Both the GRE and the GMAT are exams used in the admissions process for business schools. Though the format of these two standardized tests stayed the same for many years, huge changes happened in 2023. Both tests became much shorter and even eliminated question types.
So, now more than ever before, you may be pondering whether you should take the GMAT or GRE, as well as which test is the right one for you. Let’s take a look at the key differences between the GMAT and GRE so that you can decide which exam best showcases your skills.
Table of Contents
- GMAT vs GRE: High-Level Overview
- GMAT vs GRE: Exam Structure Differences
- GMAT vs GRE: Content Differences
- How Does it Feel to Take the GRE vs GMAT?
- GMAT or GRE: Which is Easier? – Take a Practice Test!
- GRE or GMAT: Which Score Helps You Stand Out More?
GMAT vs GRE: High-Level Overview
GRE
The GRE, which stands for Graduate Record Examinations, is an exam produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For a long time, it has been the test of choice for most graduate schools. And it continues to become more and more popular. The GRE is also now a valid option for law schools as well as a large number of business schools. In fact, over 1,300 MBA programs accept the GRE.
GMAT
The GMAT, on the other hand, is an entrance exam only for business schools. The Graduate Management Admission Test is designed by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) specially for MBA programs.
Is the GMAT Focus Enough for Business School?
Yes… except for Harvard (and possibly other schools in the future).
First of all, around the world, there are over 7,700 business programs at 2,400 universities that accept the GMAT Focus as is. However, Harvard recently added a new requirement of a separate written assessment since the GMAT Focus doesn’t include an essay. Ultimately, Harvard wants to see how well you—and not ChatGPT or some other AI—write and communicate.
So, to attend Harvard, you have to take the new GMAC Business Writing Assessment exam, too. Though HBS is the only business school with this requirement right now, there’s a possibility that other universities will adopt this same requirement in the future.
Is the GRE Enough for Business School?
Yes, for the business schools that already accept the GRE. While many business schools (over 1,300 of them) accept the GRE, not all of them do. Therefore, it’s essential for you to confirm the requirements of the specific schools that you’re considering.
For the ones that do accept the GRE, you do not have to take any additional test. The GRE’s Issue Essay is a way to demonstrate your writing skills unassisted by AI. Since Harvard deems the Issue Essay acceptable for that purpose, other universities will likely continue to do so as well.
GMAT vs GRE: Exam Structure Differences
Quick Comparison
| GRE | GMAT Focus | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 118 minutes | 135 minutes |
| Breaks | None | Optional 10-minute |
| Sections | Essay, Quant (2), Verbal (2) | Data Insights, Quant, Verbal |
| Section Order | Essay, then random | You choose the order |
| Questions | 54 (27 Q, 27 V) | 64 (20 DI, 21 Q, 23 V) |
| Essays | 1 | None |
| Cost | $220 | $275 or $300 (online) |
Sections, Number of Questions, and Length
GRE
The GRE has 5 sections:
- Issue Essay – 30 minutes for 1 essay
- 1st Quantitative Reasoning – 21 minutes for 12 questions
- 2nd Quantitative Reasoning – 26 minutes for 15 questions
- 1st Verbal Reasoning – 18 minutes for 12 questions
- 2nd Verbal Reasoning – 23 minutes for 15 questions
After the essay section, the order of the remaining sections is random.
GMAT
The GMAT has 3 sections:
- Data Insights – 45 minutes for 20 questions
- Quantitative Reasoning – 45 minutes for 21 questions
- Verbal Reasoning – 45 minutes for 23 questions
At the start of the test, you choose the order of the sections that you’ll see.
Cost
GRE
Within the United States and its territories, the GRE costs $220 for the exam itself. There may be additional fees for various services, such as sending out additional score reports. For more information, see How Much Does the GRE Cost?
GMAT
The GMAT costs $275 if you take the exam in a test center or $300 if you take the test online.
