GMAT versus Executive Assessment: similarities and differences
If you’re planning on applying for an MBA, you’ve probably heard about the EA, an exam specifically designed for EMBA students. Since it’s run by the same organization that runs the GMAT and it replaces the GMAT in EMBA applications, many prospective applicants get confused as to which test is better for them. If this is your case, this blogpost is for you!
1. Similarities
The GMAT is the default Maths and Verbal exam for MBA applicants. The EA, on the other hand, was created to assess EMBA applicants (mid-level professionals in full-time employment with an average of 9,5 of work experience). However, there are other MBA programs that also accept the EA from applicants with a decade-long career in management. The full list of universities and programs that use the EA scores is available on the official EA website.
You can sit for the EA at more than 600 test-centers around the world and registration is as easy as it is for the GMAT. Preparation materials from GMAC are available online for both tests.
Recommended: What is the Executive Assessment (EA)?
In terms of test structure, the EA covers the same sections covered by the GMAT (divided into an Integrated Reasoning section, a Verbal section and a Quantitative section). Both tests resort to the same question format. In addition, they have identical Verbal sections; Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension and Sentence Correction feature almost equally in the EA and in the GMAT. The Integrated Reasoning sections are precisely the same. As for the mix of Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency, while it’s not identical, it’s close.
2. Differences between GMAT and Executive Assessment
The table below sums up the key differences between the EA and the GMAT.
Secondly, and because EMBA applicants tend to have higher levels of responsibility and more overloaded schedules than prospective MBA students, the EA was designed to require less preparation time. It also takes less time to complete: a mere 90 minutes (compared to more than 3 hours for the GMAT).Unlike the GMAT, the EA is a readiness exam – and not necessarily an exclusion exam. It assesses skills acquired throughout the applicant’s professional life as well as knowledge and competences learnt through study. Based on applicants’ scores, institutions may decide to create foundation programs for those with the lowest Executive Assessment scores before the beginning of the actual EMBA to put them on a par with the rest of their cohort.
Recommended: Best GMAT Preparation Courses
Finally, the EA has fewer questions than the GMAT and doesn’t have an Analytical Writing section. More importantly, it’s worth noting that while the EA and the GMAT cover roughly the same range of topics, a few of the most challenging Math topics are less present in the EA than in the GMAT.
Summing up: the EA is in fact easier than the GMAT. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to prepare for it, so don’t jeopardize your chances of getting in your EMBA and start studying!
If you wish to know more about the Executive Assessment and/or the GMAT, don’t hesitate to contact us! If you want to know more about executive programs, feel free to download our free ebook below.
