How many times can I take the GMAT in a year and over my lifetime?

You are allowed to take the GMAT up to five times in any rolling 12-month period, and up to eight times total over your lifetime. If you are retaking the GMAT Focus specifically, you also need to wait at least 16 calendar days between attempts.

GMAT Retake Rules at a Glance

Planning Your Retake Strategy

Because your attempts are capped both yearly and for life, it pays to prepare thoroughly before each sitting rather than treating the GMAT as something you can retake indefinitely. Space out your attempts sensibly, using the mandatory 16-day gap to genuinely improve your weak areas rather than repeating the same mistakes.

My Advice

Treat every GMAT attempt as valuable since your total is capped at eight for life, and only book a retake once you have identified specifically what went wrong last time, rather than hoping a repeat sitting alone will raise your score.