GMAT is quite strict when it comes to cancellation and rescheduling. Let’s go through its general policy, so you have all the information you need before making any decisions.

Cancellation of the exam appointment

You can cancel anytime up to seven (7) days prior to your test date. In this case, you will receive an $80 refund from your registration fee. 

If you cancel between seven (7) and 24 hours before your test date, you lose your registration fee.

You cannot cancel your GMAT appointment within 24 hours of your test date. If you do not go, your account history will display a no-show. The no-show status will not appear on any score report, so none of the schools will be informed about it.

Rescheduling of the GMAT

You can reschedule your exam up to seven (7) days before your GMAT appointment, and you have to pay a $50 fee.

If you want to reschedule within seven (7) days of your test date, you will lose the original $250 registration fee and pay a new registration fee. Just as if you had canceled and then booked a new date. 

Keep in mind that rescheduling means having more time to prepare for your exam, but also means getting your scores later than originally planned. Make sure you take into consideration the schools’ deadlines for applications before picking a new date.

Cancellation of your GMAT score

Once you have finished the exam, you will get the chance to view an unofficial score from Quant, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, and Total. You will have to either accept or cancel it within two (2) given minutes. If you don’t accept your score, it will be automatically canceled. Also, canceling your score has no cost. Here’s some advice for this stage: check what a “good” score is for the schools you are interested in.

If you choose to cancel your score, you can retake the exam after 16 days. Your canceled scored will appear on your score report with a “C” but will not be shown on score reports that are sent to schools.

In case you kept your score but then change your mind, you will be able to cancel your score within 72 hours of the test. In this case, you will have to pay a $25 fee. If you purchased an Additional Score Report within a 72-hour cancellation period, you will not be able to cancel your score online.

You can reinstate your canceled scores for a period of up to 4 years and 11 months. This is period of time is one month shorter from the GMAT score 5-year validity to allow time for processing. In this case, there will be a cost of $50. Score reports will be automatically sent to the schools you selected on your test day. Consider that you can’t modify the list of schools, but you will be able to see the list before confirming the reinstatement.

You can ask for a re-evaluation of the essay in the AWA section. The cost will be $45 and keep in mind that a re-evaluation could result in a better or lower score than the original.

A few more things to keep in mind:

– You can take up to five (5) GMAT exams in one year (12 months).

– You can take up to eight (8) GMAT exams in your life. 

– Some schools want to see the scores from all your GMAT exams, while others just want to see your best score.

If you need help with the GMAT or the admissions process, we can help.  For more information on our different GMAT products, see:

• GMAT private classes – see the stories of Will, Teddy, Jessica, and Nico and how they approached their GMAT journey with Merchant.
• Merchant Academy – a GMAT teaching innovation that makes taking the GMAT, like an MBA. Click to find out more about the Merchant Academy format.
• Merchant GMAT Hall of Fame – a gallery of some of our clients over the last eight years.

For admissions help, see some client stories on our admissions page.