the GMAT gets that reputation of being the harder test [Music]
all right last GMAT myth the GMAT is harder than the GRE I know I've heard this one have
you heard this one Eric all the time so yeah all right Eric what do you think about this one
well I think I think it all it right there you go right it's all about an individual strengths and
weaknesses right so you know the GMAT is really you know the gold standard you know when you're
applying to business school right it's it's the one that's been was created by you know a group
of schools a group of Deans that got together you know 70 years or so ago and said we want an exam
that really fits you know Business Schools and so it was developed from there and it always has
been it's always focused on what people are going to be exposed to when they get to Business School
so obviously the the Quant is probably going to be a little bit more challenging right than you
know other assessments that are out there um so but again if if your strengths are on the
the Quant part you probably think GMAT's a little bit easier right if it's you know if
your verbal isn't quite as strong you may think the GMAT is is or the GRE is harder I mean so it
it really depends on each individual but what what's been your experience Erika absolutely
I I I'm I'm with you I thought it it really does depend I think that the GMAT gets that
reputation of being the harder task partially because that Quant section is so competitive
um but also because of the adaptive nature of the exam I think that you know students are are going
into you know the GMAT versus the GRE maybe they have literally the same percentile on both exams
but they may feel a little bit like oh I didn't do as well in the GMAT because I missed half of the
questions whereas on the GRE maybe I only missed a few whereas it's the same performance so I think
it it comes down to maybe a a misunderstanding of how that test is structured so what I recommend
to students is first talk to your schools you know talk to admissions committees call the admissions
office see if they're if your school does have a preference for the GMAT or the GRE or if you
know any scholarships you're looking at have a preference make sure that the test you're taking
fits your goals right it it's not great to take an exam that doesn't match your goals
and then once you have that if you go okay really can take either exam there are some
things that I I recommend as guidelines you know if you're a bit of a perfectionist maybe that that
GMAT algorithm might give you a little bit of grief but I'm living proof you can get over it
um if you struggle a little bit more with Quant GRE might be a better bet if you maybe struggle
more with like vocab or or English then maybe you might aim for GMAT but my big recommendation is
take a practice test if you have time take a GMAT practice test one weekend take a GRE
practice test another weekend don't try to take them back to back it's not going to work well and
then compare your percentiles and then choose the one you're performing better at and invest your
attention there I see that a lot of students try to do both exams I do not recommend that because
that's splitting your attention and likely splitting your score Improvement they don't
want to see a slight Improvement on both exams they'd rather see a big Improvement on one exam
yeah I think it's I think that's good advice um I I will say probably you're going to find
more schools now that say uh were agnostic right so um but I think what I think your your point
about the scholarship part is an important one it also has an impact on um which Industries you're
looking to go into right so sometimes some of the um like consulting and finance investment
banking things like that they will ask for your GMAT score that's what they're used to now that
may change over time as more candidates take a GRE going to business school but you're going to
factor that in a little bit um but I have I have um you know and I very much believe this but it's
not just because I work for GMAC but I've read this from a lot of um you know test prep folks
um like Erika and all the great work that they do is that if you're looking to go to business
school you know the GMAT is the thing that it's the kinds of things you have to prepare for to
take the GMAT are going to better prepare you for business school right than uh the GRE right
um so just a little bit there again looking at this as an investment of your of your time
um and you know in a way it does kind of tell the school look I'm really serious about business
school right so you know this is the test that you know the vast majority of people are taking
to get into business school now that may change over time right but there's still that signal of
you know are you really sure you're committed to going to business school right so yeah so anyway
this is some other some other thoughts there yeah it all comes down to your strength and weaknesses
in the end right what your comfort level is with things yeah so appreciate your perspective Eric
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