With everything going on in your busy life, when should you schedule the GMAT? Should you take the test months before your application deadlines or give yourself as much time to study as possible? Would you do better bright and early in the morning, or should you opt for an appointment in the afternoon?

Selecting the right date and time for your GMAT is an important step along the path to business school. To help you choose, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about GMAT test dates, how to pick one, and when to register.

First, when is the GMAT administered?

When Is the GMAT Administered?

The GMAT is administered on an on-demand basis most days of the year. There are no set GMAT test dates. Instead, you can pick out almost any date and time that works for you. Many GMAT test centers offer the test nearly every day of the year.

Some test centers aren’t open on Sundays or holidays, so you’ll have to check with test centers in your area to see their exact GMAT schedule. University-based test centers, for instance, might be closed for extended periods around holidays or other campus breaks.

Wherever you are in the world, most test centers offer morning, midday, and evening appointments. Appointment times vary by test center. At one of the Pearson VUE centers in Boston, to give one example, the GMAT is administered Monday through Saturday at 8 AM, 12 PM, and 4:30 PM.

You can look for GMAT exam dates and availability online at MBA.com. At MBA.com, you can explore test locations, GMAT dates, and times before committing to one. When I look up the Pearson VUE Test Center in Boston, for instance, I see three available time slots on February 18 —

You’ll see a similar feature when you explore test dates. GMAT test dates with availability show up in green, while dates that are all filled up appear in gray. A date will be green as long as it has at least one open time slot.

Once you’ve taken some time to explore your options, when should you choose a GMAT exam date and time and officially register?

When Should You Register for the GMAT?

You can register for the GMAT online or by phone (for $10 extra) anywhere from six months to 24 hours before a test date. If you decide to register by mail, then your request must arrive at least 10 days before your preferred test date.

Hundreds of thousands of students across the world take the GMAT every year, and spots at testing centers can fill up fast. To make sure you get your preferred test date and time, a good rule of thumb is to register at least two to three months in advance.

You may want to register even earlier if you’re looking for an appointment during peak times. The months right before application deadlines are popular, like August, November, and February, as are Saturday GMAT test dates.

It’s also been my experience that afternoon time slots fill up faster than morning ones. If you’re looking to take the GMAT on a Saturday afternoon in November, then you should make sure to complete your registration well in advance.

That being said, what if you’re reading this article and panicking that you waited too long to sign up. Can you still register for the GMAT at the last minute?

Can You Register for the GMAT Last Minute?

As mentioned above, you can technically register for the GMAT online or over the phone up to 24 hours in advance of a test date, assuming that date is available. If you wait until just 24 hours before, though, you may find there are no available dates left, especially if you’ve only got one or two test centers in your area.

The Graduate Management Admission Council and Pearson VUE state their commitment to ensuring that you can find a testing appointment within 30 days, wherever you are in the world. Try your best not to wait any longer than 30 days before a test date, especially if your application deadline is just around the corner.

Whenever you decide to register, how can you zero in on the GMAT exam date and time that will work best for you? You should start by asking yourself five key questions.

How to Choose the Best GMAT Test Date: 5 Key Questions

Just as you should be strategic about how you take the GMAT, you should also be strategic about choosing your GMAT exam date and time. First and foremost, you need to make sure you take the test in time for your application deadlines.

Beyond deadlines, you also want to think about ways to optimize your performance. If you choose a date in the midst of a big work project or right around a holiday, then you might find yourself distracted. If you choose an 8 AM time slot but are useless before your late morning latte, then you won’t be able to give it your all.

The right exam date and time for your GMAT vary by individual. To do some digging into your personal preferences, you should ask yourself these five questions.

#1: When Are My Business School Application Deadlines?

No matter how much you enjoy strictly-timed, computer-adaptive exams, you’re probably not taking the GMAT just for fun. People take the GMAT to get into business school, and they need to make sure that schools receive their scores before an application deadline.

