How Long Are GMAT Scores Valid

By Muntasir Jul 26, 2026 5 min read

TL;DR

GMAT scores are valid for 5 years from your test date, for both the GMAT Focus Edition and the older GMAT (10th Edition). Schools accept scores within this 5 year window through the standard reporting process. After 5 years, your score is archived but not deleted. You are allowed to request an archived score for up to 10 years total from the test date, though it requires a manual form and a note to the school explaining the score is old. Once a score passes the 10 year mark, mba.com deletes it for good and no one is able to recover or send it.

Your GMAT score stays valid for 5 years from your test date. This applies to both the current GMAT Focus Edition and the retired GMAT 10th Edition, so the transition between exam versions did not change how long a score lasts. Count the 5 years from the day you sat the exam, not from the day your Official Score was released.

This 5 year window is what matters for admissions. Schools treat any score inside it as current and reportable through the normal process on mba.com. Once you pass the 5 year mark, your options narrow but do not disappear right away.

Current validity period

Every GMAT score, whether from the Focus Edition or the legacy 10th Edition, is valid for 5 years from your test date. GMAC confirms the same 5 year window for scores from the GMAT Exam (10th Edition), measured from the appointment date. A score earned under the old format therefore has the same shelf life as one earned under the current format. Work out your expiry date first, then compare it against every application deadline on your list.

Exam version	Validity period
GMAT Focus Edition	5 years from test date
GMAT (10th Edition, legacy)	5 years from test date

What happens to scores older than 5 years

A score does not vanish the day it turns 5 years old. mba.com moves it into an archived state and keeps it on file for a longer stretch before deleting it. Archived scores stay reportable, but only through a slower manual route with extra conditions attached. The timeline below sets out the three stages a score passes through.

Scores stay valid and easily reportable for 5 years from the test date.
Scores remain available as archived records for up to 10 years total from the test date, covering the 5 to 10 year window after expiry.
Once a score passes 10 years from the test date, mba.com permanently deletes it and it cannot be recovered or reported by anyone.

Sending a score between 5 and 10 years old

Reporting an archived score is not the same as reporting a current one. You are not able to select it through the standard online score-sending workflow used for scores inside the 5 year window. Build in extra time for it, since the request is handled by hand rather than instantly.

Instead, mba.com requires a manually processed Expired Score Request Form for any score between 5 and 10 years old. Check the mba.com support page directly for the current processing fee, since the figure is not published on the form's own page. Two conditions apply to this request.

You must not have taken the GMAT again in the past 5 years.
The score report sent to schools carries a notice explaining the score is older and should be interpreted with caution.

Reporting an expiring score before a deadline

If your application deadline falls close to your score's 5 year expiry, treat the deadline as the real cutoff and report early rather than waiting. The 5 free score reports apply only in the 48 hours after your Official Score is released, so the free option is long gone for a score nearing expiry. For a score approaching the 5 year mark, the $35 additional score report is the only route through the standard workflow. The table below compares both options.

Reporting option	Cost	Timing
Up to 5 free score reports	Free	Must be selected within 48 hours of your Official Score being released
Additional standard score reports	$35 each	Any time within the 5 year validity window

Reporting fees are non-refundable, so confirm the school list before you submit. If your score is still inside the 5 year window, use the standard workflow well before the deadline rather than relying on the slower manual expired-score process. Send the report as soon as your school list is final so the expiry date never becomes the binding constraint.

Viewing an expired score

Your mba.com account dashboard only shows what falls inside the current validity window. Under My Account, GMAT Exams, View and Send Score, you are able to view scores for exams taken within the last 5 years. A score older than 5 years does not display there, even though it stays archived and reportable through the manual form until it hits the 10 year mark. Keep your own copy of every score report, since the dashboard stops being a record once the 5 years are up.

Self-reporting is a separate question from viewing. Each program sets its own rules on what you are allowed to enter on an application form, so check the instructions for every school on your list before typing in a score older than 5 years. Admissions offices verify a self-reported number against an official score report, which means a score between 5 and 10 years old still has to travel through the Expired Score Request Form. Past the 10 year mark there is no official report left to send, so a self-reported number from an older exam has nothing behind it.

If you need an old score, go straight to the Expired Score Request Form process rather than searching your dashboard. Plan your retake timing around these windows using our free GMAT score calculator, and review our guide on GMAT score reporting for the full send-score workflow or our GMAT retake policy guide if you are weighing whether to sit the exam again before your current score expires. Free full-length practice tests and drills are on our GMAT page, no signup required.