairs Dept. of the company. I volunteer for a non-profit and am in the process of establishing a company related to the organization.

[StaceyKoprince]

If the first one was a couple of years ago, that gives you a little leeway to take it once more. In particular, it sounded like you might have a little bit of a lower GPA for which to compensate? In that case, yes, you're probably going to need a higher score (so you'll probably need to try again). Good luck!