![\"gmat](\"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2019\/11\/mprep-blogimages-wave1-52-e1573592035981.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
More than 75 business schools now take the Executive Assessment (EA) in addition to the GMAT<\/a>. <\/span>The Executive Assessment<\/span><\/a> launched in 2016 specifically for Executive MBA programs, but it is now used in a wide variety of programs, including specialized Master\u2019s, part-time, and even some full-time MBA programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, if you want to apply to <\/span>one of these programs<\/span><\/a>, you have a choice to make: Will you take the GMAT or the Executive Assessment? (And to make matters more complicated: You may also have the option to take the GRE.)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s actually a really clear-cut answer: In most cases, anyone eligible to take the Executive Assessment should take that exam. There are a small number of reasons that would push you away from the EA\u2014but it is the clear winner in most circumstances because <\/span>the exam is used in a fundamentally different way than the GMAT or GRE<\/span><\/a>. (Yes, I\u2019m linking to that same article a second time, three paragraphs into this post! That article explains how the EA works and why it is fundamentally different\u2014and, in most cases, easier to take. Go read it when you\u2019re done with this post.)<\/span><\/p>\n There are five main factors to take into account in verifying that the EA is the best path\u2014or determining that it\u2019s not for you after all.<\/span><\/p>\n Obviously, if a school requires an exam other than the EA, and you still want to apply to that school, then you\u2019ll have to take that other exam. But before you decide anything about the exam, you\u2019ll first need to figure out where you want to apply. Explore the websites of all of the programs to which you are thinking of applying, talk to colleagues and friends, and build your short-list of desired schools.<\/span><\/p>\n When you\u2019ve got your list, go back to the programs\u2019 websites and look at the admissions criteria. In particular, note which exams that program accepts and whether the exam is required or optional. An exam is almost always required for full-time MBA programs and is often required for part-time MBA programs and specialized Master\u2019s programs (such as Master of Finance). Some Executive MBA programs make the exam optional or offer a waiver for certain applicants who qualify (usually those who are further into their careers).<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, examine your list. If certain schools do not accept certain exams, and you do still really want to apply to that school, then your options are narrowed. But this step could also change where you apply. You might realize that five out of the six programs you\u2019re interested in all accept the EA, but the sixth one requires the GMAT…and you aren\u2019t <\/span>so<\/span><\/i> interested that you\u2019re willing to take the GMAT just for that one program.<\/span><\/p>\n Some schools express a preference for one exam; if any of your schools do, you\u2019d want to take that into account as you make your decision. That doesn\u2019t mean you absolutely must take that exam; if you think a different exam is much better for you, it\u2019s fine to go with that. But if you\u2019re more on the fence, then you might as well take the exam that most of your schools prefer.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to go into consulting or investment banking for \u201chousehold name\u201d firms (for example, Bain, McKinsey), then my best advice is to take the GMAT, not the EA or the GRE.<\/span><\/p>\n These companies ask for your standardized test scores when you apply for internships or jobs, and they are looking for exceptionally high scores. They also have a history of preferring the GMAT to the GRE*. I don\u2019t know whether they will have the same bias for the GMAT over the EA, but without evidence one way or the other, I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d want to risk it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n *Anecdote Alert: About four or five years ago, two of our GRE students were admitted to a top-10 business school and earned summer internships at a \u201cname\u201d consulting firm. (I can\u2019t tell you the name but…you\u2019d definitely recognize it.) While doing their internships, our former students were told that they had to submit GMAT scores if they wanted to be considered for full-time job offers after they earned their MBAs. So they became our students again: They took a GMAT class with us while doing their b-school internships!! (The business world is often crazy.<\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s still the case that these companies prefer the GMAT <\/span>this much<\/span><\/i>. But I would have zero desire to spend months prepping for a second exam just to get a job\u2014so I\u2019d personally choose to take the GMAT in the first place and not have to worry about it. You\u2019ll have to make this decision for yourself, of course!<\/span><\/p>\n There are a number of scholarships available that take test scores into account. Most will accept whatever test score was required by the program you\u2019re planning to attend, but it\u2019s still important to do your research.<\/span><\/p>\n Obviously, if a scholarship requires a certain exam, you\u2019ll need to take that exam in order to apply for that scholarship. (I\u2019m not sure that any still require one specific exam, but check to make sure. Better safe than sorry.)