The GMAT exam offers you the opportunity to either accept or cancel your GMAT scores once you have completed the exam. It provides you with a raw score comprising your Quantitative Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning scores along with the total score right after you complete the exam. You will be provided with 2 minutes to make a decision on cancelling or accepting these unofficial scores. In the event that you fail to decide within the 2 minutes, your scores will be automatically cancelled. 

It is highly recommended that you have a basic idea of the score range you want to fall under before you attempt the exam so that you are able to make the decision of accepting or rejecting the GMAT scores once you complete the exam. To be able to make this decision, you should be aware of the cut-off scores prescribed by the universities you are applying to, so that you can accordingly take a call. In the event that you accept the GMAT score and then decide to cancel it later, you have a time limit of upto 72 hours to do so. The option to cancel appears on the account you have created on the GMAC website (mba.com) for registering for your exam. You will be charged a nominal fee if you want to cancel the test scores after you leave the test center.

Once you cancel your test scores, your scores will not be sent to the B-schools or universities that you have shortlisted, you won’t receive a printed copy of your raw scores at the test center where you have attempted the exam. And, you won’t have access to your official score report. So in short, the only one who would know about your cancelled scores will be you. Do remember there will be no refund of exam fees or a discount on any future fee payment that you make. 

Before you cancel your score, please note that although the scores you get to view right after the exam are termed as raw scores by GMAT, there won’t be any major changes in your official score report, which you will receive a few weeks later.

When Does One Cancel the GMAT Score?

Individuals generally tend to cancel their scores because they have failed to meet their cut off scores either in the Quantitative Reasoning section, Verbal Reasoning, or the overall score as well. These cut off scores are dependent on the universities which you might be applying to and the program you have opted for as well. Therefore, in the event that you are unable to reach the target score which you have set for yourself, then you can go ahead and cancel the scores. 

There could be a difference between the scores you used to obtain during your practice test sessions and your final GMAT exam. It is important to recall that the mock exams will help you to self evaluate your performance and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. It will, however, aid you to only get an estimate of the score range which you may fall under, and not the exact scores you will get in the final GMAT exam.

Another factor which you must keep in mind while keeping or canceling your scores is to understand the score range which the universities you are applying to actually desire. You may have three categories of schools on your list – Safe, Normal and Reach. The scores which would be required for each of these schools will differ as well. While a particular score may guarantee an admission in your list of schools under the safe group, that may not be the case for the schools in the normal group. Likewise, the scores which are required for the schools in the reach category will be higher than that of both the other two groups. Therefore, it is essential for you to make a decision based on which of the schools you are certain you might gain acceptance into with the score you have obtained. Ensure that you have a minimum acceptable score range, so that on the date of your exam you will be able to make a decision quickly.

Can I Reinstate My Score If I Do Cancel It?

GMAC also provides the option to reinstate your cancelled GMAT score if you have changed your mind about the same. You have a time period of 4 years and 11 months to reinstate your scores. Although you will be charged a small fee for the same, it is certainly beneficial to make use of this privilege i.e. reinstating scores in certain scenarios as listed below.

1. In the event that you are unable to re-attempt the exam within the time period to apply to your desired B-schools.
2. If your second attempt at the GMAT exam gives you a lower score than your first attempt.

You will be able to exercise this option only till your scores are valid (5 years).

In the event that you have cancelled your score, you need to plan your next strategies so that you can move forward accordingly. You will have to first understand where you have gone wrong in the exam and understand the key takeaways. This step is important as it will help prevent the same errors in your future attempts at the exam. Once you have a clear grasp of your strengths and weaknesses, you will accordingly be able to work on the same so that you can avoid making those mistakes a second time. Self-analysis helps you to perform better since you will be aware of exactly why you were unable to achieve your desired score.

Prepare well for the exam, and good luck!