Most business schools have three rounds of admissions deadlines. Round one deadlines tend to land in September or October, round two is in early January, and round three is in March or April. A general rule of thumb for applying to business school is to apply as early as you can as long as you can send off the strongest application possible.

Ideally, you can apply by a round one deadline when the largest number of spots are open. If you’re frantically rushing to meet this deadline, though, then you might wait for a later round or plan instead for the following year.

Official score reports are sent to schools about 20 days after you take the GMAT. You should schedule your test at least a month before your first deadline, or even further out if you think you might retake the test. So for example, if you’re applying to Harvard Business School by its 2017 deadline, September 7, then you should take the GMAT by August 7 at the latest.

You also need to consider all of the other work you have to do on your graduate school application, like writing essays and gathering letters of recommendation from former professors and managers. Taking the GMAT in time for your application deadlines is just one piece of the puzzle. You should also think about your other commitments and application requirements.

#2: Is There a Possibility I’ll Retake the GMAT?

When you finish up the last section of the GMAT, you’ll get a preview of your scores. This unofficial score report will tell you how you did on the Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal scores, plus you’ll get to see your total scores. The only score you won’t see yet is your Analytical Writing Assessment, or essay, since it needs to be assessed by two graders.

At this point, you’ll be asked whether you want to keep or cancel your scores. If you fall short of your target scores, then you may choose to cancel the scores completely. They won’t be sent to any schools, and it will be like you never took the GMAT — except that your bank account will be $250 lighter.

If you’re not satisfied with your scores, you can retake the GMAT after waiting a couple of weeks. You can schedule a retake up to five times per year, but your next test date must be at least 16 days after the first one.

Ideally, you’ll be satisfied with your scores and won’t have to take the test again or pay another registration fee. If you want to leave yourself the option, though, then you should register for your first test at least two months before your application deadline. That way, you will have time to retake the test and make sure your retake scores arrive at schools before the deadlines.

#3: How Much Time Do I Have to Study?

According to GMAC, students who scored above a 700 on the GMAT studied for an average of 121 hours. The GMAT is a challenging test, and many test takers prepare for months. When you choose a date, you should leave yourself plenty of time to prepare.

Let’s say you set aside ten hours a week to get ready for the GMAT. After 12 weeks, you’d have accumulated 120 hours of studying. If this sounds like a study plan that would work for you, then you should choose a test date that’s at least three months from the time you start preparing.

Of course, you can start preparing even before you register so that you have a sense of your current scoring level and how much you need to study. Setting a date in stone, though, can help you get motivated. You’re more likely to commit to studying if you know your test date is swiftly approaching.

#4: What Else Is Going On in My Schedule?

Changing your GMAT registration can incur some pretty hefty fees, so you want to make sure you don’t have any competing commitments before you pick a date. Check your schedule for upcoming work events, social obligations, vacations, or holidays.

You may want to get the exam done before a holiday break so you’re not studying while, say, everyone else is eating Thanksgiving turkey. Perhaps you’d do better taking the test on a Monday or Tuesday, rather than waiting until Thursday or Friday when you’re tired from the work week or thinking about a professional project.

If it were me, I’d prefer to take off a Tuesday for the GMAT after a three-day weekend, so I had a full three days beforehand to get ready and focus entirely on taking the exam. If you can’t take any time off work, then you may have to search for the best weekend date.

When you start thinking about a GMAT date, consider any competing commitments and the day of the week that would optimize your testing performance.

#5: Am I a Morning or Afternoon Person?

Just as you should be thoughtful about the day of the week you choose — I would be useless on a Friday afternoon, for instance — you should also think carefully about the best time of day. As long as you register early, you should have choices for taking the exam in the morning or the afternoon.

At this point in your educational and professional career, you probably know when you’re most alert, in the morning or the afternoon. If you heavily favor one time of day over the other, then the time slot you choose for the GMAT could have a big effect on how you do. Choose the time when you’ll be most focused and motivated to take on a three and a half-hour test.

