Full-time MBA Programs that Don’t Require the GMAT/GRE Test

The GMAT/GRE exam is an integral part of the application process to land a spot on an MBA program. It’s stressful, requires a lot of studying, and you of course need to pay for the exam.

Participants are well aware that scoring highly on the GMAT/GRE will greatly enhance their chance of getting into business school. But what if we told you some MBA programs don’t require you to take a GMAT/GRE exam at all?

This may come as a surprise, considering the GMAT and GRE has played an integral part in assessing business school candidates for over 60 years.

An average of 250,000 candidates take the GMAT every year, and GRE participant numbers are significantly higher – with over 580,000 applicants – as many non-business programs with a strong focus in math and science require the test as part of the application process.

Since 2009, the number of b-schools allowing GRE score submissions increased by 61 percent, as more and more students choose this cheaper and more flexible option.

A number of business schools offer different entry tracks onto their programs – take IE Business School for example. The institution allows MBA hopefuls to take the IE Global Admissions Test. Whereas candidates hoping to land a spot on Columbia Business School and NYU Stern’s full-time MBA programs can apply by taking the Executive Assessment test, instead of a GMAT/GRE exam.  

In contrast, The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management trialed a pilot in 2018 for the Broad MBA program to accept domestic candidates with strong work experience and other admission criteria in lieu of the standardized test. Similarly, Colorado State University – College of Business will waive the GMAT requirement for candidates with 8+ years’ experience.

Let’s take a full look at the list of business schools taking on candidates without a GMAT/GRE test score.