Is GMAT only for MBA?

Question

B.K Sharma · Accepted Answer

No, GMAT is not only for MBA. It&rsquo;s also used for admissions into programs like MS in Finance, MS in Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics, Marketing, and International Business&mdash;especially at top schools in the US and Europe.
For example, IE Business School&rsquo;s Master in Business Analytics and ESSEC&rsquo;s Master in Finance accept GMAT scores. It&rsquo;s a good way to show you can handle business and number-heavy programs, even if your background isn&rsquo;t in business or engineering.
Another point worth knowing&mdash;some scholarships also consider your GMAT score. Schools like ISB and IE often factor it into their decision when awarding scholarships, even if it&rsquo;s not a must-have for the program itself.
Since the score stays valid for 5 years, you can use it to apply to different programs or schools over time&mdash;it gives you more options without needing to take the test again.

Ranjan J · Answer

No, GMAT is not just for MBA programs. It&rsquo;s accepted for many other business master&rsquo;s degrees too&mdash;like Master in Finance (MFin), Master in Management (MiM), and MS in Business Analytics. For example, schools like HEC Paris MiM and MIT Sloan MFin accept GMAT scores.
It&rsquo;s also valid for dual-degree programs such as MBA + Juris Doctor (law) or MBA + MS in Engineering. And with the newer GMAT Focus Edition, the test is shorter, has only three sections, and is still accepted by all these programs.
One more thing&mdash;GMAT is especially useful if you&rsquo;re from a non-business or non-quant background. It shows schools you can handle tough coursework, especially for programs that lean heavily on numbers and analysis.
You can even check out this GMAT Preparation Kit for 2025