GMAT

Prepare for your GMAT with our GMAT tips, while keeping up with the latest developments in GMAT news.

Published: August 29, 2024

A Guide to Test Waivers: Should You Request a Waiver for Submitting a GMAT or GRE Score?

It is no secret that standardized tests are not the part of the MBA application process that applicants most cherish. Some applicants simply aren’t good at standardized testing; others feel they do not have the time to invest in studying properly. Due to COVID-19 and the related impact on testing centers and availability, test waivers became a more prevalent option in b-school admissions. Whether you’re hesitant or excited about the GMAT or GRE, what are valid reasons to request a test waiver? Even if you have a valid reason, does it make sense to request a test waiver? In this Read more

Published: August 27, 2024

MBA Programs Without GMAT or GRE Requirements in 2024

Pursuing an MBA without the GMAT or GRE has become more accessible in recent years as many business schools have lifted this requirement from their admissions process. For many prospective students, avoiding the stress and cost associated with standardized testing is a major advantage. Below is a list of reputable MBA programs that do not require GMAT or GRE scores, making them ideal for candidates who excel in other areas of their application, such as professional experience and academic achievements. Quick List of MBA Programs Without GMAT or GRE: Babson College – F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business Georgia Tech Read more

Published: June 12, 2024

Coming to Grips with the New GMAT Scores

In late 2023, the GMAT got an overhaul. It got an overhaul that changed it completely – scrapping a section, ramping up flexibility and cutting completion times by nearly an hour. Along with the altered format and edited content came a new scoring system, meaning that both the number of marks available and the number of marks scored on the exam shifted. What does this mean for you as an applicant? Well, anyone taking the GMAT is likely to be comparing their own performance with the average GMAT scores that students in their Read more

Published: February 27, 2024

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores at Top U.S. MBA Programs

See where your GMAT score lands among the top U.S. MBA programs, as we report the average GMAT scores in the chart below. If you have yet to take the GMAT, you can also get a sense of what score you need to target. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic abilities and a high score can help you stand out in admissions. Also, average GMAT scores play a role in schools’ rankings. Review the average GMAT scores for your b-schools in the U.S. below. Median scores and ranges presented as Read more

Published: October 11, 2023

Episode 315: GMAT Focus Edition Q&A with GMAC’s Manish Dharia

Manish Dharia We welcome a special guest to the Clear Admit MBA Admissions Podcast to review what’s on many MBA hopefuls’ application checklist: The GMAT. In particular, we’re going to dive deep into the new GMAT Focus format with Manish Dharia, Director, Product Development at Graduate Management Admission Council® (GMAC). Manish has been at GMAC, the non-profit organization that owns and produces the GMAT, since 2015 and served in a number of product management roles while making his way to the director role. Since he is currently in charge of all product development, he knows pretty much everything there is Read more

Published: April 12, 2023

How Hard Is the GMAT?

So, you’ve decided to attend business school and pursue your MBA. You’ve updated your resume or CV, contacted mentors who’ve agreed to write you a recommendation, gathered your academic transcripts from your undergrad days, and now it’s time to prepare for…the GMAT. As with any standardized exam, the GMAT’s difficulty level may vary for different test takers. In general, it’s considered challenging. But how hard is the GMAT, really? If you’ve read Clear Admit’s Real Humans of the MBA series, you’ll notice the Read more

Published: April 3, 2023

GMAT vs. GRE: Comparing MBA Admissions Exams

When evaluating whether to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) vs. the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), it’s important to know the key differences between them and what your results tell admissions teams about you, the applicant. The GMAT and the GRE are the go-to standardized assessments used in the MBA admissions process. While the GMAT started as the standard for MBA applications, most schools have evolved to also accept the GRE to appeal to more applicants. Here are the differences and purposes behind the GMAT vs. GRE to Read more

Published: March 19, 2023

GMAT Score Chart & Why Your Score Matters

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test that measures the abilities of prospective MBA students in analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Your GMAT score provides business schools with a standardized measure of your academic skills and aptitudes that can be compared to those of other applicants and indicates your potential for success in an MBA program. High performance on the exam can help persuade admissions committees to overlook other weaknesses in your application, such as a low undergraduate GPA or limited work experience. “The best thing about the MBA Read more

Published: March 9, 2023

GMAC Announces New GMAT Format: GMAT Focus Edition

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) will be rolling out a new format for the GMAT later this year, as shared in an email update from the CEO, Joy Jones. The revamped test is called the GMAT™ Focus Edition. In explaining the decision-making process for the changes, the GMAC CEO shared, “…over the past two years, we have been working collaboratively with business school professionals representing a wide mix of program types and sizes from around the world and conducted in-depth concept testing with candidates globally representing a mix of demographic characteristics.” What will change? “Redesigned with candidates and business Read more

