The number of MBA applicants approaching us with GRE exam scores is small, but increasing. We wrote another topic on this earlier where we covered the history, programs that accept GRE scores and the cost differential (read it here –> GRE vs GMAT).
In this post, we cover an important aspect that we only touched upon in the earlier post. How to convert GRE score to GMAT? Is there a conversion chart of calculation formula to make life easy for applicants?
Fortunately there is a GRE to GMAT score conversion chart and an underlying calculation formula as well. We describe both and highlight the limitations as well, so you can choose whatever you prefer.
GRE to GMAT Score Conversion Chart
GRE | GRE | Verbal | Score | |||||||||
Quant Score | 130 | 132 | 134 | 136 | 138 | 140 | 142 | 144 | 146 | 148 | 150 | |
130 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 210 | 220 | 230 | 250 | 260 | |
132 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 220 | 230 | 240 | 250 | 270 | 280 | |
134 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 210 | 220 | 240 | 250 | 260 | 270 | 290 | 300 | |
136 | 200 | 210 | 220 | 230 | 240 | 260 | 270 | 280 | 300 | 310 | 320 | |
138 | 220 | 230 | 240 | 250 | 270 | 280 | 290 | 300 | 320 | 330 | 340 | |
140 | 240 | 250 | 260 | 270 | 290 | 300 | 310 | 330 | 340 | 350 | 360 | |
142 | 260 | 270 | 280 | 300 | 310 | 320 | 330 | 350 | 360 | 370 | 390 | |
144 | 280 | 290 | 300 | 320 | 330 | 340 | 360 | 370 | 380 | 390 | 410 | |
146 | 300 | 310 | 330 | 340 | 350 | 360 | 380 | 390 | 400 | 420 | 430 | |
148 | 320 | 330 | 350 | 360 | 370 | 390 | 400 | 410 | 420 | 440 | 450 | |
150 | 340 | 360 | 370 | 380 | 390 | 410 | 420 | 430 | 440 | 460 | 470 | |
152 | 360 | 380 | 390 | 400 | 410 | 430 | 440 | 450 | 470 | 480 | 490 | |
154 | 390 | 400 | 410 | 420 | 440 | 450 | 460 | 470 | 490 | 500 | 510 | |
156 | 410 | 420 | 430 | 440 | 460 | 470 | 480 | 500 | 510 | 520 | 530 | |
158 | 430 | 440 | 450 | 470 | 480 | 490 | 500 | 520 | 530 | 540 | 560 | |
160 | 450 | 460 | 470 | 490 | 500 | 510 | 530 | 540 | 550 | 560 | 580 | |
162 | 470 | 480 | 500 | 510 | 520 | 530 | 550 | 560 | 570 | 580 | 600 | |
164 | 490 | 500 | 520 | 530 | 540 | 560 | 570 | 580 | 590 | 610 | 620 | |
166 | 510 | 530 | 540 | 550 | 560 | 580 | 590 | 600 | 610 | 630 | 640 | |
168 | 530 | 550 | 560 | 570 | 580 | 600 | 610 | 620 | 640 | 650 | 660 | |
170 | 560 | 570 | 580 | 590 | 610 | 620 | 630 | 640 | 660 | 670 | 680 | |
GRE | GRE | Verbal | Score | |||||||||
Quant Score | 152 | 154 | 156 | 158 | 160 | 162 | 164 | 166 | 168 | 170 | ||
130 | 270 | 280 | 300 | 310 | 320 | 330 | 350 | 360 | 370 | 390 | ||
132 | 290 | 300 | 320 | 330 | 340 | 360 | 370 | 380 | 390 | 410 | ||
134 | 310 | 330 | 340 | 350 | 360 | 380 | 390 | 400 | 420 | 430 | ||
136 | 330 | 350 | 360 | 370 | 390 | 400 | 410 | 420 | 440 | 450 | ||
138 | 360 | 370 | 380 | 390 | 410 | 420 | 430 | 440 | 460 | 470 | ||
140 | 380 | 390 | 400 | 420 | 430 | 440 | 450 | 470 | 480 | 490 | ||
142 | 400 | 410 | 420 | 440 | 450 | 460 | 470 | 490 | 500 | 510 | ||
144 | 420 | 430 | 440 | 460 | 470 | 480 | 500 | 510 | 520 | 530 | ||
146 | 440 | 450 | 470 | 480 | 490 | 500 | 520 | 530 | 540 | 560 | ||
148 | 460 | 470 | 490 | 500 | 510 | 530 | 540 | 550 | 560 | 580 | ||
150 | 480 | 500 | 510 | 520 | 530 | 550 | 560 | 570 | 590 | 600 | ||
152 | 500 | 520 | 530 | 540 | 560 | 570 | 580 | 590 | 610 | 620 | ||
154 | 530 | 540 | 550 | 560 | 580 | 590 | 600 | 610 | 630 | 640 | ||
156 | 550 | 560 | 570 | 590 | 600 | 610 | 620 | 640 | 650 | 660 | ||
158 | 570 | 580 | 590 | 610 | 620 | 630 | 640 | 660 | 670 | 680 | ||
160 | 590 | 600 | 610 | 630 | 640 | 650 | 670 | 680 | 690 | 700 | ||
162 | 610 | 620 | 640 | 650 | 660 | 670 | 690 | 700 | 710 | 730 | ||
164 | 630 | 640 | 660 | 670 | 680 | 700 | 710 | 720 | 730 | 750 | ||
166 | 650 | 670 | 680 | 690 | 700 | 720 | 730 | 740 | 760 | 770 | ||
168 | 670 | 690 | 700 | 710 | 730 | 740 | 750 | 760 | 780 | 790 | ||
170 | 700 | 710 | 720 | 730 | 750 | 760 | 770 | 780 | 800 | 800 |
GRE to GMAT score Calculation Formula
If you are keen to understand the rationale behind the chart, here’s the GRE to GMAT score calculation formula.
