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You sat for the GMAT and hit your score goal (way to go!). Now what? Sending your GMAT scores is not as daunting a task as it may seem, but there are a couple of different options to consider when deciding when to send your scores.
Sending your GMAT scores is not as daunting a task as it may seem.
In this article, we’ll break down the process of sending GMAT scores and answer key questions such as what is contained in the GMAT score report, how to send your GMAT scores for free, and how many schools you can send your GMAT scores to.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- The Two GMAT Score Reports
- How to Send Your GMAT Scores to Schools/Programs
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What’s Next?
First, let’s take a look at the two types of GMAT score reports and when you can access each type.
The Two GMAT Score Reports
There are two types of score reports that GMAC (the GMAT maker) generates:
- An Unofficial Score Report, which you’ll see at the test center immediately after completing your exam.
- An Official Score Report, which will be sent to the schools of your choice.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these score reports.
Unofficial GMAT Score Report
Luckily, GMAC doesn’t make test-takers wait long to see their GMAT scores. Whether you take the GMAT at a test center or online, immediately upon completion of your GMAT exam, you will see your Unofficial Score Report on the computer screen. This report will contain your Quantitative, Verbal, Data Insights, and Total Scores. You may not make any record of your score. That is, you may not print, screenshot, save, or take a picture of the screen.
KEY FACT:
Immediately after the test, you will see your GMAT section scores and your total score on your computer screen. However, you may not make any record of these unofficial scores.
Keep in mind that, although the scores you see on test day are “unofficial,” you can pretty much expect that they won’t change when you see your Official Score Report. The scores you see on test day should be the scores that schools will receive. Your exam is actually rescored after you take it, and any discrepancies (which are very rare) will be investigated.
KEY FACT:
Unofficial scores are almost always the same as the scores on your Official Score Report.
Official Score Report
Normally, 3-5 business days after you take the GMAT, you’ll receive an email from GMAC informing you that your Official Score Report is available at your mba.com account. There, you’ll be able to view, download, and print your report. This is the report that will be sent to schools.
Recall that you can have your Official Score Report sent for free to up to five schools, as long as you order the report to be sent within 48 hours of your score being made available at mba.com. If you wish to send your score report to more than five schools, or if you miss the 48-hour deadline, you can order Additional Score Reports (ASR) for an additional cost.
The GMAT score validity period is 5 years. Thus, your Official Score Report is valid for 5 years and contains scaled scores and percentile rankings for your Total Score and all of the GMAT sections for your most recent exam only.
The Detailed Performance Insights Section of the Official Score Report
When you receive your Official Score Report, you will also be provided with detailed feedback about your performance on the exam. This section of the report is titled “Detailed Performance Insights” and replaces the previous “Enhanced Score Report,” for which students were previously charged $30.
The Detailed Performance Insights (DPI) section contains useful feedback. It provides you with:
- Score data by section (Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights)
- Your score data in relation to the scores of other applicants at your desired schools
- Your specific skill performance in each section
- Your performance by question type in each section
- Your time management statistics for each section
Given the small sample size of questions on any one GMAT, crafting a study plan solely based on your DPI feedback is not recommended. However, the DPI is certainly useful for getting a bird’s-eye view of your GMAT performance. Furthermore, your DPI could reveal some weak points you didn’t realize you had.
The Detailed Performance Insights section of your Official Score Report is not sent to schools. It is for your use only.
TTP PRO TIP:
The Detailed Performance Insights part of your Official Score Report is a free tool that you can use to gain insight into your performance on a given GMAT.
How to Send Your GMAT Scores to Schools/Programs
Here is the procedure for sending GMAT scores online to schools. After you have been notified via email that your Official Score Report is available at mba.com, you can follow the steps below to send your GMAT scores to schools.
- Log in to your account at mba.com
- Click on the View Score link to find the score you want to send.
- Click on the Send Score button after selecting the desired score.
- Find the schools/programs to which you want to send the score.
- Verify your selection and click on the Send GMAT Score button.
If you have already used up your five free school submissions, or if you didn’t send scores within 48 hours after receiving your score notification, you will be prompted to enter your payment for the GMAT additional score reports, which are $35 each.
The score reports will be sent to your selected schools/programs within eight hours.
Remember, once you hit the “Send” button, you cannot undo your action. Note, however, that there is no requirement to send your most recent score to the schools/programs to which you have applied. You may choose to send any score you desire, at any time, as long as it is less than five years old.
KEY FACT:
Log in to your mba.com account to send scores to schools/programs.
Key Takeaways
You’ll see your Unofficial Score Report on your computer screen immediately after you take the GMAT, either online or at a test center. You will only be able to view your section scores and your total score.
Within 1-3 days, you’ll be emailed a notification that your Official Score Report is available at your mba.com account. Within 48 hours of the notification, you can send your score to up to five schools/programs for free.
A valuable part of your Official Score Report is a section called Detailed Performance Insights (DPI). You’ll be given useful feedback about your performance on the GMAT, including question type analysis, topic performance, and time management. This section of your Official Score Report is for your use only and is not part of the report sent to schools. There is no charge for the DPI.
GMAT score sending is quite easy. To send your Official Score Report to the schools of your choosing, follow the instructions provided in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I send my GMAT scores to schools?
Log in to your account at mba.com and follow the instructions for sending your GMAT scores.
How much does it cost to send GMAT scores?
You can send your scores to up to five schools for free if you send them within 48 hours of notification that your scores are ready. Otherwise, you can send additional score reports for $35 each.
How long does it take for GMAT scores to be sent to schools?
After you choose to send your Official Score Report, it will be delivered to your selected schools within 8 hours.
Can you send the GMAT scores after the exam?
Yes. You will receive notification via email when your Official Score Report is ready. After that, you will have 48 hours to send your scores to up to five schools for free.
How long does it take to get GMAT scores back?
Normally, your Official Score Report will be available at your mba.com account within 3-5 business days after your exam. On rare occasions, you may have to wait up to 20 business days to receive your score report.
What’s Next?
In case your score was not as high as you might have wished, you can learn the facts about retaking the GMAT.
In addition, you can learn more about why your GMAT score didn’t improve by reading this article.
Thank you for this helpful guide! Will I have to resend my GMAT test scores to the school if the test center submits it before the application round which I plan to enter?
The school will hold onto your scores, so you don’t need to resend them. Good luck with your applications!