SVP
Joined: 28 Sep 2009
Status:Graduated
Affiliations: HEC
Posts: 1505
Concentration: Economics, Finance
Re: Best Time to Take the GMAT
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17 Jun 2013, 06:55
First-round deadlines arrive quite early. While you still have time to submit your GMAT scores, there are a number of other components to the application process (essays, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.), all of which consume a considerable amount of time and energy. Please do not underestimate those other tasks, as you will feel the pressure to make school deadlines. Such stress can affect your GMAT performance.
In other words, you probably need to start making a list of target schools and general game plan sometime soon (to your credit, it seems that you are doing that). Waiting until after the test results are in does not leave you much time. Again, though, this commentary mostly applies to first-round applications. For later deadlines, you are still okay on time.
To directly answer your question, it depends on your performance on practice tests. But August or September are acceptable dates.