Graduate Management Admission Council

This customer contacted us on April 30th regarding cancelling her GMAT examAs per our cancellation policy, for all exams cancelled prior to days before the scheduled exam, the candidate will receive an $refundFor all exams cancelled within days of the exam, the candidate will forfeit the full feeThe cancellation fee is part of the Terms and Conditions that they candidate agrees to, when they register for the examThe cancellation policy can be found on our website: http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/register.aspx#tab3, and states: You may cancel your GMAT exam if you do not intend to rescheduleYou may receive a partial refund of US$if you cancel your exam by your deadline.Cancel Your GMAT Exam Your registration fee will be forfeited if you miss your scheduled GMAT examCancellation refund amounts are subject to change without notice and according to local lawIf you cancel your appointment: More than seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$refundWithin seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: No refund If you are testing in South Korea:More than seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$refund Within seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$refundPlease visit the Pay for the Test page for specific cancellation fees based on location and how close you are to your exam date

Regarding? Complaint ID #: [redacted] :? We followed up with the test center and the test center confirmed that was a cleaning crew cleaning the? carpet in one of the suites upstairs There were two hoses running through the front doors and up the staircaseThe candidate did not report a live wire or burn to the test center staffThe test center staff reported that in their experience, the hoses were not in their way and they did not recall seeing any wires, just the two hosesWe are offering a new exam at a reduced rate to this candidate.?

Regarding Complaint ID #: [redacted] : The candidate sent an email to us at 8:15am on Friday, December she received a response by COB on the same dayShe contacted us again saying that she never received the reset password linkShe called us in the morning on Monday, December 12, at which time her password was manually reset, and she was able to log in and order score reportsShe did not contact us again after that

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the responseIf no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved] Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:The assertion that the issue I described did not impact the score is falseComparisons with other tests are not relevantTake, for example, the first GMAT test that I took in SeptemberSince GMAC does not provide a good way to keep track of time during breaks, I inadvertently missed almost minutes of the quantitative section of the September testTherefore, the 56th percentile I scored on the quantitative section of that test simply is not valid or representative of my ability levelGMAC can refer to its video records to verify that this is what happened on the first testI was best prepared for the test on November 1st, and the issue with the pad was most egregious on that particular testI scored a 68% percentile on the quantitative section of the exam in December, a full percentile points over the November 1st examThe improved quantitative score in December resulted not from additional preparation, but rather because I had learned to expect that test center staff would behave in an unprofessional manner and fail to bring additional scratch paper in a reasonable amount of time, and I adjusted my test strategy accordinglyThe GMAT should be testing on content and reasoning, and it does not make any sense for the GMAT to test people on scratch paper replacement strategyThe reason my overall score remained the same on the December test, despite the dramatic improvement on the quantitative section, was the result of a lower verbal score, which I feel resulted largely from the distress caused by the generally unprofessional conduct of GMAC and its test center staff, and resulting exhaustion from an unfair GMAT processThe relationship between the scratch pad issue and the negative exam score could not be more clearI also scored in the ~percentile range consistently on timed, GMAC-issued practice exams that I took within approximately one month of the November 1st examIn its response, GMAC stated that the time that I spent on questions on the November test was consistent with other testsFirst, this is an unspecific assertion that I cannot comment on properly due to lack of informationSecond, and of equal importance, GMAC is failing to consider the emotional distress that I experienced during the test as a result of (1) losing over one minute of the test while waiting for a new note pad (this is documented on video) and (2) the rude and unprofessional demeanor of the proctor toward me and the threats that she made about reporting me, when I did nothing wrong - I simply raised the pad in the air as I was instructed to doIt is absolutely unacceptable for the Graduate Management Admissions Council to fail to provide adequate scratch paper for test takers, or to replace the note pads in a way that is highly inconsistent across testsGiven this issue, the GMAT cannot be said to be a truly "standardized" testAlso, the solution suggested by GMAC is extremely unhelpfulI have already applied to my target schools and been rejected from out of of them, I'm sure largely due to the GMAT issueI will likely also be rejected from the 4th target school when decisions for that school are rendered on March 24th, In addition, I plan to start a new job soon and simply do not have time to properly prepare for or take an additional exam before September The inappropriate and unprofessional conduct of GMAC and its staff has caused irreparable damage to my efforts to attend business school and to pursue the career that I want to pursueThe way that GMAC administers the test is neither right, nor fairIf there are quantitative questions, then at least pages of scratch "paper" should be providedAt this point, the only acceptable solution will involve a complete refund of all payments I have made to GMAC, ever, including all test fees and all purchases of test-preparation materialsIn addition, GMAC should communicate to the presidents of all graduate programs that make admissions decisions based on the GMAT exam that the test is currently not administered in a consistent way and that, therefore, test results are, in general, not validGMAC should publicly apologize to test takers who have been affected by this issue and to the schools that rely on the test for admissions purposesPublicly explain why you feel you cannot give people more than pages to answer quantitative questionsI'm certain that the general public would find this puzzlingFrom this point forward, GMAC should commit to always providing adequate scratch paper for test takersTest center staff should have a more positive and more professional attitude and demeanorNo resolution will ever be acceptable to me that does not address each of these points Regards, [redacted] ***

