There is probably more anxiety and discussion about Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) scores than about any other part of the application. But your GMAT score is only one measure schools use to evaluate your application. They also look at academic records, work experience, application essays, recommendations, and interviews to get an idea of how well you will perform in a graduate management program and in the working world. You may find it hard to believe, but there are people who earn a score of 700 on the GMAT and are not offered admission to every program to which they apply.

The GMAT measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills. Of the several thousand graduate management programs worldwide, nearly 1,700 use the GMAT, and more than 1,000 require it. The GMAT is designed to help graduate business schools assess applicants' qualifications to study business and management at the graduate level. Find out from individual schools how scores will be factored into the admissions decision.

For complete information about the GMAT, including how the test is structured and scored, see the Take the GMAT section of this Web site.

Some schools require minimum scores on the GMAT. Other schools only have minimum requirements for certain sections of the GMAT.

Know the minimum requirement at a particular school, if one exists, so you only apply to schools you are qualified to attend.

Many schools emphasize certain sections of the GMAT more than others. For example, many schools have documented a strong correlation between the GMAT quantitative score and performance in certain core MBA courses. They consider the GMAT a strong predictor of ability to perform and compete in an MBA program.

You should ask admissions professionals about the typical Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing Assessment scores for admitted applicants at their school. Find out whether they value any sections more than others.

It is almost automatic to think, "I should take the GMAT again" if you are not happy with your score the first time you take the test. But before you schedule another test appointment, do some investigation. First, how will the schools you are considering treat multiple scores? Many, but not all, will consider your best, rather than your most recent, score. Factor that policy into your decision.

And you should know that not everyone who takes the GMAT again does better. In fact, some people do worse the second time, and of those who do get a higher score, most only improve their scores by about 30 points. To improve your score, you either need to believe that you did not do your best the first time or you have to prepare in a very different way (look under the heading Tools to Help You Prepare in the Take the GMAT section of this Web site).

If you are denied admission at a school because your GMAT score was not competitive, you should prepare more thoroughly or perhaps even try a different method of preparation if you plan to retake the test. Additionally, you might also consider schools with students whose average GMAT scores are closer to your score, because these schools may offer a better academic environment for you.

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