Finalizing Your GMAT Schedule

Taken together, all of these questions prompt you to think about the date and time that would optimize your testing performance and chances of getting into business school. On the practical side, you need to leave yourself time to meet application deadlines and log some serious studying hours.

On the personal level, you should consider whether you’re most productive in the morning or afternoon, in the beginning of the week or at the end. By registering several months in advance, you can ensure that you have plenty of choices when it comes to taking the GMAT.

Let’s say you’re applying for a round one admission deadline in early September. You’d like to log about 100 hours of studying in total and can commit 10 hours a week to GMAT prep. As a peppy sunrise jogger, you’re at your peak energy in the morning and prefer to take the test early in the work week.

You also want to leave yourself one extra chance to take the GMAT, just in case you’re not satisfied with your scores. When should you register?

In the ideal scenario, you’re asking yourself this question in May. You schedule your GMAT in early July, leaving yourself three months to study. If you’re not satisfied with your scores, then you could take the GMAT again in August. Since you’re such a morning person, you opt to take the test on a Monday at 8 AM.

By considering your deadlines, study time, and personal preferences, you registered early for the GMAT and found your ideal testing time. Well done!

While everything’s looking rosy at this point, what if an emergency arises that forces you to change your GMAT date? Despite all your careful planning, what do you do if you need to reschedule your test?

What If You Need to Change Your GMAT Registration?

It is possible to make changes to your GMAT schedule. If you need to alter your test date, then you should try your best to do so more than seven days before your test date.

You can reschedule your test more than seven days in advance for a $50 fee. If you wait until the appointment is seven or fewer days away, then you won’t get any discount and will have to pay the entire $250 registration fee again.

If you need to cancel your GMAT, you can do so and get a refund of $80 if you cancel more than seven days prior to your test date. Again, if you wait until last minute, then you won’t get any money back.

If you’ve asked yourself the five questions above and thoughtfully chosen a GMAT test date, then you most likely won’t have to make any changes to your registration. If something unexpected does come up, though, then hopefully you can cancel or reschedule more than seven days in advance of your test date and get a bit of a financial break.

As we finish up this guide on choosing a date for your GMAT registration, let’s go over some key takeaways you should remember about when to take the test.

Choosing a GMAT Test Date: Final Thoughts

The GMAT is given continuously throughout the year, so you can take it on almost any day that works with your schedule and application deadlines. While you have a lot of choice of GMAT test dates, you should know that spots fill up fast. To make sure you get your preferred date and time, try your best to register two to three months in advance.

When you choose a test date, make sure to leave enough time for your official score report to reach business schools. Score reports usually arrive about 20 days after you take the test. If you want to leave yourself the option of retaking the GMAT, then you need at least an additional 16 days of buffer time.

You should also try to be strategic about taking the GMAT on a day and time when you can perform your best. That might mean signing up early in the week, like a Monday or Tuesday, before you’re tired from the work week. It might also mean choosing a morning or afternoon slot to take advantage of the time of day when you’re most energized and productive.

Once you’ve signed up for the GMAT, you’ll likely feel a boost in how motivated you are to study. Having that test date set in stone means you only have a limited amount of time to prepare and work toward your target scores. Register early so that you can score your preferred test date and start getting ready for this important business school exam.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve chosen your GMAT test date, how do you sign up? Check out this full guide on registering for the GMAT, step by step.

Did you know that the math and verbal sections of the GMAT are adaptive, or that the Integrated Reasoning section always presents the same four question types? Check out this guide on the GMAT exam pattern to learn all about the format, structure, and question types of the GMAT.

Are you ready to start preparing? This complete GMAT study guide (coming soon) will help you design your personalized study plan and achieve your target scores.

The post GMAT Test Dates: Full Guide to Choosing (2018, 2019) appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Before stepping into the hallowed halls of business school, you must take the Graduate Management Admission Test, popularly known as the GMAT. Given that you can take the GMAT almost any day of the year, what day should you take this important exam?

