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The Executive Assessment: A Practical Summary with Curated Questions
Who should take it, what score to target, and how to prepare without overstudying
| The short version The Executive Assessment is best understood as “GMAT Lite”: shorter, more practical, and generally less difficult. It’s a reasoning test, not a “must know everything perfectly” test. It was built for experienced professionals, but it is now accepted by a growing range of EMBA, part-time, online, specialized master’s, and full-time MBA programs. Plan to study for about 8 -10 weeks, at 5 hours a week. The uphill climb is in relearning math at the SAT level. We’re not looking for perfection, you’re looking for good enough For most EMBA candidates, I treat 155 as a good practical target (65% correct questions). For applicants using the EA for a traditional full-time MBA, I would aim closer to 160 (75-80% correct). As a practical readiness check, if you can solve about 70% percent of this question list confidently and explain your reasoning (not just plugging in answers), you are likely in good shape. You can view the list here: Bryan’s EA Practice Question List. |
The Executive Assessment (EA) has become much more common over the past several years, but good preparation advice remains surprisingly difficult to find. A lot of the material online either repeats official test descriptions or imports an entire GMAT curriculum into a test that does not require it. Both approaches miss the point. The EA is a reasoning and readiness assessment for busy professionals. You need to prepare seriously, but you do not need to boil the ocean.
1. Who Takes the Executive Assessment?
The EA was introduced in 2016 and was originally designed for experienced professionals applying to Executive MBA programs. The traditional candidate was often in the mid-30s or older, had been out of school for years, and was balancing a demanding career and family responsibilities. Asking that person to spend several months preparing for the GMAT did not always make sense.
Before the EA, many EMBA programs either did not require a standardized admissions test or used their own school-specific assessment. That left schools without a consistent way to compare applicants against one another or to understand an applicant’s current quantitative, verbal, and analytical capability. The EA gave schools a common academic data point while acknowledging that an experienced executive is not the same test-taking population as a 25-year-old full-time MBA applicant.
Today, the EA is no longer only an EMBA test. It is used by applicants to executive, part-time, online, specialized master’s, and an increasing number of full-time MBA programs. It is especially attractive to people who have been out of school for a long time, have limited preparation time, or want a more efficient alternative to the GMAT or GRE.
2. Is the EA Really “GMAT Lite”?
That is the simplest practical way to understand it. The EA tests many of the same underlying skills as the GMAT, but it is shorter and the questions generally do not reach the same level of technical difficulty. My rule of thumb is straightforward: the hardest question on the EA is roughly equivalent to a medium-difficulty GMAT question. This is not an official GMAC conversion; it is a practical comparison based on the kinds of questions candidates actually encounter.
The EA also feels more practical / word problem. There is substantial emphasis on interpreting information, working through business-style word problems, and choosing an efficient approach. In many cases, there are several valid ways to reach an answer. That is part of why I describe it as a reasoning test rather than simply a math test.
3. Which Schools Accept the EA?
Most major EMBA programs accept the EA, and the list has expanded well beyond executive programs. Prominent examples of schools that currently list the EA for full-time MBA admission include: Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross, NYU Stern, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, UVA Darden, Georgetown McDonough, HEC Paris, Rice Jones, and others. Many schools also accept it for part-time, weekend, online, or specialized degree programs.
The important point is to check the specific program, not merely the university or business school. A school may accept the EA for its EMBA but not for every other program, and requirements can change by admissions cycle. GMAC maintains the current official list here: EA Accepting Schools and Programs.
4. Should You Take the EA If the Program Is Test Optional?
In most cases, I still encourage candidates to take it. “Test optional” means the school is willing to evaluate readiness through other evidence; it does not mean a good score has no value. A strong EA result can be particularly useful if you have been out of school for a long time, your undergraduate grades were uneven, your academic background was not quantitative, or you simply want to remove any doubt about your ability to handle the coursework.
There is also an important distinction between applicant pools. For an EMBA candidate, the EA is primarily a readiness signal: can this person handle the classroom? For a candidate applying to a traditional two-year MBA, the score may also need to demonstrate competitiveness against people submitting strong GMAT or GRE results.
