What are the differences, and how to decide which one is right for you?
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) and GRE(Graduate Record Exam) are two extremely popular standardized exams required by most MBA and graduate programs in the US and the UK. If you are currently looking into applying to top graduate programs, it is extremely important to decide early on whether you want to take GMAT or GRE.
The basics
GRE is administered by ETS (the same company that creates TOEFL). The test is widely accepted by most graduate programs. In fact, several popular master’s degree programs only accept GRE as part of their admissions requirement. The GRE places an emphasis on Verbal skills, including vocabulary knowledge, reading and writing proficiency.
GMAT’s main reputation is as the dominating test for MBA programs. The test is accepted by essentially all business schools. However, over 1200+ Business schools, including most of the top 20 MBA programs in the US, now accept both GMAT and GRE for their applications. GMAT’s focus on quantitative questions makes it more suitable for people who are good with numbers or have engineering backgrounds. Nevertheless, keep in mind that GMAT also has a verbal section, focusing on grammar, reading skills and critical reasoning. Integrated Reasoning, yet another section, tests candidates on their business and analytical skills.
Who is the test more suitable for
The Best way to know which test is right for you is to simply take the mock exams. There are official sample exams available for both the GMAT and the GRE. At EduSmith, we offer realistic mock GMAT and GRE exams for free, with detailed gradings and analysis by our test prep experts.
Test Content and Detail
GMAT
3 Hrs 30 Min.
Analytical Writing section (one essay): 30 mins
Integrated Reasoning section: 30 mins
Quantitative section: 62 minsVerbal section: 65 mins
GRE
3 Hrs 45 Min.
2 Analytical Writing sections: 30 + 30 minute
2 Verbal Reasoning sections: 30 + 30 mins
2 Quantitative Reasoning: 35 + 35 mins experimental section: (either math or verbal): 30-35 minute
Test Format
GMAT
Computer-adapter test
One of GMAT’s key features is that the test is question-adaptive.
This means that if you answer the first set of questions correctly, the next set will become more difficult (and vice-versa). This design can be intimidating for students who can be stressed out by the test that keeps getting more and more difficult. This also means that students cannot go back and review their previous answers.
GRE
Computer-delivered test
The GRE is also adaptive, but the difficulty is adaptive by section and NOT by question.
What this means is that the questions do not change within the section depending on whether you answer them correctly. You can think of it this way – each section is static. Your performance on the first section will determine whether you get an easy section or a difficult section next. This allows students to check their previous answers.
Scoring Detail
GMAT
Total scores range from 200-800
Analytical Writing (AWA): 0.0-6.0
Integrated Reasoning (IR): 1-8
Quantitative section: 6-51
Verbal section: 6-51
GRE
Total scores range from 260-340
Analytical Writing: 0 – 6
Quantitative section: 130-170
Verbal section: 130-170
Cost and Validity
GMAT
Cost: US$250
Score Validity: 5 years
GRE
Cost: US$205
Score Validity: 5 years
How many times can you take the test?
You can take the GMAT exam once every 16 days and no more than five times in a rolling 12-month period. In addition, you can take GMAT up to only eight times in your lifetime.
You can take the GRE test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). GRE is more flexible as there is no lifetime limit.
Deciding on GMAT? Don’t forget to check out the 5 popular myths about the test!
Still unsure? Contact us for mock exams to find out which one you should prepare for.
