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11 Feb 2024, 07:10
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Hi everyone! Normally I don't speak out on these types of issues and will just remain silent but I feel like I should raise my voice to question the trustworthiness of GMAT and how it treats test-takers. I say this from the point of view of someone who has already moved on from the daunting situations that GMAT placed me in and wants to highlight the lack of professionalism of the GMAT folks.
I started studying for the GMAT test to apply for Master's programs in October 2023 and entered a period of intensive studying from November to December. Then, I took the first test with a total score of 610 (V36, Q37) because I messed up the Verbal section with bad time management at the end and guessed 7 remaining questions on the test. This Verbal score is considered low for me because I have always been naturally better at Verbal and have always scored above 42 in practice tests. A little bit about my background: although I am not a native English speaker, I have a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the U.S. and have always excelled at reading and worked as a writing tutor in college.
The official score came after 3-5 business days. After receiving this score, I saw great opportunities to improve and studied very hard for the Quant section (my weak area), and also tried my best to manage my time better in practice tests. To this point, everything was still normal.
The second time I took the test was on January 13 (online version). Before the test began, there was an allotted time of 15 minutes for me to check in with the proctor. We went through all of GMAT's regulations and I showed my room to her multiple times. At first, there were problems in launching the test-taking app due to my Antivirus blocker. I uninstalled the application right in front of her and after that nothing weird happened - all went smoothly while I was taking the test, with no disruption or question from the proctor aside from the two times she told me to adjust the camera angles so that she could see me better. I felt like I aced the Verbal section and did okay on Quant, and scored a total score of 710 (V46, Q41). I was super happy about this score and believe that it was enough for me to apply to my top choices for Master's programs in Europe.
Then devastating news arrived: my online scores got canceled due to what the GMAT folks call a "Testing Issue." I was frustrated and even cried a little bit on my way home because this last-minute delay deeply impacted my application timeline.
I was fortunate enough that the schools I was applying to were considerate and I sent them the 610 score. For your information, it took 3 weeks from the point when my test underwent an "administrative review" until it got canceled. I appealed to the GMAT Team and showed them both the proof of my studying process and clear descriptions of what happened during the test day. They did not accept my very detailed appeal (I have been careful in writing the appeal after reading the experiences of all the people who got their test results canceled on GMAT Club), and my GMAT teacher, someone who has been teaching GMAT for over 10 years, said that they canceled my score based on nothing at all. There was no proof, no evidence of any wrongdoing - even the initial technical issue was resolved. He said that they canceled my score because it was strange to see such a significant increase in the score from 610 to 710 in just a matter of weeks. Moreover, as the folks at GMAT gave me a voucher to take my offline test for free, he said that they wouldn't do it if the whole situation was my mistake.
I tried my best to be resilient and bounce back after all the crying and the stress. The GMAT team confirmed that the decision to cancel my score is final and binding on Jan 28. Despite the struggles, I tried to use the voucher to schedule a test in my home country. But as you all know, now GMAT is transitioning from the old version to the Focus edition, and I could not find a testing slot anywhere as everyone rushed to take the old version. I then booked for one slot in Malaysia on January 31. Then on January 29, there was a slot released in my hometown to take the test on January 31 and I took this opportunity immediately, spending another $165.
I told you all of this to say that I don't only whine and cry when faced with setbacks. I believe that I have given this exam my best efforts and even when my score got canceled amidst the peak of the application season, I still try to come up with solutions.
On January 31, I took the test again. I felt like this has been my best shot so far. Although I was worried about the Quant section, I felt like I did well on Verbal, maybe even better than on January 13, and managed my time well until the end of the exam. Then the score came out and I was absolutely in shock! I scored only 600 (V32, Q40). I want to highlight to you that I was not being paranoid when saying that this score is very strange - on my practice tests, I have always scored in the 40s range and all of my previous test attempts resulted in decent Verbal scores, even when I messed up on time management. In my GMAT class, I tutored some students on Verbal. Another student in my class got a V32 on January 31, and I have always received higher grades when prepping with her on the Verbal section, and she much higher in Quant (I don't say this to brag, only to provide you with better contexts because we literally studied together and I know very well what I am good and bad at).
This situation even got weirder. On January 31, some people in my GMAT class also took the exam and they all received their scores within 3 days. However, almost a week later, I didn't hear anything from the GMAT folks and when checking the status of my test on the MBA website, it showed only a "blank". Then, I contacted the GMAT team and received the following answers:
"We sincerely regret the inconvenience. Currently, your exam is being reviewed by our audit team. Although not typical, it can take up to 20 business days for your exam to be scored"
This is, once again, very strange as nothing abnormal happened during the test day. I decided to follow up on the matter as deep down I knew something was off about my Verbal score:
"May I ask why this is the case? I just want to know the reasons why my exam is under review.
The last time I took the online test, it was canceled due to a Testing Issue already (with code "T") and this has impacted my application to schools.
