When applying for a master’s program at a business school or university, most applicants wonder which scores they should submit — GMAT or GRE scores. And, since most institutions accept both scores, students are often confused about which is a better option between the GMAT and GRE and which exam showcases their strengths better. In this article, we discuss the two most popularly submitted test scores. Furthermore, we will also analyze which is a better option and are GRE and GMAT similar. Before we begin, let us briefly understand both the GRE and GMAT.
What is the GMAT?
The GMAT or Graduate Management Admission Test is a globally conducted standardized test and is accepted by most business schools and universities. The GMAT is an essential requirement for most masters’ programmes in the field of business management. Accepted by over 2300 business schools, the GMAT is the most commonly taken test by people aspiring to study a postgraduate program in management studies.
Conducted by GMAC, an international non-profit organization of business schools, the GMAT is accepted by nearly 7000 master programmes. The GMAT is timed at 3 hours and 7 minutes and is divided into 4 sections namely: analytical writing assessment, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning.
Besides, the GMAT is a computer-adaptive test, which means the difficulty level of the next question of the verbal and quant section depends on how you answer the previous question. To be able to get a hang of this testing method, it’s essential you practice a lot and are thorough with the syllabus. You can get your hands on the GMAT books PDF to practice various questions from each section. There are many resources as such available online. But make sure the study material or books that you choose online are from credible sources. Now that we know what the GMAT is, let ‘s understand the GRE.
What is the GRE?
The GRE or Graduate Record Examination is also a standardized test conducted globally by ETS; however, it is not just restricted to management courses or master’s level programmes alone. Contrary to the GMAT, the GRE is taken by most test takers interested in master and PhD programmes pertaining to fields of Science, Management and Arts. Furthermore, the GRE is divided into 3 sections of two parts, the GRE portion includes analytical writing, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning.
Timed at 3 hours and 47 minutes, the GRE is scored on a scale of 260-340. A stark contrast between the GMAT and the GRE is that while the GMAT is computer adaptive in nature, the GRE is a section adaptive test. Hence, the difficulty level of the preceding section of the quant and verbal sections of the GRE depends on your performance in the first part of each section.
Now that you know about the GRE and the GMAT and how similar and different they are, let us help you understand which test you should choose to meet your higher education goals.
Should You Take the GMAT or GRE?
While both the GMAT and GRE are equally important and tests you on similar concepts, both exams offer different levels of flexibility. Since the GMAT is only applicable in cases of MBA and other business-related master programmes, it has limited scope when compared to the GRE which can be used to apply to programmes of various disciplines. Hence, if you’re someone who is not sure whether to study for an MSc or MBA, then you should opt for the GRE given that it offers more flexibility and its scores can be converted to the GMAT scores using the score converting tool offered on ETS’s official website.
Now that you know about the GRE and GMAT, you’re better positioned to choose between the two exams based on your higher education goals. Whichever test you choose to take, you will have to practice thoroughly to get a good score since both tests are equally challenging and require a lot of practice.
