Bad experience with GMAT online...

Question

OK I had a bad experience taking the GMAT Online yesterday and need to vent.

So when deciding to take the GMAT online I read every policy & procedure. Cleared my office of second monitor & all unauthorized material.

I connect to the GMAT online 10-15 minutes before scheduled test time. I wait in queue until 10 minutes after scheduled test time.

We do room scan & desk scan. In my office I have 11 world maps on the walls. None are within reach or view of my desk. The proctor asks me if I can remove the maps from the wall or use another room. I state not really. They have me continue in this room after showing each map one by one to the proctor.

First section is Verbal. I am quick at verbal questions and I reach the last question with 15 minutes to spare.

This is where things apparently began to go awry. Instead of immediately advancing to the first break period, I chose to use some of the remaining time on the verbal section to meditate quietly and take deep breaths.

Now, my desk is right in front of a window that overlooks my backyard. I am essentially gazing out of my window while I meditate for a few minutes.

After a couple minutes, the proctor came online and asked me "why am I staring to the right." I say I am just meditating for a minute and so I will close my eyes. I close my eyes and continue meditating and finish the session.

So then I take the 8 minute break, return, do a room & desk check, and begin the Quant session. Here I should add that this is my 3rd time taking the GMAT (first 2 were 5+ years ago) and while I am good at verbal, I am trying hard for improvement on the Quant.

I get to about the 5th quant question and I am deep in thought using my whiteboard, looking down at the board in front of me. The proctor comes over the speakers and tells me I need to put my head up into the camera frame. I say OK and try to do so.

Then 3-4 questions later same thing again. Can I move my head up in the frame. I say I am just using my whiteboard but I then tried to adjust my laptop screen downward to cover me more. Difficult when I cannot see what I look like on the camera.

So I continue with the test and about question 15 or so, I am deep in thought on a tough question and the proctor comes over the speakers again to interrupt the section for the third time. "Why are you looking to the right again?" I say "what? I am just thinking about this question." She says we need to do a room check and desk check. So now I am completely interrupted during this question, have to take my laptop off the laptop stand and show her the walls and desk again. It takes around 2 minutes for this and the timer is running on the test during the whole time.

Of course I was doing nothing wrong so the check went OK. But I will not lie, I was pretty annoyed at this point at being interrupted 3x during my most difficult section. It definitely affected my mental state, in addition to the 3+ minutes of time that was wasted by 3 interruptions, the time I wasted by having to start 3 questions over again after being interrupted, and the 3rd room/desk check in the last hour and 30 minutes.

I get to the end of the Quant section and those 3 extra minutes would have been a big help. I was forced to take guesses at the last 2 questions, something I never do during any of my practice exams.

I take the 2nd break and finish IR/AWA without issue.

My unofficial score showed 720, which is less than the 730 that I scored 5 years ago. I have been doing extensive Quant prep for several months before sitting for this exam, and have scored 760 on each the last 3 practice tests that I took (the computer-adaptive official GMAC ones + a Manhattan GMAT one).

I received an unofficial scaled quant score of 42. Now we all know the way the GMAT works, if I got even 2-3 more questions right that could have resulted in as much as a 48 scaled quant score. But even 1 more question right and I would probably equal or improve on my previous score.

The stakes are really high here as I have already applied and am in the running for a full ride scholarship at a T25 business school. 720 prob doesn't get me there but 740+ does.

Immediately after the exam ended I called GMAC and reached a customer service center overseas. The agent did not seem at all sympathetic to my concerns and referred me to a GMAC email address. I sent them an email detailing what I have stated here. Today (the next day) they replied, stating that my exam score is in review and it will be 21 days before an outcome is determined.

21 days!??! I need to know if this exam can be cancelled or not ASAP, and whether they will process a refund so that I can register again to take the test ASAP!! I am already reaching the school's deadline for test submission.

I checked the test regulations again and it says nothing about having a window by your desk, or having maps on the wall for that matter.

But there seems to be no way to contact a real person at GMAC. So now I am left in the position of, do I put out another $300 to test again... before I even heard back on what they will do with the first test? I gather it is unlikely I get any refund after that.... ugh terrible experience and I feel like I am left with almost no recourse. Other than post here and hope you guys don't roast me and I get some sympathy.

Any advice is welcome!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi gradatgrad.

What a total drag that all is. If the proctor feels that a room check is necessary, the clock should be stopped. It's insane the the clock would continue to run while you did a room check. So, I think it's only fair to give you a refund.

Honestly, you should write an email directly to the new CEO of GMAC. She's working to improve the test, and insanity such as what you experienced is undermining her efforts.

In any case, maybe you could retake before hearing back from them and hope that they'll issue a refund anyway.

gradatgrad · Answer

Thanks Marty. I couldn't agree more, the clock should stop any time the proctor feels the need to interrupt the exam.