This guide will go over everything you need to know about GMAT test dates in 2017, as well as give you some tips for strategically choosing your best test date. First, when is the GMAT administered in 2017?

GMAT Test Dates 2017: When Are They?

You have tons of choice when it comes to taking the GMAT. The exam is administered at a variety of test centers on almost every day of the year. You don’t have to wait for a set date, but rather can make an appointment on almost any day, year-round.

The only time the GMAT is not offered is when a test center is closed, typically on Sundays or national holidays. Pearson VUE centers are closed on the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day, observed Jan. 2
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 16
• Memorial Day, May 29
• Independence Day, July 4
• Labor Day, Sep. 4
• Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23
• Christmas Day, Dec. 25

Not only is the GMAT administered most days of the year, but it’s also offered several times a day. You’ll often see morning and afternoon times around 8 AM, 12 PM, and 4 PM. As long as there’s space, you can choose whatever day and time work best with your schedule.

To find an available test date, you should simply head to MBA.com. You can peruse locations and availability without committing to a specific date or time.

When I look at the next available testing appointments at a Pearson VUE Center in New Hampshire, for instance, I see available dates for the next two months. Any day with space shows up in green.

You’ll notice that there are no available upcoming Saturday appointments in this example. Weekend testing is popular and fills up fast.

When you search for availability, you can look as far as six months in advance. Why does the calendar end there?

When Can You Register for the GMAT?

You’ll be able to explore your options up to six months in advance because you can register as many as six months before a test date. If you’re more last minute, then you can register online or by phone up to 24 hours before a test date, if it’s still available (unlikely). Spots fill up fast, so it’s a good idea to register at least two to three months before you plan to take the test.

Spots on the weekends fill up especially fast. If you need to test on a Saturday, then you should definitely register a minimum of two months ahead of time.

There are actually a lot of factors to consider when choosing your GMAT test date, not the least of which is your business school application deadlines. You should register early so that you don’t end up with no options or taking the test on a day or time that’s inconvenient for you.

So, what are all of these factors that come into play when you choose a test date? Read on to learn about the five main ones that should influence your choice of test date and time.

How to Choose a GMAT Test Date in 2017: 5 Key Questions

Given all of the options for GMAT test dates in 2017, should you just point your finger at a calendar and go with whatever day it lands on? Probably not. Like with everything else related to the GMAT, you’ll be best served by approaching your registration with a strategy.

To find your best approach to scheduling the GMAT, you should ask yourself the following five questions.

Question #1: When Are Your Deadlines?

Before anything else, you need to make sure you’re taking the GMAT in time for your application deadlines. Official score reports take about 20 days after you test to reach score recipients. To account for any delays, you should take the GMAT at least a month before your first application deadline.

Many business schools have three rounds of application deadlines. Round one deadlines tend to be in September, round two are usually in January, and round three are in April or May. Generally, it’s best to apply for round one before any spots have been taken.

At the same time, you want to send off the strongest application you can. If you’d need to cut into your GMAT study time significantly to meet a round one deadline, then you may be better off giving yourself more time to study and applying for round two instead.

Just as important as meeting a deadline is sending off the strongest application possible, even if that means having to wait for a later round of deadlines or even for the following year.

Question #2: Would You Retake the Test?

Your second question should prompt you to consider whether or not you would retake the GMAT if you were unhappy with your scores. Do you think there are areas where you could make a significant improvement, like more than 40 points, with more prep or a new approach to studying?

If you think there’s a strong chance you could improve your scores, then you might cancel them and take the GMAT again. As of mid-2015, test takers now only have to wait 16 days after taking the GMAT to retest. Just keep in mind that you can only test up to five times in a year and that the registration fee for each test is $250.

