Whether you plan to take the GMAT or
GRE, both are widely accepted standardised tests that can help you get into a
master’s programme taught at universities you dream to study in. While both
tests have similar structures and cover similar topics that are used to test
your critical thinking, analytical writing, logical reasoning and problem
solving skills, they have different scoring patterns. Hence, this article will
cover the scoring of each of the sections of GRE and GMAT and also tell you
about the GRE to GMAT conversion tool. So read on!
Understanding
the GRE Scoring System
The GRE or Graduate Record
Examination is a 3-hours and 45-minute-long standardised test conducted by ETS
globally. The GRE is known for its longer duration and section-adaptive difficulty
level. While the total score you can achieve on a GRE test is in the range of
260-340, each section has its score range too. Let us understand the scoring of
each section.
The table below contains the scores
of each section of the GRE and its time duration:
|
GRE Test Section |
Score Range |
Number of Questions |
Total Time Duration |
|
Analytical
Writing Assessment |
0-6
with a half-point increment |
Two
types of essays: ●
Analyse an
argument ●
Analyse an
issue |
Two
tasks of 30 minutes each. 1 hour in total |
|
Quantitative
Reasoning |
130-170
with a single-point increment |
40
questions in total. Two sections with 20 questions each |
35
minutes for each section. Total 70 minutes |
|
Verbal
Reasoning |
130-170
with a single point increment |
40
questions in total. Two sections with 20 questions each |
30
minutes per section. Total duration 1 hour |
Understanding
the GMAT Scoring System
Conducted by the Graduate Management
Admissions Council, the GMAT is a standardised computer-adaptive test. Accepted
by over 2300 business schools to nearly 7000 master’s programmes all over the
world, the GMAT is one of the most sought-after tests by professionals and
early graduates looking to pursue MBA particularly.
Although both the GRE and GMAT cover
similar topics in their quant and verbal sections, the GMAT has an edge over
the GRE when it comes to applying to MBA programmes. This is because the exam
is designed to gauge your skills particularly needed to succeed as a business
professional. The GMAT is a 3 hours and 7-minutes long exam and is scored on a
scale of 200-800. However, each section of the GMAT has its own score range
that we will understand better from the table mentioned below.
Let us understand each of the GMAT
sections from the table below:
|
GMAT Test
Section |
Score
Range |
Number of
questions |
Time
Duration |
|
Analytical
Writing Assessment |
0-6
with a half-point increment |
1
essay - analysis of an argument. |
30
minutes |
|
Integrated
Reasoning |
1-8
with a single point increment |
12
MCQs. 4 types of questions: ●
Two-part analysis ●
Multi-source reasoning ●
Graphics interpretation ●
Table analysis |
30
minutes |
|
Quantitative
Reasoning |
6-51
with a single point increment |
31
Questions. 2 types of questions: ● Data sufficiency ● Problem solving |
60
minutes |
|
Verbal
Reasoning |
6-51
with a single point increment |
36
Questions. 3 types of questions: ●
Reading comprehension ●
Sentence correction ●
Critical reasoning |
60
minutes |
Now that we have understood the
scoring methodology of the GMAT and GRE, let us understand how you can convert
your GRE score to GMAT if needed.
Converting
Your GRE Scores to GMAT
Although most universities accept the
GMAT or GRE for postgraduate courses in business management, some universities
may insist on having your scores from GRE converted to GMAT. Hence, ETS‘s
official website allows you to use the GRE to GMAT conversion tool on their official
website which helps you to convert your GRE scores to GMAT scores.
Furthermore, if you want to apply for a business management program or a doctoral programme at universities accepting GRE scores, then it is very essential to check out the GRE cutoff scores for universities 2021. By doing so, you get an idea of the cutoff scores the universities have laid down and hence, you will be able to set a target score for yourself. Based on this target score set by you, you can begin your preparation. The same procedure applies if you take the GMAT.
Now that we have explained to you the
scoring pattern of both the exams,
you’re better positioned to evaluate which exam fits your higher
education goals.