The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is considered as the most important and dreaded requirements for securing admission into a business school. Although there are various MBA programs which recognize the value of professional experience in the admissions process. In such cases, a GMAT waiver may be offered to those GMAT applicants who are deemed fit. One of the key components of an MBA Application is the GMAT score. The GMAT score not only reflects the key skills or capabilities of an applicant but it is also used by B-schools to award fellowships and scholarships to deserving candidates and offer financial aid to economically disadvantaged individuals for offsetting the cost of the GMAT exam.
While many business schools accept GMAT scores as a major application parameter for candidates to seek admission in a graduate management program, there are some universities which accept GRE scores as well for admission purposes. Nonetheless, GMAT scores have a wider acceptance in terms of college admissions and there are some well-recognised B-schools like Rotterdam, ESMT, Warwick among others to name a few which are known to grant admission to prospective management aspirants who have obtained a mediocre score in the GMAT exam. The inspiring factor here is this gives hope to applicants who might not have given a stellar performance in the main test but still stand a chance to seek admission in a renowned business school and be at par with top performers.
If the selection process happens to be abstruse, the question here is which are the cases when the GMAT can completely be disregarded or is there any possibility that you can ask the business school to renounce the GMAT obligation from your application?
In lucid terms, we bring you a detailed explanation of GMAT remission and the process of how it normally works.
GMAT Waiver for MBA Application: Everything You Must Know:
If you are interested to pursue an MBA, it is recommended that you should look out for getting a waiver so you don’t have to take the GMAT exam. Although we know that the GMAT is considered as one of the most widely accepted gateways while you are considering applying to a graduate management program, such as an MBA since it assesses your quantitative, verbal, data interpretation skills and analytical, reading and writing skills in the English language.
It is important to remember that most management aspirants have to take the GMAT exam but there is still a handful who can forego the test and still get admission in a B-school due to some unique circumstances. It is interesting to note that there are some MBA programs which offer a waiver in terms of the test and the registration fee.
Just before taking up the GMAT exam, you can consider some alternative approach and check for yourself if you fit the bill to seek a GMAT waiver. Some of these approaches include:
Undergraduate Degree: Students who have completed their undergraduate program from a similar learning environment and have excelled in the exams with 80% marks or scored 3.0+ GPA stand a chance for a GMAT remission. The Admission Committee(AdCom) may consider such applicants eligible for this opportunity.
Academic Performance: The Admission Committee also evaluates the academic performances of the prospective candidates in the undergraduate programs and junior classes as this gives a clear idea to the Committee if a particular candidate has strong analytical, quantitative and verbal skills which are considered worthy enough for granting a GMAT waiver.
Replacement Exams: Try to find out if the college that you want to take admission has its own exam which can be alternately taken instead of appearing the GMAT exam. While this might not seem easy, there is a possibility that the exam may be specially designed to cover certain important information which the B-schools want its MBA aspirants to be aware of.
Write a letter to the college: As a prospective MBA aspirant, try to write a letter to the B-school’s admission desk asking for a GMAT waiver. But while doing so, keep in mind that this needs to be done prior to submitting your final application so that just before the application process is completed, your request for a waiver is fully approved. Try to keep the letter as simple and concise as possible so that you can drive in the request and the ultimate reason for requesting the waiver.
Exhibit your Professional Experience: Do you have a professional experience of few years? Remember that any applicant who wants a GMAT remission for MBA would need to demonstrate his/her professional skills. Several Executive MBA programs require applicants to have 10+ years of work experience and they stand a chance for GMAT exam exemption in the admission process. For this reason, it is advisable that you request letters of recommendation from your references to exhibit your professional expertise and solid leadership skills. Once the Admission Committee is convinced with your skill-sets, you are likely to earn a waiver for getting admission in the Executive MBA or PGP programs.
In the table below, we have listed some of the popular MBA programs across the globe which allow a GMAT concession:
| MBA/PGP Program | Location | GMAT Waiver (Subject to AdCom Approval) |
| MIT Sloan – Executive MBA (EMBA) | USA | GMAT can be waived off if the candidate’s academic records exhibit an exceptional background in quantitative abilities. |
| University of Oxford – Executive MBA (EMBA) | UK | GMAT can be waived off for candidates with more than 10 years of work experience. |
| University of Texas Austin – McCombs Executive MBA (EMBA) | USA | GMAT/GRE exam can be waived off for candidates with more than 15 years of work experience or candidates having an Advanced Degree. |
Besides, there are other universities which offer GMAT remissions for MBA programs like the INSEAD GEMBA, Columbia Business School EMBA, Manchester Business School MBA, Warwick MBA etc. which have their own standardized tests in lieu of a GRE or GMAT for granting admission to prospective candidates.
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GMAT Waiver Vs GMAT Fee Waiver: What’s the Difference?
As we draw an epic close to the GMAT remission chronicle, we would bring to your notice that many candidates often get confused between a GMAT waiver and GMAT fee waiver. However, they are not one and the same! While a GMAT remission relieves the candidate from the stressful task of taking the GMAT exam, the latter is associated with offering as a concession in the registration fee for some economically disadvantaged applicants who find it hard to bear the total fee to sit for the GMAT exam.
As we happily conclude the GMAT waivers saga, we are pleased to inform you that you can enrol in the BYJU’S GMAT Prep Content and download the BYJU’S App which offers App-learning which is designed by our GMAT experts and helps you to kickstart your prep journey successfully and score well in the GMAT exam. You can reach us on +918884544444 or even drop an SMS at this number. You may also want to email us at gmat@byjus.com for additional assistance.