GMAT Focus Edition vs GRE: Which Test Should You Take?
New versions of both the GMAT & GRE have been released - which one should you take?
The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) are both standardised tests required for admission to many graduate programs. The GMAT is specifically designed for admission to business school, while The GRE is a more general test that can be used for admission to a variety of graduate programs, including business school, law school, and master's and doctoral programs in other fields.
Importantly, they have both released new versions of the tests which are shorter in length, making the choice on which one to take even harder.
GMAT Focus Edition vs New GRE
The GMAT focus edition will be launched on 7 November 2023, and there will be a transition period until 31 January 2024 where both the old and focus versions will be available. From 1 Februaruy 2024 onwards, only the Focus version will be available for new test takers. Old GMAT scores will still be valid until January 31 2029.
The new version of the GRE was already released on 22 September 2023 and the old version is no longer available.
Here’s a brief comparison between the GMAT focus edition and the GRE:
The GMAT Focus Edition
The Focus Edition has three sections: Quantitative, Verbal, and the new Data Insights. Here’s a summary of the changes:
- There is no essay.
- The analytical writing section has been removed - both students and schools found it assessed the same skills as other application components
- Sentence completion and grammar assessment has also been removed
- Integrated Reasoning questions have been blended into the Data Insights section
- The Quantitative section has been reduced from 31 questions to 21.
- The data insights section includes 20 problems covering data sufficiency, multi-source reasoning, table analysis, graphics interpretation, and two-part analysis.
- The verbal section includes 23 problems focused on reading comprehension and critical reasoning.
Data Insights
The revamped GMAT Data Insights section includes Integrated Reasoning questions and Data Sufficiency questions, but with less emphasis on math and more on word problems. This shift makes the section more significant, as it now tests critical thinking skills that are essential for success in business school.
Flexible test taking process
The most impactful changes to the GMAT are in the test-taking process. Now you can take sections of the exam in any order you want, completing your strongest areas first to ensure your best score.
For the first time, the GMAT will now allow you to bookmark questions for review and go back to change up to three answers per section.
Scoring and Reporting
What is considered to be a good score will be very different from the previous benchmarks. For example, someone who scored 700 on the old test will receive a 665 on the new test, according to a comparison table GMAC released to help schools make sense of the scores.
Thisbig change in scores will significantly shift the admissions profiles for the next few years, until the changes are reflected in the admissions data.
Additionally, scores will be made available to test takers faster (within three to five days) and you can now select which schools to send your scores to after you know how you performed, instead of before.
Shorter GRE
The new GRE format takes just under two hours to complete, whereas the older version took almost four hours! That’s a huge reduction in time and is meant to make the process more manageable and efficient for test takers.
Other major changes include:
- The 10-minute break has been eliminated
- The unscored section has been removed
- The “Analyze an Argument” portion in the analytical has been removed
- The number of questions in the quantitative and verbal reasoning sections have been reduced
- Scores are delivered faster (eight to ten days)
There are no preparation materials available yet for the new GRE. But given the material is the same and the test is simply shorter, you can use the existing material to prepare accordingly.
Which Test Should You Take?
Given the significant changes in both tests, the choice of which to take has the potential to be a bigger issue than it has been in the past. Talking with a test prep expert is a wise first step.
We’ve written before that the best thing to do would be to take a full practice of both the GRE and GMAT.
Which Do Business Schools Prefer: GMAT or GRE?
Most top business schools don't really care which test you take, the GMAT or the GRE. Some schools do have a preference, but most schools are indifferent. They have enough data on how students perform with both tests to be able to evaluate your application fairly.
In other words, it doesn't matter which test you take, as long as you do well. The business schools are more interested in your overall academic performance, work experience, and leadership potential than in your GMAT or GRE score.
So, don't stress out too much about which test to take. Just focus on preparing for the test you choose and on putting together a strong application.
Conclusion
Always remember that your Academic and Test scores are just one part of the puzzle!
Admissions teams at top business schools care deeply about your overall profile, and so telling your story is how you can really differentiate yourself. Learn more about how MBA Link’s services can help you create a standout applicant profile.
Book a Free Consultation with MBA Link to have in depth discussion around your profile, and how we can help with your test preparation and overall business school application.
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BA, Philosophy, Harvard University
Swazi, based in Dubai
Melusi has over four years of experience in the test prep industry, preparing students for success in standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, and GMAT, and in high school examination boards such as the International Baccalaureate and A-levels.
Drawing on his wealth of experience in the world of standardized testing, Melusi also develops content and curricula for test prep programs, which incorporate the best practices he has learned over the years. His passion for education lies in not only guiding his students in their quest for success but also encouraging them to believe in themselves and their capabilities.
