Do European MiM programmes accept the GRE?

Most that ask for a standardised test accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT, and the majority treat the two equally — you choose whichever suits you. A growing number of MiMs are also test-optional or run their own admissions test instead, so for many programmes neither the GRE nor the GMAT is required at all. Because policies vary widely and change between cycles, the GRE is never universally required: always confirm on each school's own admissions page whether a test is needed, whether the GRE is accepted, and whether there's a minimum or a school admissions test you can take instead.

What is a good GRE score for a Master in Management?

There's no single cut-off, because most MiMs read the GRE as one part of a holistic file rather than against a fixed bar — but as a rough guide, a competitive score for a top European MiM is generally in the 155+ range on each of Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning (each scored 130–170), with the Quant section mattering most for the quantitative, finance and analytics-heavy programmes. Schools that publish a class-average GMAT but not a GRE average expect you to map across using an official GMAT–GRE concordance. The honest answer is that a strong score helps and a weak one can hurt, but the rest of your application carries more weight than a few points on the GRE. Always check whether a school publishes a typical or minimum score.

Did the GRE change, and how long is the test now?

Yes. Since 22 September 2023 the GRE General Test is significantly shorter — about 1 hour 58 minutes, down from the previous near-four-hour exam. The Analytical Writing section now has a single 'Analyze an Issue' task (the old 'Analyze an Argument' essay was removed), and the unscored experimental section is gone. The content measured and the score scales are unchanged: Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each still scored 130–170 in 1-point increments, and Analytical Writing 0–6 in half-point increments. So a score from the shorter test is read the same way as before — only the test-day experience is shorter. Confirm the current structure on the ETS GRE website.

Admissions

What GRE Score Do You Need for a European MiM?

MiM in Europe Editors 18 June 2026 6 min read

On this page

First: do you even need the GRE?
The GRE got shorter in 2023 — what to know
How the GRE is scored
What counts as a “good” GRE score for a MiM
GRE or GMAT? A quick decision
The bottom line
Sources & how to confirm

If you’re applying to a European Master in Management, you’ve probably hit the question: do I need the GRE, and if so, what score is good enough? The short answers are usually you have options, and there’s no magic number — but it’s worth understanding how the test works, what changed in 2023, and how schools actually read a GRE score. Here’s the practical guide. (Test policies and any score expectations are set by each school and change between cycles, so treat this as the framework and confirm the specifics on each programme’s admissions page.)

First: do you even need the GRE?

Before you book anything, check whether a test is required at all. Across European MiMs there are three patterns, and they’re increasingly common in this order:

Test-optional or no test — a growing share of MiMs don’t require the GMAT or GRE, especially for strong academic profiles.
A school’s own admissions test — many programmes use their own assessment (TAGE-MAGE in France, or online tests) instead of, or alongside, the GRE/GMAT.
GMAT or GRE required — where a test is needed, the GRE is almost always accepted as an alternative to the GMAT.

So the GRE is rarely mandatory — it’s one of several routes. Our guides to doing a MiM without the GMAT and the GMAT vs the GRE map which programmes sit where. Confirm each school’s rule on its own page, because this is exactly the kind of policy that varies.

The GRE got shorter in 2023 — what to know

If you’re reading older prep advice, note that the GRE changed substantially. Since 22 September 2023, the GRE General Test takes about 1 hour 58 minutes — roughly half the old near-four-hour length. Verified against ETS, the current structure is:

Section	Tasks / questions	Time
Analytical Writing	One “Analyze an Issue” task	30 min
Verbal Reasoning (2 sections)	12 + 15 questions	18 + 23 min
Quantitative Reasoning (2 sections)	12 + 15 questions	21 + 26 min

What changed: the second writing task (“Analyze an Argument”) and the unscored experimental section were removed. What didn’t change: the content measured and, crucially, the score scales. So a score from the shorter test is read exactly like an old one.

How the GRE is scored

Three separate scores, no combined total:

Verbal Reasoning: 130–170, in 1-point increments.
Quantitative Reasoning: 130–170, in 1-point increments.
Analytical Writing: 0–6, in half-point increments.

For a MiM, schools care most about Verbal and Quant; the Quant score carries the most weight for quantitative, finance and analytics-heavy programmes. Each score also comes with a percentile, which is how admissions readers and concordance tables compare you to other test-takers — anchor to the percentile, not just the raw number.

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What counts as a “good” GRE score for a MiM

Here’s the honest part: there is no universal cut-off. Most European MiMs read the GRE as one ingredient in a holistic file, not against a fixed bar. As a rough orientation, a competitive score for a top European MiM is generally in the 155+ range on each of Verbal and Quant, with a strong Quant mattering most for the numbers-heavy programmes. But:

A great score helps; a weak score can hurt — but neither decides the file on its own.
Many schools publish a class-average GMAT and no GRE average. To benchmark yourself, map across using an official GMAT–GRE concordance.
The rest of your application — academics, essays, CV, references — carries more weight than a few GRE points. (See what a strong test score is really for, which applies the same logic to the GMAT.)

If a school publishes a typical or minimum GRE score, that’s your target. If it doesn’t, aim for a score that’s clearly competitive for the percentile band of admits, and put your energy into the parts of the file you control more directly.

