- April 14, 2026
- 12 min read
GMAT vs GRE: Which should you Choose?
What’s the difference between the GRE and the GMAT? Which should you take? How much does the GMAT vs GRE cost? Find out in our comprehensive guide
GMAT vs GRE | Most MBA students at Harvard Business School take the GMAT ©HBS-Facebook
TL;DR
- The GMAT and GRE are the two most widely taken entrance exams for business school. The GMAT is specifically for business school, while the GRE can also be used to apply for other graduate degrees, including law
- The two exams are broadly similar, albeit with some key differences in structure and scoring
- Although neither exam is better or worse than the other, more business schools globally accept the GMAT than the GRE. Some employers also assess your GMAT score when recruiting
Every year, thousands of prospective business school students ask themselves the same question before applying: GMAT or GRE?
The two leading entrance exams for business school, the GMAT and GRE are both widely accepted by schools but differ in some key areas.
The GMAT exam, owned and administered by GMAC, is designed specifically for business school candidates and is the most widely taken exam for MBA admissions. More than 90,000 MBA and master’s candidates take the GMAT each year.
The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test, administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), can be used to apply to a variety of graduate degree programs including business and law.
In this article we’ll give you a comprehensive breakdown of the differences between the GMAT and GRE, covering exam structure, cost, test prep, and more.
Read on or skip to your section of interest by clicking the links below:
Structure of the GMAT and GRE
The GMAT is 2 hours and 15 minutes long. You have an optional 10-minute break.
The GRE General Test is 1 hour and 58 minutes long. There is no break.
The GMAT comprises three sections while the GRE test has five. Below is a breakdown of the two test structures.
GMAT structure
The GMAT Quantitative Reasoning section tests your ability to solve mathematical problems. You will need to demonstrate your knowledge of arithmetic and algebra, though advanced math skills are not required.
The GMAT Verbal Reasoning section tests how you read and understand written material and evaluate arguments given in a passage.
The GMAT Data Insights section evaluates your data and information analysis skills across multiple formats. You should demonstrate the ability to integrate data to solve complex problems.
You can choose to take the GMAT in any order you want. All three sections are computer-adaptive, meaning the test tailors the difficulty of each question based on your previous answers.
The first question will be medium difficulty, but from then on, the computer will score your answer and select the next question according to your scores.
At the end of each section, with any time you have remaining, you can take advantage of the Question Review & Edit feature to review as many questions as you want and change up to three answers per question.At the end of each section, with any time you have remaining, you can take advantage of the Question Review & Edit feature to review as many questions as you want and change up to three answers per question.
GRE structure
The GRE Analytical Writing section tests your critical thinking skills. You’re presented with an issue to analyze and asked to present your own analysis.
The two Verbal Reasoning sections test your ability to analyze writing and understand the meaning of a text. You read passages and summarize the meaning of sections, sentences, and phrases. Words are omitted from passages, and you have to make replacement suggestions that maintain the coherence of the sentence.
The two Quantitative Reasoning sections consist of either independent, standalone questions or questions about a specific dataset, designed to test your ability to analyze quantitative information using arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and data analysis.
Can you use a calculator?
You are not allowed to use your own calculator for the GMAT or GRE math questions. You can however use a calculator provided to you in the GRE test.
For the GMAT, an on-screen calculator is available for use during the Data Insights section only. In the GMAT’s Quantitative Reasoning section, you’re allowed to use note boards and markers for your working out.
GMAT vs GRE scoring systems
GMAT test-takers receive an overall score between 205 (the lowest possible score) and 805 (the highest possible score).
Your GMAT score is based on your scores for all three sections of the exam. These are graded between 60 and 90.
GRE test takers come away with three different scores, one for each section of the exam. Verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections are scored between 130 and 170, in 1-point increments. The analytical writing score is scored between 0 and 6, in 0.5-point increments.
The highest GRE score you can achieve is 340 for verbal and quant combined and 6 for analytical writing.
After your test, you also receive information about what percentile your score falls into, comparing your performance with recent test takers. For example, if you score in the 99th percentile on the GMAT, you’ve performed better than 99% of test takers. GMAT and GRE percentiles data is recalculated each year using data from the previous three years.
Both GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years. You’ll receive your official GRE score about eight to 10 days after your test date. You'll receive your official GMAT score within three to five days, although you can view your unofficial score immediately after finishing the exam.
What is a good GMAT or GRE score?
What you consider a good GMAT or GRE score will depend on which schools you’re applying to. Most will publish the average GMAT score of their current MBA class for you to compare.
Average GMAT scores for the top MBA programs tend to be in the 86th percentile or higher, although scores submitted by accepted MBA students can range anywhere from the 44th to 99th percentiles.
This means a wide range of candidates with a GMAT score are often accepted into the same MBA class. There can be many reasons for this. For example, applicants with broader work experience or who scored a higher GPA in their undergraduate degree might need to rely less on a GMAT score for entry.
It’s a similar story for the GRE. For example, in the Harvard MBA, the median GRE score for both quant and verbal is 163.
Globally, GRE test-takers record average scores of 150.37 on verbal reasoning, 153.39 on quantitative reasoning, and 3.58 on analytical writing.
How much do the GMAT and GRE cost?
The cost of the GMAT varies depending on your test location and local currency:
- When taken at a test center in the United States or Canada, the GMAT costs $275
- Mainland Europe: €275
- UK: £250
- India: $275
- Online: $300
The GRE exam is priced slightly lower at $220 for most regions, including the US and Canada. The GRE is the same price whether you take the test in a test center or online.
