GRE · Guides · November 6, 2026 · 6 min read

GRE or GMAT: which test to take for business school and master's programs

If every program on your list is an MBA or a business master’s, you can usually take either test. Most business schools accept both and say they have no preference, so the deciding question is which test you will score higher on, measured against other people who take it. If your list also includes master’s or PhD programs outside business (economics, public policy, data science, engineering, the sciences), the GRE is usually the safer choice, because those programs often accept only the GRE or have dropped test requirements altogether. This guide compares the two tests from the applicant’s side and ends with a checklist for deciding.

Format at a glance

Figures as of November 2026, for the shorter GRE General Test (introduced in September 2023) and the current GMAT.

Scores and how schools read them

The GRE reports three separate scores: Verbal and Quant on a 130–170 scale in 1-point steps, and Analytical Writing on 0–6 in half points. There is no official combined score, although applicants often quote V + Q out of 340. The GMAT gives a single total from 205 to 805, plus section scores from 60 to 90.

Because the scales differ, admissions committees compare candidates by percentile, or with a conversion tool. Here is how GRE percentiles look, from ETS data for test takers between July 2022 and June 2025:

Two things stand out. Quant percentiles are much lower than Verbal ones at the same score, because many GRE takers are strong in math: the average Quant score is about 157.6, against about 151.4 for Verbal. And ETS data put the average for test takers heading for business at about 154 Verbal and 160 Quant. A business school applicant with 160 in Quant is therefore roughly average among business-bound GRE takers, not ahead of them. The GRE scores guide covers the full tables and score targets.

Both tests’ scores are valid for five years. On the GRE, ScoreSelect lets you choose which test dates schools see. You can retake the GRE every 21 days, up to five times in any rolling 12-month period.

The same math, two formats

The clearest way to feel the difference is to see the same math asked both ways. Here is one original idea written in GRE and GMAT style.

GRE, Quantitative Comparison:

n is an integer and 3 < n² < 30.

Quantity A: n

Quantity B: 4

(A) Quantity A is greater. (B) Quantity B is greater. (C) The two quantities are equal. (D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

Answer: D. The integers whose squares are between 3 and 30 are ±2, ±3, ±4 and ±5. If n = 5, A is greater. If n = 2, B is greater. Since different allowed values give different results, the answer is D. The trap is forgetting the negative values, but here even the positive values alone are enough to give D.

GMAT style, Data Sufficiency:

n is an integer. Is n > 4?

(1) 3 < n² < 30

(2) n > 0

Statement (1) allows ±2 through ±5, so it isn’t sufficient. Statement (2) on its own says nothing about 4, so it isn’t sufficient either. Together, n could be 2, 3, 4 or 5, which still doesn’t settle the question. Answer: E (the statements together are not sufficient).

The arithmetic is identical. What changes is the habit each format rewards. The GRE question asks you to test cases and compare. The GMAT version asks you to judge whether you have enough information, without necessarily finding a value. Some people find Data Sufficiency natural from the first day. Others find it confusing for weeks. The Quantitative Comparison guide explains the GRE side in detail.

Where each test tends to fit better

The GRE tends to suit you if:

• you are applying to programs outside business, or to a mix of business and other programs;
• your English vocabulary is strong, or you are willing to build it daily for a couple of months;
• you prefer straightforward math with a calculator, including geometry, to logic puzzles;
• you want to be able to skip a question and come back to it, which the GRE allows within a section;
• writing a structured essay in 30 minutes doesn’t worry you.

The GMAT tends to suit you if:

• you are applying only to business school and want the test business schools have used longest;
• rare academic words are your weak point, since the GMAT has no vocabulary questions;
• you enjoy logical reasoning, Critical Reasoning arguments and multi-source data analysis;
• you are aiming for a career where recruiters may ask for a GMAT score. Some consulting and finance employers do, so check with the firms you are targeting.

For many non-native English speakers, the GRE’s vocabulary questions are the biggest obstacle. For many people from engineering and science, Quant on the GRE feels easier than on the GMAT, but a high GRE Quant score is common and stands out less.

Cost and logistics

GRE fees are from ets.org as of November 2026. GMAT fees vary by country and change between years, so take the current figures from mba.com rather than from any guide, this one included. Some schools accept only test-centre scores, not at-home or online ones, so check this before you book either test.

A decision checklist

1. List every program you might apply to, then check their admissions pages. If even one requires the GRE, or doesn’t accept the GMAT, that decides it. Policies change between admission cycles.
2. Take one free, timed official practice test of each on different days, without studying. Convert both results to percentiles.
3. Compare your percentiles, not the raw numbers. Then look at your mistakes. Vocabulary gaps take months to close, while unfamiliar formats can be learned in weeks.
4. Choose once and stay with it. Switching halfway through wastes your preparation, because Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence and Data Sufficiency don’t transfer from one test to the other.

If the checklist points to the GRE, Nomto’s GRE practice test gives you a baseline in the real five-section format, with every question explained. Nomto is independent and not affiliated with ETS or GMAC (GRE is a registered trademark of ETS), and its practice scores are estimates, not official scores. The GRE format guide and the GRE preparation plan take you from there.

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