If you think you need a buffer to take the GMAT again, then you should add at least another 16 days before your application deadlines. Of course, you probably need more than 16 days to effect a big increase in your scores. If you need to retake the exam (or want to avoid having to), check out PrepScholar GMAT’s comprehensive online course. It’s an affordable option that’s so effective it comes with a 60 point score improvement guarantee!

Question #3: How Much Time Should You Study?

Third, you should consider how much time you need and can realistically commit to studying for the GMAT. Only giving yourself a week to prepare before your test date wouldn’t be setting yourself up for success, unless you’re a test-taking unicorn who can ace the GMAT with little to no practice.

According to GMAC, students who achieve competitive scores of 700 or higher studied an average of 121 hours. While studying for this amount of time may seem like a tall order, it’s totally attainable if you spread your study schedule out over several months.

To achieve your GMAT target scores, you might start studying five to six months beforehand. You’d also benefit from registering for the GMAT early so that you have a set deadline to motivate your prep.

Question #4: What Else Is on Your Schedule?

Beyond your application deadlines, you should think about what else is on your schedule. Competing commitments might involve work projects, social events, vacations, holidays, or all of the other things you need to do to apply for business school, like write essays or gather recommendation letters.

Make sure that you don’t have any other events on your schedule that would interfere with your GMAT test date. Choosing a date right after a trip might ruin your vacation, and taking it in the midst of a big work project would add up to tons of stress.

The best time might be early in the week when you’re not too tired from work and you have the weekend before to commit to prep. Saturday is another popular day for people who can’t take a day off during the week.

Think carefully about other items on your to-do list so that you don’t have to change your GMAT registration.

Question #5: Should You Choose Morning or Afternoon?

Just as you should choose a day of the week that would optimize your performance, you should also strategically choose a morning or afternoon time slot. Some people are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed early in the AM, while others dread an early morning alarm.

After years of being a student, you probably know where you fall. When you register, look for the time of day when you’ll be most alert, efficient, and ready to take on a demanding exam.

When choosing your GMAT test date, all of these five factors should have an effect on your decision. By answering all of the above questions, you can be strategic about your choice of GMAT test date in 2017 and find the best time for you.

Before I leave you to your business school preparations, what do you need to remember about GMAT test dates in 2017 and how to pick the best one for you? Read on for a few key takeaways that will guide your GMAT registration.

GMAT Test Dates 2017: Key Takeaways

You don’t have to worry about taking the GMAT on a specific date, because it’s offered nearly everyday on a year-round basis. Your main concern should be registering early so that your preferred test date and time are available.

Rather than randomly choosing a date, you should be thoughtful about what test date works best with your schedule. First, you need to make sure your GMAT score report will arrive at schools ahead of application deadlines.

Second, you need to leave yourself plenty of time to study for this challenging exam. To minimize the chance you’ll need to reschedule, you should look over your schedule for any conflicts.

Finally, you should choose the day of the week and time of day when you’ll be most energetic and ready to take on this challenge. By asking yourself these questions months in advance, you can spend the rest of your time getting ready for the test and putting the finishing touches on your applications to business school.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve chosen a test date, how do you sign up for the GMAT? Check out this guide to learn how to register for the GMAT, step by step.

Are you familiar with the structure of the GMAT? This article goes over the full GMAT format, plus it has tips for preparing for each section.

Where can you find the best GMAT practice tests? Check out our complete list of free GMAT practice tests.

The post 2017 GMAT Test Dates appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Timing is everything, and nowhere is this adage more true than when it comes to taking the GMAT. Choosing the right date and time to take the GMAT can make a big difference in how well you do. Plus, you need to make sure you meet application deadlines for business school.

To help you figure out when to take the GMAT, this guide will go over everything you need to know about GMAT test dates in 2016. If you’re looking to take the test in 2017, then check out this companion guide instead.

If you’re in the right spot, then read on to learn all about GMAT test dates 2016.

When Are GMAT Test Dates in 2016?

The GMAT is given on a continuous, on-demand basis on most days throughout the year. There are no set GMAT test dates. Instead, you can choose almost any date and time that works for you!