I may have to resort to emailing the CEO... as I just tried calling a GMAC number again, reached someone overseas at Examify. Told me I have to speak with someone at GMAC. Gave me a number for GMAC customer care (+1-952-681-3680) that rings out of service.

A quick Google search reveals this is the number for Pearson/GMAC in-person testing .... So the wrong number for Online... and even that's not in service. Classic.

Fun times!!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Do it!!!

I'm so sick of this I may do it myself.

gradatgrad · Answer

Tried and it bounced. Can't find the right email address!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

GRRRRRR

Let's go to New Jersey and find her. I'm sure she wants to know.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

What about a LinkedIn message?

If you can't message her, you could send a message with a connection request.

Or comment the same comment on a bunch of her posts.

Be relentless.

GMAC needs to get its customer service act together, and you can make the change happen.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Make sure to mention this indisputable evidence to customer support. A roomcheck should not be done while the timer is running.

All the best and hope you are able to retake soon.

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi gradatgrad,

I think that's exactly what you should do. Also, are you open to taking the regular GMAT (instead of the GMAT Online)?

gradatgrad · Answer

My response to their email asking me to wait 20 days: Their response to this:

It is like talking to a wall.

gradatgrad · Answer

Yeah, in the end, as an economics major I think I have to look at this proctor-addled gmat attempt as a sunk cost... either they sustain or cancel the score it doesnt really matter as i want to do better... and either they refund me or not... but it doesn't make sense to let that $300 be the difference between me getting a $200k+ scholarship, and me not going to business school at all, which is kind of how important this test is to me. So I'll probably have to put out another $300 and register again ASAP... I just have a strong feeling they will try not to offer any cash refund, will probably only offer a coupon code and Ill have $600 into it at that point with no need for the code. Well, hopefully I at least get the score I want on the next attempt! Lol

Yes, I could take it in person. The main reason I wanted to do online was so that I could see the unofficial/official score before choosing which schools to send to. (Seems like they should make this the same for in-person and online...) In addition it sounded better on its face to not share the room with other test takers, etc. As any distractions can make a difference, I THOUGHT being at home would make for a more controlled environment, but I did not account for the proctor.

But at this point, with 1 school as my main target and time being essential (must complete this in next 7 days at absolute most), and having experienced Examify once already, I am certainly coming around to the idea of doing it in person. The only question is how soon I will be able to get in, as the 2 test centers near my area get booked up easily and then the next nearest ones are around 2 hours drive away in another large city (which is in another country entirely), requiring a full day's trip.

gradatgrad · Answer

This has turned into even more of a nightmare... they are now citing the 16-day retake policy and stating I cannot retake the test in any case before 16 days.

Because of their error! Nothing I did wrong!

gmatophobia · Answer

If possible, go for an offline exam. The waiting period  doesn't  apply if there is a change in format. I read in one of your previous comments that offline centers in your area are mostly booked, but try if there is a possibility of a nearby center. Also - the availability sometimes does show up if there is a cancellation or if more slots are added. So it's wise to check frequently / daily. If I were you I would check the availability for an offline exam that is in the vicinity or travel to another center if that was a viable option.

All the best!

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi gradatgrad,

As gmatophobia pointed out, you can take the regular GMAT. Also, this isn't something Examity can help you with, so don't get into a discussion with them about it. Schedule an appointment directly on mba.com.

0Lucky0 · Answer

Woah!!! Why did you wait 5 years just to improve upon your 730? I mean, is sinking 5 years into a 30 point upgrade, ie, going from 730 to 760, really worth it? I am also studying for the exam so just trying to understand your logic, not judging you or anything.

I am very curious because If I had been in your position, I would have just gone to whichever college would take me with a 730, why didn't you? And yea, sorry about your experience. I would suggest spending the money; GMAC isn't going to give you jack shat, no matter even if the sky fell over you while taking the exam. So forget about getting even a dime back.

gradatgrad · Answer

When I was in a top 15 undergrad I never thought about graduate school. I thought my undergrad in Econ/CS would be good enough for my career. Even now, I am a bit wary of "downgrading" on the brand of my undergrad which is already generally nationally recognized as a very good school for business.

6 years out I changed my mind & decided to take the GMAT and apply to my dream top 3 HSW schools bc I thought my resume was in a good place after doing consulting, software entrepreneurship, & nonprofit work. First GMAT attempt I cancelled, studied for 2 more weeks and got my 730. Did not get in to any of my T3 school choices even with 730.

Career went in another direction for next 5 years, I traveled a lot, did not think I would go to b-school at all, I now run a small consulting company, but after COVID I have felt a bit isolated & a desire to recharge my network & pivot my career back to tech/ possibly VC, and on the older side of 30 I feel that it is now or never at my age if I do want to pursue a FTMBA.

After paying off student loans for my undergrad, & seeing how having loans affected my career/life choices, I had heard about some MBA programs offering a "full ride" to most/all admitted students, such as ASU, Arizona, Florida etc. I began to wonder, if T3 is not in the cards for me, could it still be possible to get a full ride for any T25 or even T15 or better MBA? Because as an entrepreneur, if I can get a full ride then I could leave open the option to continue working for myself instead of being forced to take a traditional MBA job to pay off debt. Or, I can easily hold out to get one of my target jobs.

