Retake 760 because of IR 6?

Question

Hi everybody,

Just took the GMAT yesterday.  Score: 760; Q49 V45 IR6.  . I think my AWA went well.

I am wondering if I should retake the exam because of a low IR score. May sound stupid, but I'm serious... On all of my prep exams, my IR score was a perfect 8. For some reason, on test-day I decided to pick the order of Q-V-IR-AWA (which I never did on my mocks), and my brain was practically exhausted by the time I got to IR. Basically zoned out during portions of IR's 30 minutes.

Do you guys think that this will negatively impact how admissions boards view my score? I am international, if that changes anything. 
 
Thanks for your feedback.

In case you'd like to know, below are my mock exam scores:

GMAT PREP EXAM SCORES:
1) 740
2) 760
3) 730
4) 750
5) 760

souvonik2k · Answer

Hi
First of all, congrats on the great score. An IR score of 6 is good. There is no need for a retake. Even though you scored IR 8 in practice tests, doesn't mean you have to get an 8 on the actual test. Moreover, IR score is not given too much importance. Start working on your applications.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Neo94,

First off, a 760/Q49 is an outstanding score (it's right around the 99th percentile overall), so you can comfortably apply to any Business Schools that interest you. Your IR Score is also above-average - although it will likely have little-to-no impact on your applications. As such, a retest is NOT necessary.

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

AjiteshArun · Answer

No. You're well into diminishing returns at this stage. Spend that time working on other, more important things. What do you think? Do you have enough time to take the exam again and improve/maintain your main score? Otherwise we'll just end up in a situation where we're wondering whether a 740/IR 8 is better than a 760/IR 6

Neo94 · Answer

Planning to apply First Round 2019. Not sure which specific schools, but those within the top 5 in both the US and Europe. I'm from North Africa, and spending that much money on a diploma just doesn't cut it for me unless my alma mater provides significant value throughout my lifetime.

One of my main concerns is the cost of attendance...

Does a 780 considerably increase chances of getting a scholarship vs a 760? I'm sorry if this sounds stupid, but I really do think that with one more month of serious effort, an increase in my score is possible.  If the answer is no, then 760 (which in and of itself is great) is satisfactory.

Neo94 · Answer

One of my main concerns is the cost of attendance...

Does a 780 considerably increase chances of getting a scholarship vs a 760? I'm sorry if this sounds stupid, but I really do think that with one more month of serious effort, an increase in my score is possible. If the answer is no, then 760 (which in and of itself is great) is satisfactory.

Toveran · Answer

Hi  Neo94

First of all, congrats for your superb score!

You're in a very similar situation as me, although my IR score is even worse (only a 4).

I actually phoned the AdComs of some Top Business Schools (in Europe) and asked them. All of them told me that it's basically  impossible  that an applicant gets rejected because of a low IR score, in combination with a very strong overall score. Schools that accept the GRE in particular won't look at IR that much, since the GRE doesn't contain such a section and all applicants have to be evaluated by the same standards.

The GMAT is only one (small) part of your application and the IR score even a smaller part of that part. So don't worry about your score and focus on the other elements of your application - you won't get an offer with a strong GMAT only.

Regarding your scholarship question: University grades, personal statements/motivation letters and your professional as well as non-professional background will be  much  more important for getting scholarships than improving your GMAT score by 20 Points. Hence, spend your time on writing strong essays and letters of motivation and forget about GMAT.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Neo94,

I would find it highly unlikely that a 780 would be significantly better for a scholarship application than a 760 would be (and since they're both 99th percentile scores, I suspect the difference would be negligible). You're ultimately asking Admissions questions though, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admission ... tants-124/

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

AjiteshArun · Answer

A 780 will definitely be better for your chances than a 760, but it's very hard to say whether it would  considerably  increase your chances of getting a scholarship. Again, it comes down to the amount of time you have: do you want to work on aspects of your profile/application that you know will be looked on favorably by your target schools, or do you want to spend your time looking for a +20 on the GMAT that every school will look at differently and that you might not get? If you have the time for both, I'd say you could go ahead. Just keep in mind that the opportunity cost is unlikely to be low.

Retake 760 because of IR 6?

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