There are many schools that do offer the flexibility to avoid taking and submitting GMAT or GRE test scores. In fact, among the schools that comprise Fortune’s best online MBA programs, roughly 60% do not require applicants to submit GMAT scores with their applications. However, if the MBA program you’re interested in is one of those schools, it may still be worth considering including a test score anyway, experts say.

Are GMAT scores required to apply for a top MBA program?

The short answer is yes. You must submit a GMAT or GRE score in order to apply for most top business schools, especially traditional, in-person programs.

Some schools require that applicants submit a GRE or GMAT score—some don’t. Some schools have no requirements at all as it relates to standardized test scores. It’ll all depend on the specific school and MBA program you’re interested in, and that school’s specific admissions criteria.

Schools do change their criteria, too. “We previously required GMAT scores,” says Beverley Hollingsworth, a professor of business and the MBA program manager and chair at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. But after entering into a new partnership to help facilitate the school’s MBA program, Hollingsworth says that “we had lots of discussions and agreed, at that point, to get rid of it—the GMAT was kind of a hindrance,” she says, so they opted to get rid of the requirement.

But again, that’s just one school. Whether a prospective student will need to submit GMAT or GRE scores in order to apply will depend on the specific program.

All of the M7 schools require applicants to submit at a GMAT score, though many also accept GRE or Executive Assessment (EA) scores. However, some schools might not have any standardized test requirements at all.

Online programs generally have more flexibility in the application process—including requiring the GMAT. In fact, about 60% of the schools on Fortune‘s ranking of the best online MBA programs do not require applicants to submit a GMAT score versus the close to 40% of schools that do. However, be sure to check out school’s individualized policies because online MBAs tend to have flexible MBA waivers, meaning those with a certain undergraduate GPA and/or years of professional work experience will not need to take the GMAT.

The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, which is ranked No. 4, is among the schools that changed its test policy recently. The program previously required applicants to submit a GMAT or GRE score for application consideration, though the school moved to a test-optional policy for all of its MBA offerings. 

For nearly 70 years, the GMAT has been used by business schools to measure an applicant’s readiness to succeed in an MBA program. Even though preparing to take the GMAT can be costly, in terms of both time and money, the exam remains popular: The test is accepted by 7,000-plus programs around the world, and nine out of 10 new MBA enrollments are made using a GMAT score, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC).

 “People lean into this experience because they realize it can open doors which otherwise won’t open,” Ashish Bhardwaj, senior vice president and head of market development at GMAC, tells Fortune.

As more business schools move away from requiring a GMAT score, that’s also indicative of some of the skepticism about the test’s relevance today. Some people question whether the exam is still a useful way to assess a candidate’s capability to succeed in business school or even if the investment of time and money spent preparing for the exam is worth the return. 

“I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a big huge fan of standardized tests,” Jodey Farwell, hybrid MBA program director at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, tells Fortune. 

Here is how the two sides of that debate shape up.

Why business schools require standardized testing 

Standardized test scores, such as the GRE or GMAT, can help schools make better-informed decisions when it comes to enrollment. 

“MBA admissions committees do like to see GRE or GMAT scores as a part of an application so that they can consider your performance as a holistic evaluation for a spot at the school,” says Kaneisha Grayson, the founder and CEO of The Art of Applying, an MBA admissions consultancy. “Test scores are helpful in that they test verbal skills, quantitative reasoning skills, and writing skills in a way that allows committees to compare results across applicants—the test represents a standard that they can apply to all applicants. 

In short: Test scores give selection committees a relatively easy, quantitative way to compare applicants. Without them, they need to rely on more qualitative metrics, which isn’t a bad thing, but can be more difficult. 

Naturally, schools that do not require standardized test scores may have a lower barrier to entry, which can be attractive to many prospective students. “It removes that barrier,” says Denise Burrill Simion, an assistant professor and MBA faculty advisor at Fitchburg State University. “We have some students who have a lot of trepidation about applying,” she says, and getting rid of the test-score requirement has helped clear the path for those students, in some respects.

GMAT scores don’t necessarily predict future success

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a standardized test score was required to get into top MBA programs. But after test centers shut down and schools waived the requirement, people began to question if the GMAT score’s efficacy to predict an applicant’s readiness had become outdated. Well-rounded applicants with strong analytical skills can still build a strong MBA application without a GMAT score, many people argue.

“I’m not convinced that they determine a student’s success in a program, especially a graduate program,” says Farwell. “But I also don’t think a student’s GPA score from 20 years ago matters to their success—it’s a lot of other things.”

Instead, Foster takes “a very holistic approach to admissions,” says Farwell. Rather than focusing on any one element, she notes that admissions staff review an applicant’s educational background—including transcripts and GPA—along with their professional experience, as indicated by job growth, promotions, and what kind of role they’re doing currently.

What’s more, an applicant’s ability to succeed at Foster may be demonstrated through the recommendation letters that applicants are required to submit, along with the one-on-one interviews that are part of the admissions process.

“I think if you do all that, you can get a sense for a good quality candidate in the top programs, without having a GMAT score,” says Farwell.

GMAT scores make it easier to compare global candidates

While providing a GMAT score is essential for consideration into many top-ranked business schools, some candidates still wonder if they can apply to an MBA program without taking the GMAT—and why a student’s GPA can’t be used as a simpler lens for comparison.