How Melusi’s Experience Benefits You:
Melusi’s background and experience speaks to his dedication to education. He’s in this for the long haul.
He’s freaky smart, even in a company like ours which is made up of academic stars. Use his brain to enhance yours!
His training and experience adds to his natural talent for patience and breaking down difficult concepts so they are easy to understand.
BA, Philosophy, Harvard University
Swazi, based in Dubai
Melusi has over four years of experience in the test prep industry, preparing students for success in standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, and GMAT, and in high school examination boards such as the International Baccalaureate and A-levels.
Drawing on his wealth of experience in the world of standardized testing, Melusi also develops content and curricula for test prep programs, which incorporate the best practices he has learned over the years. His passion for education lies in not only guiding his students in their quest for success but also encouraging them to believe in themselves and their capabilities.
How Melusi’s Experience Benefits You:
Melusi’s background and experience speaks to his dedication to education. He’s in this for the long haul.
He’s freaky smart, even in a company like ours which is made up of academic stars. Use his brain to enhance yours!
His training and experience adds to his natural talent for patience and breaking down difficult concepts so they are easy to understand.
BA, Boston College
M.Ed, University if Notre Dame
American, based in Taipei, Taiwan
How Katelyn’s Experience Can Benefit You:
If you're looking for someone with direct experience, making admissions and scholarships decisions and advising eager MBA candidates, Katelyn is your person! She will help you create the strongest application possible and avoid the mistakes that many applicants make during the admissions process.
Katelyn is a pro when it comes to messaging and creating a compelling narrative for applicants. She will help you position yourself so that you're optimized for success throughout the MBA application process.
Staying on track and "beating deadlines, not just meeting them" is a key ingredient to success in the admissions process. Katelyn's organized and structured approach to client coaching will help you have an enjoyable experience and mitigate stress as much as possible. She will also help you keep your eye on the prize and be ready to celebrate when the offers of admission roll in!
Ann has a real soft spot for women, first generation college students and anyone with an atypical background – often they don’t have the family or social support to put an MBA on their goal list. They may need a little boost to help them frame their experiences and contributions in a way that strengthens their confidence and their profile. While working in MBA admissions, she also participated in organizations such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow and the Forte Organization which focus on helping underrepresented students prepare for business school. Ann is excited to continue her career helping MBA applicants achieve their dreams.
Outside of work Ann loves travel, spending time with her husband and their dogs. When they’re not traveling, they live in a beautiful part of Upstate New York with great access to lakes, hiking and biking trails. Their newest interest is kayaking and they look forward to taking several kayaking trips on the Erie Canal soon.
How Ann’s Experience Benefits You:
30 year career of evaluating MBA candidates provide insight into the important elements of your profile.
Personal experience connecting non-traditional experience into career related skills that help set you apart as an MBA candidate.
As a coach, I am supportive, but want you to do the work to make your application as authentic as possible.
MBA, INSEAD Business School
Indian, based in Singapore
Having started his journey in a small university in an Indian city, he managed to get himself exposure to work and travel around the world. He developed a passion for helping candidates inch closer to their dream business schools when he managed to get into top schools with a relatively low GMAT score, which is particularly difficult for an Indian male applicant, and is a strong advocate of how compelling personal stories can make an immense impact on applications and interviews.
He recently authored a book called "Happiness Project" and in his free time, plays tennis and coaches young professionals to crack interviews and get jobs abroad. Vaibhav has a deep passion for both coaching and interviewing and has coached many MBA applicants successfully.
How Can Vaibhav's Experience Benefit You:
No one knows our stories better than we do, but we often do not know how to structure it and share it in the best possible way. Vaibhav has the ability to draw out the best life experiences and transform your raw, unstructured thoughts to well thought out, compelling stories. He asks just the right questions to help you realise what it is that you really want and to co-create a picture of your future. All these conversations fit into our FAME model really well and allow you to leave your sessions with great stories and with an understanding of what you really want and where you really want to go.
Vaibhav has an insanely high rate of conversion based on his interviews. Be it for business schools in the past or in the corporate world now, he has been successful in clearing interviews with ease. He will be very helpful to anyone who wants to be ready for interviews, not just getting into business schools but also in the future once you are trying to land relevant internships and jobs.
BA, Trinity College
American, based in the US
Apple CEO Tim Cook and Gates Foundation cofounder Melinda Gates are some of Fuqua’s many distinguished alumni.
Russell is a globally recognized expert on recruitment strategies for international MBA programs recruiting from Asia. He led the Asia recruitment strategy for Duke Fuqua, which is well known as one of the most international US MBA programs, and has consulted with other schools on their Asia recruitment strategy.
