GRE versus GMAT

While taking the GMAT used to be an established part of applying to business school, a growing number of MBA programs now accept the GRE General Test scores in addition to or instead of the GMAT. It is important to understand that the same is not true when applying to graduate programs; the GMAT is designed to assess an applicant’s readiness for business school and is therefore not accepted by graduate programs. But if you are intent on pursuing an MBA, depending on the schools you are applying to, you might have a choice of taking the GMAT or the GRE.

Only about 250,000 students take the GMAT every year while over 650,000 take the GRE, of whom approximately 30,000 are applying to business school. The test that you take is ultimately less important than choosing the test you will perform the best on, and only you know your strengths and career aspirations. The best way to know whether you should take the GMAT or the GRE when applying to business schools is by taking practice tests of each.

Manhattan Review offers full-length computer-adaptive diagnostic tests for both the GRE and the GMAT, allowing you to compare your performance on each exam and note where you performed best and obtained your highest score. Although GRE and GMAT scores are technically incomparable given that both tests are unique, the respective test administrators (ETS and GMAC) have devised metrics to allow for score comparison. In fact, a comparison calculator that can be used to estimate GMAT scores from GRE scores is available on the ETS website.

Test Structure

There are both similarities and differences between the GRE and the GMAT, which we will examine in detail.

The GRE can be taken remotely at home or at an approved test center. The exam is 1 hour and 58 minutes long and consists of five sections: two Verbal Reasoning sections, two Quantitative Reasoning sections, and one Analytical Writing section.

GRE Section	Number of Questions	Amount of Time
Analytical Writing	1 (Analyze an Issue)	30 minutes
Verbal Section #1	12	18 minutes
Verbal Section #2	15	23 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning #1	12	21 minutes
Quantitative Reasoning #2	15	26 minutes

There are no breaks given when taking the GRE, nor are there any experimental or research sections on the exam. Test-takers will always complete the Analytical Writing section first, followed by Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections presented in random order. The GRE is computer adaptive at the section level, which means that how you perform on your first Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning section determines how challenging your second Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning section will be.

Test-takers are free to skip questions within a section, go back and change answers to any question in a section, and may decide the order in which questions are answered in a given section. Scoring for Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections falls on a scale between 130-170 in 1-point increments, which means GRE total scores fall within a range of 260-340. The Analytical Writing task is scored on a scale of 0-6 in 0.5-point increments, and this score does not contribute towards your GRE total score. You do not lose points for incorrect answers, and the raw score for Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections reflects the number of questions you answered correctly.

The GRE costs $220, and this fee allows you to send up to four score reports to designated programs of your choice; additional score reports can be purchased and sent for $40 each. Scores are typically received within 8-10 days of testing.

Like the GRE, the GMAT can be taken remotely at home or at an approved test center. The exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes long and consists of four sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Data Insights, and the Analytical Writing Assessment.

GMAT Section	Number of Questions	Amount of Time
Quantitative Reasoning	21	45 minutes
Verbal Reasoning	23	45 minutes
Data Insights	20	45 minutes
Analytical Writing Assessment	1	30 minutes

Test-takers receive one optional 10-minute break while taking the GMAT. There are no experimental or research sections on the exam. You may choose the order in which you wish to complete the sections of the GMAT, and there are six possible orders to choose from:

1. Data Insights, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning
2. Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Data Insights
3. Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Data Insights
4. Data Insights, Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning
5. Verbal Reasoning, Data Insights, Quantitative Reasoning
6. Quantitative Reasoning, Data Insights, Verbal Reasoning

There is no “best” or “easier” order of sections, as some test-takers prefer to start with an area they excel in while others choose to start with an area in which they are not as strong in order to get it over with and move on to sections where they can excel.

Unlike the GRE, you do not complete the essay part of the GMAT when you complete the multiple-choice sections. You may complete the Analytical Writing Assessment up to eight days before you take the GMAT or up to one year afterwards. Test-takers are required to have a writing sample on file, so if you have already completed the Analytical Writing Assessment but choose to take the GMAT again, you do not need to write another essay.

The GMAT is computer adaptive at the question level, which means that how you perform on each question determines the difficulty level of your next question. As you move through a given section, you may bookmark questions you would like to review later, provided there is still time remaining. You can bookmark and review as many questions as you like, although you can only edit up to three (3) answers. Scoring for the GMAT falls on a scale between 205-805 in 1-point increments for your total score. The Analytical Writing Assessment is scored on a scale of 0-6 in 0.5-point increments, and this score does not contribute to your GMAT total score. You do not lose points for incorrect answers, and the raw score for Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights sections reflects the number of questions you answered correctly.

The GMAT costs $275 if you take the exam at a test center and $300 if you take the exam remotely at home. This fee allows you to send up to five score reports to designated programs of your choice; additional score reports may be purchased and sent for $35. Scores are typically received within 3-5 days of testing.

Use in Admissions and Education

The GRE is the most general of the standardized graduate admissions tests. This means that it is easy to study for if you are already prepared for it (i.e., if you have a good GPA at a competitive undergraduate university), but it will likely be difficult to substantially improve your score without dedicated effort. In addition, the score is likely to lose meaning very quickly after the test because it is not measuring specific abilities but general aptitudes and attentiveness. If you are hoping to take a test whose score will be a useful metric for your future networking, you may want to consider also taking the GMAT or one of the GRE subject tests.

The GMAT is a much more specific exam, testing the skills and apptitudes that are relevant to success in business school only. For this reason, your GMAT score can sometimes have more lasting value, because the section scores represent specific apptitudes that are then developed further during business school as students work towards their degree. In addition, business school professors and other students may be more willing to network with you and invite you to join creative teams if you are a top scorer. If you receive a score that is sufficiently high, or sufficiently higher than your peers, it may be a useful component of your professional resume to create a first impression with potential colleagues or employers. While you should be careful about “waving your credentials around”, since the GMAT is so closely tied to success in business school, a high score can and should be used to boost your credentials and contribute to your success.