GRE vs GMAT: What's Right For You ?

Indian students who aspire to study abroad always face a confusion. Should they take the GMAT or apply for GRE. While both exams are very popular and widely acceptable in foreign universities, you should make the correct choice as your future depends on it.

What is the main difference between the GMAT and GRE ? There are many important factors like format of both tests, graduate schools perceptions behind them, advantages of exam, the preparation behind them and how to score good in these exams.

Generally, the GMAT exam predicts how apt a candidate is for a particular management programme on the other hand the GRE assess your skills for the programmes in science streams, medicine, literature, mathematics and other course except law programmes.

Both the exams GRE and GMAT have been designed for a native English speaker, according to that foreigner is at an immediate disadvantage, mainly in verbal section. The GMAT has for some time been accepted as main admission criteria for securing a seat into any business schools. The GMAT is designed to assess the verbal, mathematical and analytical skills that the candidate has acquired during his/her education and at work place. But the exam does not test some specific knowledge related to business, job skills or subjective qualities such as motivation, creativity and interpersonal skills. In this exam if your maiden language is not English, he or she may still have fair chance to score high in this exam.

The GRE assesses the extent to which undergraduate education has developed a student's verbal and quantitative skills in abstract thinking. For a student who belongs to a non-English speaking country, the GRErequires a far wider knowledge of vocabulary, writing skills and general subjects than the GMAT. Without good English and writing skills it is not possible to score high in GRE exam. So it is advisable for non-English speakers, it always good to take GMAT in place of GRE.

GMAT score is more than just score: Aspirants whose mother language is not English have an upper hand when it comes to scoring a high GMAT scores. Nowadays, business and graduate schools are welcoming students from diverse background, so applicants from countries that have recently joined the European Union, always have fair chance of being accepted by those B-Schools, so do those from smaller countries. There are fair chances of a candidate being selected by a B-School if the institutes finds that applicant is 'special' and the whole application stands out, the school might accept low GMAT score. Women candidates are always given preference and have higher chances to get selected.

Schools are also seeking to increase their appeal amongst candidates from different background. Candidates are still more commonly come from management, finance or accounting backgrounds, but those who have different background are on the top of the list for business schools admissions.

Main Differences between GRE and GMAT

The format of both the exams are different, it requires different style of approach and strategy to crack the exam. The GRE requires candidates to do the arguing, on the other hand in GMAT exam the candidate is expected to analyse what has been already argued. It is expected from the GRE test-takers that the candidates is more abstract and draw conclusion from different sources and factors, where as GMAT is more concrete and analytical in approach. Does a future manager actually have to be able to write his argument or does he just have to be able to recognize a good one? Both the exams are different in approach; GRE is conducted to assess the academic skills and GMAT for future leaders in academic circle.

GRE and GMAT basic format

What aspirants should do?

Before applying for any institute and college abroad, the first and foremost thing is you should know that the schools in which you are applying accept which test. Observe closely at the GMAT and GRE test and see how you feel about the exam. If you have taken the GRE and manage to score high you can always ask the schools if they will consider it or not. One should always remember that now institutes look for overall-package rather than just one section or concentrating on one part. Applying for a business school is not an overnight decision, it gives a new start to your career.

GRE new pattern : 10 things to note

GRE exam is generally taken by those students who want to take admission in any foreign university for graduate programmes. The Graduate Record Examination is generally known by GRE and the exam is conducted by the Education Testing Service (ETS) on behalf of the Graduate Record Examination Board and Council of Graduate Schools. The pattern of the exam is objective with multiple-choice questions. This exam score is necessary criteria for taking admission in one of the foreign universities.

ETS has brought some changes in the pattern of the GRE exam to make this exam student friendly and less complicated as compared to other exams. This new pattern will help the universities to evaluate the students well, make the right choice and enable them to enroll more deserving candidates. This new pattern will be active from August 2011.

The team of new GRE pattern 2011 said, "It is the largest revision in the history of GRE, which is about 60 years." They also mentioned that the changes in the demographics of the test takers, technology changes, etc, have encouraged them to make changes in the exam pattern and they are really excited about the new format. Below are 10 important changes in the new GRE pattern:

1. Improved Design: This new modified design permits you to go back and forward in a particular section and modify or make changes in your answers. In this new format, you can mark and go back to a question to make changes and revise it. This new format is different in pattern as compared to the current GRE. The main aim behind this new pattern is to create a better and natural test experience.

2. Improved Quality of Data: The quality of the data used for the GRE Test will be better in the new pattern. The new format of the GRE exam will evaluate the skills of the students that are really necessary for graduate and business programmes.

3. Major changes in Verbal section: In this new GRE exam the verbal section has seen the maximum changes. In new format there will be more complex reasoning. No antonyms and analogies will be asked. There will be no vocabulary asked which is out of the context. Expect new types of questions in this section.

4. Quantitative reasoning: The new pattern allows using the calculator to avoid small mistakes. The new pattern puts more emphasis on the reasoning ability and not on the arithmetic calculations. This new pattern concentrates more on Data interpretation and real life scenarios.

5. Analytical writing: In this section there are no major changes but there will be expectations for more focused responses and less generalisations.

6. New test score rating: Due to new changes in the verbal and quant sections, the new range will be between 130 and 170 score scale with increments of 1 point instead of earlier 200 to 800 with 10 points increments. The scale for analytical section is unchanged as 0 to 6 with 0.5 increments. The new test is designed to give enough opportunity to students to demonstrate their reasoning skills irrespective of their background.

7. First new GRE 2011 test score and test: The score for the test taken between August and October will be available in the month of November. The applicants who want their score before November can take the present test before August 2011. The score of reporting will go back to normal time frame of 10 to 15 days after late November.

8. Paper based testing: All the students who are thinking to appear in paper-based test, have to take the test before November, 2011. ETS has proposed various changes in the exam pattern; all these changes will get implemented from August, 2011. All the changes will also be carried out in paper-based test too.

9. Split test going away: If a student is taking this test in Asian continent such China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, you may be using a split-test pattern. This format will not exist in the new GRE exam. The modified GRE test version will provide faster reporting, offered more often on computer and can be done in single day in one sitting only.

10. GRE test prep material: GRE has already made available the new practice papers for aspirants to make them familiar with new exam format. GRE has launched this paper available more than a year before. You can also check the preparation material by visiting the official website of the GRE test.