Millions of students across the world submit their applications for MBA programs every year. While every institution that offers MBA programs has set its own unique process to select, they all have a common requirement: competitive test scores. Based on the business school, the candidates may have to take tests such as the GMAT or the GRE. With the global outbreak of Coronavirus, many colleges in India and abroad have extended the deadlines for the candidates to submit their GMAT/GRE scores.

This is just an intermediate solution that the colleges have to ensure that the MBA aspirants submit their applications amidst the Corona chaos. Once things go back to normal, the applicants will have to submit the GMAT and the GRE scores to complete their MBA applications. There are reasons why the GMAT and the GRE scores have been a requirement for MBA applications. For the same reasons, these tests cannot be made optional. Let us look at those reasons now.

• The GMAT and the GRE helps business schools assess candidates’ skills

The candidates submit their test scores to the colleges, along with their MBA application essays and other details. The admissions committees at business schools review these documents before shortlisting the candidates for interviews. The GMAT and the GRE help the reviewers understand the candidates’ potential, how they will perform once they join the course, and get recruited. The Sentence Correction questions in the Verbal section of the GMAT tests a candidate’s ability to write clear business English. Similarly, the Reading Comprehension questions on the exams test the GMAT taker’s ability to understand and process data. The Quant section is an actual test of application and gives the business schools an idea of how the candidate can analytically look at the numbers. In short, business schools will understand a candidate’s potential and abilities better just by looking at their GMAT/GRE scores. The scores are significant to them as it helps them know whether the candidate is fit to join their MBA programs.

The business schools used to consider the test scores to select suitable candidates. But now, it has become an easy means to eliminate candidates who score poorly

• The GMAT and the GRE scores help colleges compare candidate profiles

A business school receives thousands of MBA applications every year. It is not uncommon to find candidates with similar profiles and educational backgrounds. Consider this example: A mechanical engineer from India has applied to an MBA program at Harvard Business School. This does not stop mechanical engineers from Kenya or Russia from applying for the same program. They may have different GPAs, but that can be attributed to various factors. So, it cannot be considered a factor in selecting a candidate. But the GMAT and the GRE are standardized tests. The candidates’ test scores will help the colleges to shortlist easily. The score becomes an additional measure for the business schools before selecting a candidate for the interview round.

So, given the different ways in which the GMAT and the GRE aid business schools in the candidates’ selection process, the chances for these exams to be made optional is null. However, there are specific points that business schools and the owners and administrators of these tests need to work on to ensure that no deserving MBA candidate loses the opportunity to join their dream college. Firstly, the GMAT or the GRE should be used as tests for selection and not elimination. The business schools used to consider the test scores to select suitable candidates. But now, it has become an easy means to eliminate candidates who score poorly. They choose the applicants with high GMAT/GRE scores leaving the others behind.

Moreover, the average GMAT score of business schools has risen over the past ten years. Candidates scoring 660/800 or higher on the GMAT, in 2016, accounted for 57% of the scores received by the top business schools. This just means one thing for the MBA aspirants with low test scores: little or no chance of getting an MBA admit. But the truth is that there are test-takers who have low scores but are really smart. In their cases, the tests become the only reason they don’t get admission to their dream colleges. Business schools need to look into this issue and find a solution. Secondly, the tests’ owners and administrators should make them more accessible. A positive fallout of the pandemic has been that the GMAT and the GRE owners and administrators quickly came up with the online version of the test. They made it convenient for MBA aspirants to take these tests from the comfort of their homes. Another aspect of accessibility is the ease of applying to MBA/Masters programs. They should consider “bundling” a set of schools to which they can apply for free if they take the GMAT. This will help students use the GMAT the way they use their CAT scores i.e. just by writing CAT you can apply for the IIMs - no separate application needed.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are reasons why business schools value the GMAT and the GRE test scores. It will become difficult for colleges to analyze the candidates and understand their true potential if the tests are made optional. The institutions and the owners and administrators of the exams can try and solve the issues stated above. In that case, these standardized tests will be the perfect means for colleges to assess a candidate even before meeting them.