While More Business Schools Accept the GRE, Aspiring MBAs Overwhelmingly
Stick with the GMAT Even As They Consider it a Harder Test

Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)

Russell Schaffer, russell.schaffer@kaplan.com, 212.453.7538
Carina Wong, carina.wong@kaplan.com, 212.453.7571

New York, NY (March 9, 2010)—A new Kaplan Test Prep survey shows that even as the maker of the GRE announces significant test changes intended to make it an attractive option for business school admissions, most students would still opt for the GMAT. When asked, “If you knew that your top choices for business schools offered the option of allowing you to take either the GMAT or GRE entrance exam to qualify for their program, which would you be most likely to take?” 55 percent of respondents said they would take the GMAT, compared to 12 percent who would take the GRE. Twelve percent said they would take both.

Ironically, according to the same survey of 300 aspiring MBAs polled in January and February 2010, 47 percent said they think the GMAT is more difficult than the GRE—while only 10 percent think the GRE is more difficult. (29% were not sure which was more difficult; 14% said the exams were equally difficult.)

The findings come as the GRE test maker reveals further details on major test changes scheduled for 2011, which would seem to make the test more difficult. Historically, the GRE has been the required admissions test for most competitive graduate school programs, while the GMAT has been the required admissions test for business schools. In recent years, competitive business schools have begun accepting the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT.

“The GRE test maker has made headway in gaining acceptance with many competitive MBA programs, and the announced test changes are most likely designed in part to make it more attractive to business schools,” said Liza Weale, director of graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep. “According to a recent Kaplan survey, the majority of top business schools are still GMAT-only and report that they are not currently planning to accept the GRE, so for now, we’re recommending that students applying to business school take the GMAT, and students applying for other graduate programs take the GRE. Aspiring MBAs who only take the GRE may be limiting their options.”

Newly Announced Key Changes to the Verbal Section of the GRE:

• Multiple Answer Questions: Select all answers that correctly apply, not just one answer.
• Sentence Equivalence Questions: Select the two answer choices out of six that would correctly complete the sentence, and which when used separately, would create two alike sentences.

Newly Announced Key Changes to the Quantitative Section of the GRE:

• Multiple Answer Questions: Choose all the answers that could correctly be applied to the question.
• Numeric Entry: Enter the correct answer to the math problem. No choices given.

Additionally, while the GRE will still use computer-adaptive technology, test takers can skip around within a section, making it a Multi-Stage Test (MST). ETS also announced that the first administration of the new GRE will be August 1, 2011. Test takers who need their score before November 1, 2011 should take the current GRE.

In December 2009, ETS announced a narrower scoring scale; the addition of an online calculator; the elimination of antonyms and synonyms; and the ability to skip and return to questions.

For more information about the GRE’s planned 2011 changes, how it may affect its 600,000 plus annual test taking population and possibly alter the business school admissions process, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538.

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