The problem with moving away from the GMAT is there’s no comparable way to evaluate candidates globally. It’s especially difficult to compare the GPAs of students who studied different fields and in different educational systems, says Bhardwaj. “For example, the GPA of a liberal arts student who studied in the U.S., with the GPA of an architecture student who studied in Korea.”

A GMAT score is a way of “providing a unique data point, which is truly compatible across the world,” Bhardwaj says. “It’s a good idea to use any tool, which helps spotlight your candidacy to say, ‘Look at me, I think I’m the right fit for this program.” 

When taking the GMAT can work to your benefit

Many people wonder why they need to take the test, says Bhardwaj. “The purpose of the test is to help familiarize yourself with the skills you’re going to need.”

Providing a strong GMAT score alongside your application does help “level the playing field in graduate school for those who don’t have a business background,” Farwell adds. “That’s the only time it’s beneficial, is if the student has a non-business [undergraduate] degree.”

Meanwhile, applicants who have several years of work experience have other ways to showcase their business and analytic skills. “A lot of the students that apply to our program, because they have 10 years of work experience, the GMAT score really didn’t help that much,” says Farwell. “They could justify their quantitative skills or that they’d be successful in the program without taking a test.”

However, there are circumstances where taking the GMAT can improve your chances of scoring a spot in your desired program. “If the student has a non-business degree, a GMAT does a great job of helping them study for some of the business acumen that they wouldn’t know coming into the program,” says Farwell.

Should you take the GMAT or GRE if your prospective programs are test-optional?  

If the MBA program you’re applying to is test-optional, it may be a good idea to take the test and submit your scores along with your application. Just so long as the test, and the process of studying for it, doesn’t leave you hollowed out.

“If studying for the test is draining the applicant of time, energy, and resources, do something else,” says Grayson. “The test score is not the most important part of your application, and the tests have a lot of issues in that many of the people who perform the best are those who had access to proper resources to prepare for them.” Those people, Grayson explains, may have the time and money to invest in tutors and practice exams—something other applicants may not have easy access to.

Accordingly, Grayson recommends taking more time to work on your personal essay or statement and cultivating glowing references, for those who think they’ll have trouble taking the GMAT or GRE. You can also try the short-form GMAT or GRE tests, to see how well you do. If you perform well on one or the other, then maybe try taking the full test and submitting your scores. “That way,” she says, “you’re already playing to your strengths.”

Can you apply for an MBA program before taking GMAT?

You can apply for an MBA program before taking the GMAT or GRE, depending on the specific admissions criteria at the school you’re interested in. If your application requires test scores, though, you’ll need to take the test first and include the scores as a part of your application materials. 

So, again, depending on the specifics of a program, you can send in your application without scores. But if a score is needed, your application may get hung up or sidelined until you send in a score to satisfy the requirement. It’s also worth noting that some schools will issue waivers to certain students under some conditions. It may be worth exploring if you’re eligible for a waiver, and can apply without submitting scores.

How far in advance should you take the GMAT? 

Grayson recommends taking the GMAT as far in advance as possible. “GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years,” she says. “So, if someone is a long-term planner, I’d recommend beginning to study early—years before you plan to apply,” she says. That way, if you don’t make the cut but reapply to a school a year or two later, you wouldn’t necessarily need to take the test again and get a refreshed score, as, theoretically, your scores should still be valid.

The takeaway 

Taking the GMAT or the GRE may be a big undertaking for some potential MBA students. They require some intense rounds of studying, money, and time for test prep, and there’s no guarantee, even after all that work, that you’ll nail the test and get a good score. With that in mind, it’s likely a good idea to check out if you even need to submit a GMAT or GRE score with your application to the MBA program of your choosing.

Experts say that application materials beyond test scores may be more compelling to an admissions committee anyway—so, it may be a good idea to focus on the intangibles, rather than a test score. “I’d put more weight on the professional experience a student has,” says Hollingsworth. “If you just got your undergraduate degree the year before, I don’t know how much you can contribute to course discussions.”

While the decision will ultimately come down to the individual applicant as to whether they take a test and submit the score to a test-optional program, Grayson says it’s best to think about the resources you have, and if you feel the score will help you in the end. If not, it may be a good idea to skip it. “I’d recommend bypassing the test and demonstrating your preparedness in other ways,” she says. 

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Frequently asked questions

What GMAT score do you need for top B schools?

There is no minimum score to apply for most business schools, but the class of 2025 at M7 schools had average GMAT scores close to 730. While Harvard’s median total was 740, its total range was 500-790. According to GMAC, the mean total score for all GMAT exams was 654 during the 2023 testing year. 

Do top business schools prefer GMAT or GRE?

Most business schools accept both GMAT or GRE scores. The GMAT has traditionally been the most common standardized test to submit, but it ultimately depends on which test you do the best taking. 70% of Harvard Business School’s class of 2025 submitted GMAT scores whereas 34% submitted GRE scores, and some students submitted scores from both tests.

Can you get into business school with a low GMAT?

Yes, there are hundreds of business schools that have no GMAT requirements, and it is important to remember that a GMAT score is only one part of one’s application. A low score is by no means an end-all-be-all, especially if you have an undergraduate GPA, strong resume, essay responses, and recommendations. Not everyone is a good standardized test taker.

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