2 years ago, I learned about a T20 MBA program that offers a lot of scholarships, and before my last 730 GMAT expired, I applied there. I received a half scholarship offer. But the program is in a very expensive city and is around $100k/yr sticker price. So a half scholarship meant I would still have to pay $100k+, and probably another $30k or more in added living (& state tax) expenses as well. It just didnt seem worth it at the time to leave the state I was living in, take a pay cut, & go to a more expensive state to attend the program.

As time went on, my 730 expired. But the feeling like its "now or never" to go to b-school still remains. Since I would have to take the GMAT again in order to apply again, I have made my target a 750 or better this time. I think that 740 may do it, but 750+ for me would make it a good probability that I can get a full scholarship to a T20 bschool that I feel is worth it for my situation. And the 730 I got last time was with 1 month of studying, so I felt like there may still be a good chance to improve a bit on that score.

Luckily the verbal on standardized testing has always come easy to me; it is the math that requires more focus and attention now, especially with the computer-adaptive nature of the GMAT and its very thin margins for improving scaled quant score. Since I was already scoring around 80th percentile on quant, it is that final quartile of improvement that requires much more effort. I have studied harder this time around doing multiple practice tests & quant question sets & googling every single question I got wrong, making sure I drill it until I understand. Doing quant flash card sets in full. Making a cheat sheet for quant of things I didnt know as I go along. I guess GMAC gifted me another 10 days to study for quant in the end.. even though I thought I was already ready to score 760 based on my last 3 practice tests. That is why I went ahead and registered for the test!

It will be interesting to see what GMAC ultimately does with the 720 score. I have asked them to cancel the score and refund the exam, because as others have stated, the proctor should not have done a room check with the clock running. I feel GMAC & Examify have not delivered at all on their promise to give me a fair exam for the fee I paid. I hope they will do the right thing in the end, given that I did nothing wrong & especially given that this is already my 3rd GMAT attempt with a 90th pct or above score every time.

With the 16-day retake period they described, I am going to give it a few more days and see if GMAC responds to me first before I decide whether to re-register for in-person or online, in case they offer me a promo code for a retake instead of a credit... not sure what else I can do, I have exhausted myself sending them emails and they refuse to expedite the process at all... SMH.

gradatgrad · Answer

Interesting... it does seem that there is nothing stopping me from registering for an in-person GMAT... I am just a bit worried about the 16-day period given that is what they cited in their Email reply to me which didnt mention anything about in-person/online... with the high price of this exam i am now very wary of doing anything that may allow GMAC to take even more of my money without delivering what I need!

0Lucky0 · Answer

Interesting!

Your story sounds a lot like mine.

I would like to keep in touch somehow.

I would be giving my exam in the next 6 months and aiming for a similar score so I would be 1 year behind you.

I followed you but don't think you would login here after you join a B-school.

Well, it's terrible what the proctor did and GMAC should absolutely refund you in full and then some, for the pain caused. I completely agree with that.

"BUT!", you see, proctors are not exactly high-level, well paid employees. The job is largely drone work, low paid labor; which means, such a person would never commit something as serious and as egregious as what you describe until and unless it was a part of the procedure she was trained on. The risk is just too high for her to ever do anything willy-nilly, with the end result being that she would get fired. SO, considering all this, you can safely assume that she was simply following the procedure that every proctor follows in such a situation, which means it is part of the GMAC protocol; which roughly translates to you wasting 16 days and not getting anything back.

So If I were you, I would forget about the money.

But that's just my opinion and logic; anything can happen and good things do happen.

So lets also keep our fingers crossed.

and yes, it's terrible what she did, I agree and sympathize with you completely and I wish that GMAC does refund you in full and then some for the pain caused.

gmatophobia · Answer

Here are few snippets of a FAQ/articles that may help clear the dilemma on the waiting period. Source : https://www.gmac.com/gmat-other-assessm ... e-exam-faq Screenshot 2023-04-12 112715.jpg Source : https://www.mba.com/exams-and-exam-prep ... e-the-gmat Screenshot 2023-04-12 113258.jpg

gradatgrad · Answer

Hmm so at least I can take in in person as soon as I want to.

Test security responded to my emails & told me they would get back to me with a decision within 20 days. Never heard further from them... then today I get an automated email from GMAC saying my score is confirmed and it is in my MBA.com account!

So I guess Examity are trying to claim the score should be valid regardless of what they did... SMH.

Now I'm back into the bubble of GMAC / Examity support trying to get any answer from them. I don't want this bogus score on my record. What BS.

This has been a total nightmare. I wish there was some way to contact a real person with authority at GMAC, not get the customer service runaround for weeks and waste crucial minutes of our decision time!

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