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Should I take the upcoming GRE mathematics subject test even though I feel unprepared?


jd12345

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I would like to take the upcoming Mathematics subject test, more so for practice than anything else. I am confident I could get a decent score, but not an excellent one. Will grad schools see this score even if I perform better at a later date, or do I only have to submit the best scores I get?  I still have almost a year before I apply to grad schools, but I'd like to get things done early if possible. 

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As of July 2013**, you can choose which scores to send to the schools. There are some limitations---for example, in order to use the four free score reports for a given test date, you must use that test date's scores. You can read about the exact policies on the ETS Score Select page: https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/scoreselect

(**I include the date here because some outdated websites still say that you cannot choose your scores)

Whether or not it's worth it depends on whether or not you think you can spend $150 ish for a practice test. If the only reason is to practice then I would say there are cheaper ways of getting old/sample tests and simulating a practice. But April is still 2+ months away, plenty of time to prepare if you don't feel ready right now.

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From my experience with other subject tests, it's best to take it as many times as you can.  Some versions will be more to your strengths than others, so the more times you take it the more likely you are to get a good score, in addition to the practice it gives you.  As the previous commenter mentioned, you can send individual scores if you do it online, not at the testing center, so if you do poorly once your schools will not see it.  In my opinion, it's only a matter of finances.  If you can afford to take it multiple times, I think it's a great idea.

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