Maybe you’re getting ready to apply to business school, or just starting to think about what you’ll do after finishing up your undergraduate. Maybe you’re considering a career change or deciding whether or not you should go back to school for another degree. Maybe you just really like taking standardized tests. If you’re in one of these situations, you’ve probably considered taking the GMAT or another grad exam.

But why take the GMAT? What are the main GMAT uses? How is taking the GMAT different than taking the GRE or the LSAT? In this guide, I’ll explain the main uses of GMAT scores and help you decide whether or not taking the GMAT makes sense for your education and career goals.

What Are the Main GMAT Uses?

Most people take the GMAT to get into business school. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, over 6,000 graduate business programs at around 1,700 universities and organization around the world accept GMAT scores from applicants.

For a long time, GMAT scores were the only standardized test scores accepted by business school admissions committees. While more and more business schools are now accepting GRE scores from prospective applicants, the GMAT remains the primary standardized test that applicants take in order to get into business school.

So if you’re planning on going to business school, taking the GMAT and meeting your goal score is an important part of your application. According to a recent Poets & Quants survey, 65% of MBA admission consultants believe that admissions committees are weighing GMAT scores more heavily than ever before in deciding whether or not to admit applicants.

What Does the GMAT Test?

As I mentioned previously, the vast majority of people take the GMAT in order to apply to business school. And business schools, in turn, use GMAT scores to assess the academic preparedness of their applicants. But why? What does the GMAT test, and how do business schools use it to assess their applicants?

The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test (CAT) designed by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). GMAC created the GMAT as a way for business schools to predict the academic success of their applicants. As such, the GMAT test the skills students need to succeed in MBA programs, including analytical writing, problem-solving, logic, and critical reasoning skills. For example, the Integrated Reasoning section measures your ability to evaluate information from a number of sources presented into different formats, including passages, graphs, and tables.

Why Do Business Schools Use the GMAT for Admissions?

You may be wondering why admissions committees look at GMAT scores, rather than relying solely on grades from your undergraduate coursework.

First of all, as we discussed above, the GMAT is specifically designed to test the types of skills you’ll need to succeed in an MBA program. That means that the questions are formulated to see how well you’ll do solving the types of problems you’ll often encounter during both your MBA program and after, once you’ve entered the workforce. Your GMAT score gives admissions committees an idea of whether or not you’ll be able to handle the rigorous course load at their business schools.

Moreover, the GMAT is a standardized test. The content and style of GMAT questions is the same for all test-takers across the world, while the difficulty and content covered in undergraduate coursework varies widely from class to class. Using GMAT scores helps schools see how different applicants measure up against each other in a standardized way.

Finally, many business schools care about applicants’ GMAT scores because they contribute to schools’ national rankings. The higher the average GMAT score of the admitted applicants to a business school, the higher that school’s rankings; the higher a school’s ranking, the more (and better) applicants they attract.

What Are Other GMAT Uses?

Your GMAT score can have an impact on more than whether or not you’re accepted into business school. Other uses of GMAT scores include qualifying for merit-based scholarships and getting a job after business school.

Business school can be extremely expensive. There are multiple ways to fund business school, including taking out federal student loans, private loans, or money that you or your family have saved. Unfortunately, not every student has access to savings, and it can take years and years (and thousands and thousands of dollars in interest) to pay back loans.

Scholarships, on the other hand, are a great way to get money for business school that you don’t have to pay back. Scholarships are mainly merit-based — meaning that they’re given to applicants who’ve shown that they’re exceptional candidates for one reason or another. While the selection criteria for some scholarships can be incredibly vague, having a strong GMAT score is certainly one way to demonstrate that you’re a stellar candidate. By boosting your GMAT score, you’re boosting your likelihood of getting a scholarship.

