GMAT vs GRE: Which should I take?
Your road to graduate school or business school doesn’t begin with taking the GMAT or GRE, but a standardized test will likely play a role in your application process. That said, many future grad students will begin by worrying about “the test” and which one they should take before they’ve even decided which schools or programs they’ll apply to. When deciding whether to take the GMAT or GRE, it’s important to first determine your goals and work back from there. Below, we’ll discuss key questions you should ask yourself between settling on an exam, as well as the important differences—and similarities—between the GMAT and GRE.
GMAT vs GRE: What Are Your Goals?
So you know you’d like to pursue some kind of advanced degree, but what if you aren’t sure what your interests are yet? Consider your long-term career goals and what you’d like to accomplish, and then research which degree—MBA or a Master’s/PhD—would help you advance toward those goals. Typically, if you’re seeking out leadership positions in management, logistics, or consulting, you may find that an MBA will be more helpful. Your MBA will give you a solid foundation in management, marketing, finance, and economics, and will equip you to tackle business challenges. If you’d like to acquire a specialized body of knowledge, a Master’s degree or a PhD may be a better option for you. During your time in graduate school, you’ll be able to focus on a subject that interests you and develop a deeper understanding of a topic you’re passionate about.
Test Prep Tip
If you don’t know what you’d like to pursue today, but are fairly confident you’ll take that next step in the next five years, consider taking your standardized test while you’re still in school or shortly after. Your GMAT and GRE scores are both good for five years and the best time to take either test is while your basic math is still fresh and you are already in the habit of studying every day.
GMAT vs GRE: Things To Consider
Consider the following while deciding which test to take:
- If you’re unsure which path you’ll pursue, take the GRE. It will keep all your doors open, as many business schools accept both the GRE and GMAT.
- While many business schools will accept both the GRE and GMAT, the admissions committee may prefer that applicants take the GMAT. Do your research and ask around.
- If you don’t have a strong track record of working with numbers and quantitative analysis, consider taking the GMAT. Although both the GRE and GMAT rely on the same basic high school-level math, the GMAT’s Quantitative section is more focused on word problems, rather than straightforward math, and the GMAT’s Integrated Reasoning section will test your data interpretation skills. Also, GMAT questions typically have easier numbers to work with than those on the GRE. The GMAT is also more forgiving in the way it is scored—to get a high score on the GRE, you need to get practically every question right, whereas you can get many high difficulty GMAT questions wrong, and still get a comparably high score.
- Take the test you’re most comfortable with and on which you’ll perform the best. To gain admission to competitive MBA and graduate programs, you’ll want to apply with the highest percentile score you can. The easiest way to see which test you like best is to take a practice or a diagnostic exam. You’ll get a good feel for each exam’s structure, content, and timing.
Similarities between the GMAT and GRE
The GMAT and GRE have a lot in common:
- Both involve early high school-level math (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis)
- Both rely heavily on reading comprehension.
- Both require essay writing (1 on both the GRE and the GMAT)
Differences Between the GMAT and GRE
| GRE | GMAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Where is it Accepted? | Accepted at 1200+ business schools worldwide | Accepted by all business schools |
| Unique Quantitative Section | Quantitative Comparisons | Data Sufficiency |
| Unique Verbal Section | Sentence Equivalence & Text Completion | Sentence Correction & Critical Reasoning |
| Better for Which Test-Takers? | Better for “number-crunching” thinkers. Also, the GRE relies heavily on testing vocabulary in context. If that’s your strength, consider taking the GRE to show off your skills. | Better for “creative/flexible” thinkers. Many test-takers find the GMAT Quantitative section more challenging. |
| Test Structure | Analytical Writing sections: one 30-minute essay; Verbal Reasoning: two sections, the first 18 minutes and the second 23 minutes; Quantitative Reasoning:sections (if taking computer-based GRE), the first 21 minute and the second 26 minutes. | Analytical Writing (1 essay): 30 minutes; Integrated Reasoning section: 30 minutes; Quantitative: 62 minutes; Verbal: 65 minutes |
| Test Format | Computer-based Multi-Stage Test (MST) for most test-takers (can be taken on paper in some locations). | Computer-adaptive test (CAT) |
| Total Testing Time | 1 hour, 58 minutes | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Scoring | Scores for each section range from 130-170 in 1 point increments for verbal and quantitative reasoning. The Analytical Writing section is scored separately. | Total score ranges from 200-800. Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing are scored separately. |
| Cost | $205 USD | $250 USD |
| How Long is Your Score Good For? | 5 years | 5 years |
[Take a Free GMAT Practice Test | Take a Free GRE Practice Test]
Even though many business schools accept both the GMAT and GRE for admission, think about your post-MBA plans. If you’re looking to get into finance or consulting, beware that some of the top firms will look at your GMAT score as an element of your recruitment. Test Prep Tip
GMAT and GRE Score Comparison
While it’s impossible to perfectly equate GRE and GMAT scores, since they have different numbers of sections and their scores are reported differently, using your score on one test to predict your score on the other can help you know whether you’re prepared for the graduate programs to which you’re applying.
The GMAT is scored from 200-800, while each GRE section score falls between 130 and 170. Below is our chart of equivalent* GMAT, GRE Verbal, and GRE Quantitative score percentiles. GMAT scores were collected by GMAC between 2015 and 2018. GRE scores were collected by ETS between 2015 and 2018.
| Percentile | GMAT Score | GRE Verbal Score | GRE Quant Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99% | 800 | 169 | — |
| 96-98% | 750 | 165-168 | 170 |
| 88-89% | 700 | 161 | 166 |
| 73% | 650 | 156 | 160 |
| 54-56% | 600 | 152 | 155 |
| 37-38% | 550 | 148 | 150 |
| 26% | 500 | 145 | 147 |
| 16% | 450 | 142 | 144 |
| 9-10% | 400 | 139 | 141 |
| 4-5% | 350 | 136 | 138 |
| 3% | 300 | 135 | 137 |
| 1% | 250 | 130 | 130 |
| 0% | 200 | — | — |
*The percentiles and coinciding scores listed above are approximate, as equivalent data on GMAT and GRE scores were unavailable. For more accurate information on each test’s scoring percentiles, visit the test-makers’ websites: GMAC and ETS.
Retaking or Canceling the GMAT vs GRE
In an ideal world, you’ll take the test you feel best about, hit your target score, and apply to the graduate programs of your dreams with confidence. But things can happen and you may not get the score you want on your first try. Luckily, both the GMAT and GRE test makers make it possible to repeat the exams if needed without jeopardizing your application. Get familiar with the GMAT’s score cancellation policy and the GRE’s ScoreSelect option.
When you complete your GMAT, you will see your unofficial GMAT scores–Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, and Total. You will then have two minutes to decide whether to cancel or accept your score. Before you sit for your exam, set a goal score for yourself. If you score below your goal, you can cancel your score and retest in as little as 16 days.
If you’re taking the GRE, the ScoreSelect option allows you to send your best “day” to schools, meaning you can take the test multiple times and send your best performance. You won’t be able to “split” or “superscore” your exam. Unlike the GMAT, if you cancel your test at the testing center, you won’t see how you did. You can test again in 21 days. It’s important to note that every time you take the GMAT or GRE, you will need to pay the exam fee again (which can really add up!), so don’t use the real thing as practice.