Published: October 20, 2022

Webinar: To Test or Not to Test: An Open Conversation About the Role of a GMAT Waiver in MBA Admissions

“Should I request a GMAT waiver?” A common question in today’s MBA Admissions environment along with “Can I get admitted if I request a test waiver?” and “Can I still get a job if I have an MBA without GMAT?” Clear Admit partnered with Carnegie Mellon Tepper to discuss these topics and more in an open conversation about the role of test waivers in MBA Admissions. J.R. McGrath, the Executive Director of Masters Admissions at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business and Mike Tarantino from the Clear Admit team led the conversation and took plenty of questions from Read more

Published: June 28, 2022

Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores for Top European Business Schools

We’ve compiled the average GMAT scores for the top European business schools in the chart below. See where your GMAT score lands or, if you have yet to take the GMAT, get a sense of what score you need to target to be competitive. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic abilities and a high score can help you stand out in admissions. Also, average GMAT scores play a role in schools’ rankings. Review the average GMAT scores for the top European business schools below. European School Avg. GMAT Bocconi School Read more

Published: May 31, 2022

What Are M7 Business Schools?

In U.S. graduate management education, the M7 business schools are considered to be the seven best in the space. They offer elite MBA programs and are known for their highly selective admissions processes—it’s no wonder the “M” stands for “magnificent.” Which Business Schools Comprise the M7? The schools that make up the M7 include: Columbia Business School (CBS) Harvard Business School (HBS) MIT Sloan School of Management (MIT Sloan) Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern Kellogg) Stanford University Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) Read more

Published: September 17, 2020

MIT Sloan Waives Standardized Testing for 2020-2021 Admissions Cycle

MIT’s Sloan School of Management has opted to waive the GMAT and GRE requirement for the 2020-2021 MBA admissions cycle. While the school maintains that standardized tests are important to the evaluation process, the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic are too numerous and widespread to justify the requirement for candidates. Some schools chose to waive the standardized testing requirements during the spring and summer rounds of 2020 due to limited testing accessibility. While the GMAT and GRE are now online for many, they are not available in all areas, nor do all users have the technology necessary to Read more

Published: April 15, 2020

Compare the GRE at Home vs. GMAT Online

Chances are, your checklist for applying to business school includes the GRE or GMAT. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, test centers have been forced to suspend operations. In response, ETS introduced an at-home option for the GRE and TOEFL in late March. Subsequently, GMAC started offering the GMAT online. Now, current MBA applicants, who had plans to take the GRE or GMAT at a test center, can take either exam online. Of course, there are conditions and restrictions to ensure fair testing. For example, both require a camera and a microphone Read more

Published: March 29, 2020

GMAC to Launch Interim GMAT Online

Amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) has announced that the GMAT will become available for online administration in mid-April. While the Executive Assessment remains suspended, the GMAT will be online in affected markets, except for mainland China. In a statement, GMAC explained: “We all recognize that this is challenging time with test center closures happening all around the world. And our biggest priority is ensuring we continue to fulfill our mission providing solutions for schools and candidates to discover and evaluate each other. Read more

Published: February 27, 2020

Coronavirus Concerns Disrupt MBA Admissions Interviews, Testing and More

As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reaches over 80,000 globally, mounting concerns have disrupted normal operations of MBA admissions testing, interviews and events. Entrance Exam Sessions Suspended GMAT, GRE, IELTS, and TOEFL testing in mainland China has been pushed back further to the end of March. On its official website, the Graduate Management Admissions Council, which owns and administers the GMAT and Executive Assessment, states the following: “In the interest of the health and safety of our candidates, all testing in Mainland China has been Read more

Published: February 6, 2020

China Cancels GMAT, GRE, IELTS, TOEFL Exams

In light of the impact of the coronavirus (there have been more than 20,000 confirmed cases and 425 deaths at the writing of this article), China canceled the GMAT, GRE, IELTS and TOEFL exams for the month of February. The goal behind the cancelation is to help contain the spread of the coronavirus in public areas. This means that Chinese students seeking to enter programs in the fall may now be delayed. Moreover, universities and schools across the globe could deal with matriculation planning issues in the coming months. Full refunds are being offered to students who had planned Read more

Published: October 29, 2019

Episode 61: GMAT vs. GRE—Which Test Should You Take for B-School?

