Admissions Tests - Graduate

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The following graduate-level admissions tests are described below:

GMAT—The Graduate Management Admission Test
GRE—The Graduate Record Examination
LSAT—Law School Admissions Test
MCAT—Medical College Admissions Test

GMAT—The Graduate Management Admission Test®

GMAT is a standardized assessment—delivered in English—that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA or other graduate management program.

Purpose	Helps graduate business schools assess the qualifications of applicants
Measures	Verbal skills Mathematical skills Analytical writing skills
Samples	Verbal section – description and questions Quantitative section - description and questions Analytical Writing section - description and questions
For More Information	GMAT Overview

GRE—The Graduate Record Examinations®

The GRE is primarily a multiple-choice test that graduate schools use for admission of students into their graduate programs. ETS administers GRE programs on behalf of the Graduate Record Examinations Board and the Council of Graduate Schools. The GRE Program also assists students in their transition to graduate education through a variety of services and publications.

The GRE Subject Tests are designed to help graduate school admission committees and fellowship sponsors assess the qualifications of applicants in specific fields of study. The tests also provide students with an assessment of their own qualifications.

Because of the high correlation between high GRE scores and success in graduate school, many schools require that the applicants take the GRE General Test. (They may also require the applicant to take the appropriate GRE Subject Test.)

Measures	GRE General Test: Verbal Ability Quantitative Ability (Mathematics) Analytical Writing Ability GRE Subject Tests: achievement in a specific field of study
Samples	Preparation and Strategies Practice Exercise Tests
For More Information	GRE for Test Takers and About the GRE

LSAT—Law School Admissions Test

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test required for admission to all law schools that are members of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants. The test is administered four times a year at hundreds of locations around the world.

Purpose	Measures skills that are considered essential for success in law school.
Measures	Ability to: Read and comprehend texts with accuracy and insight Organize and manage information Draw inferences from information Reason critically Analyze and evaluate reasoning and arguments of others
Length and Type	LSAT Details five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions one 30-minute writing sample Only four of the five sections contribute to the test taker's score. The unscored section typically is used to pretest new test items or to pre-equate new test forms. The placement of this section, which is commonly referred to as the variable section, is varied for each administration of the test. LSAC does not score the writing sample; however, copies of the sample are sent to all law schools to which a candidate applies
Samples	LSAT Sample Test
For More Information	http://www.lsac.org/

MCAT—Medical College Admissions Test

Purpose	Predict ability to perform adequately in medical school
Measures	Knowledge of the science concepts and principles that are a prerequisite to the study of medicine Problem-solving skills Critical-thinking skills Writing skills
Length and Type	A standardized Multiple Choice examination: Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, Writing Sample, and Biological Sciences.
Samples	MCAT Practice Tests
For More Information	About the MCAT

Source: Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota.
Page last updated in July 2008.