Your GMAT score can be useful beyond the classroom, as well. Many consulting companies, such as McKinsey and Accenture, ask applicants to report their GMAT scores on their job applications. Indeed, posters on formats like Beat the GMAT and GMATClub have said that interviewers also specifically asked them about their GMAT scores as they applied for jobs. Other insiders on these forums have said that competitive consulting companies won’t look twice at applicants who don’t report their standardized test scores.

Internships and jobs at highly successful consulting firms can be even more difficult to get than admissions into business school. After all, consulting firms receive applications from students from many different business schools. There may be hundreds, or even thousands, of applicants all competing for one internship. Since these firms use GMAT scores as a way of assessing applicants, it follows that applying to consulting jobs and internships is one of the most important GMAT uses.

Why Take the GMAT?

Why take the GMAT? Well, if you’re applying to business school, taking the GMAT is an important part of your application process. Even though most business schools now accept GRE scores from their applicants, GMAT scores are still considered the most important standardized test scores for MBA applicants.

What are other uses of GMAT scores? Aside from helping you get into business school, GMAT scores can also help you get scholarships for business school and stand out as an applicant for competitive internships.

If you’re not planning on going to business school, you probably don’t need to take the GMAT. GMAT scores are not seen as applicable to any graduate programs besides business school. Most other graduate programs require the GRE, which is seen as a more general test of graduate school preparedness than the GMAT, which is seen as assessing business school preparedness specifically. If you’re looking to go to graduate school for anything besides business, you probably won’t want to take the GMAT.

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve learned about GMAT uses, let’s talk more about what’s on the test. As I mentioned in the article, the GMAT is specifically designed to measure preparedness for business school. But what does that mean? Check out our What is the GMAT guide to learn more about the structure and history of the test.

Wondering what makes a good GMAT score? Well, the answer varies depending on your goals. In our guide to what makes a good GMAT score, we’ll walk you through the possible ranges of GMAT scores and tell you how to interpret whether or not your GMAT score is “good.”

Concerned about the other parts of your MBA application? In our guide to what makes a good GPA for business school, we’ll talk about what make a good GPA for different business schools. We’ll also offer tips for ways that you can boost your application if you’re worried that your GPA won’t be good enough to get you into the business school of your choice.

The post Why Take the GMAT? 3 Main Uses of the Exam appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Is the GMAT required for MBA programs ? How much does the GMAT matter in terms of business schools admissions? Are there any alternatives if you don’t want to take the GMAT? In this article, I’ll go over why so many business schools require the GMAT, the significance of the GMAT in the business school admissions process, and your options if you choose not to take the exam.

Is the GMAT Required for MBA Programs? Why?

The short answer is yes, the GMAT is required for the majority of MBA programs. Most business schools require the exam and place a major emphasis on it in the admissions process.

Business schools tend to require the GMAT for two primary reasons. Firstly, the GMAT has been found to be a reliable predictor of students’ academic performance in MBA programs, particularly in the first year of business school. The GMAT tests skills and concepts that you’ll use in business school (and after), such as critical reasoning, logic, grammar, math, problem solving, analytical writing, and reading comprehension.

Secondly, the GMAT is standardized: everyone takes the test the same way, in the same format, and the content has been rigorously examined to make sure it’s fair for all populations.

Most other factors of a business school application, such as undergraduate GPA and work experience, are more subjective. Some undergraduate programs are easier than others, for example, so GPA isn’t a surefire way to compare candidates for MBA admission fairly and equally. The GMAT gives business schools a chance to compare candidates when they’re on equal footing.

How the GMAT Factors Into MBA Admissions

While MBA admissions are holistic—meaning that they consider a variety of factors, including letters of recommendation, undergraduate GPA, essays, writing samples, work experience, and interviews—the GMAT is one of the most important aspects of a business school application. However, the value placed on the GMAT by admissions committees varies from school to school.

High GMAT scores (700+) tend to be expected, and therefore more significant, at top business schools like Harvard Business School (median GMAT score of 730), the Stanford Graduate School of Business (average GMAT score of 737), and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (average GMAT score of 726).