Lines have been drawn, calculations have been made, sides have been taken. It’s a battle extravaganza in this MBA podcast episode, which pits the GMAT against the GRE. Two special guests join Clear Admit’s Graham Richmond in the great business school admissions debate: GMAT or GRE? Brian Galvin, Veritas Prep’s Director of Academic Programs, represents the GMAT. Since earning a Master’s in Education from the University of Michigan, Brian has made the GMAT his full-time course of study since 2006. In addition to his amateur stand-up comedy career and status as a certified Ironman, Brian might very well be one Read more

Published: July 8, 2019

Episode 39: 5 Key GMAT Tips As You Approach Test Day

Before taking on the dreaded GMAT, what are the most important tips you’ll need to remember? One of the world’s few owners of both a 99th percentile GMAT score and an NBA championship ring, Brian Galvin, Veritas Prep’s Director of Academic Programs, would gladly help Charles Barkley (but not Karl Malone) achieve either. Since earning a Master’s in Education from the University of Michigan, Brian has made the GMAT his full-time course of study since 2006. In addition to his amateur stand-up comedy career and status as a certified Ironman, Brian might very well be one of the foremost GMAT Read more

Published: May 19, 2019

Podcast Episode 10 Replay: The Great Test Debate—GMAT Versus GRE

One of the first decisions you may make on your journey to an MBA is which test to take: the GMAT or GRE? The GMAT, which is owned and administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), is about three and a half hours long. The GRE, or Graduate Record Exam, is another entrance exam produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which also makes tests like TOEFL test for English-language proficiency. While the GMAT used to be the only test to take for MBA admissions, the GRE has been gaining widespread acceptance as an entrance exam for leading business Read more

Published: May 14, 2019

GMAT Tip: Don’t Fret Over Two Letter Words

Many students get frustrated when evaluating sentence correction problems, with the biggest point of frustration coming from feeling that they need to memorize chart after chart of idioms. While knowing idioms can certainly be helpful, if you are facing a short timeline, sometimes you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Just like quantitative problems, there are frequently multiple ways to evaluate sentence correction problems. Not clear on determining that we arrive “at” an airport and arrive “in” a city, but we don’t tend to arrive “to” places? Don’t completely despair that – while you should have a decent Read more

Published: April 23, 2019

So, You’re Terrible at Integrated Reasoning…

Since its release on the June 2012 exam, the Integrated Reasoning portion of the GMAT has had some test takers stumped. This 30-minute, 12 question section is oddly scored on a 1 to 8 scale, and no partial credit is given, even for multi-part, multi-answer questions. For the past several years, it was a matter of debate on whether business schools evaluated applicants on the basis of the Integrated Reasoning section. Admissions offices can be slow to adapt to changes in standardized tests, waiting for enough points of comparison to consider whether the change corresponds with other ways that applicants Read more

Published: April 16, 2019

Combinations: Consider The Grouping with the Slot Method

The GMAT loves to present combination questions that force people to sit next to each other, or in certain seats, and then have the test taker figure out how many different ways people not forced to be glued to possibly a very uncomfortable chair can be seated around them. Because free will, clearly, is not an option for many movie-goers, committee members, and/or people seated in a kumbaya circle. Take this question, for example: A group of 5 students bought movie tickets in one row next to each other. If Bob and Lisa are in this group, what is the Read more

Published: April 2, 2019

Probability Tip: Three Strategies That Aren’t Used Enough

Some GMAT instructors will say that students often place too much emphasis on studying for Probability and Combinatorics, rather than spending more time focusing on the heavy lifters of Algebra and Arithmetic. Like it or not, GMAT students get fixated on combinatorics and probability because a) these questions are never, never as straightforward as remembering and plugging into the permutation or combination formula and b) these problems have the illusion of being easy and attainable. But these sticky types of GMAT questions are notorious time wasters, driving test takers deep into a rabbit holes without consideration the right strategies. In Read more

Published: March 19, 2019

Sentence Correction Tip: Cut the Junk

Sentence corrections on the GMAT can be particularly tricky. There are so many rules and goals to keep in mind – not only does the correct selection have to be grammatically correct, but it needs to be concise and clear – at least, according to GMAC standards. The biggest strategy that we find even the best GMAT test takers fail to consider is “cutting the junk” when approaching GMAT sentence correction questions. It is easy for a GMAT test taker, particularly a native English speaker, to heavily rely on how a sentence correction questions sounds to make corrections, then jump Read more

MBA Applywire

November 20, 2024 9:42pm ET

Applying: Babson / Olin, , Carnegie Mellon / Tepper, Emory / Goizueta, Rice / Jones, Rochester / Simon, SMU Cox, UCI Merage, Washington U. / Olin

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Technology - Entrepreneurship

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Entrepreneurship

GRE: 333

GPA: 2.56

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Lagos

Notes:

I just got rejected for WashU Olin and I have an interview invitation with Questrom. GPA continues to bother me but I addressed it in my supporting essays.

