GRE vs. GMAT, Part III: The Test-Day Experience

UPDATED FOR THE NEW gmat and gre IN 2024

All of the tutors here at GMAT Ninja retake the GMAT and the GRE from time to time, and we’d like to report an incredibly boring observation: testing rooms aren’t exactly fun places.

If you’re thinking about applying to an MBA or other graduate program sometime soon, you probably already know that standardized tests are often unpleasant, but you might be wondering whether the GRE offers a better test-day experience than the GMAT Focus (which we’ll just refer to as the GMAT from here on out). The answer is… maybe. There are some things that are nice about the GRE, other things that are nice about the GMAT, and a lot of things that are pretty similar about the two tests.

Some benefits of the GRE experience are:

The first quant and verbal sections aren’t too hard.
You get a calculator on quant.
The sections are shorter.

On the other hand, these factors make the GMAT less excruciating:

You can choose your section order.
There are fewer sections.
You have the option to take a 10-minute break.

Benefits of the GRE test-day experience

One nice thing about the GRE is that you are usually eased into the test with some lower-pressure sections. The GRE always starts with one 30-minute writing task. But here’s the thing: the essay is graded by robots (creepy?), and doesn’t need to be the most brilliant argument you’ve ever written. So you can treat the essay as a “warmup” task that gives you a chance to get comfortable in the testing room.

After your writing task, you’ll head into your first quant and verbal sections, which contain questions of roughly average difficulty. So if you’re shooting for a relatively high GRE score, your first two graded sections won’t feel overwhelmingly difficult.

If you struggle with mental math, the GRE has another gift for you: a calculator for all of your quant sections. The calculator won’t be useful on all that many GRE questions, but it is nice to know that it’s there, just in case.

Finally, each quant and verbal section on the GRE lasts only 18 to 26 minutes, compared to the 45-minute length of each GMAT section. So if you prefer sprints instead of longer sections, the GRE might be a good choice for you.

Benefits of the GMAT test-day experience

Remember how you have to start with writing on the GRE? That’s nice for people who like to ease their way into the test experience. However, it also means that you have to be fully focused until the bitter end of the GRE, since you’ll be taking an all-important quant or verbal section as you reach the end of the exam.

By contrast, you can choose your section order on the GMAT. If fatigue is an issue, you can start with the section that is hardest for you and finish up with the less mentally-taxing sections. If you’re more worried about jitters at the beginning of the test, on the other hand, you can put your easiest section first and then finish up with the harder ones.

Additionally, there are just fewer sections on the GMAT than on the GRE. So you’ll have to pick your poison: a bunch of shorter sprints, or a few longer races.

Finally, you have the option to take a break on the GMAT. After either your first section or your second section, you can take 10 minutes to stretch, go to the restroom, and grab a snack. There is no break on the GRE, so you have to get through the 2+ hour experience in one go.

GRE vs. GMAT: Similarities in the test-day experience

A lot of aspects of the GRE and GMAT align with one another. For example, the overall length of the two tests is pretty similar: the GRE takes just under 2 hours, while the GMAT clocks in at roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes, not including the GMAT’s optional 10-minute break.

Additionally, the test center check-in processes are almost identical. For both tests, you’ll want to show up early to fill out a bit of paperwork, and you’ll generally place your phone and other personal items in a locker. Then there will be a security process to check in and out of your testing room.

The experience of taking the tests online is also pretty standardized: for both tests, you’ll have to download some software, show your testing area to a proctor, and allow the proctor to watch you through your webcam as you work through the test. That might be a bit creepy, but at least it’s equally creepy for both the GMAT and the GRE.

The bottom line on the GRE vs. GMAT test-day experience

Most students find the GRE experience less excruciating than the GMAT experience. However, if you really want to be able to control your section order, or you prefer a few longer sections to a bunch of short ones, the GMAT might be a better fit for you.