Question: I know the GMAT (graduate management admission test) has long been the gold standard for getting into business school. I heard recently, though, that more applicants are taking the GRE (graduate record examinations) instead. Is that now the better way to go and do I stand a better chance if I take the GRE rather than the GMAT?
Emma:
GMAT has always been the gold standard, and still is - for now. But recent trends do show that more candidates are opting for the GRE, and many top schools are also starting to accept GRE as an alternative to GMAT.
It is also becoming more common for candidates to consider an MBA along with other MSc programmes. Depending on the options, they will generally want to take one test which can cover all applications.
In general, the GRE has a much more challenging quantitative, or “quant”, section. Therefore, if your application doesn’t already show solid evidence of your quant ability, a high score in the GRE quant section should definitely help your candidacy. Against that, the IR (integrated reasoning) section in the GMAT is a great opportunity to showcase your ability to integrate complex data sets and interpret graphs. Therefore, you should be aiming to choose the test which highlights your strengths or can bridge certain “gaps” in your application.
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