Can you take the GMAT or GRE online?
You can take both the GMAT and GRE online from your home. The online GMAT is available globally, excluding mainland China, Iran, Cuba, Sudan, and North Korea. The GRE online test, the GRE General Test at Home, is available in the same locations as the GRE General Test (everywhere with the exception of mainland China and Iran).
For both tests, a human proctor monitors you via a live video feed for the duration of the exam to ensure you can’t cheat. You can take the tests on a PC or Mac.
Some schools require you to take the test in person. Before you book, it's worth checking whether your target schools accept the online test.
The GMAT and GRE online tests are identical to the test center versions in terms of exam structure and score scales.
Taking the GMAT or GRE online gives you added flexibility if you don’t live close to a test center or simply prefer to sit an exam from the comfort of your home.
How do you prep for the GMAT or GRE?
Whichever test you decide to take, preparing for the GMAT or GRE can be a stressful experience. Luckily, there are plenty of test prep resources out there, and the more practice questions you complete, the more confident you will feel on the day.
GMAT test prep
When starting your GMAT test prep, you should take advantage of the prep resources offered by GMAC (the company that administers the test). The annual GMAT Official Guide is the most comprehensive GMAT prep book.
The GMAT Official Guide is also the only GMAT test prep guide that uses real questions. The guide is updated each year and includes an Online Diagnostic Evaluation that allows you to assess your strengths and weaknesses for a more strategic approach to prep.
If you want to focus on one particular section of the exam, other GMAT prep books are available from GMAC and test prep experts such as Manhattan Prep.
The best GMAT prep strategies also include at least one full GMAT practice test. Taking a mock GMAT test will help you understand how you perform under pressure and give you a chance to practice your timing strategy.
GRE test prep
You should follow a similar strategy for GRE test prep: identifying and working on your weak points, learning core concepts, and answering as many GRE practice questions as you can.
You can find plenty of free GRE sample questions online, and once you’ve established your strengths and weaknesses it could be worth investing in a GRE prep course tailored to your needs. There are plenty of affordable prep courses on the market from providers such as Magoosh.
If you want to learn from the people who created the GRE, an ETS GRE practice test is your best bet. ETS regularly updates its Official Guide to the GRE General Test, which includes four real practice tests along with online mock exams and hundreds of GRE sample questions.
Is the GMAT or GRE better for an MBA?
So, should you take the GMAT or GRE for your MBA application? And does it matter which one you take?
While the GMAT was the preferred option in the past, almost all business schools now accept both the GMAT and the GRE. While many MBA admissions directors say they don’t favor one test over the other, there are more practical considerations that may impact your choice.
Sameer Kamat, admissions consultant and founder of MBA Crystal Ball, says that top MBA employers in banking and consulting—including the Big Three consulting firms—assess GMAT scores when recruiting. He says that taking the GMAT helps you stand out to recruiters.
Graeme O’Connor, founder of GMAT Panda agrees: “The GMAT score is often used as part of candidate assessment by typical post-MBA employers (such as consulting firms). Personally, it helped me get an interview, internship and full-time offer at a top London-based consulting firm, and I still include it on my CV 10 years later!” He says: “There’s nothing more powerful than a good GMAT quant score to show them that you can cope with the analytical demands of the master's.”
Cara Skikne, from Studyportals, says that some MBA scholarships and fellowships are also based on GMAT scores. “A good GMAT score could mean paying less for business school,” she explains.
Ultimately, you need to consider your own strengths and where your competitive advantage lies. “In my experience, it is easier to switch from the GMAT to the GRE than the other way around, so the GMAT might be a better starting point if you are undecided on which test to take,” says Skikne.
Which is easier: The GMAT or GRE?
What you might find easy may be difficult for someone else, depending on their previous experience, educational background, and skills.
So, the question of whether the GMAT or GRE is easier doesn’t have a simple answer. Both the GMAT and the GRE are computer-adaptive tests, meaning that as you answer questions, they become harder or easier based on if you get the questions right or wrong.
For the GMAT, there’s no essay required, you can choose your section order, and you can skip questions and come back to them (within a section). You also have 25% more time per question on the GMAT over the GRE.
Cara Skikne believes that there are a few key differences between the two exams.
“People say the GMAT is harder on the quant side and easier on the verbal side than the GRE, but I don’t think that’s always true. If a student is good at logic, the focus on logic in the GMAT’s quantitative section could be an advantage,” she explains.
“The GRE Verbal side is also considered harder due to the amount and obscurity of the vocabulary. But vocabulary is easier to study than some of the GMAT Verbal content which requires a deeper understanding.”
Sameer, from MBA Crystal Ball, says that candidates’ educational and professional backgrounds tend to influence their choice of test. “Candidates with engineering backgrounds generally find the GMAT to be easier, while those from liberal arts backgrounds prefer the GRE,” he says.
But Graham O’Connor of GMAT Panda says: “Candidates sometimes (wrongly) choose to take the GRE rather than the GMAT because they are worried about their maths skills. It’s actually a big misconception that GMAT Quant is about complex maths. In reality it's about breaking problems down into small, simple steps. As someone who’s been teaching the GMAT for over 10 years I often say 'if it feels too complicated, there’s another way!”
Standardized tests are all about competitive advantage as you’re scored in relation to other test takers, Cara notes. She’s noticed test takers who take the GMAT and the GRE record similar equivalent scores across both tests.
Ultimately, you should consider which test is easier or harder in relation to your own abilities and ensure you make an informed decision on which admission test, is right for you.