At mid-range business schools, a GMAT score of 650+ is the norm. Lower-ranking business schools don’t tend to place as much emphasis on the GMAT.

In general, the GMAT doesn’t matter as much for executive MBA programs. Executive MBA programs are designed for the mid-to-senior-level manager with at least 5-10 years of professional, relevant work experience. They usually feature more hands-on and accelerated curriculum than traditional MBAs.

Many executive MBA programs place a higher priority on the extent and relevance of an applicant’s past work experience than they do on GMAT scores. Some allow you to waive the GMAT requirement if you can demonstrate past academic achievement and/or extensive prior work experience.

Other executive MBA programs accept the Executive Assessment in place of the GMAT. The Executive Assessment is a shorter GMAC-authored alternative to the GMAT meant for working professionals applying to MBA programs. It has only three 30-minute sections and a total of 40 questions.

What To Do If You Don’t Want to Take the GMAT

If you decide not to take the GMAT, there are a few other options if you plan to apply to business school. Let’s go over the alternatives to the GMAT.

#1: Take the GRE

Many business schools now accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT. Harvard Business School, the MIT Sloan School of Management, the NYU Stern School of Business, and the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin all accept the GRE in place of the GMAT, among hundreds of other highly ranked MBA programs.

The GRE requires just as much preparation as the GMAT and tests the same skill set, but it does have a few advantages, including a lower registration fee and the chance to use it to apply to a more diverse set of programs, including M.A. and Ph.D. programs.

Also, while both exams test the same skills, the GRE is timed and structured differently than the GMAT and contains different question types. The GRE also has two essay sections, while the GMAT only has one. You can find more information on the differences between the GRE and the GMAT here.

#2: Consider Executive MBA Programs If You Have Prior Work Experience

Many executive MBA programs (called ‘professional MBAs’ at a few schools) will waive the GMAT requirement if you can demonstrate extensive prior work experience and/or academic achievement.

At the UCLA Anderson School of Management, for example, the executive MBA program waives the GMAT requirement for students who already have advanced degrees or demonstrable experience in a quantitative field. The Fox School of Business executive MBA program at Temple University waives the GMAT requirement for students with experience in business and/or technical fields.

Some executive MBA programs have also recently begun to accept the Executive Assessment in place of the GMAT. A few examples include Columbia Business School, the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

#3: Check Out Online MBA Programs

There are several online MBA programs that waive the GMAT requirement for outstanding applicants, and a few don’t require the GMAT at all.

The online MBAs at the Saunders School of Business at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the USC Marshall School of Business, for example, are three highly ranked programs that waive the GMAT requirement for students with demonstrable work experience.

Online MBAs that don’t require either a GMAT score or a waiver are rarer, and tend to be at for-profit or private and/or faith-based institutions, such as Liberty University and the University of Mary.

#4: Look at International MBA Programs

There are many international MBA programs that accept the GRE or the Executive Assessment in place of the GMAT; a few don’t require any standardized test scores for admission.

IE Business School, in Spain, accepts the GRE and the IE Global Admissions Test in addition to the GMAT for MBA admissions. Hult International Business School, with locations in Boston, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Shanghai, and New York, waives the GMAT for applicants with at least five years of professional work experience. Henley Business School at the University of Reading (in the UK) is also willing to waive the GMAT for students with high academic achievements and extensive work experience.

China Europe International Business School, London Business School, and HKU Business School (in Hong Kong) accept the Executive Assessment instead of the GMAT.

Conclusion: Do You Need to Take the GMAT for an MBA?

So is the GMAT require for MBA programs? Not always, but remember that the alternatives to taking the GMAT have considerable drawbacks.

They may still allow you to attend business school, they will limit your options, particularly if you don’t already have the experience required for an executive MBA. Simply put, most high-ranking schools do require the GMAT or GRE, so you start off at a bit of a disadvantage in your search if you eliminate any school that expects a test score.

