GMAT, EA or GRE for a one-year program?
For experienced professionals targeting Stanford MSx, LBS Sloan and MIT Sloan Fellows, the test is a threshold, not the differentiator. The goal is a score comfortably inside each program's range with the least prep time, so your hours go into the essays and story.
The short answer
Default to the Executive Assessment. All three target programs accept it, it is roughly half the length of the GMAT, and GMAC built it specifically for candidates with significant work experience. Choose the GMAT only if your diagnostic shows a clear edge on it, or if you want to keep full-time MBA programs open — the Stanford MBA accepts GMAT and GRE but not EA.
What each program asks for
Test required, no waivers. Accepts GMAT, GRE or EA with no preferred test and no minimum. Scores must be under five years old. 2026–27 rounds: Oct 8, 2026 · Jan 6, 2027 · Feb 11, 2027.
Accepts GMAT, GRE or EA, no minimum. Waivable in exceptional cases — e.g. CEO, MD or CFO-level roles. A fast-track route lets you apply before testing.
Test optional, reviewed with "no negative inference" if absent. Existing scores are encouraged as an extra data point. No minimum.
Policies as published by each school in September 2026 — confirm on the official admissions pages before applying.
Target scores
None of the three programs sets a minimum. Commonly cited guidance: an EA of 150+ is solid for most executive programs, and top-tier programs like to see the mid-150s, with Quant section scores of 12+. Applicants from heavily represented pools (for example, Indian tech and engineering backgrounds) should aim for the upper end of each range.
Side by side
| GMAT | Executive Assessment | GRE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sections | Quant · Verbal · Data Insights | Quant · Verbal · Integrated Reasoning | Quant · Verbal · Writing |
| Length | 2h 15m (3 × 45 min) | ~90 min (3 × 30 min) | ~1h 58m |
| Questions | 64 | 40 | 54 + 1 essay |
| Score scale | 205–805 | 100–200 | 260–340 (+ AWA 0–6) |
| Designed for | All MBA / business master's | Experienced professionals, EMBA, one-year programs | Graduate school broadly |
| Typical prep | 8–12 weeks | 4–8 weeks | 8–12 weeks |
| Stanford MSx | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| LBS Sloan | Accepted | Accepted | Accepted |
| MIT Sloan Fellows | Optional | Optional | Optional |
The plan
Stanford MSx Round 1 closes October 8, 2026 — too close for a considered test attempt. Round 2 (January 6, 2027) leaves about fifteen weeks: enough for an eight-week EA plan with a buffer for one retake.
- 01DiagnoseWeek 1
Take the GMAT and EA diagnostic sets back to back, under timed conditions, on the same day or consecutive days. Don't study first — the point is an honest baseline. Your dashboard's Exam Fit panel puts both results on a comparable percent-of-scale view.
- 02DecideEnd of week 1
Pick one exam and stop splitting effort. Default to EA unless the diagnostic shows a clear GMAT advantage or you want to keep full-time MBA programs open (Stanford's MBA does not accept EA).
- 03Fix the weakest two topicsWeeks 2–4
Use topic practice (untimed, instant explanations) only on topics marked Weak. Topics marked 'Accurate, slow' come later — speed work on a concept you don't own yet just trains fast mistakes.
- 04Build speedWeeks 4–6
Timed practice sets. Watch the Speed vs Accuracy panel: shrink 'Right but slow' by drilling, and cut 'Wrong & slow' questions at ~1.5× target time on test day — they cost you twice.
- 05Final setsWeeks 6–8
Full-length final sets at real exam length and timing. Book the real exam once two consecutive final sets land at or above your target band.
Pacing rules that transfer to test day
- Know your per-question budget. EA runs ~2m 15s per question; GMAT ~2m 7s (Quant), ~1m 57s (Verbal), ~2m 15s (Data Insights).
- Cut losses at 1.5× target. One stubborn question that eats four minutes costs you two easier ones at the end.
- Never leave blanks. Unanswered questions are penalised more heavily than wrong ones on GMAC exams — guess and move.
- Use bookmarks sparingly. Both GMAT and EA let you review and change a limited number of answers; flag only genuine coin-flips.
Official material to use alongside ZGMATGRE
ZGMATGRE questions are original and modelled on each exam's published format — they are not real exam questions. For retired official questions and the most accurate score predictions, use GMAC's free EA and GMAT practice exams and the Official Guide series on mba.com, and ETS's PowerPrep tests for the GRE. Take one official practice exam after phase 04 as a calibration check.