GRE vs. EA: How Do The Tests Compare?

The road to getting yourself into a business school might seem fun until you can’t decide which test to take. All business schools require a test that demonstrates your ability to handle business problems both at school and beyond. So, being unable to chart your path is a common fork that every graduate student hits. You’re far from alone.

While many candidates prefer getting GMAT tests, to others, that could be a no-go zone. Not only because of the test’s difficulty level but also because it may not be what they need. So, they end up dancing between the GRE and EA. 

That said, let’s dive deeper to explore more about GRE vs. EA to help you make the right choice.

General Information of the GRE

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that many business schools within the USA and Canada set as an admission requirement. This means that you have to sit and pass the test before you receive an acceptance letter. As the test takes 3 hours and 45 minutes, you can easily sit in the exam room regretting your decision. This especially happens when a student goes with the masses instead of what they can actually handle.

Graduate schools will require your GRE test score, alongside your academic performance record, before they can consider you one of their student. Besides assessing your knowledge of mathematical concepts, the test demonstrates your level of vocabulary knowledge. For this reason, many non-natives prefer not to risk it.

General Information of EA

The Executive Assessment was originally created for experienced professionals. However, it is now growing as an admission requirement in many business schools. The EA specifically emphasizes on problem-solving and critical thinking of the candidate. While the GRE is more popular, the EA is also gaining some ground in many business schools in the US and beyond. 

The EA covers 40 questions in three sections – Verbal Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. The test is friendly for busy candidates who might have limited preparation time. Besides, it lasts for 1 and ½ hours, unlike the GRE exams. EA also offers convenience as it allows for online appointments. This means you can book an assessment appointment about 24 hours beforehand.

The EA online test is available for applicants in most countries globally except in areas with restricted data privacy rules like China, North Korea, Sudan, and Cuba.

GRE Exam Content

The GRE test covers three distinct sections namely: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. Both Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning have a score scale of 130 to 170. The mean score of Quantitative Reasoning is 153, whereas Verbal Reasoning’s is 150. Writing Assessment, however, has a different score scale of 0 to 6. Its mean score is 4.0. 

• Analytical Writing

This part has two questions with a score range of 0-6. The test taker faces two essay questions challenging their abilities to “Analyze an argument” and “Analyze an issue.” Each question takes 30 minutes, totaling 1 hour.

The examiner assesses your skills in formulating an argument, responding to complex ideas, and presenting your views in a reasoned way. Hence, they check how well you’re able to support your thesis and how you respond to unfamiliar topics.

The “Analyze an issue” question will require you to read through the instructions given. The instructions will guide you in writing about a topic of general interest and give your response to the issue in question.

The “Analyze an argument” question requires you to consider an argument in line with the instructions given. This, hence, presents how well you’re able to assess an argument and articulate your stance.

• Verbal Reasoning

This portion has a score range of 130-170. It entails test completion questions, comprehension questions, and sentence equivalence questions. The section analyzes your reading skills and how well you can assess written text. Besides, it challenges your analysis of parts of sentences, words, and concepts and their relationships.

• Quantitative Reasoning 

Attached to this section is a score range of 130-170. This is where you’ll find questions under different mathematical concepts like algebra, geometry, and basic arithmetic. Don’t worry about high-level math questions like calculus or trigonometry – you won’t find them here.

At its core, this section assesses your ability to reason and solve problems using quantitative methods. 

What’s your GRE score baseline?

Scores in the GRE test are set by the graduate school you’re applying to. Hence, if possible, inquire about the school’s minimum score. If not, calculate the mean score of the successful applicants to get your baseline. Ensure that the scores of applicants are the most recent, as a school’s minimum score requirements might change.

The Executive Assessment Exam Content

Like the GRE, this test covers three sections: 

• Quantitative Reasoning

The section covers 14 questions that are to be tackled within 30 minutes. The examiner tests your ability to use a reasoned approach in analyzing data and drawing conclusions. It also ascertains your knowledge of mathematical concepts that you learned in high school. Hence, you get questions about data sufficiency and solving problems.

• Verbal Reasoning

This part of the test assesses your knowledge of standard English. Hence, the 14 questions you find here will require you to read, understand, and correct mistakes in written material. Besides, you will need to exploit your critical reasoning skills to evaluate arguments within 30 minutes.

• Integrated Reasoning

The section presents questions targeting your multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, two-part analysis, and table analysis. You will also need to demonstrate your capacity to evaluate information in multiple sources and formats.

GRE vs. EA: Key Differences

1. Exam Acceptance

The EA exam is now more popular in business schools than before. Around 100 schools now have the EA as an admission requirement. Besides, the test is accepted by around 200 programs. This includes some full-time MBA programs like Columbia Business School, New York University’s Stern, Owen Graduate School of Management, University of Virginia’s Darden Business School, etc.

The GRE, on the other hand, has widespread acceptance in about 1,300 schools within the US and Canada. Such schools have almost similar score requirements, ranging from 280-290. They include the University of South Alabama, Columbia State University, California State University, Missouri State University, etc.

Other schools like the Pennsylvania State University, Purdue, and Princeton University have lower score requirements.

2. Test Difficulty

Compared to the EA, the GRE tests are more rigorous. While some candidates swear the GRE exams are friendlier than the EA, some love that EA doesn’t have geometry in the quantitative section. However, if geometry and college-standard vocabulary are your strengths, the GRE might do you some good.

3. Test Duration

Clearly, looking at the GRE vs. EA, the EA test is way shorter than the GRE. While GRE might go for up to 4 hours, the EA only lasts 90 minutes. So, if you have time constraints and can’t get an exam waiver, you may follow the EA way. However, some students prefer going the long GRE way marathon to the 90-minute sprint.

It’s not uncommon to wrongly assume that the EA is less of a test compared to the GRE. The tests have a similar test focus and require to use of similar skills to tackle the questions. This is why some schools give these two options. 

Besides, the EA terms might appear a little lenient until you realize that you can only have one retake in a lifetime after failing the first one. This caveat is not placed with the GRE.