The headline GMAT exam cost is $275 at a test center and $300 online in the U.S., but that is only the start. Rescheduling fees, extra score reports, retakes and prep materials can add far more. This guide breaks down the GMAT Focus Edition fees for 2026 and shows you how to build a realistic budget.
Updated October 21, 2026
In the United States the GMAT costs $275 at a Pearson VUE test center and $300 online. Prices differ by country and can include local taxes; select your country on mba.com's Exam Payment page to see yours.
| Fee Category | Test Center | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Base registration (U.S.) | $275 | $300 |
| 5 free score reports (within 48 hrs of your score) | Included | Included |
| Additional Score Report (per program) | Widely reported as $35 | Widely reported as $35 |
| Performance insights in the Official Score Report | Included | Included |
| Official Practice Exams 1 & 2 | Free | Free |
| Phone reschedule or cancellation | +$10 | Not available (online changes only) |
| Reinstating a cancelled 10th Edition score | $50 | — |
The test-center fee gets you a seat at a Pearson VUE center with in-person check-in and proctoring, and the test administrator gives you the equivalent of five erasable noteboards (mba.com Exam Policies).
The online exam costs $25 more. You test from home with a remote proctor and can use the on-screen whiteboard or one physical whiteboard no larger than 12 × 20 inches. Our online vs. test center comparison covers the trade-offs beyond price.
Beyond the exam itself, the fee covers sending your score to up to five programs free, if you send them within 48 hours of your Official Score becoming available on mba.com. After that window, each program is a paid Additional Score Report. The fee also covers the detailed performance insights in your Official Score Report, which GMAC includes "at no additional cost" (mba.com).
Rescheduling is the most common surprise expense. GMAC sets three tiers based on how far ahead you make the change, and fees rise as the exam approaches. The U.S. amounts below are the figures widely reported from mba.com's fee schedule; mba.com's registration guide confirms that rescheduling starts at US$55 more than 60 days out. Check the Exam Payment page for your country before you change a date. Our GMAT rescheduling and cancellation policy guide covers the rules in detail.
| Days Before Exam | Reschedule (Center) | Reschedule (Online) | Cancellation Refund (Center) | Cancellation Refund (Online) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| More than 60 days | $55 | $60 | $110 | $120 |
| 15–60 days | $110 | $120 | $80 | $90 |
| 14 days or less | $165 | $180 | $55 | $60 |
| Within 24 hours | Not allowed | Not allowed | No refund | No refund |
Moving your date more than 60 days out costs $55 ($60 online). In the 15–60 day window it doubles to $110 / $120. Inside 14 days it rises to $165 / $180, more than half the registration fee. Within 24 hours of the appointment you can't reschedule at all.
Pick how far ahead of your exam you need to reschedule to see the U.S. fee for both formats.
Cancelling never returns the whole fee. More than 60 days out you get $110 back for a test-center booking ($120 online); at 15–60 days, $80 / $90; at 14 days or less, $55 / $60. Within 24 hours of the appointment you can't cancel.
Rescheduling or cancelling a test-center appointment by phone adds a $10 service fee; online appointments are changed online only (mba.com Exam Policies). If you miss your exam, you forfeit the fee and must wait 24 hours before booking again. GMAC may grant a free reschedule or a full refund for verified medical, military or bereavement emergencies; don't cancel the appointment yourself first, or you may lose that option (GMAC).
Worked Example
Setup: Priya books her test-center GMAT 90 days out for $275. Three weeks before her exam, a work trip forces her to move the date.
Post-exam costs are mostly about score reports. Plan your list of schools before test day and you may pay nothing extra.
Your registration includes five free score reports, but only if you send them within 48 hours of your Official Score becoming available. After that window, or beyond five schools, each program needs an Additional Score Report, widely reported as $35; mba.com shows the current price at checkout (GMAC). At $35, applying to ten programs means five paid reports, or $175. Our guide on how to send GMAT scores to schools walks through the steps.
Two old GMAT fees no longer apply. The paid Enhanced Score Report belonged to the 10th Edition; the Focus Edition Official Score Report includes the performance insights free. And the Focus Edition has no score cancellation, so there is no cancellation fee: GMAC says scores "do not need to be canceled" because schools only see what you send (GMAC). There is also no essay to rescore, since the Focus Edition has no AWA.
If you cancelled a 10th Edition score at a test center, you can reinstate it for $50 within 4 years and 11 months of the appointment (GMAC). Scores 5–10 years old can be sent through GMAC's Expired Score Request Form for a fee, if you haven't taken the GMAT in the past five years (GMAC).
Prep spending usually dwarfs the registration fee. The ranges below are our estimates of typical market prices, not GMAC figures; your actual cost depends on the products you choose.
The cheapest route uses the GMAT Official Guide 2026–2027 as the baseline, with GMAC's free Official Practice Exams 1 and 2 and, if you want more, the official review books or extra practice exams. See our GMAT Official Guide review for what each book covers, and our free GMAT practice for no-cost material. This path demands discipline: you are your own study plan.
Self-paced video courses sit at the lower end of this range; live online classes and bootcamps sit at the upper end. Choose based on whether you need structure and explanations (a course) or mainly practice material (books).
Tutoring is the most expensive route, priced by the hour or in packages. It is most cost-effective for candidates targeting very high scores or with specific weaknesses a course doesn't fix.
If the exam fee is a hardship, a fee waiver can reduce it. If you test outside the U.S., your price may differ.
GMAC doesn't give fee waivers directly to test takers. Its fee waiver program is open to schools that accept GMAT scores, and participating schools distribute waivers at their own discretion (GMAC). GMAC doesn't publish a list of participating schools, so ask the admissions offices of the programs you plan to apply to. Waivers and vouchers apply to the exam fee only; they can't be used for rescheduling fees, and online and test-center waivers aren't interchangeable.
Exam fees vary by country, currency and delivery format, and local taxes such as VAT or GST may be added. Pricing is based on the location of your test center, or your location when testing online. mba.com's Exam Payment page lists the price for each country.
GMAC accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit and debit cards. If your card is declined, the appointment is cancelled automatically and you need to book again (mba.com).
Once you know the line items, build one number to plan around. These three scenarios use U.S. test-center fees and our prep estimates.
| Plan | Registration | Prep Spend (Estimate) | Retake / Extras | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum (self-study, one attempt) | $275 | $50–$350 | $0 | $325–$625 |
| Typical (course + one retake) | $550 | $300–$999 | $50–$150 | $900–$1,700 |
| Premium (tutoring + 2 retakes) | $825 | $1,500–$5,000 | $200–$500 | $2,525–$6,325 |
One test-center registration ($275) plus $50–$350 in books comes to about $325–$625. This works for disciplined self-studiers who don't need a second attempt.
Two registrations ($550), a mid-range course ($300–$999) and a few extra score reports land around $900–$1,700. Our GMAT retake policy guide explains when a second attempt is worth it.
Private tutoring and three attempts run about $2,525–$6,325. It makes sense when a higher score would materially change your admissions or scholarship outcome.
Enter your plan to estimate your all-in GMAT spend. It assumes U.S. fees, $35 per extra score report (the widely reported fee) and the $110 mid-tier test-center reschedule fee.
Worked Example
Setup: Marco plans an on-demand course, one GMAT attempt plus a possible retake, and score reports to seven schools.
Answers to the most common GMAT cost questions. Tap any question to expand it.