GRE to GMAT Conversion How Does Your Score Compare

For more than 60 years, business schools have used Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores to compare MBA applicants and decide who will be enrolled in their business programs and who will not. According to the Graduate Management Admissions Council, the organization that administers the GMAT, nine out of 10 global MBA students submit GMAT scores as part of the admissions process. But the GMAT is not the only standardized exam that MBA applicants can take. A growing number of schools are accepting Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores in addition to GMAT scores. The GRE is commonly used by graduate schools to assess applicant readiness. Currently, there are more than 1,000 business schools around the world accepting GRE scores as part of the MBA admissions process. That number grows every year. Comparing GRE and GMAT Scores Although both admissions exams cover similar domains and utilize many of the same types of questions to assess test-takers, the GMAT and the GRE are scored on different scales. The GRE is scored on a 130-170 scale, and the GMAT is scored on a 200-800 scale. The difference in scoring means you cant make an apples-to-apples comparison between the scores. Sometimes, the best way to compare scaled scores from two different tests is by comparing the percentiles. But this isnt really possible with GMAT scores and GRE scores. The normed populations are different, which means you cant accurately convert and compare percentiles from the two tests. Another issue is the way the scores are used. Unlike the GMAT, the GRE does not provide a total score. The GRE test makers recommend keeping GRE Verbal Reasoning scores and GRE Quantitative Reasoning separate when making admissions decisions. The makers of the GMAT, on the other hand, recommend using the GMAT total score when making admissions decisions. Predicting GMAT Scores Based on GRE Scores Business schools are accustomed to making admissions decisions based on GMAT scores, and many of them prefer to use the context of the GMAT to interpret GRE scores. To make things as easy as possible for business schools, ETS, the makers of the GRE, created a GRE comparison tool that makes it quick and easy for business schools to predict an applicants GMAT score based on scores from the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE. This makes it much easier for admissions reps to compare candidates who took the GRE with candidates who took the GMAT. The GRE comparison tool uses a multiple linear regression equation to predict total GMAT scores based on GRE General Test scores. The formula is as follows: GMAT Total score -2080.75 6.38*GRE Verbal Reasoning score 10.62*GRE Quantitative Reasoning score This tool also uses regression equations to predict GMAT Verbal and Quantitative scores from the GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores. The formulas are as follows: GMAT Verbal score -109.49 0.912*GRE Verbal Reasoning scoreGMAT Quantitative score -158.42 1.243*GRE Quantitative Reasoning score Using the GRE Comparison Tool You can use the formulas shown above to convert your GRE score into a GMAT score. However, the GRE comparison tool is the quickest, easiest way to convert your GRE score into a GMAT score. This tool is available on the ETS website and is free to use. You do not have to register on the site, create an account or provide your email address. To use the GRE comparison tool, youll need your GRE Verbal Reasoning score and your GRE Quantitative Reasoning score. Enter those two scores into the provided boxes in the online form. Youll then be provided with several predicted GMAT scores: a GMAT total score, a GMAT Verbal score, and a GMAT quantitative score. GRE and GMAT Comparison Charts You can find a lot of different charts online that can be used to convert and compare GRE and GMAT scores. These charts are easy to use, but they are not always entirely accurate. If a chart was the most appropriate way to convert the scores, the ETS would provide a simple chart. To get the most accurate conversion and comparison, you need to use the GRE comparison tool. And since this is the tool that business schools will be using to convert and compare scores, you can be confident in the accuracy of the tool. Youll be seeing the same predicted GMAT score that the business school sees when they review your application.