Applicants to Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives need to take a standardized test for two reasons. First, they are diagnostic of intellectual aptitude, as well as preparation in the analytical disciplines. Second, they signal to the Admissions Committee that applicants are willing to undertake the work required for this program. Applicants can choose which test they prefer: the GMAT, GRE, or Executive Assessment (EA). We asked several alumni to share how they decided on and prepared for a test. Here is what they said:
Emily Kort, WG’21
Standardized Test
EA
Choosing the EA
“I knew all of the tests would be challenging because I don’t have a quant background. I didn’t use advanced math or calculus in my job. The highest math I had taken prior to Wharton was pre-calculus in high school. I chose to take the EA because it’s a 90-minute test as opposed to a four-hour test. I thought it would be less time-consuming when it came to taking practice exams, which would free up more time for studying.”
Creating a Study Strategy
“I signed up with the GMAC to receive practice problems and practice exams, and ordered GMAT prep books, as questions on the EA and GMAT are similar across all subjects. When I got the materials, I took a practice exam to get a baseline score. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but at the time, I also didn’t see a range of EA scores of admitted students on the Wharton website. So, I scheduled a phone chat with an admissions team member at Wharton and they advised me to focus on increasing my quant score. I hired a tutor for a few sessions to learn question frameworks, which immediately boosted my score.”
Carving Out Prep Time
“I probably spent 10-15 hours a week studying for three months. You can only take the EA twice, so I knew I needed to spend a lot of time on preparation. The week before I took the official test, I took a second practice exam.”
What to Expect
“It is not GMAT-lite. Prepare with the same effort and dedication that you would for the GMAT or GRE.”
Read more tips from Emily
Gordon Tang, WG’21
Standardized Test
EA
Choosing the EA
“I picked the EA partly based on the mistaken belief that it might be easier and require less preparation. However, I quickly realized that is not the case. Fortunately, you can sign up to take the EA and then cancel multiple times. I probably scheduled the test and canceled it at least six times because I didn’t feel prepared. You can only take the test twice, so you need to be ready.”
Creating a Study Strategy
“I took sample GMAT tests in small 10-minute increments since the content is similar on both tests. I was doing OK, but then I took an actual full-length timed practice exam, which was an entirely different experience. I did a lot worse on the timed EA test. That’s when I knew I had to spend dedicated time taking timed practice exams from the official EA website. Those were the ones that were the most useful for me. I also took practice GMAT exams.”
Carving Out Prep Time
“The key for me was taking full-length timed practice exams, which meant sitting down for two to three hours at a time each week.”
Read more tips from Gordon
Liz Tammaro, WG’18
Standardized Test
GMAT
Choosing the GMAT
“The GMAT is an important exercise for entry for the program. It’s a predictor of academic success, particularly given the quantitative demands of the program.”
Creating a Study Strategy
“I did some self-study and then took the test during my first trimester of pregnancy. Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling so great that day and wasn’t at the top of my game. Needless to say, I didn’t do that well. Afterward, I had a conversation with an Admissions Committee member who suggested that I take the test again. On the basis of that recommendation, I started working with a tutor. It was like having a personal trainer. We scrapped all the prep course stuff and only used the official GMAT book to work through problems. When my score on practice tests didn’t increase, my tutor taught me timing strategies. I learned when to abandon a problem and to pay attention to the clock. That did the trick and I improved my score by 70 points when I took the test again.”
Carving Out Prep Time
“When I was studying, I was pregnant and had a young son who was a great sleeper. So I would come home from work and spend time with my family. After he went to bed, I would study from 7:30-9:30 pm and then wake up at 5:30 am to study more. It required planning and communication with my husband to carve out that time.”
What to Expect
“The GMAT isn’t necessarily a function of your IQ, but rather a function of the time you can commit to preparation. So make sure you can carve out sufficient time to study. Studying for the GMAT also will help you get back into study mode and the rhythm of being a student.”
Read more tips from Liz
Kristina Best, WG’18
Standardized Test
GMAT
Choosing the GMAT
“It had been a long time since I was a student and took a standardized test. Preparing for the GMAT was like a warm up for being back in school, and it helped to shake the rust off some math skills.”
