Taking the GRE a multiple of times

[blogger2008]

Its because lower tiered schools typically accept the best scores. And you are allowed to retest, theres nothing stopping you from doing it. Its just frowned upon by top schools.

[omaradib]

Think simply.

It is a rough measurement of some aspects of your capacity. That capacity probably cannot be measured well by a one shot exam, but a one shot exam, if analyzed properly, can be a significant measure, which I will explain later.

The exam actually measures your certain capacity, given they designed it so, but not precisely. Therefore, there must be a distribution, an average and a standard deviation (std).

So, if you have a quite low score but believe you can do better, surely sit for it. If your scores improve, it indicates that your first score was actually below your average capacity and also indicate that your average is higher.

But, taking multiple at least will indicate that your capability is a fluctuating one.

How to analyze a one shot exam. IF it was me, I would certainly know that, one sample out of the measurement distribution of an applicant is gives no idea about the average and std numerically. But, if it is low, I will guess one out of two things.

Either his average is low OR his average is high and this sample may be one accident, but which also indicate that at least his std his high.

For a top school adcom, both case should be seen as weakness of application.

Take it ten times, if last 5 are high and almost the same, it must make up every negative analysis I mentioned above.