GMAT vs. GRE® vs. EA: Which Test Should You Choose?

Here’s the short version of the GMAT vs GRE® vs EA decision: if you’re applying to full-time MBA programs and you don’t have a specific reason to do otherwise, the GMAT is still the default. Take the GRE® if your test-taking strengths point that way, and consider the Executive Assessment if you’re an experienced professional aiming at EMBA or part-time programs. 

If a business school accepts a certain test, it doesn’t weigh that test higher or lower than any other, so pick the one that suits you best. So that’s the short answer. For the “why” of what we just posited, keep reading.

The ‘which test should I take?’ question is really three questions wearing a trench coat: which tests do your programs accept, which test fits your strengths, and how much time and pain are you willing to spend preparing?

What’s Actually Tested: GMAT vs. GRE® vs. EA

All three exams draw from the same broad pool of high-school math and college-level reading. 

Here’s an in-depth look at the differences in topics and components tested on each exam.

Math topics

Verbal & reading topics

Data & reasoning question types

Format at a glance

Who Accepts Which Test?

You can apply to nearly any major MBA program with only a GRE® score, and admissions committees have accepted both for well over a decade. (Always confirm on your specific programs’ admissions pages, policies do shift.)

The Executive Assessment is newer, and thus narrower: it was built for EMBA candidates, and a growing list of part-time and even some full-time programs are starting to accept it. If you’re a working professional a decade past your last math class, the EA might be your test, but check your target schools first, because its acceptance list is the shortest of the three exams.

If there’s any chance you’re heading somewhere other than business school, you might want to consider the GRE® exclusively. Its status as a broadly-accepted test for most graduate programs, including some law schools, allows you more flexibility on where you can apply.

The GMAT: The Business School Default

Choose the GMAT when you’re pretty set on business school, and you think you’ll be able to get a strong score on the exam. Its quant section feels quite a bit harder than the GRE®’s, and the Data Insights section is a beast of its own, but that difficulty cuts both ways: a strong GMAT score is a watertight way to prove your readiness for business school to admissions committees. Visit How Does the GMAT Work? to learn more about this exam.

The GRE®: The Flexible Alternative

Choose the GRE® if your verbal ability is strong, and the GMAT doesn’t play to your strengths. If GMAT-style quant reasoning is your kryptonite, or if you’re hedging across multiple graduate paths, the GRE® might be your best bet. Just don’t assume it’s the easy way out: students who take both exams tend to score pretty much the same, and admissions officers know there’s no honest way to convert between them anyway. Visit What is the GRE® for everything about this test.

The Executive Assessment: The Test for Time-Strapped Professionals

Choose the EA if you’re applying to EMBA or part-time programs that accept it and your work experience is doing the heavy lifting in your application. Be aware that it’s not simply “the easy GMAT”: it draws on classic-GMAT question types, including some formats that the current GMAT has dropped, and its brevity means each question carries more weight. Start with What is the Executive Assessment? and see how it compares to the GMAT.

How to Make Your Test Decision

Here’s a handy four-step process you can use to determine which exam is right for you.

1. What tests do your target programs accept? Make the real list from their admissions pages. If the EA isn’t on it, your decision is already down to two.
2. What are your test-taking strengths and weaknesses? Deep quant reasoning and strong reading favor the GMAT. A killer vocabulary and comfort with verbal favor the GRE®. A resume that speaks for itself and limited prep time may favor the EA where it’s accepted.
3. What other programs are you considering applying to? If you’re considering options outside of business school, the GRE® might be the best use of your time, so you can apply everywhere you’d like with the same test score.
4. How do you perform on practice exams? Take an official practice test of each candidate exam and compare how you score and each test feels.

A note: if you’re doing an online MBA, read here whether you need a test at all.

And if you still can’t make a decision after that, get in touch with us for a 45-minute consult to sort it out, offered at an introductory rate.