GMAT vs GRE: Content Differences
Quant Section
| GRE | GMAT | |
|---|---|---|
| # of Questions | 27 | 21 |
| Time | 47 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Time per Question | 1.75 minutes | 2.15 minutes |
| Subjects | Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Statistics | Same except no Geometry |
| Question Types | Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, Numeric Entry, Quantitative Comparison | Multiple Choice |
| Calculator | On-Screen | Not Allowed |
Both exams test math topics that you covered in high school. It’s primarily a lot of algebra and statistics. The main difference is that the GRE tests Geometry, but the GMAT doesn’t.
As for question types, half of the GRE and all of the GMAT quant questions are standard Multiple Choice. The GRE introduces a little more complexity with Numeric Entry (you have to write in your answer) and Multiple Answer (select 1 or more answers that are correct).
Key Differences
Additionally, the GRE has a unique question type: Quantitative Comparison. It comes with its own strategies that can be learned, but it definitely adds another layer of reasoning that can be tricky.
Lastly, the GRE Math section allows you to use an on-screen calculator whereas the GMAT does not (GMAT only lets you on the Data Insights section).
To recap, when thinking about whether you would do better on GRE or GMAT math, consider:
- How comfortable are you with Geometry?
- How well do you do on questions that aren’t multiple choice?
- How important to you is calculator access?
For examples of all the different GRE Math question types, check out GRE Math Practice Questions with Explanations.
Verbal Section
| GRE | GMAT | |
|---|---|---|
| # of Questions | 27 | 23 |
| Time | 41 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Time per Question | 1.50 minutes | 1.95 minutes |
| Passage Length | Fill-in-Blank: 20 to 80 words Reading: 100 to 500 words |
400 to 750 words |
| Question Types | Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension | Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension |
The GRE and GMAT Verbal sections do have some similarities, but they diverge a lot more compared to the math sections.
Both exams test Reading Comprehension with passages that are similar in length and based on similar topics. They also ask a similar number of questions (around a dozen). The majority of questions are standard multiple choice, but the GRE has a couple wrinkles. The first is that some questions are Multiple Answer (select 1 or more answers that are correct). And there is an occasional Select the Sentence (you have to click on the right sentence in a passage).
Both exams also test Critical Reasoning (aka Paragraph Argument), but the GMAT asks this question a lot more. Expect to see around 10 of these on the GMAT but only 2 or 3 on the GRE.
Key Differences
Where the GRE is most different is with its Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, which comprise nearly half of the verbal section. These test not only your knowledge of vocabulary words (many of which are often advanced) but also your ability to parse complex grammar. Though you’re not directly tested on grammar, being able to navigate tricky sentences to discern clues and meaning is an important skill.
So, when thinking about whether you’d perform better on GRE Verbal or GMAT Verbal, be sure to ask yourself:
- How strong is your vocabulary?
- How well do you perform on Critical Reasoning (aka Paragraph Argument) questions?
For examples of all the GRE Verbal question types, check out GRE Verbal Practice Questions with Explanations.
GMAT Unique Section – Data Insights
One third of the GMAT is devoted to rather unique question types that involve a combination of math, verbal, and data interpretation. Data Sufficiency is the most unique type, and you’ll probably see around 6 of these. The rest of the section (14 questions) typically deals with charts and tables and graphs. And these are found in a variety of formats, such as Two-Part Analysis and Multi-Source Reasoning.
Whereas the GMAT devotes nearly an entire section to charts and graphs, the GRE asks only a handful of Data Interpretation questions. So, if this is a weak area for you, then the GRE may be the better exam for you. With that said, you can always improve your data skills (which will be helpful for both exams!).
For examples of all the GMAT Data Insights question types, check out Guide to GMAT Data Insights.
GRE Unique Section – Issue Essay
Only the GRE has an essay section built into the exam itself. You get 30 minutes to analyze a passage and construct your response in a clear and concise manner. It’s important to note that this essay is graded separately from the Math and Verbal sections. Your essay is scored from 0 to 6 and is independent from your overall scaled GRE score.
For an example of a GRE Issue Essay prompt, check out GRE Issue Essay: Strategies + 8 Real Student Essays with Scores.
