Importance of GMAT in EMBA Programs

The GMAT score has been playing an important role as an assessment tool to gauge the academic abilities of an applicant, thereby forming a vital component to one’s application. With regard to full time MBA programs, the academic preparedness of an applicant is clearly evident with a strong undergraduate GPA coupled with a strong GMAT score. However, with Executive MBA (EMBA) programs, a GMAT score’s relation to the rest of one’s application is less obvious as other factors play a more significant role.

For an EMBA program, the most important criteria are definitely the work experience and the type of insight the applicant is capable of bringing into the classroom, future potential as well as academic preparedness.

An applicant’s ability to handle rigorous work in a program also determines his qualification for an EMBA degree. There are various ways for evaluating this criteria and admission committees mainly takes the undergraduate program into consideration. However, GMAT is not mandatory for all EMBA programs, although it is a good indicator of potential academic success. This test holds less emphasis than in full time MBA admissions since an applicant for an EMBA cannot be solely judged on the basis of standardized testing.

In Executive MBA programs, if an applicant is capable of flaunting a strong work experience along with an equally strong undergraduate record, then the undergraduate record usually overshadows a weak GMAT score. However, if an applicant has a strong work experience and a high GMATA score, but a weak undergraduate record, then the admission committee will carry on further investigation to understand circumstances leading to a weak undergraduate record.

An EMBA admission committee is on the lookout for individuals who are prepared to be up and running as soon as the program starts, and the GMAT score is just one indication of the applicant’s ability to do just that