I hope that you can provide me with clarifications on this. Did something abnormal happen during the test? Or is my unofficial score different from my official score?
As I recall, nothing weird happened during the test day and I fully complied with the instructions at the testing center."
And to which, they replied:
"We score every GMAT exam and GMAT Focus Edition twice. First, the exam is scored immediately after the exam is complete, this gives you the unofficial score report. Then, the exam is rescored using our proprietary algorithm. Although not typical, it can take up to 20 business days for your exam to be scored"
Today I received my score report and it was the same 600 with a V32. This seems odd to me as the reply from the GMAT Team hinted that there might be differences between my unofficial and official scores.
Overall, I want to share my case because I hope that the GMAT Team should be responsible for ensuring a fair and good experience for all test takers. They should stop pushing all the stress on the candidates. It is unbelievable how a global test could be so unprofessional. First, if there were issues with the online test, the proctor should have informed candidates during the test and stopped them immediately. Secondly, if candidates have any questions about their scores, they should have the right to appeal and the option to get a rescore. I believe that educational institutions should place more responsibility on GMAT so that they can and MUST do better, because as of now, I feel like because they hold so much power over candidates in the application process, they just don't care. In my case, even if I sound paranoid when saying this, I feel like they may have even rescored my test, and upon seeing that the Verbal score was incorrect, they chose to go with the V32 version anyway because they couldn't admit that they were wrong.
I don't say this coming from the place of someone bitter. I have already gained admission to several schools and can pursue my Master's studies now (with or without the GMAT), and am only waiting for one final result from my favorite program. I still remember reading a post on the GMAT Club and the OP said that he questioned the validity of the tests and the scoring algorithm because his experience was very weird and almost everyone in that thread said that he should just try harder. I feel compassion for him because I went through the same situation, and despite GMAT's utter unprofessionalism and my terrible experiences, I was on the receiving end of all negative consequences in my application process (delays of months in sending the score, lack of time to learn and switch to the GMAT Focus version due to GMAT's late responses, and emotional distress).
Thank you for reading to this point. I hope that by raising my voice, the GMAT folks can be aware that they should do better. I remember one comment on the GMAT Club saying that if we come together to raise our concerns about the online test and our bad testing experiences, maybe the GMAT folks will have to change. I don't know, but I certainly hope that no one has to go through what I did.
On a more positive note, I am happy that I came out of this situation stronger, and that my application process was not entirely destroyed by my GMAT score.
I started studying for the GMAT test to apply for Master's programs in October 2023 and entered a period of intensive studying from November to December. Then, I took the first test with a total score of 610 (V36, Q37) because I messed up the Verbal section with bad time management at the end and guessed 7 remaining questions on the test. This Verbal score is considered low for me because I have always been naturally better at Verbal and have always scored above 42 in practice tests. A little bit about my background: although I am not a native English speaker, I have a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the U.S. and have always excelled at reading and worked as a writing tutor in college.
The official score came after 3-5 business days. After receiving this score, I saw great opportunities to improve and studied very hard for the Quant section (my weak area), and also tried my best to manage my time better in practice tests. To this point, everything was still normal.
The second time I took the test was on January 13 (online version). Before the test began, there was an allotted time of 15 minutes for me to check in with the proctor. We went through all of GMAT's regulations and I showed my room to her multiple times. At first, there were problems in launching the test-taking app due to my Antivirus blocker. I uninstalled the application right in front of her and after that nothing weird happened - all went smoothly while I was taking the test, with no disruption or question from the proctor aside from the two times she told me to adjust the camera angles so that she could see me better. I felt like I aced the Verbal section and did okay on Quant, and scored a total score of 710 (V46, Q41). I was super happy about this score and believe that it was enough for me to apply to my top choices for Master's programs in Europe.
Then devastating news arrived: my online scores got canceled due to what the GMAT folks call a "Testing Issue." I was frustrated and even cried a little bit on my way home because this last-minute delay deeply impacted my application timeline.
I was fortunate enough that the schools I was applying to were considerate and I sent them the 610 score. For your information, it took 3 weeks from the point when my test underwent an "administrative review" until it got canceled. I appealed to the GMAT Team and showed them both the proof of my studying process and clear descriptions of what happened during the test day. They did not accept my very detailed appeal (I have been careful in writing the appeal after reading the experiences of all the people who got their test results canceled on GMAT Club), and my GMAT teacher, someone who has been teaching GMAT for over 10 years, said that they canceled my score based on nothing at all. There was no proof, no evidence of any wrongdoing - even the initial technical issue was resolved. He said that they canceled my score because it was strange to see such a significant increase in the score from 610 to 710 in just a matter of weeks. Moreover, as the folks at GMAT gave me a voucher to take my offline test for free, he said that they wouldn't do it if the whole situation was my mistake.
