GRE vs Program-Specific Tests: What Professional Programs Require Beyond the MCAT and LSAT

Where the GRE still applies

The GRE was built as a general graduate school admissions test, distinct from field-specific exams like the MCAT or LSAT. Over the past several years, a large share of graduate programs, especially in the humanities and social sciences, dropped it as a requirement entirely, following a broader trend documented by Science . MIT dropped it for programs including mechanical engineering and computer science, UC Berkeley made it optional for its Master of Information and Data Science, and Stanford, Harvard, and NYU opened many programs to applicants without GRE scores.

The trend is uneven by field. Engineering and physical science PhD programs are more likely to still require the GRE than programs in biology, psychology, sociology, history, or English. Some programs kept it optional rather than dropping it entirely, meaning a strong score can still help even if it is not required. Check each program's current admissions page directly, since requirements change by department within the same university, not just by school.

Law school: LSAT or GRE

The American Bar Association changed its accreditation standards in 2021 to let law schools accept tests other than the LSAT for admission. As of 2025, more than half of ABA-accredited law schools accept the GRE as an alternative to the LSAT, according to ETS , the organization that administers the GRE. The LSAT remains the default choice for most applicants because every law school still accepts it and admissions committees have decades of LSAT score data to compare candidates against, but if you already have a strong GRE score from applying to other graduate programs, check whether your target law schools accept it before you commit to also taking the LSAT.

Medicine and dentistry: no general-test alternative

Medical schools require the MCAT, administered by the AAMC, with no general test accepted in its place. Dental schools require the DAT, administered by the American Dental Association, on the same basis. Both exams test field-specific science content the GRE does not cover, so neither field has moved toward accepting the GRE as a substitute the way law and business have.

Pharmacy: the PCAT is gone

The Pharmacy College Admission Test was retired on January 10, 2024, and pharmacy schools stopped requiring or accepting it for admission cycles from 2024-25 onward, according to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy . In place of a standardized admission test, PharmD programs now weigh GPA, completed prerequisite coursework, and clinical or shadowing experience more heavily. Some programs may still request GRE scores at their discretion, so check each pharmacy school's current application requirements individually rather than assuming a uniform policy across programs.

Business school: GMAT still leads, GRE is growing

GMAT remains the more commonly submitted test for MBA admissions, but GRE submissions have grown quickly at top programs. At Harvard Business School, 44% of the Class of 2027 submitted GRE scores rather than GMAT scores, according to Clear Admit . Nearly all MBA programs that accept the GMAT also accept the GRE, so the choice usually comes down to which test format suits you better, since the GMAT's quantitative section is built around business school coursework while the GRE covers broader verbal and quantitative reasoning.

How to decide what to take

Start from your target programs, not the test. List every program you plan to apply to and check each one's current test policy individually, since policies differ by department and change from cycle to cycle even within the same school. If your programs all accept the GRE and you might also apply somewhere that requires the GMAT, LSAT, or MCAT, take the field-specific test those programs require rather than assuming the GRE covers you everywhere. Register early: test dates fill up close to application deadlines, especially at popular test centers in the fall application season.