GRE Vs. GMAT: Which Exam is Easy for MBA Aspirants

By the default rule, in the previous times, the admission criteria to seek admission into any business school was simple. For any MBA aspirant who’d want to pursue a graduate degree in business had to submit their GMAT score. But, along with all the changes taking place in the present education system, there’s another term on board – GRE. In fact, the prospect business schools let you find GRE vs GMAT and to choose the right test for you. As per the scores that you get, you can show any of the two to seek admission in an accredited business school. This change in pattern has led students to question, “Should I take GMAT or GRE?”  To help you sort out this confusion, here is a guide on which exam is easy for you: GRE or GMAT.  After attempting the GRE and GMAT exam, here is what to do next to seek admission in an IVY League School – read the full blog. 

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Overview of GMAT: Exam Pattern and Scoring

GMAT stands for a graduate management admission test. The GMAT exam is by default the standard exam for business school admissions or any MBA school. To know which exam is best to pursue MBA, here is complete that you should go through for a proper understanding of it.

Basics of GMAT

Before getting into the deeper knits of the exam, let’s first know the basic things about the GMAT exam. 

• The GMAT test is a computer-based test, i.e., an adaptive test
• Once you submit the answer to a question, you can’t go back to it.
• The first section in each section is medium in difficulty. If you answer it correctly, you get a slighter harder in the next one; else you get an easier one.
• The authorities conduct GMAT exams year-round, i.e., almost every day within a year. 
• Set timing for the GMAT exam is 3 hours and 30 minutes, including two-optional 8-minute breaks.
• The GMAT examination cost is $250. No matter which country you belong, the cost is non-negotiable

GMAT Test Structure

As per the rules, the GMAT exams have four parts of it that the aspirants have to attempt. To explain in brief, the sections of a GMAT exam includes:-

• Analytical Writing Section 

Duration – 30 minutes; 1 essay prompt

• Integrated Reasoning Section

Duration – 30 minutes; 12 questions prompt

• Verbal Reasoning Section 

Duration – 65 minutes; 36 questions prompt

• Quantitative Reasoning Section

Duration – 62 minutes; 31 questions prompt

GMAT  Scoring Pattern

After giving the exam, the most common question that hits your mind is “How Long Does it Take to Get a GMAT Score?”. The simple answer to your query is – within 20 calendar days. 

The standard composite score for a GMAT ranges from 200- 800 in 10 points increments. In fact, mark that this composite score includes scores from verbal and quantitative sections of the exam. For the other two sections, that is Analytical Writing and Integrated Reasoning; you get a separate score. The individual score ranges for the sections are:-

Verbal and Quantitative sections: 0-60, in one-point increments

Analytical Writing: 0-6, in half-point increments

Integrated Reasoning: 1-8, in one-point increments

Overview of GRE: Exam Pattern and Scoring

GRE stands for graduate record examination. This is another standard exam to seek admissions into graduate school or MBA schools. To know the difference between GRE vs GMAT, let’s know about GRE as well.

Basics of GRE

• The GRE exam is computer-based but is also available in paper-based format in regions with lesser resources
• Unlike the GMAT exam, the entire section determines the difficulty of the next section on that subject
• During your GRE exam, you can return to questions you’ve already answered within a section.
• The authorities conduct GRE exams year-round, i.e., almost every day within a year. 
• Set timing for the GRE exam is 3 hours and 45 minutes, including two-optional 10-minute breaks.
• The GRE examination cost is $205. No matter which country you belong, the cost is non-negotiable

GRE Test Structure

The basic test structure of the graduate record examination includes three main sections:-

Analytical Writing

Duration – 60 minutes; 2 essay prompt (30 min each)

Quantitative Reasoning

Duration – 35 minutes; 20 questions per section prompt

Verbal Reasoning.

Duration – 30 minutes; 20 questions per section prompt

Verbal or Quantitative section (computer-based test only)

Duration – 30-35 minutes; unscored

GRE Scoring Pattern

After giving the GRE exam, the quantitative and verbal sections score separately. The range of both the sections of the is from 130-170 points (1 point increment)—the individual score of the analytical Writing: 0-6, in half-point increments. In fact, while finding the three section scores, a separate report generates instead of a single composite score. 

Differences Between GRE and GMAT Exam

After reading about the two exams individually, now it’s time to compare both of them to get the final answer for which exam is easy for MBA aspirants – GRE or GMAT. The below table has all the major differences that one can encounter while attempting both the exams.  For the capsule information of the same, view our infographic:-

GRE vs. GMAT | Which Exam to Choose

Exam Pattern and Scoring Differences: GMAT vs GRE

GMAT Verbal vs. GRE Verbal

Which Exam (GRE vs GMAT) is Easier for MBA Aspirants?

As per the exam patterns of GRE and GMAT are almost alike, the Verbal sections on the GMAT and GRE test similar skills, including reading comprehension, critical thinking, and grammar. Considering the difference between the two exams, the Verbal section of the GRE is more challenging than the Verbal section of the GMAT. The former offers more challenging vocabulary and reading passages than the latter. Also, the analytical writing section on the GRE counts to 60 minutes, and GMAT counts to 30 Minutes. So, GRE is considerably easier than GMAT, but at last, you must try practicing both to find the one you find easy.

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