GMAT vs. GRE: Which Should You Take?

UPDATE: This post was originally published on April 1, 2020. It has been updated with new tips and information below.  

If you’ve started the MBA application process, you know just how competitive it is to land a spot at one of the world’s top business school programs. Harvard Business School, for example, receives more than 8,000 applications for just 938 spots in its highly-coveted MBA program. This means that gaining any advantage you can in the process is critical. 

Undoubtedly, one of the main factors that contributes to your profile’s competitiveness is your test score. What’s often less clear to applicants, however, is which test – GMAT or GRE – is most advantageous. 

The short answer is that there is no short answer to the question! Rather, there are a number of factors you should take into consideration when determining which test is better for your application strategy. Keep reading to learn which factors we consider most important and how each can affect your overall competitiveness as an MBA applicant. 

Which schools and programs are you considering?

First and foremost, we suggest that you verify what tests are accepted at your target schools. Though the GMAT is accepted at all business schools, the GRE is not accepted everywhere (though most schools do take it). Especially after COVID-19 caused numerous test centers to close and the GRE was the first test to move to an online format, there has been a drastic increase in the number of schools accepting the GRE in recent years. Nonetheless, you should still make sure you’re covered before taking a test you can’t use to apply to your dream school. 

Second, if you are interested in dual degree programs, be aware of the fact that some of these programs require the GRE. Though we have had applicants take and submit both tests, this is undoubtedly a large time commitment. By verifying program requirements before you start studying, however, you can ensure you take the best possible test for your application. 

What are your post-MBA goals?

Though you might only be thinking about earning admission into one of your top choice schools at the moment, the MBA is just one (important!) step in your larger career progression. 

For that reason, it’s important to take into consideration the ramifications your test choice has on your MBA recruitment chances. In particular, if you’re planning to go into consulting or investment banking, you should plan to take the GMAT, as submitting a GMAT score is part of the recruitment process for MBA hires. 

In fact, there are even professionals who were admitted into their dream school with a GRE score and spent part of their first year of the MBA studying for the GMAT in order to meet requirements. For that reason, if consulting or finance are calling your name, you should opt to take the GMAT. 

Are you stronger in quant or verbal?

One of the most important factors to take into consideration when deciding which test to take is how well you think you would do on each test respectively. 

Though there are many commonalities between the two tests, your academic strengths could determine which test you perform better on. 

If you’re not much of a quant type and struggle with GMAT math, you may want to opt for the GRE exam. Due to the lack of data sufficiency-type questions, many find that the math section on the GRE is somewhat easier than the math section on the GMAT. 

On the other hand, the verbal section on the GRE is much more based on vocabulary. If this is a struggle for you, you may want to consider the GMAT. 

TOP TIP: Keep in mind that you can ultimately retake either test and switch your strategy if you determine that you initially chose the wrong test for your strengths. 

Key structure and scoring differences

In addition to key strategic decisions, you should consider the practical differences between the GMAT and the GRE. The key differences in terms of structure and scoring are listed below. 

Photo courtesy of The Princeton Review

After the launch of the GMAT Focus exam, the changes in how the exams are scored are much more minor than they have been in the past. 

The one thing you may want to keep in mind is that online GRE tests have recently had a much higher rate of being canceled than online GMAT tests (find out more here). 

TOP TIP: If you struggle with test anxiety, resources like Headspace’s test anxiety meditations can be great tools to add to your study schedule to ensure you perform your best on test day! 

Set the appropriate strategy for your profile

During the MBA application process, you will need to make thousands of decisions that will impact your life for decades to come. 

One of the most important decisions is whether to take the GMAT or the GRE. 

Though you may be tempted just to hope for the best, having a trusted ally who can use their deep knowledge of your profile and what different business schools look for can be the difference between getting into your dream MBA program and wishing you’d done everything differently. 

But perhaps you’re not even quite sure what programs you want to target! 

Many of our clients come to us with a general idea of what they want out of an MBA but lack specifics. 

Our application coaches step in at this point to help you define what you want out of your career, create concrete short-term and long-term goals for this career path, identify which business schools can best help you turn these dreams into reality, and help you develop a solid test-taking strategy to back it all up. 

If you’re interested in putting the Ellin Lolis Advantage to work for you, apply to work with us to ensure you get into your top-choice schools.