Thousands of candidates around the world aspire to sit for their GRE and GMAT exams every year. The level of tension around GRE and GMAT preparation is quite intense. And why wouldn’t it be like that? Thus, we have compiled some important tips for GRE and GMAT Preparation!
What is GRE?
GRE stands for Graduate Record Examinations administered and owned by the Educational Testing Service or ETS. GRE is otherwise a standardized test to measure a candidate’s ability for critical and abstract thinking, analytical skills, maths, and vocabulary. Graduate schools in the USA and Canada consider GRE as a standard examination for admissions in colleges/universities.
What is GMAT?
GMAT, too, does not stand that far apart from what GRE is! GMAT stands for the Graduate Management Admission Test that tests if you are fit for studying in business schools. Most importantly, GMAT also tests your ability to write, analytical capabilities, quantitative, verbal communication skills, reading & writing in English.
What are the key differences between GMAT and GRE?
- GMAT checks whether you are suitable for attending business schools. Whereas, GRE is broader in perspective covering all graduate schools including business schools.
- Formats of the two examinations differ too! While the GRE offers paper version of its exams, GMAT is completely computerized.
- GRE has a 60 minutes long section for analytical writing containing two essays – assigning 30-minutes to each. Whereas, the GMAT consists of only one essay consisting of 30-minute long analytical writing.
- GRE has two (2) verbal reasoning sections that are 30-minute long. On the other hand, GMAT has one integrated reasoning section of 30 minutes.
- GMAT has one (1) quantitative section that stretched itself for 62-minutes. However, GRE has two (2) sections of 35 minutes long verbal reasoning.
- GRE has a 30 to 35-minute long experimental section that can either be maths or verbal. GMAT is clear about its last section of 65 minutes – verbal only!
Things to be remembered for GRE Preparation
- Choose your course and university and check for the GRE score requirements and deadlines for submitting scores before preparation. Moreover, the score requirements help you to decide the attention levels for all test sections ( Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning).
- Do a SWOT analysis. Point out all the strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, you can concentrate on your weakness to improvise it and focus on your strength to deliver the best.
- Not all 3 test sections of the GRE were given equal weightage. Focus on the test section score that owes you an extra weightage for admissions.
- Practice makes a man perfect. Practice the skills you need more focus on.
- Always stick to the subject while preparation. Get a thorough knowledge of the test syllabus and prepare accordingly.
Things to be remembered for GMAT Preparation
- GMAT preparation includes four test sections: Verbal, Analytical Writing, Quantitative and Integrated Reasoning.
- Check on the business schools for score requirements, deadlines for scores submission, and University code.
- Choose your business schools of interest and set a target score. Setting up the target will help you to move towards your goal. Moreover, try to set up the destination and move towards it.
- Check with the test syllabus and gather the practice materials.
- Concentrate more on the section which needs improvement. Practice the skills and take up all the tests to analyze your level of improvement in each test.
- Conduct a SWOT analysis and focus on strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, practice hard to maximize your scores.
- Prepare a schedule for each test section. Compare your practice test scores and the desired test scores and plan accordingly.
What is the ideal score for GRE or GMAT?
Many students ask this question worldwide. Well, according to ETS the average score for the verbal part is 150 and about 152 for the maths. Everything depends on which program you are applying for. What you should, however, be asking is, “What GRE scores do I need to be accepted?”
It’s better that you contact the grad-school you are targeting. If they are reluctant to tell you any cutoff marks then you need to figure out last year’s accepted value. You will surely succeed if you aim higher.
Drawing from the same premises, some grad-schools prefer to check your ability to crack maths and not essays. Once you figure out your dream destination figure out what is needed or where you need to plunge your nose into!
In the case of GMAT, you may want to score as close to 700 as possible, if not topple it. GMAT scoring is rather complex and it’s better to understand every aspect of it before you sit for your exams.
Wondering about which university to choose for your MBA program? Take the help of international mentors from ForeignAdmits!