November 19, 2024 12:51pm ET

Applying: Berkeley / Haas, Cornell / Johnson, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, INSEAD, Michigan / Ross, MIT Sloan, Northwestern / Kellogg, U. Chicago Booth, UPenn / Wharton, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Tech in government

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Entrepreneurship Companies: Bain , McKinsey

GRE: 319

GPA: 2.9

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

I got cancer when I was undergrad that's why my undergrad GPA is low. After MBA I want to work in consulting then make a social impact in Africa through entrepreneurship

November 19, 2024 12:06pm ET

Applying: Duke / Fuqua, Harvard Business School, Michigan / Ross, Northwestern / Kellogg, Stanford GSB, U. Chicago Booth, U. Washington / Foster, UNC Kenan-Flagler, UT Austin / McCombs, UVA / Darden

Pre-MBA Career: Wealth Management and Military

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Asset Management, inc. HF, Other Companies: Bain , BCG , Deloitte , McKinsey , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Asset Management , State Street , Vanguard

GPA: 3.80

Years of Work Experience: 7

Location: San Diego

Post MBA Location: Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Charlotte

Notes:

UG Degree: BBA Financial Markets at an Accredited Institution.

Civilian Work History: 3 years as Wealth Advisor under an RIA in Minneapolis and Denver. Total AUM of ~$350-400M, served as a salaried advisor in a primary and secondary capacity. Holistic services to include investment management, estate planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, tax planning, etc.

Military History: 4 years as a supply/logistics officer heading efforts for air/ground mobility, defense contracting, supply and procurement, and fiscal budget management while located at various bases within CONUS and multiple forward deployed locations.

Professional Certifications: Obtained Certified Financial Planner designation (2022) and Series 65 (2019).

November 18, 2024 12:50am ET

Applying: Columbia, Dartmouth / Tuck, Duke / Fuqua, Emory / Goizueta, NYU Stern, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Yale SOM

Intake Year: 2025

Pre-MBA Career: Consulting

Post-MBA Target Industry: Investment Banking Companies: Bank of America , Barclays , Citibank , Credit Suisse , Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan Chase

GRE: 323

GPA: 3.32

Years of Work Experience: 7

Notes:

Education:
- Combined Major in Economics and Statistics
- CFA Charterholder (passed all three levels on the first attempt)

Professional Experience:
- Manager at a Big 4 firm Specializing in capital projects and infrastructure, with a role similar to investment banking
- Seven years of experience, mainly in financial services in Ghana

Extracurricular Activities:
- Pro bono capital-raising services for SMEs
- Aspiring to run a full advisory firm for SMEs in the future
- CFA exam coaching and tutorial classes for candidates
- Founder of a travel and tour club offering affordable trips to explore beautiful and historic scenes in Ghana

Will being 32 years old affect the attractiveness of my candidacy?

November 17, 2024 9:24am ET

Applying: Columbia, , Georgetown / McDonough, Harvard Business School, INSEAD, NYU Stern, Oxford / Saïd, Stanford GSB, UCLA Anderson, Yale SOM

Pre-MBA Career: Higher Education

Post-MBA Target Industry: Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Private Equity, Media, Undecided Companies: Bain , BCG , McKinsey , JP Morgan , Morgan Stanley , JP Morgan Chase , Apple , Google , Microsoft , Andressen Horowitz , Charles River , Sequoia Capital , Blackstone , KKR , 21st Century Fox , Comcast , Walt Disney

GPA: 3.97

Years of Work Experience: 5

Location: Denver, Colorado

Post MBA Location: New York City

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MBA LiveWire

November 21, 2024 4:51am ET

Waitlisted at NYU Stern

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on November 19, 2024

GPA: 3.54

GRE: 331

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Nicaragua

Note:

Waitlisted without interview. How can I flip this in my favour?

November 21, 2024 3:13am ET

Accepted to Washington U. / Olin

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 20, 2024

GPA: 3.81

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Finance

Application Location: Los Angeles

Note:

100K scholarship!

November 20, 2024 11:49pm ET

Interview Invite to Berkeley / Haas

Round: Round 1

Received via email November 20, 2024

GMAT: 645

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Note:

Consortium

November 20, 2024 9:20pm ET

Interview Invite to Dartmouth / Tuck

Round: Round 1

Received via portal on September 04, 2024

GPA: 3.74

GRE: 311

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Tampa, FL

Note:

Applied early enough to guarantee interview.

November 20, 2024 9:19pm ET

Interview Invite to U. Washington / Foster

Round: Round 1

Received via email on October 31, 2024

GPA: 3.74

GRE: 313

Program Type: Traditional Two-Year

Target Career: Consulting

Application Location: Tampa, FL

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