Russell has been traveling to Asia for 10+ years and maintains high-level connections in the major cities throughout Asia.
How Russell’s Experience Helps You:
The sheer volume of experience he’s had in making decisions on thousand of MBA applicants over the years means you’ll have the best odds of making the cut in a competitive school.
If you are an Asian student, Russell understands better than anyone what US and international programs are looking for in Asian candidates since consulted on many of their Asian recruiting strategies.
Russell’s infectious personality outs him immediately as a people person. His warmth, encouragement, and heartfelt connection with our clients always earn him rave reviews during the often stressful application process.
Founder, CEO of MBA Link
BsBa, Georgetown University
MBA, Cornell University
American based in Singapore
In addition to managing MBA Link, Lawrence supports the MBA students at INSEAD as a career adviser based on the Singapore campus. Lawrence is passionate about entrepreneurship and education and volunteer teaches classes on entrepreneurship in public schools for Junior Achievement Singapore. Lawrence is an American with ethnic origins in the Caribbean and Eastern Europe and spent much of his childhood in Kenya.
How Lawrence’s Experience Benefits You:
Lawrence is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about developing people and making breakthroughs in their professional lives. Anyone who’s spoken to Lawrence knows he has a way of pulling out their best.
Lawrence has lived on 3 separate continents for 5 years or longer, so he knows what it takes to integrate and succeed in a new country.
His father is a celebrated authority on creative problem solving in mathematics, and considering Lawrence’s success in finance and investing, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
BA, Barnard College
MBA, Yale University
She has spent many years assisting students with their college and graduate school application essays. In 2014, she participated in an inaugural Yale Alumni Service Corps project to provide essay coaching and counseling to high-achieving, low-income students in West Virginia — the state with the lowest percentage of college graduates (11.7%) in the U.S. As one of the essay coaches, she worked with students to help them “put [their] heart[s] onto paper” for their application essays.
Bryna’s first book, The Accidental Anarchist, is the winner of multiple awards, including the Readers Favorite Award for Historical/Cultural Non-Fiction, the International Book Award, and National Indie Excellence Award for a Historical Biography.
BA, Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business (dual-degree program from The Wharton School and College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania)
MBA, Wharton School of Business
MA, Arts Administration, Columbia University
Malaysian, based in Singapore
Prior to that, Melissa began her career in investment banking and distressed debt, and has cut her teeth at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan.
An investigator at heart and a natural storyteller, Melissa loves digging deep to surface unarticulated motivations and unique opportunities for organizations or individuals, and weaving them into a compelling narrative to bring their story to life.
She has done this in various capacities: as an innovation strategist in NYC and London with ?What If!, a boutique innovation consultancy, and as an opera performer and dramatic coach that is constantly looking for new angles to interpret text and unearth new insight into the stories and characters in her music.
Passionate about coaching and empowering individuals to realize their fullest potential, Melissa loves bringing her unique coaching approach to business school admissions to others as an admissions coach.In her spare time, Melissa enjoys little adventures with her toddler and working with arts non-profits to grow the opera audience in Asia for wonderful music that she believes still has the power to move and inspire us in magical ways.
How Melissa’s Experience Benefits You:
If you don’t know how to position yourself, rely on Melissa’s artsy and perceptive way of thinking combined with her exceptional academic experience to craft a compelling story about yourself.
After many years of admissions consulting experience, Melissa has honed a supportive yet firm hand in guiding candidates through the process.
If you are an MBA candidate with an artistic side, Melissa will show you how to merge your two worlds into one unbeatable combination.
BA, Economics, University of Pennsylvania
MBA, Harvard Business School
American, based in the US
Additionally, Shawn has advised and consulted with several start-ups and middle market organizations.
He has significant experience developing and implementing strategies and solutions that achieve consensus among key stakeholders across organizations. Shawn also has 7 years of experience as an Alumni Interviewer for the University of Pennsylvania.
How Shawn’s Experience Benefits You:
If your career goals lean toward finance, Shawn is the expert you need.
Shawn is the kind of person who can take a big picture goal and implement it through minute detail.
As a resume coach, Shawn knows how to present you in the best light.
BA, Journalism, New York University
MBA, London Business School
Chinese, based in Canada
A graduate of London Business School, Venus now serves as an alumni interviewer for the organization.
How Venus' Experience Benefits You:
If you're looking to make a career switch, Venus can help transform your past experience and future ambition into one cohesive story
If there's an idea you want to convey but need help bringing to life, Venus will help you find the right words to craft your narrative
If you're a shy or naturally reserved candidate, Venus can share some time-tested tips for overcoming nerves and owning the spotlight!