GMAT - Entry-level position

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New answer on Oct 28, 2020
10 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on Oct 24, 2020

Hi all,

I'm applying to some consulting firms (tier 1/tier 2) in the next couple of days. I'll be applying through campus recruitment for full-time positions and I was wondering whether a high GMAT score can, to some extent, give me a leg up in the recruitment process.

I took the GMAT over less than a year ago with zero prep and scored 700. I’ve been preparing for my upcoming retake this coming November (first week), scoring consistently in the range 770-790 in official practice tests. Would it be a good idea to include, say, an average between my practice tests’ scores and my official one (something like a 740-750)? Or should I include my official score on my resume? Or nothing at all?

Thanks.

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Adi
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replied on Oct 24, 2020
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Hey there,

Only always include the official score on your resume/cover letter. If your grades are awesome you can do away with not including a par/sub-par GMT score (700 or under). But should you score highly in the retake then definitely put in there. This is not a deal breaker really if you have good grades and a good story to tell in the interview process. A very high GMT score can help your case slightly but will by no means be the only indicator to get you an interview.

If you are planning for an MBA from a top school in the future then that score will be a huge help.

Smash the retake!

Adi

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Ian
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replied on Oct 24, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Simple answer here:

  1. Do not put the 700 score
  2. When/if you score 750+, you can put that new score (don't average)
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Clara
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replied on Oct 26, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Strong NO!

  • First, none cares about GMAT at this point. That is only for business school
  • Despite what I said in the other point, a good GMAT (790 is very good) is worth mentioning, but only in case it´s real -and yours is not-.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Udayan
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updated an answer on Oct 24, 2020
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /6 years McKinsey recruiting experience

Hi,

This question has been discussed before. GMAT scores do not really move the needle of the application much. You would need to be at a target school and meet the GPA and extracurricular requirements. Focus energy on networking where the payoff is higher.

Additionally, a 700 GMAT score is good but not sufficient...most people have a GMAT score above 730 given that they go to a top 8 MBA program. If you get the high score by all means put it on your resume (the actual score not the avg.) but with the expectation that it looks good but does not really sway your chances that much.

Udayan

(edited)

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Anonymous replied on Oct 26, 2020

Hello,

Absolutely do not include your practice test GMAT. However, if you score 740+ (~98 percentile) then 100% YOU SHOULD list it with your education qualifications.
In Australia, a few consulting firms requested for this to be specifically included in the MBA students' application.

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7
Henning
Expert
replied on Oct 25, 2020
Bain | passed >15 MBB interviews as a candidate

I would not put an estimation you did yourself on your CV. The GMAT is an official test for a reason and creating the impression you scored higher is not a good idea.

If you redo it and actually get a high score, you can include it, as this should give you points in the "Academic" bucket.

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Mehdi
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replied on Oct 24, 2020
BCG | Received offers from all MBB & Tier 1Firms | Supporting you secure your top tier consulting offer

Hi there,

A good GMAT score would definitely look great on your CV, and I think you can include it but I would not advise you to put a score that you did not get yet! For now you can put the official score you have, or you can wait 2 more weeks and include the score you would have got after taking it for the second time.

Think that if you received an offer, you might have to go through a background check, where they verify every single information you put on your CV, so it's better to only include the official results you have until now. One other solution is that you include the 700 score for now and then update your CV once you get a better score in 2 weeks!

I hope this helps!

Mehdi

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Robert
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replied on Oct 24, 2020
McKinsey offers w/o final round interviews - 100% risk-free - 10+ years MBB coaching experience - Multiple book author

Hi Anonymous,

A great GMAT is a nice additional data point and will make a difference if all other factors are being equal. Reality is that the other factors are never equal, so please consider it only as a very minor data point altogether.

Stating the average is ok as long as you clearly label it like that, assuming that you also have evidence from the official practice tests. If not, please drop the idea, it won't do you any good.

Hope this helps - if so, please give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

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Gaurav
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Content Creator
replied on Oct 28, 2020
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

GMAT score doesn't mean a lot. BUT if you put average score it won't help you.

I would recommend you to include you GMAT score in case you have higher than 750.

Cheers,

GB

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Ken
Expert
replied on Oct 24, 2020
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

The GMAT score on your CV should always be the one you have actually scored as opposed to what you are achieveing during your practice tests. Its nice to have, if you have space on your CV, but won't make a meaingful difference as it's more of a means to an end (e.g., target MBA/graduate programme).

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Adi gave the best answer

Adi

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Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience
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