The only times you can’t take the GMAT are when a test center is closed. Most Pearson VUE centers offer the GMAT Monday through Saturday and are closed on Sundays.

Pearson VUE locations are also typically closed on the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day, Jan. 1
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 18
• Memorial Day, May 30
• Independence Day, July 4
• Labor Day, Sep. 5
• Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24
• Christmas, observed Dec. 26

University-based test centers may be closed for extended periods of time around holidays or other campus breaks.

As long as test centers are open, you have a lot of flexibility with when to take the GMAT. In addition to picking a date that’s convenient for you, you can choose to take the exam in the morning, afternoon, or evening.

If you’re registering late in 2016, then you might find limited availability for test dates and times. Spots may have filled up by people who registered back in May or June. How far in advance can people sign up for the GMAT?

When Can You Register for the GMAT?

You can register for the GMAT online or by phone anywhere from six months to 24 hours before a test date. If you wait until 24 hours prior, though, then the date is unlikely to be available.

If you register by mail, then your request needs to arrive 10 days in advance of your preferred test date. The vast majority of test takers, over 95%, sign up for the GMAT online at MBA.com.

If you’re reading this article in late 2016, you might still be able to schedule a 2016 test date. You can explore your options by going to MBA.com, choosing a test center, and choosing the option, “Show me the next available appointment.”

When I look for the next available appointment in early November at a test center in New Hampshire, for instance, I see some options in November and December 2016. The available dates are in green, while unavailable dates are in gray.

If you’re not finding much availability, you may also be able to cast a wider net in terms of test locations, as long as you have transportation to get there. Once you’ve explored your options for locations and available dates, when should you register for the GMAT?

When Should You Register for the GMAT?

If you’re looking to register for the GMAT in 2016, then you should do so as soon as possible. Test dates fill up, and signing up will ensure that you get your preferred date and time of day.

You don’t want to get stuck with a date that interferes with your work schedule or a time when you feel tired and lack focus. The earlier you sign up, the better your chances are that your the GMAT test date you want will be available.

Generally, it’s recommended that test takers sign up for the GMAT at least two to three months in advance. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) also states that people across the world should be able to get an appointment within 30 days of signing up.

If you’re looking to register for a GMAT test date in 2016, what factors do you need to think about before you pick a date?

How Should You Choose a GMAT Test Date? 5 Key Factors

While MBA.com has a “Show me next available appointment” option, most people don’t just go with the next available test date and show up to the GMAT with no plan. Instead, you should consider your application deadlines, think about your personal preferences, and give yourself plenty of time to study.

Before choosing a test date, consider these five important factors.

#1: Your Business Graduate School Deadlines

First and foremost, the GMAT is a test for getting into business school. Along with submitting other parts of your application, like your essays and recommendation letters, you need to submit your GMAT scores ahead of your deadlines.

Official score reports are sent to schools about 20 days after you test. If you add additional score recipients after you leave the testing center, then score reports might take a few extra days to reach them.

To account for this time, you should take the GMAT at least 30 days before your first application deadline. If you’re applying for round two admission, then your deadlines are probably in early January 2017. In this case, then you should take the GMAT in early December at the latest.

At this point, you won’t have time to retake the test if you’re dissatisfied with your scores. If you want to leave time to retake the GMAT, then you might consider applying for round three admission deadlines in the spring or waiting to apply until the following year.

#2: Whether You Need Time to Retake the Test

If you’re not happy with your GMAT scores, you can cancel them and reschedule another test. If you cancel your scores, they won’t show up on your GMAT score reports. You can retake the GMAT 16 or more days from your last test date.

If you’re aiming to meet a January business school deadline and have a November or December GMAT test date, then you probably won’t have time to retake the GMAT. To retake the GMAT in 2017, you’d have to push your applications to round three admissions or to round one admissions of the following year.

