Who Should Take the Executive Assessment & Why?
If your target MBA program accepts the Executive Assessment (see a full list here), we generally recommend the EA under three circumstances:
Test anxiety has made the GMAT seem like an insurmountable task,
You’ve run out of GMAT attempts and the GRE is not a viable option for you, OR
You just need to “check the box” and submit a score with an otherwise strong profile.
Test Anxiety and the Executive Assessment
One common reason for us to recommend the EA is test anxiety -- but that’s probably because of the type of student who comes to us for help. Many highly motivated and talented students just get stymied by the GMAT experience. They’ve put so much pressure on themselves to achieve a specific GMAT score that they panic or become paralyzed in the test room.
The EA can be a useful tool for reducing pressure and escaping the cycle of test anxiety. It offers a friendlier experience on several fronts: it’s shorter, you can go back to questions if you need to, and there isn’t as much emotional baggage surrounding a particular score.
You’re Out of GMAT Attempts, and Prefer to Avoid the GRE
If you’ve exhausted your attempts on the GMAT, the next logical step is to take a swing at the GRE. However, the GRE isn’t a great fit for some students. In particular, it can be tough to quickly pivot to the GRE’s vocabulary-focused verbal section, as it’s very hard to improve on vocabulary in a short period of time.
For students worried about this, the grammar-based EA questions might provide a significant advantage. EA questions are nearly identical to their GMAT counterparts, other than the fact that the EA does not include geometry or the Analytical Writing Assessment. So the transition from the GMAT to the EA is almost always quick and seamless.
Taking the Executive Assessment to “Check the Box” for MBA Applications
For some MBA applicants, a test score is arguably the least compelling part of their application. If your target program is drooling over you because of other factors in your profile – work experience, undergrad credentials, a fascinating personal background, or some other personal characteristic – then you may not have to dazzle the admissions team with an outstanding test score. For students like this, the EA is an excellent option.
Even if schools really, really want to accept you based on the cool stuff you’ve accomplished in your life, they also want to know that you’ll be able to handle the course load of an MBA or EMBA program. Taking the EA and getting a decent score can show schools that you’re ready to get back in the classroom without forcing you to deal with the madness of ever-increasing GMAT and GRE median scores.
So, take a good look at your profile as a whole – is there enough to catch the eye of the admissions team without a sky-high GMAT score? If so, the EA might be the test for you.
Learn more about the Executive Assessment: