Should I opt for GMAT Waiver?

Opting for a GMAT Waiver is a personal decision. It has its advantages if you are not a good Computer Adaptive test taker.

Scholarships, Fellowships and Other Funding

GMAT Score not only compares your analytical, and quantitative capabilities but it is also used by Business Schools to award scholarships and fellowships, and even play a vital role in qualifying candidates for other funding options.


Undergraduate Degree

If students have completed their undergraduate degree in a similar learning environment as the graduate program, and have excelled in their academics with 3.0+ GPA or 80%+ marks, the admission committee will be willing to consider a GMAT Waiver.

Quantitative and Analytical Courses

When the AdCom evaluates the performance in undergraduate courses, attention is given to grades and performance in certifications related to quantitative and analytical course work. Since an MBA requires students to be strong analytically, this is an important criterion.

Academic Institution

AdCom realizes that the evaluation in universities around the world is not similar, and the GPA score and percentages in analytical coursework cannot be measured on a uniform scale. The competence and reputation of the university is evaluated separately, and a formula created to map the scores into a single scale. 

Current Job Responsibilities

The day to day responsibilities of current job is evaluated, especially candidate’s capability of processing information, evaluating data ,and converting them to formats that aid in managerial decision making.

Experience Level

Several Executive MBA programs that require applicants to have over 10+ years of experience, exempt GMAT Score from the application as the executives would have already shown growth in their career, and demonstrated their capabilities in managerial, and analytical skills.

What documents are required for GMAT WAIVER?

The Documents required for GMAT Waiver vary from college to college but in general, applicants should produce:

a) Scanned Copies of College Transcripts (Official)
b) Resume highlighting quantitative achievements (Grades in Coursework, and Certification)
c) Essay or Request for GMAT Waiver highlighting strengths in Quantitative Coursework (Statistics, Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Analysis)

So should you opt for a GMAT Waiver?

If you have over 10 years of experience, GMAT Scores will play a much lesser role than your achievements professionally. But for applicants in the 5-10 Years’ experience level, weighing in the options – GMAT vs. GRE or at least attempting the GMAT once would be recommended. For Applicants with less than 5 Years of experience, GMAT scores are recommended as AdCom compares the profiles with other applicants who would have taken the GMAT.

If you are planning to take the GMAT – don’t forget to read GMAT Preparation Tips,  GMAT Study Plan, GMAT Tips, Motivation for GMAT Prep, GMAT Prep Courses with Discounts and GMAT Tutorials.