From: [redacted] < [redacted] @***.com>Date: Tue, Jun 23, at 2:PMSubject: Follow Up - Case # [redacted] To: [redacted] @myRevdex.com.orgHi [redacted] - thank you very much for you help with this issueThe Graduate Management Admissions Council had offered me two options, (1) a full refund of the $test fee, or (2) the ability to take a 6th test in a month periodI did not realize that I had a limited time to respond, and was having trouble deciding what to do, and so the case was automatically closed without resolution.I have decided that I would very much like the $refund and that I am willing to consider the matter resolved once I receive the refund.Again, thank you very much, and please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information.Best regards, [redacted] ***-- [redacted] @***.com###-###-####

Regarding Complaint ID #: ***: The candidate claims that they selected a school to receive their scores before the day of the examThis is not currently nor has it ever been an optionCandidates can choose up to schools to send their GMAT scores to at the test center, on the day
of the examThe fee for any score reports sent after the GMAT appointment is USD As a good faith gesture, we have refunded this candidate the score report fee

This customer contacted us on April 30th regarding cancelling her GMAT examAs per our cancellation policy, for all exams cancelled prior to days before the scheduled exam, the candidate will receive an $refundFor all exams cancelled within days of the exam, the candidate will forfeit
the full feeThe cancellation fee is part of the Terms and Conditions that they candidate agrees to, when they register for the examThe cancellation policy can be found on our website: http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/register.aspx#tab3, and states: You may cancel your GMAT exam if you do not intend to rescheduleYou may receive a partial refund of US$if you cancel your exam by your deadline.Cancel Your GMAT Exam Your registration fee will be forfeited if you miss your scheduled GMAT examCancellation refund amounts are subject to change without notice and according to local lawIf you cancel your appointment: More than seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$refundWithin seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: No refund If you are testing in South Korea:More than seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$refund Within seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$refundPlease visit the Pay for the Test page for specific cancellation fees based on location and how close you are to your exam date

The GMAT Handbook describing the official policies of the GMAT exam, which *** *** signed when he registered for the GMAT exam, states the following:
"The following are actions we may take at our discretionThey are the only available remedies:
If we confirm a problem with your registration, your testing experience, or within
the exam you received, we will make reasonable efforts to correct the problem
If we cannot correct the error, you may reschedule your exam at no additional
cost or request a refund."
Although we do not believe an error occurred in administering the GMAT exam, we are willing to expand the remedy offered by also waiving our rule limiting the exam to five times in one 12-month periodThe options available to *** *** are:
accept a sixth exam at no additional cost prior to September 30,
receive a refund of a previous exam, while retaining the five-time/12-month testing limit
*** ***, we regret the stress you felt during your November exam and wish to offer you another opportunity to achieve the score you hope to getPlease let us know if you prefer #or #We realize that you may not find either remedy completely satisfactory and regret that may be the caseWe encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity as they will be the only remedies offered to address your concern

