Anyone ever take the GMAT a second time after finishing(or near finishing) their MBA just to improve the lovely interview question? I chose a school near me due to work paying for most of it, and a 520 or so would safely get me in. With a few days worth of prep I got a 580, but SERIOUSLY regretting this. It’s such a common question in interviews, and giving the “never studied” excuse is way too cliche. Think it would be worth a couple months study time to jack the score up?
Never, ever been asked this question. What’s the point? Does the interviewer just want to know so that he/she can feel better about their score and think that they are smarter than you? You could always lie. How would they ever be able to find out?
They can see your app online, you can’t lie (or shouldn’t). Most do ask about the score.
Although it is fair question, I don’t understand the point of asking such question. You can presume the range of score by looking at the name of the school. Why would anyone with 700’s go to University of Phoenix?
by taking the GMAT after you’ve finished your MBA kind of mis-representing yourself? i realize that the GMAT is in no way related to the acctg/mktg/finance/stats/etc. that we learn in b-school, but it seems to me that if you take it post-mba you’re directly trying to deceive someone. at ethical violation? perhaps. a morally questionable action - definitely. if you didn’t study for it the first time, and went to b-school as it was, it could reasonably be concluded that you were comfortable enough with the score to roll with it. taking it again would be a clear example of a direct attempt to do some window dressing. bad, bad, bad.
I respectfully disagree with tsx11. I don’t see the problem with it at all. It could only be perceived as an attempt to deceive someone if that is what you subsequently go on to do. If you write on your CV ‘was accepted into xxx MBA program having got 700 on the GMAT’ then that would clearly be a lie. However, if you write ‘accepted into xxx MBA program’ and then seperately say ‘obtained 700 on the GMAT’ then there is no problem. Both statements are factually correct. In your opinion you got an artificially low score on the GMAT because at the time you had no incentive to get a better one. Now you do. I think you should try again giving it 100% and improve your score.You’ll feel better about yourself and more confident in interviews. You will no longer have to justify why you didn’t score better and have people doubting your intellect. Just my two cents anyway.
What is unethical about taking a test one more time? Many employers (major investment banks) have an online application where they ask you to put your GMAT score. However I know a girl who got two offers, MS and CS, with 550. I would say - go for that. Just don’t put your score on the resume unless it’s over 700
Carson, I agree with you on that one. If the employer evaluates you on the basis of GMAT score, along with other criteria, just improve it.
Makes more sense to spend time studying and getting CFA. I think that would mean more during an interview than a GMAT score…However.I do understand your drive to get a better score
I would think this would hurt more than help. What you put on your resume gets you in the door, how you answer questions and handle yourself will land you the job. If I was interviewing you and found out you took it after your MBA I would think you were a d-bag.
Depends what you are applying for. Almost all banks and consulting firms ask for the GMAT for associate level hires. A 580 looks pretty crappy. I’d take it again and get a 700+.
DirtyZ Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Depends what you are applying for. Almost all > banks and consulting firms ask for the GMAT for > associate level hires. A 580 looks pretty crappy. > I’d take it again and get a 700+. Is it just me or has the GMAT not suddenly surged to become an “important topic” on these boards? Can’t recall these discussions over GMAT even existed when I studied for Level I a few years ago (yes, I have other priorities than exams so I go for one level every other year or so). Someone said a CFA exam “looks better” than a high GMAT score. I’d say they are right. So, think about what your priorities are, how much time you have on your hands, and then work on a plausible answer to the question -What was your GMAT score? I know many good people, skilled people, who have high positions in the finance sector but who have neither taken the GMAT nor the CFA exam. It doesn’t mean they’re worthless. I’m sure there must be ways to land a good job without having to improve a single score on the GMAT test (and what about GRE?). If there isn’t it says a great deal about the US society of today. Anyways, I took this test too - it was a prerequisite of some courses I contemplated signing up for - which says a great deal about me. They have started to mention the GMAT over here to (on the other side of the pond, in Europe). I prepared for about 10-15 hours and I’d guess that 600 (or 580 in your case) is what you get if you’re an average user of these boards, have had very good grades back in school, have a MSc in Business Administration and finance, some calculus classes way back, is well-assorted and have worked for some 10+ years in finance and is an average European who now holds a decent non-entry-level job the finance sector but is not overly thrilled by the prospect of sitting down for hours on end practicing multiple-choice questions or AWA’s and therefore decided to have a go without preparation. (People who study for the CFA exam in Europe tend to be older than in the US, the exam wasn’t much known when I graduated so it wasn’t even an option back then.) I will not try to bump the score up from 600, that score is more than enough to show you’re capable of bumping it up should you decide to go studying for it (which I plan not to) and in my case I have other talents and priorities which does’t even show on that kind of test.