GRE and GMAT are both standardized tests used by the admissions board to gauge your graduate school readiness. On the surface, the two tests may look very similar, and they are in some areas. However, if you take a closer look at the two tests’ question types, you will see that they are not identical. This makes sense because GMAT is primarily aimed at business school aspirants, whereas GRE is a more general test that can be used for a myriad of programs.
While business schools initially did not accept GRE scores, this changed about a decade ago when business schools decided that GRE is an adequate measure of an applicant’s potential. Currently, all major business schools in the U.S. accept GRE along with GMAT. This decision has given many students the freedom to select the test of their choice and has subsequently increased the applicant pool.
Why was this decision made when GMAT has been a tried and tested exam for decades? One of the reasons was to broaden the pool of applicants and make it easier for students to apply to business schools. Before this decision, students who wanted to apply to multiple programs, including business, couldn’t do so with their GRE scores. You’d have to take both the tests back then, which is not an easy feat. Hence, by giving students the freedom to choose either test, business schools have made it easier and more accessible for everyone.
Another underlying reason for this decision, in my opinion, must have been the realization that GRE is an accurate measure of a business school applicant’s abilities. You can bet that such a critical change wouldn’t come about without considerable deliberation by those at the top. Although different in some aspects, the two tests measure essentially the same thing, i.e., quant and verbal reasoning.
This brings me to this article’s topic that if GRE can be substituted for GMAT, is it possible to prepare for GRE Verbal using GMAT Verbal prep-material or vice versa?
Can I use GMAT Verbal to prepare for GRE Verbal?
To better answer this questions, let’s look at the question types that appear on both tests’ verbal sections.
GRE Verbal has the following three question types and their respective weightage:
- Reading Comprehension (50%)
- Text Completion (30%)
- Sentence Equivalence (20%)
GMAT Verbal, on the other hand, has the following:
- Reading Comprehension (30%)
- Critical Reasoning (30%)
- Sentence Correction (40%)
Right off the bat, you can see that only one question type, the reading comprehension, is similar between the two tests.
Therefore, GMAT verbal prep is not enough for GRE verbal prep. If you do so, you will be able to answer only 30-40 percent of the questions. Moreover, GRE is known for having a more difficult verbal section. The reading comprehension on the GRE are far tougher than that on the GMAT. GRE passages include arcane sentence structure and difficult vocabulary; something that GMAT would never prepare you for.
Anyone who has taken both tests would testify that GRE Verbal is more challenging. Hence, you should study for GRE exclusively and not rely on your GMAT prep to help you ace the test.
What Guide Should I Use for GRE Verbal?
No matter the test, I am a big proponent of official guides and practice material. If you are serious about your GRE prep, my advice is to purchase ETS’s official PowerPack. It contains three books, two of which are dedicated to quant and verbal, respectively. You will get good value for your money, and all the practice questions will be official ones.
Official practice questions are ideal for preparation because they give you an accurate idea of what to expect on test day. All the nuances that help make GRE questions what they are will be present in the official practice questions.
Moreover, you can also purchase Kaplan’s Verbal Workbook for additional practice. The questions are not as good as the official ones, but they come pretty close. You will also get 6 full-length practice tests, which makes it even more attractive.