Not always. Each MBA programme sets its own testing rule: many require a test score, many accept the GRE as well as the GMAT, some accept GMAC's Executive Assessment, and some waive the requirement. Check every programme on your list before deciding.
Not always. Each MBA programme sets its own testing rule: many ask for a test score, many accept the GRE as well as the GMAT, some programmes, executive MBAs among them, accept GMAC's Executive Assessment, and some waive the test or do not require one. The GMAT is the admissions test built specifically for business school, and GMAC says more than 7,700 programmes use it, but whether you need it depends on the programmes on your list.
So the real answer lies in the admissions pages of the programmes you are applying to. This guide explains how to read them and how to decide.
How MBA programmes state their test policy
Admissions pages usually put a programme in one of four positions. The wording varies, but the substance does not:
| What the page says | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| A test score is required | You need a GMAT score or another accepted test. Check which tests are listed. |
| A test is required, but a waiver is available | You can ask to skip the test. The programme sets the criteria and decides each request. |
| Test-optional | You may submit a score but do not have to. A strong score can still add evidence to your application. |
| No test considered | Scores are not part of the decision, so preparation time is better spent elsewhere. |
Read the policy for the exact programme you want, not the school as a whole. Full-time, part-time, executive and online MBAs at the same school can follow different rules.
Why so many programmes still use the GMAT
The GMAT was built for graduate business admissions, and according to GMAC it is used by more than 7,700 programmes at more than 2,400 universities and institutions in 114 countries. It is offered at over 600 test centres worldwide and online. A single exam that so many programmes accept is a practical advantage if your list mixes countries and schools.
The test itself has three equally weighted sections (Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights), takes 2 hours 15 minutes, and reports a total from 205 to 805. Scores are valid for five years, and you choose which attempts to send, so a programme sees only the scores you decide to share with it.
GMAC's own guidance to schools is that the GMAT should be only one factor in an admissions decision: it advises against rigid cut-off scores and reminds schools that the exam does not measure qualities such as motivation, creativity and interpersonal skills. Programmes that publish average or typical scores are describing past classes, not setting a pass mark.
The alternatives: GRE, Executive Assessment and waivers
The GRE General Test
Many business schools accept the GRE General Test as an alternative to the GMAT. If every programme on your list accepts both, the choice comes down to which test suits you. GMAC itself advises schools not to compare GMAT scores with scores on other tests, so do not try to convert one into the other; check how each programme describes the scores it expects on each test.
The Executive Assessment
GMAC's Executive Assessment (EA) is designed for working professionals. It lasts 90 minutes and has 40 questions across three sections: Integrated Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning, each 30 minutes. It is scored from 100 to 200 and valid for five years. GMAC says it is accepted by over 300 programmes at more than 130 schools, and not only Executive MBAs: full-time, part-time, hybrid, online and master's programmes use it too. That is a much shorter list than the GMAT's, so check each programme before choosing it.
Test waivers
Programmes that offer waivers publish their own criteria. A waiver is a request, not a right: the programme decides, and its decision can come after you have lost time you could have spent preparing. If you are unsure whether you will qualify, a GMAT score keeps your options open.
How to decide, in four steps
- List every programme you might apply to, including your second and third choices.
- Record each programme's rule: required, waiver available, optional or not considered, and which tests it accepts.
- Find the common denominator. If even one programme you care about requires the GMAT, you need it. If all accept the GRE or the EA as well, compare the tests on format rather than reputation.
- Look at your application as a whole. If your transcript or work history says little about quantitative or analytical ability, a strong score in an optional-test programme adds evidence that is otherwise missing.
If the GMAT is on your list
Start with a full-length, timed test to see where you stand: the free diagnostic on our GMAT practice tests page runs on the real section timing. If one area clearly lags, the GMAT question bank lets you work on it by section and difficulty. If you would rather prepare with a teacher, the live online GMAT course offers group classes of no more than six students as well as one-to-one lessons planned from a diagnostic.