5. How Is the EA Structured?
The EA contains 40 questions across three equally weighted sections:
| Section | Questions | Practical focus |
| Integrated Reasoning | 12 | Interpreting data, tables, charts, and multiple sources |
| Verbal Reasoning | 14 | Reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction/grammar |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 14 | Arithmetic, algebra, word problems, number properties, probability, and basic statistics |
The assessment is section-adaptive. Within each section, questions are divided into two modules. Your performance in the first module affects the difficulty of the second. The precise scoring algorithm is not public, but the practical implication is clear: you want to perform strongly early.
| How to think about scoring adaptation between sections Quantitative Reasoning is split seven questions and seven questions. I generally want a student to get at least five—and ideally six—of the first seven correct so the second module moves into a stronger difficulty band. We cannot quantify the exact scoring impact, but you should not treat the first module as a warm-up. |
Calculator policy is also important. You may use the on-screen calculator during Integrated Reasoning only. No calculator is permitted during Quantitative Reasoning.
6. How Is the EA Scored? And how do I figure out my target / % I need right?
GMAC currently describes each section as being scored from 0 to 20, with all three sections equally weighted, and the total score scale as 126 to 174. In real-world score discussions, however, candidates and schools tend to focus on a much narrower band—usually the 140s through the 160s. Scores near the theoretical extremes are not what most candidates actually see. (the highest any of my students have gotten is 170. Most end up in the 155-160 range.
The exact scoring algorithm is not published. Because the test is adaptive, questions are not simply worth the same number of points. You therefore cannot calculate your score by multiplying the number correct by a fixed point value.
That said, candidates still need a practical mental model. I use the following benchmarks:
· Around 150: a respectable score, but not necessarily enough to differentiate you at a selective program.
· Around 155: a good practical target for many EMBA applicants. You're in the 75% of applicants
· Around 160: a strong target for candidates using the EA in a traditional full-time MBA applicant pool. 90% percentile.
· 165 and above: an excellent result; at that point the score is unlikely to be the weak point in the application.
GMAC does not publish a current detailed percentile table for the EA. Its historical data says a 150 is around the 64th percentile. In informal applicant and tutoring discussions, a 155 is often treated as roughly top 7% performance, while a 160 is commonly treated as somewhere in the 85-90% percentile range. Those latter figures should be understood as practical estimates, not official published percentiles.
| A rough way to estimate your target goal The official EA scoring formula is not public, and an adaptive test does not assign every question a fixed value. Still, the commonly observed score range of 126 to 174 spans 48 points. Dividing 48 points by 40 questions gives a rough average of 1.2 score points per question. On that simplified model, reaching 155 requires 29 points above 126 = 29 ÷ 1.2 ≈ 24.2, or roughly 24–25 correct answers (2/3 or ~65%). Reaching 160 requires 34 points above 126 = 34 ÷ 1.2 ≈ 28.3, or roughly 28–29 correct answers (3/4 or ~75% correct). This is not the official scoring system, but it gives candidates a useful target. Because difficulty and the location of your errors matter, I would still prepare to operate around 70–80% percent correct overall and perform especially strongly in the first module of each section |
7. How Long Does It Take to Prepare?
For most candidates, preparation takes between one and three months at approximately four to five hours per week. That time should be spread across the week rather than compressed into one long weekend session. Short, repeated exposure makes it easier to retain the underlying concepts, recognize common question patterns, and build speed.
· About one month: candidates who begin with strong math fundamentals, read efficiently, and mainly need to learn the format and timing.
· Six to eight weeks: candidates with reasonable fundamentals who need a structured review and consistent practice.
· Two and a half to three months: candidates who are starting with weak or rusty math skills and need to rebuild core concepts before working efficiently under time pressure.
The range can be wide. I have had a student prepare for approximately one month and score 170. I have also worked with someone who began at a 140 much lower level, prepared for about three months, and reached 155. Your starting point matters far more than a generic study calendar.
8. How Should You Prepare?
Start with math
I generally start EA preparation with Quantitative Reasoning because math is the biggest uphill climb for most experienced professionals. Improving your math also improves your Integrated Reasoning performance, because you become faster and more confident when working with percentages, ratios, rates, tables, and data relationships.
The underlying content is not advanced. Most of it is material you could have learned by the end of your junior year of high school, with some probability and basic statistics added. I often begin with SAT-level math materials to rebuild arithmetic, algebra, number properties, percentages, ratios, and word-problem translation. That is usually more relevant than working through high-difficulty GMAT curriculum or problems that is simply going to be overkill.