And while online and part-time MBA programs are often high-quality, they don’t usually offer the same level of access to networking opportunities as conventional business schools. Many do have special events and conferences where you’ll be able to get hands-on experiences and make connections, but generally speaking, it’s not equivalent to the sustained networking you’ll be able to do in a traditional MBA.

The bottom line: It’s probably in your best interest to prepare for and take the GMAT or the GRE if you’re planning on going to business school.

What’s Next?

Our guide to preparing for an MBA offers helpful tips on the best way to get ready for success in business school.

If you’re sure you don’t want to take the GMAT, check out our full list of MBA programs that don’t require the GMAT.

If you are planning to take the GMAT, learn what qualifies as a good score and how to set your own goal.

The post Is the GMAT Required for MBA Programs? Should You Take It? appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Can you get into an MBA without GMAT scores? Why do most schools require it? What are the best business schools you can get into without having to take the GMAT?

Many students want to know if the GMAT is required for MBA admission and what their alternatives are if they don’t want to take it. In this article, I’ll go over why many business schools require GMAT scores from their applicants, a list of MBA programs that don’t require GMAT scores for admissions, and alternatives to the GMAT for students who don’t plan on taking it.

Can You Get Into an MBA Without GMAT Scores?

The short answer is, technically, yes. You can get an MBA without taking the GMAT. Some MBA programs are willing to waive the GMAT requirement for especially experienced or accomplished students, while a few don’t require it at all.

However, the vast majority of business schools require either the GRE or GMAT for admission. If you want the widest selection of schools possible, it’s in your best interest to prepare for and take one or both of the exams. PrepScholar GMAT offers an affordable, effective online GMAT course that includes access to over 1,000 practice questions and 50 lessons if you do decide to take the exam.

Why Do Schools Require the GMAT?

Most business schools require the GMAT for three primary reasons.

First, the GMAT has been proven to be a reliable predictor of students’ academic performance in business school, especially in the first year. The GMAT tests skills and concepts you’ll need to succeed in an MBA program, such as logic, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, analytical writing ability, and math. It’s in the best interest of both you and your prospective schools to discern whether you’re ready for the academic rigor of a particular program.

Second, the GMAT is a standardized test, so it’s seen as an equalizer in the admissions process. Some business school admissions factors, like letters of recommendation or undergraduate GPA, are more subjective. For example, your undergraduate GPA could be influenced by the rigor of the school you attended or the exact courses you took. By contrast, the GMAT is administered in the same format and under the same time limits to thousands of students every year, and the content has been examined and revised to ensure it’s fair for students of various backgrounds.

So MBA admissions committees can rely on the results of the GMAT as a realistic measure of your current abilities, without extenuating circumstances playing a role. That makes the comparison between students based on GMAT scores more reliable and useful than some other admissions factors.

Lastly, GMAT scores play a role in business school rankings. Every year, business schools are ranked by various publications and organizations, and the average GMAT score of a school’s incoming students is a major factor in a program’s spot within those rankings. Average GMAT scores of students at top-ranked business schools like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and the University of Chicago are consistently over 700, while at mid-ranked business schools, average GMAT scores tend to hover around 600-650.

Placing an emphasis on GMAT scores in the admissions process allows MBA programs to move up in ranking, which allows them to attract even more qualified applicants as well as additional funding and prestige.

MBA Programs That Don’t Require the GMAT

There are two categories of full-time MBA programs that don’t require the GMAT or GRE for admission:

#1: Traditional MBA Programs. There are a few MBA programs that don’t require any GRE or GMAT scores for admissions. These are mostly international or smaller schools, but there are few relatively popular and prestigious business schools, like Rutgers and Texas A&M, that don’t require the exam. With the exception of UNC, all of the top-25 business schools require the GMAT.