I tried my best to be resilient and bounce back after all the crying and the stress. The GMAT team confirmed that the decision to cancel my score is final and binding on Jan 28. Despite the struggles, I tried to use the voucher to schedule a test in my home country. But as you all know, now GMAT is transitioning from the old version to the Focus edition, and I could not find a testing slot anywhere as everyone rushed to take the old version. I then booked for one slot in Malaysia on January 31. Then on January 29, there was a slot released in my hometown to take the test on January 31 and I took this opportunity immediately, spending another $165.
I told you all of this to say that I don't only whine and cry when faced with setbacks. I believe that I have given this exam my best efforts and even when my score got canceled amidst the peak of the application season, I still try to come up with solutions.
On January 31, I took the test again. I felt like this has been my best shot so far. Although I was worried about the Quant section, I felt like I did well on Verbal, maybe even better than on January 13, and managed my time well until the end of the exam. Then the score came out and I was absolutely in shock! I scored only 600 (V32, Q40). I want to highlight to you that I was not being paranoid when saying that this score is very strange - on my practice tests, I have always scored in the 40s range and all of my previous test attempts resulted in decent Verbal scores, even when I messed up on time management. In my GMAT class, I tutored some students on Verbal. Another student in my class got a V32 on January 31, and I have always received higher grades when prepping with her on the Verbal section, and she much higher in Quant (I don't say this to brag, only to provide you with better contexts because we literally studied together and I know very well what I am good and bad at).
This situation even got weirder. On January 31, some people in my GMAT class also took the exam and they all received their scores within 3 days. However, almost a week later, I didn't hear anything from the GMAT folks and when checking the status of my test on the MBA website, it showed only a "blank". Then, I contacted the GMAT team and received the following answers:
"We sincerely regret the inconvenience. Currently, your exam is being reviewed by our audit team. Although not typical, it can take up to 20 business days for your exam to be scored"
This is, once again, very strange as nothing abnormal happened during the test day. I decided to follow up on the matter as deep down I knew something was off about my Verbal score:
"May I ask why this is the case? I just want to know the reasons why my exam is under review.
The last time I took the online test, it was canceled due to a Testing Issue already (with code "T") and this has impacted my application to schools.
I hope that you can provide me with clarifications on this. Did something abnormal happen during the test? Or is my unofficial score different from my official score?
As I recall, nothing weird happened during the test day and I fully complied with the instructions at the testing center."
And to which, they replied:
"We score every GMAT exam and GMAT Focus Edition twice. First, the exam is scored immediately after the exam is complete, this gives you the unofficial score report. Then, the exam is rescored using our proprietary algorithm. Although not typical, it can take up to 20 business days for your exam to be scored"
Today I received my score report and it was the same 600 with a V32. This seems odd to me as the reply from the GMAT Team hinted that there might be differences between my unofficial and official scores.
Overall, I want to share my case because I hope that the GMAT Team should be responsible for ensuring a fair and good experience for all test takers. They should stop pushing all the stress on the candidates. It is unbelievable how a global test could be so unprofessional. First, if there were issues with the online test, the proctor should have informed candidates during the test and stopped them immediately. Secondly, if candidates have any questions about their scores, they should have the right to appeal and the option to get a rescore. I believe that educational institutions should place more responsibility on GMAT so that they can and MUST do better, because as of now, I feel like because they hold so much power over candidates in the application process, they just don't care. In my case, even if I sound paranoid when saying this, I feel like they may have even rescored my test, and upon seeing that the Verbal score was incorrect, they chose to go with the V32 version anyway because they couldn't admit that they were wrong.
I don't say this coming from the place of someone bitter. I have already gained admission to several schools and can pursue my Master's studies now (with or without the GMAT), and am only waiting for one final result from my favorite program. I still remember reading a post on the GMAT Club and the OP said that he questioned the validity of the tests and the scoring algorithm because his experience was very weird and almost everyone in that thread said that he should just try harder. I feel compassion for him because I went through the same situation, and despite GMAT's utter unprofessionalism and my terrible experiences, I was on the receiving end of all negative consequences in my application process (delays of months in sending the score, lack of time to learn and switch to the GMAT Focus version due to GMAT's late responses, and emotional distress).
Thank you for reading to this point. I hope that by raising my voice, the GMAT folks can be aware that they should do better. I remember one comment on the GMAT Club saying that if we come together to raise our concerns about the online test and our bad testing experiences, maybe the GMAT folks will have to change. I don't know, but I certainly hope that no one has to go through what I did.
On a more positive note, I am happy that I came out of this situation stronger, and that my application process was not entirely destroyed by my GMAT score.
11 Feb 2024, 08:05
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Quote:
Unfortunate experience. Glad to hear you got admitted into several schools and potentially your favorite as well.
14 Feb 2024, 08:59
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Congratulations on getting admitted in the college of your choice.
All the Best.
All the Best.
