Many prospective MBAs are worried about the choice between two types of exams to enter the university: GMAT and GRE. Are they really that different? Which one should you choose? How do you prepare for each of them?
Making the choice
This is actually the very first step: study the web sites of your intended business schools and see if they accept the results of both tests. In case there is only one of them, then your choice is already made for you and you should just take either of those tests. However, if the school you are aspiring to get into allows applicants to send the results of both, you will have to determine the difference for yourself.
First of all, take free practice tests and try the training questions on the official pages of GMAC and ETS (the organizations that compose and oversee the two tests). Whichever yields better results, will be the better one to sign for.
A good thing is also to use the services of a consulting agency: they will test you and give you some really valuable advice. However, you should remember that some companies use the GMAT to test job candidates, hence it might be the better choice.
Preparing and taking the test
Your preparation strategy may be of two kinds: either you train for the test as long and as hard as you can, and then, after achieving your top results, you apply for one of the chosen programs; or you may first set your eyes on a university, and then try to achieve its average score for admitted students.
To take one of these tests, the main thing is always to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are, then prepare using that knowledge.
To fight test anxiety, you should give as much time for preparation as possible. You can either prepare on your own, with textbooks and guides (which include practice tests), or enroll into an online GMAT/GRE training course, so you are able to consult a teacher and get valuable feedback. It all depends on your personality: some people thrive only in an atmosphere of competition, so they choose traditional courses; others like to be tutored and tested in an individual manner, thus they hire a personal consultant.
Your choice depends on what test suits you better, what budget you have for courses and how you like to study. There is also the factor of how much you want to improve: if it’s only several points to achieve the required average score, you can study alone. But if you have to gain a hundred or more, better find a teacher or a course.
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