Quick answer
Should I take the GMAT or the GRE?
Take the GRE if you are applying for an MS, a PhD, or a mix of business and other master’s programmes. Take the GMAT if you are applying only to business schools, especially if data and reasoning questions suit you. Most MBA programmes accept both, so a free official practice test of each is the fairest way to decide.
At a glance
| GMAT | GRE General Test | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | GMAC | ETS |
| Fee in India | US$275 at a test centre, US$300 online (about ₹26,200 and about ₹28,600 on 30 Oct 2026), paid in US dollars | US$249 (about ₹23,700 on 30 Oct 2026), paid in US dollars |
| Length | 2 hours 15 minutes, plus an optional 10-minute break | 1 hour 58 minutes, no scheduled break |
| Sections | Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights, 45 minutes each | Analytical Writing (1 essay), Verbal (2 sections), Quant (2 sections) |
| Questions | 64: Quant 21, Verbal 23, Data Insights 20 | 54, plus one 30-minute essay |
| Essay | None | One Analyze an Issue essay, always first |
| Maths | Arithmetic and algebra, with no geometry and no calculator in Quant | Arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis, with an on-screen calculator |
| Vocabulary | Light | Heavier: text completion and sentence equivalence |
| Order and review | You choose the section order and can change up to 3 answers per section | Fixed order after the essay, but you can move freely within a section |
| Scores | 205–805 total, 60–90 per section | Verbal 130–170, Quant 130–170, Writing 0–6 |
| At home | Yes, online | Yes, at home |
| Retakes | Up to 5 times in 12 months, at least 16 days apart | Once every 21 days, up to 5 times in 12 months |
| Choosing which scores to send | Yes | Yes, with ScoreSelect |
| Valid for | 5 years | 5 years |
| Programme | GMAT | GRE |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time MBA abroad | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted by most |
| Executive MBA | Often, though some waive tests for experience | Sometimes |
| Master’s in Management (MiM) | Accepted | Accepted by most |
| MS Finance, Business Analytics, Marketing | Accepted | Accepted |
| MS in engineering, computer science, sciences | Rarely | The usual test, though optional at some universities |
| PhD | Business PhDs | Most PhDs that ask for a test |
| ISB and IIM one-year MBA programmes in India | Accepted | Accepted |
| Test | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| GMAT | Built for business school, and read easily by admissions and scholarship committees. No essay or geometry, and you choose the section order | Data Insights is unfamiliar to most students, and Quant has no calculator. Rarely used for non-business master’s |
| GRE | Accepted for MS, PhD and most MBAs, so one test covers a mixed list. Shorter, with a calculator in Quant | Heavier vocabulary, plus geometry and an essay. A few business schools still prefer the GMAT |
1Choose by profile
- Applying only to MBA or business master’s programmes: either works. Take the GMAT if you are stronger at data and logic, the GRE if you are stronger at vocabulary.
- Applying for an MS in engineering, computer science or the sciences: the GRE, if your programmes ask for a test at all.
- Applying to a mix of business and non-business programmes: the GRE, so one score covers the list.
- Applying for a PhD: the GRE, unless it is a business PhD that prefers the GMAT.
- Not sure: take the free official practice test of each and choose the one you score better on, relative to your schools’ averages.
2How the questions differ
GMAT Quant is arithmetic and algebra word problems without a calculator, and Data Insights asks you to read tables, graphs and several sources at once. Verbal is reading comprehension and critical reasoning. There is no essay and no geometry.
GRE Quant covers school maths including geometry, with an on-screen calculator, and includes quantitative comparison questions. GRE Verbal tests vocabulary in context through text completion and sentence equivalence as well as reading, and the test opens with a 30-minute essay.
3Scores and what schools ask for
Business schools publish class averages or medians for the GMAT, and often the GRE too. Aim at or a little above the median for each school on your list. For MS programmes, departments usually care most about the Quant score.
There is no official conversion between the two tests, but ETS publishes a comparison tool for business schools that predicts a GMAT score from GRE scores. Schools that accept both say they treat them equally.
4Retakes and score choice
Both tests let you retake up to five times in 12 months: the GMAT at least 16 days apart, the GRE at least 21 days apart. Both let you choose which scores to send, and both scores stay valid for five years, so a test taken in your final year at college can still count for an MBA after a few years of work.
5How long to prepare
Most students prepare for two to three months, alongside work or college. Take a free official practice test in the first week: the gap between that score and your target is the best guide. Leave time for a second attempt before your application deadline.
6Do you also need an English test?
Usually, yes. GMAT and GRE test reasoning, not English proficiency, and most universities abroad ask international applicants for IELTS, PTE, TOEFL or the Duolingo English Test as well. Some waive it for applicants taught in English, so check each programme.
7Cost
In India the GMAT costs US$275 at a test centre or US$300 online, and the GRE US$249. Both are charged in US dollars, so the rupee amount moves with the exchange rate. Extra score reports cost more on both.
Up next
GMAT exam
Format, fee, scores and retakes
Official source for this page: mba.com, GMAT exam.
Checked against mba.com, GMAT exam on . AdmitVerse is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP, ETS, Pearson, Duolingo or GMAC. For official rules and test dates, see mba.com, GMAT exam.
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