Creating a Study Strategy
“At first, I wasn’t too worried about the GMAT because I usually test well. However, after attending a GMAT review session at Wharton San Francisco, I realized that a review course would be very helpful. I was traveling a lot for my job and have a young family, so I decided a course would help structure my study time. I signed up for an online course that ran on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7-10 am. Leading up to the test, I took official GMAT practice exams.”
Carving Out Prep Time
“I had two young boys and at first it was difficult to find time to study. My family lives in the area and they were very supportive. They took turns taking my boys out when I was doing my course on weekend mornings or for an afternoon so I could study. I was planning to apply in Round 1, so I took the exam in November. Unfortunately, I tried to cram it in between business trips when I had 12 hours on the ground in San Francisco – that was a big mistake. I did OK, but didn’t perform like I should have. So I took it again when I could dedicate more time to the test and made sure I was really focused, which added 50 points to my score.”
What to Expect
“Even people who do well on standardized tests can benefit from a review class. Hiring a test prep service was very valuable for me. It kept me on task and taught me pacing techniques that improved my score.”
Read more tips from Kristina
Daniel Salazar, WG’21
Standardized Test
GRE
Choosing the GRE
“I had heard that the GMAT is the preferred test for business schools, so I took the GMAT and got a score in the 90th percentile for verbal and the 60th percentile for math. My overall score was 690, which isn’t bad, but I needed a more competitive score in the math section. Being an engineer who uses math every day at work, this was a blow to my self-esteem. And the verbal score was surprising, given that I grew up in Colombia and spoke better Spanish for 10 years prior to college. I was advised to consider taking the GRE instead of the GMAT if it would better reflect my math skills. The GRE has more ‘pure’ math, where the GMAT has more word problems. My brain processes the pure math problems better.”
Creating a Study Strategy
“I downloaded official GRE study materials and practice tests, and immediately took one to get a baseline score. Downloading additional practice problems from a third-party prep site, I did practice problems for each section. I also used a GRE app and flashcards to prepare for the vocabulary section. The week before the actual test date, I took a full practice test again and then took the rest of the week off to relax.”
Carving Out Prep Time
“I spent three months preparing for the test. I set up a weekly study schedule, focusing on a particular section of the test each week. I worked on vocabulary every day when I walked my dog. I spent an hour three days a week doing math practice problems. And I studied on the weekends, including going to my office to take practice tests.”
What to Expect
“The test is adaptive by section, so the sections get harder as you go through the test. There also is a random section that is not scored because it is used as data for future tests. And unlike the GMAT, you can flag questions and go back to them if you have time. I tried to focus on each section and not worry about the next section or waste time trying to figure out which section didn’t count.”
Read more tips from Daniel
Lin Yuan, WG’21
Standardized Test
GRE
Choosing the GRE
“I had already taken the GRE for my Master’s degree and knew what to expect in terms of the format as well as my strengths and weaknesses. The biggest things I needed to work on for the GRE were vocabulary and reading comprehension, and I could use fragments of free time to prepare for those sections. I did a few practice GMAT problems and the logic wasn’t as clear to me. I could rationalize the GRE math questions better.”
Creating a Study Strategy
“My first step was taking an official GRE exam to get a baseline score and confirm my plan to focus on the vocabulary and reading comprehension sections. Then, I identified several hours each week to study. I used lunch breaks and any fragment of time in my week. I downloaded a vocabulary app on my phone and used flashcards to study vocabulary. The reading section involves longer and more academic articles. They are not the type of articles I would normally read for pleasure or for work, and the articles cover unfamiliar topics. I did 20 to 30 practice reading comprehension questions to better understand the logic behind the design of that section. I had to learn which part of the articles to focus on because sometimes you don’t need to read it word for word, but rather focus on a particular section.”
Carving Out Prep Time
“I took the GRE in July, long before the application was due for Round 1. Try to give yourself as much time as possible to prepare so you can do your best.”
What to Expect
“You only get one pencil and a piece of blank paper for the math. I made sure to get used to that in advance. I also knew I would be limited to using the simple calculator available on the computer screen and that it can be tricky to use. I practiced using that kind of calculator ahead of time too. I scheduled an afternoon test and made sure to get a good night’s sleep. I also brought snacks and water, and used breaks to take walks and refocus.”
Read more tips from Lin
—By Meghan Laska
Posted: September 12, 2021
