Unable to Cancel my Unofficial Score

Question

Hi everyone, I took my GMAT 2 days back and accepted my score at the test center as I was unsure if I wanted to cancel it or not. Now I do and I'm still within the 72-hour window but there's no option to cancel on the website. I called customer support and they said they have raised a ticket and gave me a case number. However, I only have about 7-8 hours left to cancel. Would they give me an extension since the glitch is on their end? Should I wait for a reply or can I do something about this in the meantime?

bb · Answer

Hi... this is an odd issue... This has not come up lately. 
I think they will resolve and honor the request. (but that's my thinking and not their doing)

However, the value of a canceled score is not great really. Yes, you can hide one here or there but in reality some AdCom still asks on their applications how many times you took the GMAT and they only consider your highest score that you input. It is not really a big issue/problem if you have an undesirable score on the report.... going forward with the Focus edition, you will not even need to cancel scores which is going to be a whole diff approach. GMAT online you also don't have to cancel scores. They are not reported by default... so a clean sheet is not really a clean sheet and so a dirty sheet is not a problem at the result.

ab020596 · Answer

Yeah, does seem quite odd and the customer support executive did mention that I 'may' get an extension. Although I understand that I might be asked to report all previous scores in certain schools, I'm still a bit worried about keeping this score in case I don't score much higher on the next one. The jump would look insignificant and hence not impressive? For context, I scored a 690 (Q45, V39, IR 8) and I would definitely need above 720-730 for most of the programs I'm targeting.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ab020596,

I'm sorry to hear about this technical issue - and I understand how unsettling it may be. That having been said, most Schools do not care if you take the GMAT more than once, so if you end up having more than one Score on-record, then that's likely not going to be a big deal. The more relevant issue is in how you might best proceed with your studies - so that you can hit your Score Goal on your next attempt. Before I can offer you the specific advice to help you towards that Goal, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

Studies:
1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far? What “brands” of CATs/mocks have you used?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
4) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

If you took your Official GMAT at a Test Center, then you might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Contact Rich at: [email protected]

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Hopefully GMAC will cancel it. Ultimately, their policy gives 72 hours to the student to cancel and your case ticket time/date is proof of your request and that you're within that window.

All the best on the retake. Consider getting the ESR. For Quant, it may show the subtopics to potentially work on. If you feel your Verbal fundamentals are solid, consider working on your solving approach. May boost your score a bit. Had a 6-hour student who went from a V41 to a V45 in about 10 days so this sort of learning doesn't necessarily have to take very long. Perhaps work with a study buddy who is strong on Verbal to see how they approach the section.

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi ab020596,

I think things should work out for you but if you do not hear back from the folks at GMAC by tomorrow afternoon give them another call.

ab020596 · Answer

Update - Hello, the GMAC team took a pretty long time to get back to me and it wasn't easy at all. I had to call and email them 20 times over the past month. They are saying that despite the issue I faced, they can't really cancel my scores since it's past the 72-hour window but they can revoke my score if I so wish. My score report would then show a 'T' for the next 5 years. I'm not sure how helpful that would be because I've never heard of anyone having a 'T' for a test center exam. Despite the fact that they say that the 'T' indicates that the issue was out of the candidate's control, I'm not sure how schools would perceive that. So, I wanted to get your thoughts. I have 3 major thoughts right now:
  I'm definitely going to retake and the plan to get at least 730 (goal is 740/750). But if in case I'm unable to break past 710/720. Would a 690-710 look better or a 'T'-710? 
 I'm not sure how much I should pay heed to this issue now since it has already taken up too much of my time and energy. I just had to get an answer because it was a mess up on their end but now their answer doesn't really seem to change the situation much and I feel like I should focus on other things. Is there anything else I can do now? 
 If I keep the 690 and then score higher, would I need to address the previous lower score in my essay somewhere?

Thanks!

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Fair to say if you score a 730, for example, you don't NEED to specifically address/talk about the 690 in that case in your essays. Consider asking this in one of the business school subforums to hear what some MBA consultants may say as well.

-contact: gmatknight site | gmatclub dm

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

To be honest, I would not worry about both scores showing. It really should not negatively affect you.

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