GRE or GMAT?

Many students wonder which test to take, GRE or GMAT. Although both are designed to test similar skills, there are some very distinct differences. First of all, GRE is comparatively easier in Quant but asks for a far advanced vocabulary in Verbal section than the GMAT. Another important point to note is that GMAT is the test specially designed for business studies, whereas GRE is acceptable for all other graduate programs and is also accepted at many business schools. It means that a GMAT score shows your seriousness about business studies.

GMAT is a Computer Adaptive test, a test that changes the questions asked for on the basis of the responses entered by the test-takers in real time. This means that the test-taker is not allowed to go back to the questions answered after confirmation. The questions keep on getting harder if answered correctly. GMAT Math questions are designed to test deeper understanding of concepts and limitations and constraints of various functions and mathematical processes. GMAT test takers cannot use a calculator, making the quantitative section even harder.

In contrast to this, GRE is only Computer Adaptive in terms of the whole section. In easy words, if you do well on the first quantitative section, you will be presented with a quantitative section with harder questions. GRE tests Math skills, not necessarily puzzling the test taker as is the case with GMAT. GRE test takers have access to an on-screen calculator.

Data Sufficiency type questions in GMAT Quant tests the understanding of the importance of adequacy of available data to be able to find an answer. Quantitative Comparison in GRE Quant, on the other hand, tests the understanding of relative values in comparison to each other or to a set value.

In GMAT Verbal, the Critical Reasoning is considered to be the hardest verbal section because of the logic being tested, whereas in GMAT Verbal, Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion are considered the hardest because of the abstruse vocabulary being tested.

The essays in GRE and GMAT are not relevant to the admission process.

Integrated Reasoning in GMAT is also not relevant to the admission process.

Summing it up, one can conclude that GMAT, being the king of MBA admission tests, is harder than GRE but it also raises your chances of getting into a prestigious MBA program. Whereas a good GRE scores increases your options in terms of fields and schools where you can get into.