When Do European Business Schools Require the GMAT, GMAT Focus or GRE?

Why the testing system changed

The Graduate Management Admission Council retired the classic GMAT format and replaced it with the GMAT Focus Edition on January 31, 2024. The new test scores from 205-805 in 10-point steps, across three sections instead of the old four, and drops the separate Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning sections entirely. Data Insights now covers the data interpretation skills the old Integrated Reasoning section tested, alongside Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning.

Business schools across Europe adjusted their admissions pages to reference the new score scale, and most now accept Focus Edition scores alongside GRE scores for the same intake.

What most schools ask for

European Masters in Management and MBA programs almost never require the GMAT exclusively. The standard pattern across the sector is to accept any one of:

• GMAT Focus Edition

• The retiring classic GMAT format, where a school still accepts older scores

• GRE General Test

Programs list a minimum or an average score for context rather than a hard cutoff in most cases. Highly selective MBA and Masters in Management programs at top-ranked schools set higher expectations informally through their published class averages, even without a stated minimum.

When schools waive the test

Waiver policies vary by school and by intake, but common waiver conditions across European business schools include:

• A completed degree in a quantitative field such as engineering, maths, economics or finance

• Several years of relevant, senior-level work experience

• A strong result on another recognised test, such as a national equivalent or a professional qualification like the CFA

• Alumni status from a partner university with an existing agreement

Waivers usually apply to the standardised test requirement only, not to language tests such as IELTS or TOEFL for programs taught in English. Some schools require a separate waiver application submitted before or alongside your main documents, rather than granting it automatically.

GMAT versus GRE for European applications

Business schools that accept both tests treat them as equivalent through published or informal concordance tables, converting a GRE score into an approximate GMAT-equivalent range during review. Choose the GRE if you also plan to apply to non-business graduate programs, since it works across a wider range of degree types. Choose the GMAT Focus Edition if you apply only to business programs and want a test built specifically around that content.

The GMAT Focus Edition's shorter format, two hours and fifteen minutes against the classic GMAT's three and a half hours, appeals to candidates who want to prepare and sit the test faster.

Executive and part-time programs often skip the test

Executive MBA and part-time management programs waive standardised tests more often than full-time Masters in Management or MBA programs, since these programs weigh professional experience and seniority over academic testing. If you already hold ten or more years of management experience, check whether your target program offers an experience-based waiver before you register for any test.

How to read a school's test policy page

Admissions pages usually list test requirements under three labels: required, recommended, or optional with conditions. A required label means you submit a score regardless of your background. A recommended label often functions as a soft requirement for competitive intakes, since a missing score puts your application at a disadvantage against candidates who submitted one. An optional or conditional label means the school reviews your profile first and asks for a test only if your application needs more evidence of quantitative ability.

Planning your test timeline

Register for the GMAT Focus Edition or GRE at least three months before your earliest application deadline, since most European business school rounds close between November and March for the following autumn intake. Both tests offer on-demand computer-based sittings at test centers across Europe, plus an online proctored option for candidates who cannot reach a center. Scores typically arrive within days, giving you room to retake the test once if your first result falls short of your target program's published range.

Both the GMAT Focus Edition and the GRE allow retakes, though each test enforces its own waiting period and cap on attempts within a rolling period. Send your best available score by your target program's deadline, and update the school with a stronger retake result later if your program's process allows a score update after submission. Some programs accept superscoring across attempts, others only look at your most recent sitting, so check the policy on your target program's page.

Check before you assume a waiver

Admissions test policy changes between intakes as schools adjust to applicant volume and test provider updates. A waiver you read about from a previous year's applicants does not guarantee the same policy applies to your intake. Confirm current requirements directly on your target program's admissions page, and email the admissions office if the page leaves your specific situation unclear, before you register for a test you might not need or skip one you do.