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GMAT Vs GRE: Which Test Should You Take? What Are the Key Differences?
GRE or GMAT? It's a typical graduate school conflict. The GMAT and GRE are required assessments for students who want to undertake an MBA or Masters' degree overseas.
So, if you intend to study at the graduate level, bear in mind that these are the most widely used assessments as part of graduate school admissions. However, you should confirm which test the school you're considering accepts, wants, or expects. But, if a university allows both, which one should you choose?
We will explore the distinctions between the GMAT and GRE exams extensively before deciding on the exam that perfectly meets your long-term goals. Perhaps, you can use this material to decide who wins your own GMAT versus GRE duel.
What is the GMAT?
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) organizes the GMAT, which is one of the most frequently administered MBA admission tests in the world. It is a test used to evaluate a participant's analytical and critical thinking ability. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is an interactive computer test.
In a rolling 12-month timeframe, you can repeat the GMAT at a testing facility up to five times. Which means you can take the GMAT test up to 5 times a year. Due to the global Covid-19 situation GMAT authority arranged a remote proctored version of the GMAT test in online. You can take it on your own home environment. In a 12 month period, the GMAT online exam can be taken only twice.
The GMAT structure differs depending on whether you take the exam at a testing facility or online. The in-person is divided into four portions, which you can arrange in one of 3 stages to best suit your talents and assessment style.
- Analytical Writing: This part of the test requires you to examine and articulate a critique of a given argument in 30 minutes. It is scored in half-point levels from 0 to 6.
- Integrated Reasoning: The Integrated Reasoning part (which does not appear on the GRE) is intended to assess your ability to use data to answer difficult problems. This session consists of a 30-minute period with 12 questions.
- Quantitative: There are 31 multiple-choice questions in this 62-minute session. Quantitative difficulties and "Data Sufficiency" questions need you to decide whether you have sufficient data to solve a particular question. Six to 51 points can be earned in one-point levels.
- Verbal: The Verbal Reasoning part is 65 minutes long and consists of 36 questions meant to assess your ability to read, comprehend, and analyze written content. Reading comprehension, critical thinking, and sentence clarification are the three sorts of questions you'll face. This is graded in one-point ranges from six to 51.
Note: While taking the GMAT online, you can obtain your unofficial results instantly as of June 2022.
What is the GRE?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is an entrance test needed for admissions to institutions in the United States and a few other states to undertake a Master's program, MBA Program, and Ph.D. programs. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers the GRE exam. A 12-month rolling term allows for up to five GRE retakes (once every 21 days). Which means you can take the GRE exam 5 times in a year but the gap between each exams have to be a minimum of 21 days.
The GRE has three scored sections as well as an optional aggregate score or experimental part. Analytical Writing always comes first, but you won't really know the order of the other portions, or which is unscored.
- Analytical Writing: This part includes two different 30-minute writing exercises. You will be required to construct your own argument on a topic and to analyze someone else's case on a topic.
- Verbal Reasoning: The Verbal Reasoning test is divided into two 30-minute sessions, each one with 20 questions. This subsection has three sorts of questions: reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence.
- Quantitative Reasoning: This segment of the examination, designed to assess your fundamental math skills, consists of two 35-minute portions with 20 questions each. Multiple-choice questions with one or more responses, numerical input questions, or quantitative comparison questions are all conceivable.
Many students believe that the GRE test is solely available to engineering students. GRE exams are divided into two types: GRE General Tests and GRE Subject Tests. Those who want to pursue a management-related degree should concentrate on the GRE General Test. Applicants with any undergraduate degree can register for the GRE General Test.
Differences between the GMAT and GRE
Before we get into the intricacies of what's on each exam, let's look at the broad picture: how the tests are designed and scored. A short contrast of the two tests follows:
Which one is the most difficult?
Both the GRE and GMAT are graduate-level admission exams that assess the reasoning and verbal abilities. GRE quants take an average of 1.75 minutes for each question, while GMAT math takes an average of 2 minutes per question, however, GRE mathematics is substantially easier. The GRE Verbal exam needs an average of 1.5 minutes for each question, while the GMAT Verbal section requires an average of 1.75 minutes per question, hence the GRE Verbal section demands faster responses.
How can you take each test?
According to ETS, the GMAT is exclusively offered digitally, but the GRE can also be taken on paper.
Scoring System
The GRE is scored in three units, one for each segment of the exam. GMAT candidates earn 5 units, one per part, plus a worldwide rating (you'll also get a percentage score to compare to individuals who took the exam in the previous three years). The verbal and quantitative GRE scores range from 130 to 170 in 1-point levels. Conversely, the GMAT's total rank score can range from 200 to 800 in 10-point intervals.
Career Objectives
A GMAT score is required for a few specified job routes. For instance, if you want to work as a business consultant. Or, if you want to work for a consulting firm or an investment bank. However, for any other type of work, a strong GRE score will be enough.
Third-party materials for preparation
Yes. To gear up for both the GMAT and the GRE, it is best to get external help in the form of coaching and/or tutors.
Time requirement
When preparing for an exam, the amount of time needed relies on the student's capacity to comprehend the material. Starting from scratch, students normally need around 5 months to pass the GMAT test. Students beginning from zero, on the other hand, require around 4 months to pass the GRE exam.
Which test is appropriate for you?
GRE is advised if you are not strong at arithmetic and favor liberal arts. The mathematics on the GMAT is significantly more challenging than on the GRE. GRE is advised if you believe the logical questions are confusing. If you excel in math and logic in school and enjoy problem-solving, it is advised to take the GMAT. GMAT needs applicants to maintain their thoughts clear and adhere to their concepts in numerous questions, which is tough for an emotional individual.
Final Assessment
Most business schools do not have a preference between two tests, however some favor the GMAT because they feel it assesses abilities more closely relevant to the business education curriculum, and providing GMAT marks demonstrates the individual's commitment to business school.
However, GRE results are also widely accepted as part of business school admissions criteria since both examinations have writing, quantitative, and verbal components that cover many related topics. Most participants agree, however, that the GMAT has more difficult quantitative problems while the GRE has slightly harder verbal ones. If you want to apply to a STEM career particularly, take GRE over GMAT without any hesitation.
So, if you're thinking about changing graduate schools or just want to maintain your choices open, GRE is recognized in a larger range of degree programs. But If you're determined about going to a business school, taking the GMAT is a good way to illustrate your dedication.