Regarding Complaint ID #: ***: We followed up with the test center and the test center confirmed that was a cleaning crew cleaning the carpet in one of the suites upstairs There were two hoses running through the front doors and up the staircaseThe candidate did not report a
live wire or burn to the test center staffThe test center staff reported that in their experience, the hoses were not in their way and they did not recall seeing any wires, just the two hosesWe are offering a new exam at a reduced rate to this candidate

Regarding Complaint ID #: ***: The candidate claims that they selected a school to receive their scores before the day of the examThis is not currently nor has it ever been an optionCandidates can choose up to schools to send their GMAT scores to at the test center, on the day
of the examThe fee for any score reports sent after the GMAT appointment is USD As a good faith gesture, we have refunded this candidate the score report fee

Regarding Complaint ID #: ***: The candidate sent an email to us at 8:15am on Friday, December she received a response by COB on the same dayShe contacted us again saying that she never received the reset password linkShe called us in the morning on Monday, December 12, at which time her password was manually reset, and she was able to log in and order score reportsShe did not contact us again after that

Regarding Complaint ID #: ***: The candidate sent an email to us at 8:15am on Friday, December she received a response by COB on the same dayShe contacted us again saying that she never received the reset password linkShe called us in the morning on Monday, December 12, at which
time her password was manually reset, and she was able to log in and order score reportsShe did not contact us again after that

Regarding Complaint ID #: ***: We followed up with the test center and the test center confirmed that was a cleaning crew cleaning the carpet in one of the suites upstairs There were two hoses running through the front doors and up the staircaseThe candidate did not report a
live wire or burn to the test center staffThe test center staff reported that in their experience, the hoses were not in their way and they did not recall seeing any wires, just the two hosesWe are offering a new exam at a reduced rate to this candidate.

From: [redacted] <[redacted].com>Date: Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 2:54 PMSubject: Follow Up - Case #[redacted]To: [redacted]@myRevdex.com.orgHi [redacted] - thank you very much for you help with this issue. The Graduate Management Admissions Council had offered me two options, (1) a full refund of the $250 test fee, or (2) the ability to take a 6th test in a 12 month period. I did not realize that I had a limited time to respond, and was having trouble deciding what to do, and so the case was automatically closed without resolution.I have decided that I would very much like the $250 refund and that I am willing to consider the matter resolved once I receive the refund.Again, thank you very much, and please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information.Best regards,[redacted]-- [redacted].com###-###-####

I was told by my MBA program that I was able to waive the GMAT requirement because of my background. I was already signed up to take the test and cancelled. My $250 test cost was refunded to me in the amount of $80. This is extortion. I understand the need for a cancellation fee but a $170 fee is robbery. This should be regulated by the government because of their involvement with US higher education.

Regarding Complaint ID #: [redacted]: The candidate sent an email to us at 8:15am on Friday, December 9 she received a response by COB on the same day. She contacted us again saying that she never received the reset password link. She called us in the morning on Monday, December 12, at which...