#3: How Much Time You Have to Study

Most people spend a significant amount of time studying for the GMAT, especially if they’ve been out of school and in the professional world for a few years. It takes time to reinvigorate those rusty test-taking skills.

If you’re signing up for the GMAT last minute and haven’t done much studying, then it could be a waste of a test date and registration fee. Before committing to a date, you should try out some practice questions or take a practice test to get a sense of your current scoring level.

If you need to improve by 60 to 100 points, then you should leave yourself at least a month to get ready. Students who scored a 700 or above on the GMAT averaged 121 hours of prep time.

Before choosing a test date, try to get a sense of your current level and how much time you need to study. Then, you can make sure to leave yourself enough time before your appointment, whether that means you go for a 2016 test date or wait until 2017.

#4: Competing Commitments in Your Schedule

Ideally, you won’t have to make any changes to your GMAT appointment. The fees to reschedule or cancel the GMAT are expensive, and you don’t get any kind of discount or refund if you wait to make changes within seven days of your appointment.

To minimize the chance that you’ll have to change your registration, you should look over your schedule for any competing commitments before choosing a test date. Consider any work projects, social events, birthdays, or holiday breaks that would interfere directly, cut into your study time, or simply leave you feeling distracted on test day.

You should also think about the best day of the week to test. I would personally prefer a Monday or Tuesday to a Thursday or Friday, when I’m tired from the work week and might have half my brain thinking about work projects. If you can take a day off to get the test done early in the work week, then it might be to your benefit.

Along similar lines, you should consider your best time of day to test.

#5: Your Ideal Time of Day to Test

As you read above, test centers offer the GMAT in both the morning and the afternoon. After years as a student, you probably know when you have the most energy. If possible, choose the time of day when you’ll be able to focus in on a three-and-a-half hour, computer-based exam.

If you don’t feel a strong preference for one or the other, then that’s fine, too. That just means you have more options!

Anyone who took the GMAT in 2016 reaped the benefit of some new options for canceling and reinstating their scores. Read on to learn about the changes in GMAT policy in 2016.

GMAT Policy Changes in 2016

Anyone who took the GMAT in 2016 had more flexibility in canceling or reinstating their scores than students did in previous years. GMAC introduced an extended score cancellation and reinstatement policy that now allows students to cancel their scores within 72 hours of taking the GMAT. They also allow test takers to reinstate canceled scores for any exams taken on or after January 1, 2014.

GMAC also revised its policy on retesting in mid-2015. Rather than having to wait 31 days, now students only have to wait 16 days before taking the GMAT again. As canceled scores are now completely removed from score reports, you never have to worry about business schools seeing that you retested or got low scores the first time around.

If you took the GMAT in 2016 or are planning to take it in the future, you’ll have more options for canceling scores, reinstating scores, and retaking the GMAT than did students in years past.

In closing, let’s go over the key points you need to remember about GMAT test dates in 2016 and how to choose the best test date for you.

GMAT Test Dates 2016: Key Takeaways

Unlike the SAT you took for college, the GMAT is offered on a continuous basis throughout the year. You can pretty much take it whenever you want, as long as you can find availability.

When choosing a test date, you should think about your application deadlines and whether or not you need extra time to retake the test. Remember, score reports take about 20 days to reach schools, and you have to wait 16 days before retaking the GMAT.

You should also be strategic about the best day of the week and time of day for you take a long, demanding test. Try to choose a time and day when you’ll have the most energy, focus, and motivation to conquer the GMAT.

Finally, you need to balance studying for and taking the GMAT with all of the other pieces of your business school application. Applying to graduate school is an extensive process, but with enough planning, you can make sure that you present your candidacy in the best possible light.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve chosen your test date, how do you register for the GMAT? Check out this guide for the full GMAT registration process, step by step.

Are you ready to start studying? Our handy guide to the first steps of GMAT prep will help you determine how to begin.

What’s a good score on the GMAT, anyway? Check out our expert guide to learn about how the GMAT is scored and what makes a good score on this business school exam.

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