\u00a0 You may also want to ask the scholarship committee whether they <\/span>prefer<\/span><\/i> one exam over another. If you know people who applied for the scholarship or otherwise know something about it, ask them too.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve addressed items 1 through 4 and the EA is still on your list of possibilities, my best recommendation is to take it. As I mention in my \u201cWhat is the Executive Assessment\u201d article (the one that I linked to twice earlier), the EA is used as a readiness assessment, not a \u201cget the highest score you possibly can\u201d assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n What does that mean? In short, you just have to pass a certain threshold on the exam in order for the schools to be satisfied, and that threshold is not anywhere near as high as the average GMAT and GRE scores that schools are tossing around. (If you want to understand more, go <\/span>read that post<\/span><\/a>. There, I\u2019ve linked it a third time…that must be a record for a single post. <\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n The only drawback to the EA\u2014relative to the GMAT and GRE\u2014is that the EA has a 2-test lifetime limit. You can take both the GMAT and the GRE many more times than that.<\/span><\/p>\n I would be worried about the EA\u2019s lifetime limit if this were a \u201cscore as high as you can\u201d test. But that\u2019s not how this test is used. On the EA, approximately 50% of all tests taken are at or above the threshold that most schools want\u2014so if you don\u2019t hit that threshold the first time, you have a really good chance to get there the second time. (In fact, GMAC\u2014the organization that makes the exam\u2014says that something like 90% of EA test-takers take the exam only once. So, for the vast majority of people, the EA really is one-and-done.)<\/span><\/p>\n And let\u2019s say that the worst-case scenario happens: You take the EA twice and you don\u2019t get the score you need. What are you going to do? Are you locked out of b-school forever?<\/span><\/p>\n Nope. In that case, you\u2019ll just go take the GMAT instead. Every single thing you study for the EA is also on the GMAT, right down to the different test sections and question types. To get ready for the GMAT, you\u2019ll have to study a few additional things (such as geometry) and adjust certain strategies (such as time management)\u2014and you\u2019ll also just have to study longer because you\u2019ll likely need a higher score, relatively speaking, on the GMAT. So there is zero wasted time in going for the EA first.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s not often that I get to say there\u2019s a path that\u2019s right for almost everyone\u2014but the EA really is the best path for most people (aside from the caveats listed earlier, of course).<\/span><\/p>\n All right\u2014you\u2019re ready to go. If you\u2019re interested in discussing your options before you decide, you can talk to any of our folks immediately by calling 800.576.GMAT or using the chat app on our website. You can also post in <\/span>this folder<\/span><\/a> on our forums to ask me (note that you may wait up to a week for a reply via the forums).<\/span><\/p>\n KEEP READING:<\/strong>\u00a0How to Study for the Executive Assessment (EA) – Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n For information about our Executive Assessment Complete Course <\/b>click here<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Stacey Koprince<\/a>\u00a0is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California.<\/strong>\u00a0Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT \u00a0for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests.\u00a0Check out Stacey\u2019s upcoming GMAT courses here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" More than 75 business schools now take the Executive Assessment (EA) in addition to the GMAT. The Executive Assessment launched in 2016 specifically for Executive MBA programs, but it is now used in a wide variety of programs, including specialized Master\u2019s, part-time, and even some full-time MBA programs.\u00a0 So, if you want to apply to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53128],"tags":[52823,52788],"yst_prominent_words":[56752,55481,55989,56762,56761,55988,55417,56764,55477,55475,55564,56753,56750,56760,56751,53635,54286,55103,55343,54096],"class_list":["post-18302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-executive-assessment","tag-executive-assessment","tag-executive-assessment-exam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18302"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18943,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18302\/revisions\/18943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18302"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=18302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The GMAT vs. the Executive Assessment: Which should I take?<\/h3>\n
GMAT vs. EA Factor #1: Do my desired programs all accept the Executive Assessment?<\/h4>\n
GMAT vs. EA Factor #2: Do my desired programs express a preference for a certain exam?<\/h4>\n
GMAT vs. EA Factor #3: Do I want to go into consulting or investment banking for top firms?<\/h4>\n
GMAT vs. EA Factor #4: Do I want to apply for any scholarships that require the GMAT?<\/h4>\n
GMAT vs. EA Factor #5: Is the Executive Assessment still in the mix? Take it!<\/h4>\n
\n![\"stacey-koprince\"](\"https:\/\/cdn2.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2015\/06\/stacey-koprince-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n