The GMAT’s Separate Essay
Though the GMAT Focus has no essay section itself, as mentioned earlier, certain schools may require you to take the Business Writing Assessment exam, too. In that case, similar to the GRE, you would get 30 minutes to analyze a provided argument and critique its reasoning.
How Does it Feel to Take the GRE vs GMAT?
Difficulty Adaptivity
One thing that sets the GMAT versus other exams is that it’s “question adaptive.” This just means that, within a section, the question you see next is determined by your performance on earlier questions. For example, if you’ve answered 4 hard math questions correctly in a row, your next math question is going to be even harder.
The GRE, on the other hand, is section adaptive. For example, the first verbal section is 12 questions of a mix of difficulties. Depending how well you do on that entire section, the 2nd verbal section will either be easier, about the same, or harder. It’s important to note that which 2nd section you get has a large impact on your score. If you don’t do well on the first section, even acing the easy 2nd section may only get you an average score in the end.
Pacing and Guessing
Another unique feature of the GMAT is that there’s no “Go Back” button while you’re taking the exam. So, if you don’t know how to answer a question, you’re forced to guess and move on. Depending on how you like to take tests, this can be very stressful.
You may get a chance to revisit a question at the very end of a section. But the GMAT has some unusual rules. You can only view previous questions in a section after you’ve answered all of its questions. And even then, you’re only allowed to change the answer to a maximum of 3 questions.
As for the GRE, you are free at any time to jump to any question within a section. This opens up a lot more strategies since you could:
- Quickly click through the entire section to answer the questions you find easiest first
- Skip a question that looks hard at first glance and return to it whenever you want to tackle it
- Answer your favorite question types first (say, multiple choice) before doing other types
In short, the test-taking experience is quite different for both exams. For most, the GMAT is the more challenging exam given its question adaptivity and no option to freely skip between questions.
Test Options and Test Dates
Both tests can be taken in person at a test center or online at home. The GRE and GMAT are both offered throughout the year, though you should register early for your preferred test date—especially if you want to take the exam at a test center. For more information on test dates and registering for an exam, see:
Amount of Studying Required for the GRE or GMAT
This depends greatly on what your starting point is and how far you are from your target goals. If you’re already familiar with the exam content and/or are already scoring well on practice tests, then you may only need a month or two to further refine your score. But if you’re just starting out and/or need to increase your score by a considerable amount, then you may choose to study for several months. The amount of time you have each day to study is also a consideration.
For more information as well as recommended study schedules, take a look at:
GMAT or GRE: Which is Easier? – Take a Practice Test!
From the sections above, you may already be forming an opinion as to whether the GRE or GMAT is easier for you. You can also read some of our own thoughts here:
But the single best way to tell is to take a practice test in each. That will give you the best idea as to how difficult the tests are, which question types are the most challenging, and which exam you’ll perform the best on. These can also serve as a good indicator of where you currently stand and how much studying may be ahead of you.
Also, if you don’t have time to take a full test in each, try a shorter diagnostic quiz. These won’t give you the full test experience, but they’ll still give you a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses in both exams. And the short time that you spend on this can go a long way in answering whether GMAT vs GRE is better for you.
GRE or GMAT: Which Score Helps You Stand Out More?
Given that many business schools have no preference towards either test, it’s more about percentiles. That is, how well did you do in comparison to other test takers? If you score in the 90th percentile on the GRE vs the 80th percentile in GMAT, that GRE score is going to stand out more.
With that said, it really comes down to the requirements and averages listed by the schools that you’re interested in. If your GMAT score meets or surpasses the averages listed by a school but your GRE score doesn’t, then you’ll want to submit your GMAT score.
Closing Thoughts
Deciding whether the GMAT vs GRE is the better option involves an honest evaluation of your skills, needs, and weaknesses. The good news is that you’ve already started down the path to figuring out your application process just by reading this post!
No matter whether you decide to take the GMAT or GRE, we’re here to help. Check out Magoosh GRE prep or Magoosh GMAT prep today!
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