GMAT Total score =
– 2080.75 + (6.38 * GRE Verbal Reasoning score) + (10.62 * GRE Quantitative Reasoning score)
This is a linear regression equation that considers the GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores as the independent / predictor parameters, while the GMAT score is the dependent / predicted parameter.
If you are statistically inclined and wondering about the accuracy of this forumula, the correlation between the independent and dependent variables in this equation is .916, which is pretty good.
However it is not 100% accurate as there are approximations and adjustments involved. There are limitations that you need to be aware of.
You’ll realise that this formula doesn’t generate the exact values that you see in the chart. In fact, you’d get GMAT scores below 200 and above 800 as well. The results of the GRE to GMAT calculation formula have been rounded off to the reflect the 10 point increments and bring it within the 200-800 score range.
Also, the sample pool of scores used is considerably small (472 examinees) compared to the actual pool of GRE and GMAT test takers. This sample pool had a highest GMAT score of 780 (i.e. no perfect 800 scorers were included).
Comparing GRE percentiles to GMAT score percentiles
This is another option if you want to get an idea of where you fall within the general pool of test takers. Here’s more on GRE score percentiles.
But this has limitations too. The pool of GRE test takers isn’t the same as GMAT pool.
Before the story of GRE getting into what was traditionally the GMAT turf is recent. A bigger chunk of GRE score recipients still target non-MBA programs and have significantly different profiles (age, skills, qualifications, aspirations, aptitude for competitive exams). Not to mention the fact that the formats and syllabus of the two exams have significant differences.
So it wouldn’t be appropriate to assume that a GRE 90 percentile score is the exact equivalent of a GMAT 90 percentile score.
Bschools that accept both, GRE scores and GMAT scores, are aware of these differences. Apart from using the charts suggested by the ETS team, they might have their own mappings and adjustments, for all we know.
References:
https://www.ets.org/gre/institutions/about/mba/comparison_tool
https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/background_and_technical_information.pdf
Update:
- ETS has been updating their data. It’s highly likely that the tables in this post do not reflect the latest ETS data. Do refer to the latest official conversion tool to find out where you stand.
- As GRE continues to eat into GMAT’s territory and increase its market share in the MBA world, ETS’ rival GMAC has said that this GRE-to-GMAT conversion chart and the approach itself is over-simplistic, inaccurate and unreliable.
We leave it to you to decide whether to use the conversion chart or ignore it.
Read these related articles:
– Business schools accepting GRE scores
– Average GRE scores for the top universities in USA
– Average GRE scores for MIT
– Average GRE scores for Harvard
– Masters degree without GRE | MS in USA
– Switching from MBA to MS and GMAT to GRE for a successful UC Berkeley admit with scholarship
– Michigan Ross MBA with scholarship after GMAT to GRE switch
It is evident that you put in a lot of research for every article. Keep up the good work, Sameer!
Thank you, Rohit bhai. Aapke mooh mein…a high GMAT score and a top MBA admit.
Good work Sameer Bhai! Also thanks for the quick guidance at the MBA Tour at Land’s end! By the way, I landed on this page while searching around on, well, search engines! KUTGW!
Thanks, Nilesh. Good luck with your decision. Btw, I had no clue what KUTGW meant and had to look it up on Google.
Hi sameer I m an engineering student at the moment and I wish to do MBA… But I have prepared for GRE so what I should do to get the admission in business college
What’s the GRE equivalent of a GMAT 500?
Any data if B-schools prefer Gmat scores for scholarship consideration? Because, most of the B-schools report average GMAT of the batch – hence an incentive for them to prefer higher Gmat.