This is the first in a four-part series of posts on GMAT/GRE testing. We encourage you to review all posts. This content was written by Dave Jackson, Senior Admissions Officer, Dallas/Fort Worth MBA.
It can be the most stressful part of an MBA application-– the requirement to take either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
At McCombs, the Admissions Committee does not waive this requirement for any of our Working Professional MBA programs (Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, or the Austin Evening programs) or for our Full-Time program.
So your first question will be: Which test do I take?
Like coffee vs. tea, or vanilla vs. chocolate ice cream, the choice is entirely yours. We have no preference, though more of our students end up choosing the GMAT because it is designed to prepare candidates specifically for business school. And some professions, like consulting and investment banking, do prefer that you have a GMAT score to report. (More on this can be found in our third post of this series.)
While both tests have quantitative and verbal sections, they have noticeable differences. We encourage you to do your research and take practice tests to learn each test’s points of emphasis, and how they are scored.
Here are some key differences between the GMAT and GRE:
