The GRE for Admission to Graduate Business School Traditionally, the standard test for admission to MBA and other graduate management programs has been the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). However, many of these programs now accept GRE scores as well, so applicants can choose between the two tests. In 2008, at least 134 graduate business schools (116 in the United States and 18 outside the United States) accepted GRE scores, and this number is expected to increase significantly over time. According to Educational Testing Service (ETS), which designs and admin- isters the GRE (but not the GMAT), by embracing the GRE a graduate business school greatly enhances the size and diversity of its applicant pool. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that women, international students, and double-major students are more likely to take the GRE than the GMAT. The additional diversity that these groups bring to classrooms helps explain why MBA programs that seek to enrich and enliven their student body are embracing the GRE in increasing numbers. At its official GRE Web site (www.gre.org), ETS provides a list of MBA programs that officially accept GRE scores. Keep in mind, however, that this list may not be up-to-the-minute and that some schools may not publicize that they accept GRE scores. Additionally, some MBA programs that do not accept GRE scores as a rule nevertheless will make individual exceptions—for example, for applicants in regions where the GMAT is unavailable. In any event, if you seek admission to a particular MBA program and are considering taking the GRE, you should contact the school directly and ask about its current GRE policy. NOTE: ETS used to design and administer both the GRE and the GMAT, the latter under contract with the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). But in 2004, ETS lost its GMAT contract, and hence a significant revenue source. Subsequent efforts by ETS to convince graduate business schools to embrace the GRE as a GMAT alternative have clearly succeeded. KEY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE GRE AND GMAT The GRE and GMAT are remarkably similar. Both are designed to measure the kinds of verbal, quantitative, and analytic skills expected of upper-class college students. Yet aside from a knowledge of high school–level math (which both appendixd 623 tests assume), neither the GRE nor the GMAT attempt to test any specific knowledge area. This means that you don’t need any coursework in finance or accounting to perform well on the GMAT, nor do you need to take an archaeology or English literature class to score high on the GRE. Testing procedures and mechanics are virtually the same for both tests. The GRE and GMAT are both administered by computer and are computer-adaptive, meaning that they conform to your individual ability level on the fly. For both tests, a paper-based version is offered in regions where the computerized testing system is unavailable. Neither test is inherently more difficult than the other. The methodology for evalu- ating and scoring the essays (the Analytical Writing section) is essentially the same for both, and research by ETS shows that scaled Quantitative Ability and Verbal Ability scores for the GRE convert reliably to scaled GMAT scores. In fact, at the official GRE Web site (www.gre.org), ETS provides a GRE-to-GMAT score conversion chart. KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GRE AND GMAT Despite their similarities, certain differences between the GRE and the GMAT should not be ignored, especially by applicants who must choose between the two tests. To begin with, the registration fee is lower for the GRE than for the GMAT (the difference, currently $110, is subject to change). Also, the GRE is offered in more cities and countries than the GMAT. As for the tests themselves, although they are quite similar overall, each test contains some unique question types that distinguish it from the other, as the following table suggests. APPENDIXES624 . www.petersons.com GRE Format Analytical Writing (75 min.) • Issue Perspective (1 essay, 45 min.) • Argument Analysis (1 essay, 30 min.) Quantitative Reasoning (45 min.) • Problem Solving (14 questions) • Quantitative Comparison (14 questions) Verbal Reasoning (30 min.) • Reading Comprehension (8 questions) • Analogies (9 questions) • Antonyms (7 questions) • Sentence and Text Completion (6 questions) Unscored Section (30–45 min.) • Either Quantitative Reasoning or Verbal Reasoning GMAT Format Analytical Writing (60 min.) • Issue Analysis (1 essay, 30 min.) • Argument Analysis (1 essay, 30 min.) Quantitative Ability (75 min.) • Problem Solving (22–23 questions) • Data Sufficiency (14–15 questions) Verbal Ability (75 min.) • Reading Comprehension (12–13 questions) • Sentence Correction (14–15 questions) • Critical Reasoning (14–15 questions) The most significant difference between the two tests lies in how they measure verbal abilities. Although the Reading Comprehension format is essentially the same on both exams, this is where the close resemblance ends. The GRE places far more emphasis on vocabulary, both out-of-context (Analogies and Antonyms) and in-context (Sentence Completion), while the GMAT focuses much more on critical reasoning and on identify- ing and correcting problems in grammar, sentence structure, and idiom (Sentence Correction). Differences in how the two tests gauge quantitative abilities are less significant. Both tests cover the same substantive ground (high school–level arithmetic, number theory, algebra, and geometry) in about the same proportions; both tests include questions involving interpretation of graphical data (tables, line charts, bar graphs, and so on); and both tests employ the traditional Problem Solving format for at least one half of the questions. The main distinction involves the second format. The GRE Quanti- tative Comparison format is quite different from the GMAT Data Sufficiency format. Nevertheless, both are designed to emphasize math concepts and quantitative rea- soning as opposed to problem solving, and neither format is inherently more difficult than the other. They’re just different. Appendix D: The GRE for Admission to Graduate Business School 625 . www.petersons.com As for their Analytical Writing components, the Argument Analysis task is essentially the same for both the GRE and the GMAT. However, the GRE Issue Analysis task differs from its GMAT counterpart in three respects: • The GRE imposes a 45-minute time limit, compared with the GMAT’s more strict 30-minute limit. • GRE test takers choose between two Issue topics; GMAT test takers are not offered a choice. • The range of Issue topics in the GRE pool (from which two topics are randomly selected and presented to each test taker) is much broader than that of the GMAT pool. GRE Issues embrace the entire spectrum of topics that are of general academic interest to college and university students; the topics in the GMAT pool focus more on business issues (especially management, leadership, organizational skills, and ethics). WHICH TEST (GRE OR GMAT) SHOULD YOU TAKE? Of course, the answer to this question is not the same for each and every aspiring graduate business student. As the preceding discussion suggests, whether you should take the GRE or the GMAT depends on your own answers to the following questions: • Do my top-choice business schools accept GRE scores? • Is the registration fee an issue? • Are both tests available where I live or attend school? • Am I interested exclusively in business education, or do I have alternative or additional academic aspirations? • Am I likely to perform better on one test than the other, given what I know about their differences? If you’re still not sure which test you should take after answering these questions, consider taking them both—assuming, of course, that you can adequately prepare for both and can afford both registration fees. APPENDIXES626 . NOTE The folks at ETS who design the GRE have been considering incorporating Critical Reasoning questions into the test and eliminating Analogies and Antonyms. So sometime in the future, the GRE might look even more like the GMAT. www.petersons.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Alan Stewart (B.A., Economics; J.D., University of California at Los Angeles) is an attorney and a preeminent authority and top-selling author on the subject of graduate-level entrance exams. For more than a decade, Mr. Stewart served as consultant to schools in the University of California and California State University systems in graduate-level entrance exam programs. His books on LSAT, GRE, and GMAT preparation are perennial top sellers be top sellers among aspiring law, business, and graduate students. His other book-length publications for graduate-level admission include the following (all published by Peterson’s): Master the GMAT; GRE-LSAT Logic Workbook; GRE Answers to the Real Essay Questions; GRE-LSAT-GMAT-MCAT Reading Comprehension Workbook; Words for Smart Test Takers; Math for Smart Test Takers; and Perfect Personal Statements—Law, Business, Medical, Graduate School. 1. What is the ISBN of the book you have purcha sed? (The ISBN can be found on the book ’s back cover in the lower right-hand corner. ) ______________________ 2. Where did you purchase this book? ❑ Retailer, such as Barnes & Noble ❑ Online reseller, such as Amazon.com ❑ Petersons.com ❑ Other (please specify) _____________________________ 3. If you purchased this book on Petersons.com, please rate the following aspects of your online purchasing experience on a scale of 4 to 1 (4 = Excellent and 1 = Poor). 43 21 Comprehensiveness of Peterson’s Online Bookstore page ❑❑ ❑❑ Overall online customer experience ❑❑ ❑❑ 4. Which category best describes you? ❑ High school student ❑ Parent of high school student ❑ College student ❑ Graduate/professional student ❑ Returning adult student Peterson’s Book Satisfaction Survey Give Us Your Feedback Thank you for choosing Peterson’s as your source for personalized solutions for your education and career achievement. Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Your answers will go a long way in helping us to produce the most user-friendly and comprehensive resources to meet your individual needs. When completed, please tear out this page and mail it to us at: Publishing Department Peterson’s, a Nelnet company 2000 Lenox Drive Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 You can also complete this survey online at www.petersons.com/booksurvey. ❑ Te acher ❑ Counselor ❑ Working professional/military ❑ Other (please specify) _______________________ 5. Rate your overall satisfaction with this book. Extremely Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied ❑❑❑ 6. Rate each of the following aspects of this book on a scale of 4 to 1 (4 = Excellent and 1 = Poor). 43 21 Comprehensiveness of the information ❑❑ ❑❑ Accuracy of the information ❑❑ ❑❑ Usability ❑❑ ❑❑ Cover design ❑❑ ❑❑ Book layout ❑❑ ❑❑ Special features (e.g., CD, flashcards, charts, etc.) ❑❑ ❑❑ Value for the money ❑❑ ❑❑ 7. This book was recommended by: ❑ Guidance counselor ❑ Parent/guardian ❑ Family member/relative ❑ Friend ❑ Te acher ❑ Not recommended by anyone—I found the book on my own ❑ Other (please specify) _____________________________ 8. Would you recommend this book to others? Ye s Not Sure No ❑❑❑ 9. Please provide any additional comments. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Remember, you can tear out this page and mail it to us at: Publishing Department Peterson’s, a Nelnet company 2000 Lenox Drive Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 or you can complete the survey online at www.petersons.com/booksurvey. Your feedback is important to us at Peterson’s, and we thank you for your time! If you would like us to keep in touch with you about new products and services, please include your e-mail address here: ___________________________________________ . (ETS), which designs and admin- isters the GRE (but not the GMAT), by embracing the GRE a graduate business school greatly enhances the size and diversity of. Ability scores for the GRE convert reliably to scaled GMAT scores. In fact, at the official GRE Web site (www .gre. org), ETS provides a GRE- to-GMAT score conversion