Side by side
| GMAT | GRE General Test | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | GMAC | ETS |
| Length | 2 h 15 min | About 1 h 58 min |
| Sections | Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Data Insights | Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning (×2), Quantitative Reasoning (×2) |
| Scores | 205–805 total; 60–90 per section | 130–170 Verbal and Quant; 0–6 Writing |
| Essay | None | One Issue essay |
| Calculator | Data Insights only | Quantitative Reasoning |
| Adapts | Question by question | Second section of each measure |
| Score validity | 5 years | 5 years |
Start with what your programs accept
Most business schools now accept both tests for their MBA and many specialized master's programs. The GMAT is built specifically for business school, while the GRE is also used for a wide range of other graduate programs. Before comparing content, check each program's admissions page: a school that states a preference, or a joint degree that requires one test, settles the question.
How the content differs
- Verbal: the GRE leans harder on vocabulary, through its Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions. The GMAT's Verbal section is reading comprehension and critical reasoning, with no vocabulary-in-isolation questions.
- Quant: the GRE includes geometry and gives you a calculator; the GMAT's Quantitative Reasoning section has no geometry and no calculator, and its questions tend to reward number sense and efficient reasoning.
- Data: the GMAT has a whole section, Data Insights, on interpreting tables, charts and multiple sources. The GRE covers data interpretation within Quant.
- Writing: the GRE has a 30-minute essay; the GMAT has none.
A practical way to decide
- List your programs and confirm each accepts both. If not, the decision is made.
- Take a full, timed practice test in each — the GMAT and the GRE.
- Compare the results by percentile, not by raw number, since the scales are unrelated.
- Weigh which test's weaker areas you would rather spend weeks improving: vocabulary and geometry for the GRE, or data reasoning under time pressure for the GMAT.
Do not try to convert one test's score into the other's scale with a formula. Admissions committees see the score you actually report, on its own scale and against its own percentiles.
Common questions
- Do business schools prefer the GMAT or the GRE?
- Most business schools accept both and state that they have no preference, but policies vary. Check each program's admissions page, especially for joint degrees or programs that list only one test.
- Is the GRE easier than the GMAT?
- Neither is objectively easier. The GRE weighs vocabulary and includes geometry; the GMAT has no geometry but a full section of data reasoning. Taking a practice test in each is the fastest way to find out which suits you.
- Can I convert a GRE score to a GMAT score?
- Only approximately. The two tests use different scales and content, and schools evaluate the score you report on its own scale and percentiles.
Sources
Test owners change formats and policies. Where this guide and the owner’s own page disagree, the owner’s page is right — and we would like to know, at contact.