GMAT vs. GRE: Making the Smart Choice for Grad School

Every year, professionals consider applying to business school to develop their skill sets and advance their careers. Are you part of this intellectually ambitious group? If so, you’ll need to decide if you want to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Many top-tier business schools throughout the country include standardized testing as an application requirement. In 2023, 50% of people who applied to the top 10 business schools submitted GMAT scores, while 32% submitted GRE scores. Only 10 out of 54 business schools required no test scores at all.¹

Not sure which exam will give you the best opportunity for success? Read our breakdown of some of the key characteristics of and differences between GMAT and GRE.

There are ample resources available to help you prepare for the GMAT or GRE. If you prefer a structured curriculum, consider taking an online course from a reputable organization. If you’d rather study on your own, invest in a GRE or GMAT workbook and complete the exercises. You’ll also find plenty of free practice tests and vocabulary tests for both exams.

No matter which test you take, be sure to give yourself enough time to prepare. As a general rule, plan to spend approximately 50 to 200 hours studying for the GRE.² Because the GMAT has more sections, it may take longer to prepare.

As you decide between the GRE and GMAT, take a look at the application requirements for your programs of interest. Over 1,300 business schools accept the GRE for MBA applicants.³

However, some schools prefer the GMAT because it focuses on business-related skills, such as data analysis and logical reasoning. Don’t hesitate to reach out to admissions staff if you aren’t sure about an MBA program’s requirements.

If you’re contemplating business school, you might wonder, “What’s the difference between GMAT and GRE?” Here are a few key distinctions.

Both tests are taken online, but they have different structures. The GMAT uses computer-adaptive testing. That means it analyzes your performance throughout the test and tailors the entire exam based on your responses.⁴ By contrast, the GRE offers section-level adaptivity. It assesses your responses for each section and adjusts the difficulty of the next accordingly.⁵

A key difference between the GRE and GMAT is the subject matter you’ll encounter on each exam.

The GRE is an all-purpose exam that is designed to assess your readiness for graduate-level work in any academic discipline. Its content is thus relatively general in nature. It covers only three subject areas:⁶

• Analytical Writing
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning

Business programs are typically most interested in your performance in the Quantitative Reasoning sections. Coursework in an MBA program is often heavily quantitative in nature, and your prospective school will want to ensure you have the mathematical skills and knowledge to succeed.

Unlike the GRE, the GMAT is designed specifically to gauge your readiness to succeed in a graduate business program. It has four sections:⁷

• Analytical Writing
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning 
• Integrated Reasoning

The Integrated Reasoning section consists of four types of questions designed to assess basic business competencies:⁷

• Multi-Source Reasoning
• Table Analysis
• Graphics Interpretation
• Two-Part Analysis

Because they’re designed to assess your ability to solve complex problems, questions in the Integrated Reasoning section are multi-part, requiring more than one response. You'll also need to use the provided online calculator for the quantitative components. As a result, the GMAT may be a better choice for people with strong math skills than the GRE.

Cost is another significant factor when comparing the GMAT vs. GRE for MBA. Here’s a quick breakdown:

You can retake the GRE once every 21 days, while the GMAT requires you to wait at least 16 days between attempts. Both exams can be retaken up to five times within a 12-month period.^10,11

Both exams are challenging. However, the difference in difficulty really comes down to your personal strengths. The GMAT’s quantitative section is typically harder, while the GRE’s verbal section is more challenging.¹² Additionally, the GMAT’s adaptive testing means the exam will become increasingly tough for high performers.

Both the GRE and the GMAT are computer-based, adaptive exams. They monitor your progress in real time and adjust the difficulty of questions as you work your way through the exam. The goal is to eventually arrive at a score that accurately reflects your performance.

Each exam has its own scoring methodology and metrics. The GRE provides a score report consisting of three individual scores:¹³

• Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning: Scale of 130–170 
• Analytical Writing: 1–6 

Verbal and Quantitative scores are derived from your raw score (the number of questions you answered correctly) through a process called equating that takes into account the difficulty of the questions you faced. On the other hand, your essays are reviewed both by human readers and by an “e-rater” program.¹³

The GMAT calculates a “Total” score on a scale of 205–805 that is derived from an algorithm that synthesizes three scores:¹⁴

• Data Insights: 60–90
• Verbal Reasoning: 60–90
• Quantitative Reasoning: 60–90

Wondering how your results stack up? Here are the average GRE scores:¹³

• Verbal Reasoning: 151
• Quantitative Reasoning: 157
• Analytical Writing: 3.5 

Meanwhile, the average GMAT score is 546.¹⁵

If you’re a busy working professional, you may bristle at the prospect of having to carve out time to take a standardized test. Many business schools understand this mindset and offer opportunities for you to demonstrate your preparedness for an advanced degree program in other ways.

Schools may grant waivers for applicants with the following:

• Other graduate academic degrees
• Professional certifications
• Years of work experience
• Undergraduate degree earned at the institution 

Seattle University accepts either GMAT or GRE scores as part of the application to the Online MBA program. If you feel you’d benefit from structural flexibility and focus on practical business skills, you may opt for the GMAT. Conversely, if you prefer to focus on more general quantitative, verbal, and writing skills, it may make more sense for you to take the GRE instead.

Whichever path you choose, your score will be incorporated into a holistic assessment of your readiness for graduate-level work at Albers. Learn more about the admissions requirements for the Online MBA program, and explore our tips for crafting a winning resume for your application and requesting tuition reimbursement from your employer. Or schedule a call with our admissions outreach advisors.