I was NOT allowed to take the GMAT today !!

[bsandhyav]

Hi

My appointment was scheduled for 5.15 pm today & i was all set to BEAT the GMAT..when the test center executive suddenly tells me that my name in the passport is not exactly as it is registered with the GMAT and that is why i will not be allowed to take the test today.

My name in the passport is:
Boyapati Sandhya Venkatesh
(Surname)(Given names)

My name registered with the GMAT is:
Boyapati Sandhya Venkatesh
(First Name)(Middle Name)(Last Name)

Apparently though the order of my names is same the 1st name & the given name do not match.I have taken the test twice before (in Oct & Dec2008) with the same credentials. All i did this time is scheduled a new appointment without bothering or changing any of my credentials. I have requested the test center executive to report this incident & he has done so. i also have the incident number with me.

Has anybody experienced such a situation before? Any suggestions on what is should do now & how i should take this ahead?

[StaceyKoprince]

Given what you wrote above, it wasn't just the difference between "given name" and "first name." You said above that your passport lists your surname (last name) as Boyapati and your registration lists your last name as Venkatesh.

Similarly your passport lists your given names (first and middle) as Sandhya Venkatesh and your registration lists your given names (first and middle) as Boyapati Sandhya.

If we put both in order of First-Middle-Last, we'd have:

Passport: Sandhya Venkatesh Boyapati
Registration: Boyapati Sandhya Venkatesh

Because passports often don't separate out the middle name from the first name, a lot of test-center employees will let that go. But last names are a different matter: those actually need to match exactly.

I would actually say that the other people who let you through before made a mistake. I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm guessing that they won't tell you they made a mistake this time - the person actually followed the rules correctly this time, for the first time.

[supshalu]

I never knew a name could create so much of problems in the GMAT. Looks like GMAT does not quite agree with shakesphere :P

[bsandhyav]

Thanks for the reply stacy. I do understand now that my name was not as it should have been & i was rightfully sent back. But in that case shouldn't the scores in my previous 2 attempts be considered as invalid since i had taken those GMAT tests with a name that was incorrect?

Do you think i stand any chance of a re-schedulement of the exam or cancellation of my previous scores on the grounds that i was allowed to give the exam wrongly during my 1st 2 attempts, which is the reason why i did not go back to check my name before scheduling the exam?

Also would you have any idea if there has been a change in the policy regarding the naming conventions at GMAC recently?

[StaceyKoprince]

I don't know what their policy would be regarding past tests in this circumstance, nor do I know whether there have been any policy changes recently. (Though I would guess that they've always had this particular policy re: ID matching the registration name, and the people who checked you in the first 2 times just weren't doing their jobs very carefully.)

If you didn't like your scores the first two times (which is why I'm guessing you asked whether they should cancel those scores), then you MIGHT have lucked into something. Maybe. When you sign up again properly, then that might create a new account for you, and the two old scores might be considered the scores of a different person. IF that happens, then the two old scores wouldn't show up on your score report record, because they would be in a different account than your new account.

Note to others reading this: don't do this on purpose (sign up with the wrong name first) because then you think you might get a "clean" account if you don't like your first score. Even IF you were mistakenly admitted (and you really shouldn't be if the name doesn't match exactly), what if you liked your score? It wouldn't match your real name, and the schools might question the scores when you submit them with your application!

[sushmana123]

hi bsandhya..
could u tell me wat happened next ?
u paid sth extra to write the test..when u wrote exam next ?

[blr.lavanya]

Hi Sandhya,

I faced the same situation today :(
Unfortunately for me, I have nothing in defense.

I had taken the GMAT last year with my name matching the name in my passport.

First(given) name - Murthy
Surname - Lavanya Keshava

However this was not how it should have been in the first place. My first name is actually Lavanya and surname is Keshavamurthy. For whatever reason, my passport of 10 yrs had it mismatched and I hadn't had a single issue with any visa so far. When I got the passport renewed earlier this year, the first name/last name was automatically corrected. At that point, I did not realize that it would affect my profile at mba.com. When I went to the center today with both my passports - old and renewed, they would not look at the old one even though I had taken the test once with that same passport. Obviously, the name as per GMAC does not match the name in my latest (and valid) passport and I had to come back dejected. I called GMAC and they said my name should be changed in their system in 2 working days and I would have to register again. Today's test would be treated as a no-show.

So, here I am.. the order of my name changed and poorer by $250 :(

Lavanya

[StaceyKoprince]

Sushma, I've talked to my contact at GMAC and she let me know that they are already in contact with you and trying to work things out (though you may still have to pay the test fee again).

For others who happen to be in the same circumstance as sushma (no last name), register with a period (".") in the "last name" field but ALSO contact customer service to explain that you have no last name printed in your passport so that they can put a special note in your file.

Lavanya, yes, unfortunately they won't accept an expired piece of documentation, even if it was what you used last time. :(

For all others reading this, MAKE SURE that your GMAC registration matches your passport EXACTLY. If there's anything at all unusual, contact customer service in advance to explain the situation and ask for advice. They are really strict about ID (rightfully so, of course).

[saibharath.kamineni]

Hello All

Add me to your list.I have faced similar problem today.

Passport name details:
Kamineni Krishna Sai Bharath
(Surname) (Given Names)

GMAT registration
SaiBharath Krishna Kamineni
(First) Middle Last

Due to mis match of firstname i was not allowed to take the exam.Ill consider it as costly mistake(250$).

Check well before going to exam guys.

[garylyon]

So if your full name is say, John Albert Swanson Smith, and that is listed on your passport, but your DL just says, "John Smith", you could theoretically create a 2nd GMAC account, using one ID for the first test, and another ID for the 2nd test?

[StaceyKoprince]

Theoretically, I suppose. Then you'd show up on test day and they'd take your digital photo, your digital signature, and your digital palm scan... and then they'd match the two accounts. :)

SaiBharath, thanks for letting us know what happened in your case. I agree, that is a costly error - I'm sorry that it happened to you. Hopefully, by posting here, you will prevent it from happening to someone else.

[perinkulam maheshr845]

My surname in passport is blank.

Should I enter a dot(.) in last name in gmat registration?

Kindly help..

[StaceyKoprince]

Please contact them directly to ask them how to handle your registration:
http://www.mba.com/us/service/contact-us.aspx

Let us know what they say!

[lsyang1212]

Hi Stacy,

Say your drivers license/passport reads the following:

Jane Abegail Smith
(First) (Last)

What if your MBA.com profile (registration for the real GMAT test) only reads the following:

Jane Smith
(First) (Last)

Could you be turned away from taking the test since the name "Abegail" is not a part of your registration, but is a part of your drivers license/passport?

I ask because I have a second name (my middle name) that is technically listed as a continuation of my first/ given name. Not sure if it's necessary to include this "Abegail" on my registration to exactly match my drivers license/passport.

If so, I will call MBA.com and have customer service update my profile.


Thank you

[StaceyKoprince]

I am not sure - you'll need to call them to ask.

To everyone: I don't know their exact requirements and, even if I did, I'd be worried that they changed something since the last time I checked. This is important enough that, if you have a concern, you should contact them directly.

If you just have a regular middle name, then it should be fine for that not to be on the account - but it sounds like your case is different lsyang1212!