Move quickly from review into questions
You do need to relearn concepts, but raw-content review should account for only about one-third of the study plan. Once you have the fundamental knowledge, the remaining two-thirds should be spent solving and reviewing questions. The purpose of the review is to give you the necessary tools; the questions teach you when and how to use them.
Do not wait until you feel “finished” with the content before starting problems. You will learn more from applying a concept, getting stuck, and analyzing the mistake than from reading another chapter of theory.
Integrated Reasoning
Integrated Reasoning is partly about learning how to perceive and organize a question. I describe it as a simplified version of preparing for consulting case questions: identify what the information is telling you, separate relevant from irrelevant data, and structure the logic before calculating. The on-screen calculator is available, but the difficult part is often deciding what to calculate.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal is usually the easiest section to prepare for from a content perspective. I typically cover the essential grammar and sentence-correction rules in one focused session, then work through Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. The emphasis is on understanding argument structure, reading for purpose, and eliminating answers precisely—not memorizing a huge number of rules.
9. The Most Common Preparation Mistakes
1. Using full GMAT preparation as the default. Much of the advanced formula work and high-difficulty GMAT content is unnecessary for the EA and can waste weeks.
2. Trying to get every question right. The goal is a strong score, not perfection. Spending too long on one question can damage the rest of a module.
3. Studying theory for too long before attempting questions. The EA rewards applied reasoning, so practice should begin early.
4. Ignoring the first module. Because the test is section-adaptive, early performance matters disproportionately for the difficulty path you receive.
5. Learning only one rigid solution method. Many EA math questions can be solved through algebra, testing numbers, estimation, back-solving, or logical elimination. The best method depends on the question and the clock.
10. What Materials Should You Use?
There are fewer high-quality EA-specific resources than there are for the GMAT or GRE. My preference is to keep the material focused: use SAT-level resources to rebuild core math, official EA questions to understand the test’s style, and a curated set of representative problems rather than attempting every advanced question you can find online.
For candidates working with me, I provide all of the relevant study materials, so they do not need to assemble a patchwork curriculum or spend time deciding what is and is not worth studying.
| A rough way to estimate the number correct I have prepared a curated list of approximately 150+ questions from GMAT club forum question bank that is sectioned out into topics; it covers the kinds of concepts and questions that looks and sounds like EA questions, which generally are more practical than GMAT questions. As a practical readiness check, if you can solve about 70% percent of that list confidently and explain your reasoning (not just plugging in answers), you are likely in good shape. You can view the list here: Bryan’s EA Practice Question List. |
My role is not to make you study endlessly. It is to make your preparation efficiently and save your time. I build a customized study plan around your starting level, target score, application deadlines, work schedule, and specific strengths and weaknesses. I also provide the relevant study materials and organize them in the order you should use them, so your limited study time goes toward learning and practice rather than searching for resources or figuring out what you need to know.
In one-on-one sessions, we focus on how to think through a question rather than simply knowing one official-looking solution. We may compare several approaches—algebra, estimation, plugging in numbers, working backward, or elimination—and developing and understanding of what works in what instances. I also provide targeted materials, help you prioritize the right topics, review your errors, and tell you when you are ready to test.
I accommodate irregular professional schedules, and I can also support the broader admissions process. I have tutored the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and Executive Assessment. In recent years, the EA has become a significant portion of my test-preparation work—approximately 30 percent EA, 60 percent GRE, and 10 percent GMAT—which reflects how quickly the assessment is gaining acceptance.
| Work with me For a customized EA preparation plan or admissions support, contact Bryan at [email protected]. Include your target programs, intended test date, and any diagnostic or practice-test score you already have. My rates are designed to be more reasonable than many large online test-preparation providers, while the instruction remains fully individualized. I’ve been teaching GRE/GMAT/EA/SAT/ACT for 12+ years; primarily I work in cleantech doing international development. |
Final Takeaway
The EA is not a test you should dismiss, but it is also not a test that requires you to disappear into GMAT preparation for six months. For most candidates, the winning approach is narrow and disciplined: rebuild the essential math, learn the reasoning patterns, practice representative questions, protect your performance in the first module, and aim for the score appropriate to your applicant pool. For an EMBA applicant, 155 is a good practical benchmark. For a full-time MBA applicant, I would aim closer to 160.
Above all, remember what the assessment is trying to measure. It is not testing whether you remember every formula from high school. It is testing whether you can take unfamiliar information, reason through it efficiently, and make a sound decision under time pressure.
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