Some of the MBA programs without GMAT requirements don’t expect test scores from any applicant, while other may only waive the testing requirement under certain circumstances.

#2: Executive MBA Programs. Executive MBA programs are aimed at working professional students who have already achieved mid-to-senior-level manager status. They usually feature more hands-on, interactive, and accelerated curriculum than a traditional MBA program.

Many executive MBA programs waive the GMAT requirement for students who can demonstrate their prior relevant work experience. Others accept the Executive Assessment in place of the GMAT. The Executive Assessment is a 40-question test authored by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), the makers of the GMAT. It requires far less preparation than the GMAT and consists of only three 30-minute sections.

Below I’ve listed MBA programs, both U.S.-based and international, that don’t necessarily require the GMAT or GRE for admission, including1) full-time U.S. MBA programs that don’t require the GMAT, 2) Executive MBA programs that don’t require the GMAT, and 3) online MBA programs that don’t require the GMAT.

Schools listed that require a GMAT waiver will ask you to demonstrate, through a separate application or other process, that you already have an advanced degree or a history of academic or professional accomplishments that are sufficient to prove your skill level without having to take the GMAT.

Schools listed that don’t provide GMAT waivers don’t require GMAT or GRE scores from any applicants (though a few, which are marked, may request GMAT scores if your transcript shows an area of concern for the admissions committee).

Full-Time U.S. MBA Programs That Don’t Require the GMAT

Executive MBA Programs That Don’t Require the GMAT

Online MBA Programs That Don’t Require the GMAT

If You Don’t Want to Take the GMAT, What Are Your Options?

So what if you’ve decided not to take the GMAT? There are a few alternatives. Let’s go over each of your options for getting an MBA without GMAT scores.

#1: Take the GRE

The GRE tests the same skills and concepts as the GMAT and takes just as much preparation. However, you may feel more comfortable with one exam than the other, so you should try practice tests of each exam before deciding which one to take.

Most MBA programs, including top schools like Stanford Business School, MIT Sloan, and Harvard Business School, will accept the GRE instead of the GMAT. Check out your prospective schools’ admissions criteria or FAQ page to see if they place an emphasis on one over the other; some will be frank about which one they prefer.

#2: Consider Online MBA Programs

Some online MBA programs, including highly-ranked ones like the programs at the NYU Stern School of Business and Colorado State University, don’t have GMAT or GRE requirements for applicants.

A few online MBA programs, like the Rochester Institute of Technology, offer a waiver for qualified students, especially those with prior graduate degrees or extensive work experience.

#3: If You’re Experienced, Look at Executive MBAs

Many executive MBA programs will waive the GMAT requirement if you have demonstrable experience in a business-related or technical field (usually at least five years, while some require ten), or if you have a prior advanced degree (such as an M.D. or Ph.D.) from an accredited university.

Some executive MBA programs, including Columbia Business School, accept the relatively new Executive Assessment as a substitute for the GMAT. The Executive Assessment is much shorter than the GMAT and requires significantly less preparation.

Conclusion: Should You Take the GMAT?

Remember that all of the options for avoiding the GMAT do have drawbacks, particularly if you don’t already have the necessary experience to qualify for an executive MBA. Most of the MBA programs without GMAT requirements are lower-ranked, so not taking the GMAT will certainly limit your options.

Though you’ll have more options for online MBA programs, they won’t necessarily offer the same opportunities for networking and career opportunities as a traditional program.

In many ways, it’s a safer bet to prepare for and do well on the GMAT than to look only at MBA programs without GMAT requirements.

What’s Next?

Our guide to whether you need to take the GMAT will help you make a final decision about whether to take the GMAT or not before applying to MBA programs.

Check out our guide to preparing for an MBA to set yourself up for success in business school.

If you’re still feeling unsure about business school, our complete guide to MBAs will help you understand the ins and outs of MBA programs and their benefits and drawbacks.

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