Last Updated: September 04, 2024
GRE or GMAT? How to Compare and Convert Your Scores
Many students are taking the GRE to gain admission to
business schools. Its broader reach and extensive testing network are advantageous to any aspirant. Converting the
GRE score to
GMAT score assists the B-school aspirants to know where they stand when compared to GMAT aspirants.
Similarly, students who have previously attended a B-school program convert their GMAT score to GRE score to pursue a Ph.D. program. Taking a GMAT exam is suitable when seeking admission to any good B-school. However, the GRE is the best option when pursuing graduate and advanced courses such as a Ph.D.
Schools nowadays accept the GRE or GMAT scores to reach a more diverse applicant pool. Furthermore, schools objectively compare all the applicants by converting the GRE to GMAT scores or vice versa. Converting the score can be highly useful, especially when ascertaining where the score lands compared to a program or school's median score, thereby aligning the student's admission goals with the schools of their choice.
How does the score conversion work?
GRE and GMAT score reporting
GRE and GMAT are standardized tests for admissions to graduate programs in the US and other countries. The GMAT has been the preferred option of B-schools for assessing candidates for admission into graduate management programs, while Ph.D. or master’s degree programs require GRE scores. However, many top schools now accept both GMAT and GRE scores to widen the applicant pool and build class diversity.
Programs that allow the GRE and GMAT scores will likely have different standards for each test. However, these standards are not particularly based on the GRE conversion matrix primarily because schools understand how the scoring system works and have the option of evaluating admitted students on their subsequent performance in the B-school.
If a school has been accepting both GRE and GMAT scores for a long time, it is more likely to have concrete standards for both tests, whereas schools that have more recently started accepting both scores will use a GRE to GMAT conversion matrix to assess the applicant's performance.
However, the tests have a few essential differences regarding the format and score reporting.
Comparing Raw and Scaled scores
For the GRE, the Quantitative and Verbal section scores are reported separately and range from 130 to 170. These scores are then added to calculate the cumulative GRE score. The analytical writing section score ranges from 0 to 6.
For the GMAT, the section scores are similarly calculated and scaled for the cumulative scores. Each section score can range from 6 to 90, and the cumulative score ranges from 205 to 805.
ETS, the educational testing and assessment organization that conducts the GRE, has developed a useful comparison tool for converting GRE scores to GMAT equivalent scores. This tool allows users to predict the total GMAT score using GRE Verbal and Quantitative reasoning scores. The introduction of GMAT Focus has complicated the use of this comparison tool, as it primarily emphasizes the comparison of scores between the GRE and Classic GMAT.
The table below provides a preliminary estimation of the conversion from GRE scores to GMAT Focus scores.
| GRE | GRE Quant/Verbal | GMAT |
| 340 | 170 | 805 |
| 338 | 169 | 805 |
| 336 | 168 | 785 |
| 334 | 167 | 735 |
| 332 | 166 | 695 |
| 330 | 165 | 685 |
| 328 | 164 | 665 |
| 326 | 163 | 635 |
| 324 | 162 | 615 |
| 322 | 161 | 615 |
| 320 | 160 | 595 |
| 318 | 159 | 585 |
| 316 | 158 | 575 |
| 314 | 157 | 555 |
| 312 | 156 | 545 |
| 310 | 155 | 535 |
| 308 | 154 | 515 |
| 306 | 153 | 495 |
| 304 | 152 | 495 |
| 302 | 151 | 485 |
| 300 | 150 | 475 |
| 298 | 149 | 455 |
| 296 | 148 | 445 |
| 294 | 147 | 435 |
| 292 | 146 | 425 |
| 290 | 145 | 415 |
| 288 | 144 | 405 |
| 286 | 143 | 395 |
| 284 | 142 | 375 |
| 282 | 141 | 375 |
| 280 | 140 | 355 |
| 278 | 139 | 345 |
| 276 | 138 | 335 |
| 274 | 137 | 335 |
| 272 | 136 | 305 |
| 270 | 135 | 295 |
| 268 | 134 | 255 |
| 266 | 133 | 245 |
| 264 | 132 | 235 |
| 262 | 131 | 215 |
| 260 | 130 | 205 |
Percentile Conversions
Similarly, it is important to know the projected percentile post-conversion to determine the projected score. The percentiles are important as they help factor in the competition from other applicants. The conversion gives the applicants a perspective on where they stand against their competition when seeking admissions.
| Percentile (%) | GMAT Focus | GRE |
| 100.0 | 805 | 340 |
| 100.0 | 805 | 338 |
| 100.0 | 795 | 338 |
| 100.0 | 785 | 338 |
| 100.0 | 785 | 336 |
| 100.0 | 775 | 336 |
| 99.9 | 765 | 336 |
| 99.9 | 755 | 336 |
| 99.9 | 755 | 335 |
| 99.8 | 745 | 335 |
| 99.7 | 735 | 335 |
| 99.5 | 735 | 334 |
| 99.4 | 725 | 334 |
| 99.2 | 715 | 334 |
| 98.7 | 715 | 333 |
| 98.6 | 705 | 333 |
| 98.1 | 695 | 333 |
| 97.9 | 695 | 332 |
| 96.9 | 685 | 332 |
| 96.7 | 685 | 330 |
| 96.1 | 675 | 330 |
| 95.2 | 675 | 329 |
| 94.0 | 665 | 329 |
| 93.2 | 665 | 328 |
| 92.6 | 655 | 328 |
| 89.6 | 655 | 327 |
| 89.3 | 645 | 327 |
| 86.7 | 645 | 326 |
| 85.1 | 635 | 326 |
| 83.5 | 635 | 325 |
| 82.7 | 625 | 325 |
| 80.1 | 615 | 325 |
| 80.1 | 615 | 324 |
| 78.3 | 615 | 322 |
| 74.5 | 615 | 321 |
| 74.5 | 605 | 321 |
| 71.5 | 595 | 321 |
| 70.7 | 595 | 320 |
| 65.3 | 585 | 320 |
| 64.8 | 585 | 319 |
| 62.8 | 585 | 318 |
| 62.1 | 575 | 318 |
| 58.9 | 575 | 316 |
| 55.1 | 565 | 315 |
| 52.7 | 555 | 315 |
| 51.4 | 555 | 314 |
| 47.8 | 555 | 313 |
| 46.7 | 545 | 313 |
| 44.3 | 545 | 312 |
GRE to GMAT Score Conversion Limitations
For applicants who have taken the GRE and are considering taking the GMAT or vice versa, figuring out exactly how they will perform on one test can be difficult. What dampens conversion is the fact that not everyone has the same skill set.
For instance, a particular test taker may be strong in grammar but not possess a robust vocabulary. This gap will be a drawback on the GMAT. Similarly, one might have scored 90% on the GRE quant, but the GMAT quant section poses a bigger challenge in terms of difficulty and competition, and the same student might not end up with a 90% on the GMAT quant section.
Schools are familiar with this skewness, and some are well equipped to deal with this imbalance in the form of a GRE quant to GMAT quant converter. However, most business schools may not convert the scores between the two tests. In general, both the GRE and GMAT verbal sections are given equal weightage, as the difference in difficulty is more subjective.
Average GRE/GMAT Focus Score Requirements of Top MBA Programs
The table below presents the Average GMAT/GMAT Focus scores reported by the class of 2025 from top MBA programs.
| Percentile (%) | GMAT Focus | GRE |
| GRE Verbal | GRE Quant |
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | 738 | 164 | 164 |
| Harvard Business School | 740 (median) | 163 (median) | 163 (median) |
| Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) | 728 | 162 | 162 |
| Booth School of Business (University of Chicago) | 728 | 162 | 163 |
| Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University | 731 | 163 (median) | 163 (median) |
| Sloan School (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) | 730 (median) | 155-167 | 157-168 |
| Berkeley Haas (University of California) | 733 | 161 | 163 |
| Yale School of Management | 720 (median) | 164 (median) | 166 (median) |
| Columbia Business School | 730 | - | - |
| Michigan Ross (University of Michigan- Ann Arbor) | 719 | - | - |