time her password was manually reset, and she was able to log in and order score reports. She did not contact us again after that.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]
 Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:The assertion that the issue I described did not impact the score is false. Comparisons with other tests are not relevant. Take, for example, the first GMAT test that I took in September. Since GMAC does not provide a good way to keep track of time during breaks, I inadvertently missed almost 4 minutes of the quantitative section of the September test. Therefore, the 56th percentile I scored on the quantitative section of that test simply is not valid or representative of my ability level. GMAC can refer to its video records to verify that this is what happened on the first test. I was best prepared for the test on November 1st, and the issue with the pad was most egregious on that particular test. I scored a 68% percentile on the quantitative section of the exam in December, a full 17 percentile points over the November 1st exam. The improved quantitative score in December resulted not from additional preparation, but rather because I had learned to expect that test center staff would behave in an unprofessional manner and fail to bring additional scratch paper in a reasonable amount of time, and I adjusted my test strategy accordingly. The GMAT should be testing on content and reasoning, and it does not make any sense for the GMAT to test people on scratch paper replacement strategy. The reason my overall score remained the same on the December test, despite the dramatic improvement on the quantitative section, was the result of a lower verbal score, which I feel resulted largely from the distress caused by the generally unprofessional conduct of GMAC and its test center staff, and resulting exhaustion from an unfair GMAT process. The relationship between the scratch pad issue and the negative exam score could not be more clear. I also scored in the ~70 percentile range consistently on 3 timed, GMAC-issued practice exams that I took within approximately one month of the November 1st exam.
In its response, GMAC stated that the time that I spent on questions on the November test was consistent with other tests. First, this is an unspecific assertion that I cannot comment on properly due to lack of information. Second, and of equal importance, GMAC is failing to consider the emotional distress that I experienced during the test as a result of (1) losing over one minute of the test while waiting for a new note pad (this is documented on video) and (2) the rude and unprofessional demeanor of the proctor toward me and the threats that she made about reporting me, when I did nothing wrong - I simply raised the pad in the air as I was instructed to do.
It is absolutely unacceptable for the Graduate Management Admissions Council to fail to provide adequate scratch paper for test takers, or to replace the note pads in a way that is highly inconsistent across tests. Given this issue, the GMAT cannot be said to be a truly "standardized" test.
Also, the solution suggested by GMAC is extremely unhelpful. I have already applied to my target schools and been rejected from 3 out of 4 of them, I'm sure largely due to the GMAT issue. I will likely also be rejected from the 4th target school when decisions for that school are rendered on March 24th, 2015. In addition, I plan to start a new job soon and simply do not have time to properly prepare for or take an additional exam before September 2015. The inappropriate and unprofessional conduct of GMAC and its staff has caused irreparable damage to my efforts to attend business school and to pursue the career that I want to pursue. The way that GMAC administers the test is neither right, nor fair. If there are 37 quantitative questions, then at least 37 pages of scratch "paper" should be provided.
At this point, the only acceptable solution will involve a complete refund of all payments I have made to GMAC, ever, including all test fees and all purchases of test-preparation materials. In addition, GMAC should communicate to the presidents of all graduate programs that make admissions decisions based on the GMAT exam that the test is currently not administered in a consistent way and that, therefore, test results are, in general, not valid. GMAC should publicly apologize to test takers who have been affected by this issue and to the schools that rely on the test for admissions purposes. Publicly explain why you feel you cannot give people more than 9 pages to answer 37 quantitative questions. I'm certain that the general public would find this puzzling. From this point forward, GMAC should commit to always providing adequate scratch paper for test takers. Test center staff should have a more positive and more professional attitude and demeanor. No resolution will ever be acceptable to me that does not address each of these points.
Regards,
[redacted]

We will process the refund this week.

After reviewing the records for [redacted], we are unable to determine that the incident described in his complaint negatively impacted his test scores. His score from November 1, 2014 was higher than his first exam and consistent with two subsequent exams. Additionally, the time he spent on each...

question within the Quantitative section on November 1 was consistent with the other exams for which he earned similar scores. Further, many factors contribute to exam performance and thus there is no way to determine that the issue [redacted] describes in his complaint impacted his score in any way. However, since [redacted] was not satisfied with the response by the test administrator, we will offer the courtesy of a sixth exam between now and September 30, 2015, at no additional charge. We will contact him after his next scheduled exam to assist with the registration for his sixth exam.

This customer contacted us on April 30th regarding cancelling her GMAT exam. As per our cancellation policy, for all exams cancelled prior to 7 days before the scheduled exam, the candidate will receive an $80 refund. For all exams cancelled within 7 days of the exam, the candidate will forfeit...

the full fee. The cancellation fee is part of the Terms and Conditions that they candidate agrees to, when they register for the exam. The cancellation policy can be found on our website: http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/register.aspx#tab3, and states: You may cancel your GMAT exam if you do not intend to reschedule. You may receive a partial refund of US$80 if you cancel your exam by your deadline.Cancel Your GMAT Exam Your registration fee will be forfeited if you miss your scheduled GMAT exam. Cancellation refund amounts are subject to change without notice and according to local law. If you cancel your appointment:  More than seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$80.00 refundWithin seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: No refund If you are testing in South Korea:More than seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$150.00 refund Within seven calendar days before the scheduled test date and time: US$50.00 refundPlease visit the Pay for the Test page for specific cancellation fees based on location and how close you are to your exam date.