The Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT is a standardized test that tests your analytical, verbal, reading & quantitative capabilities in English to seek admission to graduate management like an MBA program. Graduate Management Admission Council developed the GMAT in the year 1953. The test comprises 3 hours and 7 minutes and has over 650 centres in 114 countries.
While the GMAT is essential for full-time Master’s programs at various universities, in comparison to the other aspects of the Master’s application, such as essays, recommendations, and interview preparation, candidates dedicate 60-70% of their effort and time to obtaining a high GMAT/GRE score to maximize their chances of acceptance to the top business schools.
Some universities that don’t require the GMAT test, so to get an application waiver, most schools require that students have significant professional experience, usually five to ten years. A good rule of thumb is that if you want an MBA, you should take the GMAT as early as possible. Then, once you’ve taken it and received your score, you can decide if it’s worth retaking or if other options are available.
Regarding what kind of score, you’ll need to qualify for a waiver, it really depends on the school. For example, Harvard Business School does not offer waivers. On the other end of the spectrum are schools like Babson College, which consider GMAT waivers on a case-by-case basis and will likely offer one if your GMAT score is below 500 (considered low).
Although, a lot of business school doesn’t necessarily require GMAT in the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, and many other locations. Some of these colleges are top 100 schools for the Master’s program by financial times.

Is GMAT Necessary to Study MBA?

Many schools urge students to take the GMAT when it’s unnecessary. However, there are many universities across the globe that you can target without taking this test, allowing the students to receive MBA without taking the GMAT.
Suppose there’s a student who’s unable to score good marks in GMAT and doesn’t want to retake it or doesn’t have a lot of time to prepare for it all over again and appear for the test. In that case, they can try out their luck in the business schools that do not require GMAT, where the primary focus will be an overall assessment of the candidates.

Are Universities That Don’t Require a GMAT Any Good?

There are a whole lot of schools that provide you with an MBA program without any GMAT requirements. Don’t worry; schools which don’t necessarily ask for GMAT aren’t bad; some of these school’s rank in tier 1 and are very well reputed! Some of these schools are:
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) – Fortune MBA program rank: No. 8
  • University of Washington (Foster) – Fortune MBA program rank: No. 18
  • Michigan State University (Broad) – Fortune MBA program rank: No. 31
  • Fordham University (Gabelli) – Fortune MBA program rank: No. 38
These are some of the top universities you can find which don’t necessarily focus on the GMAT score. Instead, these universities provide you with an MBA without any GMAT!

Should You Take the GMAT Entrance Exam?

While the test is somewhat important, the whole test relies on you. Does it depend on whether you have the time to take the test or not? If you think you have a reasonable amount of time on your hands, give it a shot and take the test right out! But if you don’t have time to spend on it, don’t sweat it. You can always try out the colleges mentioned above!
Some of the key elements required for a business school that provide an MBA without GMAT are:
  • Work Experience
  • Interviews
  • Essays
  • GPA
  • Letter of Recommendation
  • Resume / CV
  • Test Scores (IELTS, GRE) 

Conclusion

If you have the GMAT score, your chances of getting into a competitive university are higher than if you don’t. But if your GMAT score is low or it has been more than five years since you took the test, then it may be time to consider other options.
We hope this article has helped answer some of your questions about whether colleges accept applications without GMAT scores.