GMAT Focus vs GRE General
The GMAT Focus Edition (new 2024 format, 200-805 points, MBA-focused) and the GRE General Test (260-340 + AWA, broadly used) are two major graduate admissions exams. Most MBA programs (including the M7) accept both. The GMAT tests business/management reasoning + a Data Insights section; the GRE is general academic (verbal + quant). If you are strong in quant, the GMAT; if you are strong in verbal, the GRE.
Option 1
The MBA standard
GMAC — new 2024 format
Option 2
General academic
ETS — broad usage
| Criterion | GMAT Focus | GRE General |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 hr 15 min (3 sections × 45 min) | 1 hr 58 min |
| Score Range | 205-805 (total) | 260-340 (V+Q) + 0-6 AWA |
| Sections | Quantitative + Verbal + Data Insights | Verbal + Quantitative + Analytical Writing |
| Adaptive | Question-level adaptive | Section-level adaptive |
| MBA Programs | Standard — especially in the M7 and the UK | Accepted — including Stanford GSB, Wharton, MIT Sloan |
| Other Programs | Business programs only | All graduate programs (master's, doctorate) |
| Fee | $275 (online), $300 (test center) | $220 (international) |
| Retake Window | 16 days (5 times/year) | 21 days (5 times/year) |
| Validity | 5 years | 5 years |
| Calculator | None (in Quant) | Built-in on the computer |
GMAT Focus is right for you if
GRE General is right for you if
Data from most schools: at Stanford GSB in 2023, 35% of admitted students took the GRE and 65% the GMAT. Wharton: 30% GRE / 70% GMAT. Overall the GMAT is still the MBA standard, but the GRE gains acceptance every year.
It depends on your profile. Many people who struggle with the GMAT score more comfortably on the GRE because: (1) it has a calculator, (2) the verbal is vocabulary-focused (memorizable), and (3) the AWA is shorter. However, if you are strong at data interpretation, you may do better on the GMAT.
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