MOVING FROM GMAT TO GRE

Question

Premise : this is not the good forum for asking questions about the GRE but probably it's the best place for a fair comparision

After two months of GMAT prep and two attempts, I still haven’t achieved my target score. I previously shared my academic background on Reddit, but here’s a quick recap for context:  
 
   Italian native speaker   
   4.00 GPA   
   IELTS 7.5
    
  Despite my strong academic record, I’m really struggling with the GMAT. Some Redditors suggested switching to the GRE, but I’m hesitant—especially since the GRE Verbal section relies heavily on complex vocabulary, and the essays might be tough for a non-native speaker.  
   Questions:   
 
   Should I give the GRE a try anyway?   
   Will my GMAT prep help me perform better on the GRE?   
   Could the GRE be a better fit for someone who excels academically but struggles with standardized tests like the GMAT?
    
 I’m planning to take an official GMAT in 10 days (hoping for quick results to meet the May 14th deadline). If it doesn’t work out, I might take a gap year to study/work and retake either the GMAT or GRE. 
 Honest opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Archit3110 · Answer

Give a mock of GRE and then make a decision 
. If you are good in verbal & basic quant then switch to GRE..

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi EdoardoMarz,

1.  GRE verbal needs more prep than GMAT verbal (because of vocabulary + sentence-based questions). On the other hand, there's no DI, and GRE quant may still be easier than GMAT quant. So in most cases, it makes sense to give the GRE a shot if you feel you're underperforming on the GMAT.

2.  Yes, and that's generally true for many standardised tests. Lots of overlap.

3.  That generalisation is probably not correct, as the GRE is also a standardised test.

Keep in mind that your competition is what really matters, and average GRE scores have been going up (the highest average I've seen is 330/340, which seems crazy).

Carcass · Answer

Hi  EdoardoMarz

I would add my two cents. The GRE is a valid and strong test for your application. There are caveats to have in mind, though:

1) Not so many official mock tests are available on the market and the official practice questions, especially on the verbal side, are not as the GMAT has;
2) The greatest misconception around this test is that it is a vocabulary test. Totally false. In standard English, you have kinda 14k vocabulary words; therefore, it is impossible to learn such an amount of words in the students' limited time frame. The only way is to understand the sentence's meaning, which for a non-native speaker could be daunting. Even though vocabulary is a vital part of the preparation for the GRE
3) Particularly for verbal , only use official material in the crucial stage of your preparation. Even though the questions from Kaplan, MGRE , for example, are decent to practice
4) The quant side is pretty similar but easier on the GRE. However, geometry is still a huge chunk of the exam, and this could be a rock on the road

Here are the best free for the GRe we do have

GRE PREMIUM Quant Question Banks - Topic-Wise 2700 Questions  
  Free Materials for the GRE General Exam - Where to get it!!  
   Average GRE Scores - Top 50 MBA Programs US (2025)

Just at the two links above you can find hundreds of resources enlisted. Both quant and verbal.

Let me know if you need further assistance.

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi! EdoardoMarz This is a very commonly asked question, and YES, by all means, feel free to switch to the GRE if you haven’t seen much improvement on the GMAT after two attempts. I covered this topic in detail some time back. You can read what we discussed then at this link. When to switch to GRE from GMAT? Consider these to evaluate your plan Feel free to get a free profile evaluation and discuss your MBA plan Best wishes Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) Founder, MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

RetaketheGMAT · Answer

A lot of GMAT test takers run into the score plateau problem you're facing but it usually isn't the result of a core inability to do well on the GMAT. More often it's a gap in test-taking skills -- ie. how you're approaching questions in each section.

Diagnosing those yourself is doable but time consuming -- a performance coach can really help you with that. You'll know exactly what your gaps are and what you need to do to fix them. The problem now is you're operating in the dark (you don't know exactly what you're trying to fix).

Switching to the GRE is definitely an option -- but you're taking away the application boosting power of a great GMAT score which the GRE still lacks. It's really getting crowded at the top score level (look at the average GRE score for admits) so it's more a check mark than a differentiator.

Let me know if you want to do a free diagnostic session -- there's no obligation or selling, just a powerful deep look at your skill gaps that are holding your GMAT score back.

EdoardoMarz · Answer

Thanks!
Are the two links you sent me similar to what I would find on the exam date or they different and you just send me as a exercise?

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi EdoardoMarz,

The good news is that much of what you have learned for the GMAT (especially in quant) will carry over to the GRE. That said, if you are wondering how the GRE would go, I suggest taking a full-length practice exam. Once complete, feel free to reach out with your score breakdown and we can take things from there.

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