PGRE: Taking Twice - Concerns & Questions

[Lavabug]

I have been registered for both the September and October PGRE dates for a while now. It was my original intention to take both and send the better of the two scores, which I presumed would be my second attempt. However I reflected on this a bit more recently and I am considering the possibility I will not improve much with less than 3 weeks in between exams. In fact I'm a little concerned that I might do worse the second time around for whatever reason and might get stuck with the worse of the 2 scores to send to subsequent institutions. One thing I could do is eliminate all 4 "free" score recipients for the first exam now and pick them later if I decide to stick with that score, but this would incur additional costs and I've already been spreading my savings infinitessimally thin over the last few months.

My main concern is this: In the scenario where my 2nd attempt produces the better score, is there anything that may be perceived as negative by the first 4 institutions if they were to receive two similar scores in the same application season? I cannot think of a reason a commitee would see it as negative, but maybe someone else can. I will probably be calling ETS about this, but is there a time window for cancelling a test score upon getting the result? Is it possible to cancel a worse second attempt once it has been graded or are you stuck with the most recent as soon as it is published online?

 

[R.Mesri]

The answer to this question may depend on the admissions policy of each institution, so it is best to check with the individual schools you are applying to. Generally speaking, sending two similar scores in the same application season is not seen as negative by admissions committees, so long as the scores are within a reasonable range. However, if the scores are drastically different, this may raise some eyebrows and could be seen as a sign of inconsistency. As for cancelling scores, you can cancel a test score upon getting the result, but there may be a time limit for doing so. This varies from school to school, so your best bet is to contact ETS directly for more information.