What’s needed for a business school application will vary depending on the school. It may include recommendation letters, application essays, and standardized test scores.

However, the top business schools in the world tend to require a Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or GRE test score. This helps schools to evaluate candidates who come from a range of different professional, academic, and geographical backgrounds.

Although schools show no preference between the GMAT or the GRE, the GMAT is accepted by more schools than the GRE. Also, around two-thirds of students at some of the leading US schools took the GMAT over the GRE.

So, why do more MBAs take the GMAT instead of the GRE?

The GMAT is more widely accepted at business schools

While the GRE is accepted at around 1,300 business schools around the world, the GMAT is accepted at more than 2,400. It’s also taken by a wider geographical spread of students. While the vast majority of GRE test-takers are located in the United States, China and India, GMAT test-takers are spread more evenly throughout East and Southeast Asia (28%), Central and South Asia (27%), the United States (20%), and Western Europe (12%).

“I felt that it was a safer bet to take this test in case I found myself considering a school that only accepted the GMAT,” says Louise Andersson, an MBA graduate from Copenhagen Business School (pictured).

The GMAT has also been designed specifically for business schools and MBA programs. On the other hand, the GRE is a general graduate exam accepted by a variety of non-business graduate programs. This means that taking the GMAT instead of the GRE can demonstrate your commitment to doing an MBA. That catches the eye of admissions teams.

“The fact that it is used by leading business schools around the world emphasizes that it is the premier test for business school applicants,” says Stephanie Kluth, director of admissions at ESMT Berlin.

The GMAT prepares you for an MBA and beyond

The GMAT measures the most relevant skills for MBA programs. Each of the three sections—quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, and data insights—targets a specific skill you will further hone during your studies and develop for your post-MBA career.

“It gives us a subjective evaluation that complements the candidate’s professional, educational, and personal achievements,” Stephanie says.

According to Enrico Tritto, an Italian student who took the GMAT in 2024, “the GMAT is a lot more than just applying to business school. I learned a lot of practical stuff from a verbal perspective. For example, reading a complex text, understanding it, and being able to read it in a structured way. So it's really helpful for me now in work and also in university.”

The GMAT has even been found to be an accurate predictor of your academic performance.

The GMAT offers more choice and flexibility 

With the GMAT, it’s more flexible to book or amend a test booking, whether you’re taking the exam online or at a test center.

There is minimal difference between taking the GMAT online or at a test center. The key distinction between the two options lies in the material provided. At a test center candidates are given five sheets of laminated paper for their answers, whereas when doing the GMAT online they have access to an online whiteboard.

During the test, GMAT candidates have flexibility as to the order they answer each section. The GRE requires answers to each section in a fixed order.

A further reason why MBA students opt for the GMAT over the GRE is that they can send their GMAT score to up to five schools for free, with additional score reports costing $35 per school. GRE test scores can only be sent for free to up to four schools. Beyond that, candidates have to pay $40 per additional school.

The GMAT is better suited to international applicants 

International students whose first language is not English tend to prefer taking the GMAT over the GRE.

The GRE tests college-level academic English, requiring you to know and know how to use difficult vocabulary. In preparation for the verbal reasoning and analytical writing section, students may need to memorize between 500 to 1000 words and their definitions.

The GMAT, however, tests English grammar but not English vocabulary, making it easier for international students to score highly.

A GMAT score is valued by employers 

According to GMAC’s annual Corporate Recruiters Survey, the share of Global Fortune 500 companies who “almost always” or “sometimes” consider the GMAT scores of job seekers rose from 25 percent in 2020 to 64 percent in 2025.

“Since the GMAT was developed by and for business schools, it gives GMAT test-takers the edge over GRE test-takers,” says Stephanie of ESMT (pictured).

When preparing for the GMAT or the GRE you’re investing time and money but opting for the GMAT could help you to sharpen your skills and knowledge specifically for business schools and your future career.

This article was first published in 2022 and updated with new data in November 2025.