GRE or GMAT? A quick decision

If your target schools accept both equally — and most do — take the test you’ll score better on. The GMAT Focus Edition is more squarely business-oriented and sometimes preferred for finance-heavy programmes; the GRE is accepted across a wider range of master’s courses and is often seen as friendlier for verbally strong applicants. The reliable way to decide: take a timed practice test of each, then pick the one where you score better and feel more comfortable. Our full GMAT vs GRE for a European MiM comparison goes deeper — but the deciding factor is always what your specific schools accept.

The bottom line

Most European MiMs that require a test accept the GRE as an equal alternative to the GMAT, and many don’t require a test at all — so check each school first. The GRE is now a shorter (~2-hour) test but is scored the same way (Verbal and Quant 130–170, Writing 0–6), and there’s no universal cut-off: a 155+ on each of Verbal and Quant is a sensible target for top programmes, with Quant weighing most for quantitative courses. Benchmark against any score a school publishes, map to GMAT averages via concordance where needed, and remember the rest of your file matters more. Confirm each programme’s test policy on its page, then plan your prep into the application timeline and map your rounds on the deadline tracker.

Sources & how to confirm

The current GRE General Test structure described here — about 1 hour 58 minutes total; a single “Analyze an Issue” Analytical Writing task; two Verbal Reasoning sections (12 + 15 questions) and two Quantitative Reasoning sections (12 + 15 questions); and the unchanged 130–170 (Verbal/Quant) and 0–6 (Analytical Writing) score scales — is taken from the official ETS GRE General Test pages (ets.org), reflecting the September 2023 shorter-test change. Score expectations, minimums, test requirements and whether the GRE is accepted are set by each school, vary widely, and change between cycles — no per-school cut-off is asserted here; confirm the current rules on each programme’s own admissions page and the latest test details on ets.org. Last checked June 2026.

Common questions

Do European MiM programmes accept the GRE? Most that ask for a standardised test accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT, and the majority treat the two equally — you choose whichever suits you. A growing number of MiMs are also test-optional or run their own admissions test instead, so for many programmes neither the GRE nor the GMAT is required at all. Because policies vary widely and change between cycles, the GRE is never universally required: always confirm on each school's own admissions page whether a test is needed, whether the GRE is accepted, and whether there's a minimum or a school admissions test you can take instead.: Most that ask for a standardised test accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT, and the majority treat the two equally — you choose whichever suits you. A growing number of MiMs are also test-optional or run their own admissions test instead, so for many programmes neither the GRE nor the GMAT is required at all. Because policies vary widely and change between cycles, the GRE is never universally required: always confirm on each school's own admissions page whether a test is needed, whether the GRE is accepted, and whether there's a minimum or a school admissions test you can take instead.
What is a good GRE score for a Master in Management? There's no single cut-off, because most MiMs read the GRE as one part of a holistic file rather than against a fixed bar — but as a rough guide, a competitive score for a top European MiM is generally in the 155+ range on each of Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning (each scored 130–170), with the Quant section mattering most for the quantitative, finance and analytics-heavy programmes. Schools that publish a class-average GMAT but not a GRE average expect you to map across using an official GMAT–GRE concordance. The honest answer is that a strong score helps and a weak one can hurt, but the rest of your application carries more weight than a few points on the GRE. Always check whether a school publishes a typical or minimum score.: There's no single cut-off, because most MiMs read the GRE as one part of a holistic file rather than against a fixed bar — but as a rough guide, a competitive score for a top European MiM is generally in the 155+ range on each of Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning (each scored 130–170), with the Quant section mattering most for the quantitative, finance and analytics-heavy programmes. Schools that publish a class-average GMAT but not a GRE average expect you to map across using an official GMAT–GRE concordance. The honest answer is that a strong score helps and a weak one can hurt, but the rest of your application carries more weight than a few points on the GRE. Always check whether a school publishes a typical or minimum score.
Did the GRE change, and how long is the test now? Yes. Since 22 September 2023 the GRE General Test is significantly shorter — about 1 hour 58 minutes, down from the previous near-four-hour exam. The Analytical Writing section now has a single 'Analyze an Issue' task (the old 'Analyze an Argument' essay was removed), and the unscored experimental section is gone. The content measured and the score scales are unchanged: Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each still scored 130–170 in 1-point increments, and Analytical Writing 0–6 in half-point increments. So a score from the shorter test is read the same way as before — only the test-day experience is shorter. Confirm the current structure on the ETS GRE website.: Yes. Since 22 September 2023 the GRE General Test is significantly shorter — about 1 hour 58 minutes, down from the previous near-four-hour exam. The Analytical Writing section now has a single 'Analyze an Issue' task (the old 'Analyze an Argument' essay was removed), and the unscored experimental section is gone. The content measured and the score scales are unchanged: Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning are each still scored 130–170 in 1-point increments, and Analytical Writing 0–6 in half-point increments. So a score from the shorter test is read the same way as before — only the test-day experience is shorter. Confirm the current structure on the ETS GRE website.
Should I take the GRE or the GMAT for a MiM? If the schools you're targeting accept both equally — and most do — take the test you'll score better on. The GRE is often seen as friendlier for applicants whose strengths are verbal or who are applying across a mix of programmes (it's accepted by many master's courses beyond business), while the GMAT's Focus Edition is more squarely business-oriented and sometimes preferred for finance-heavy programmes. Take a timed practice test of each and pick the one where you perform better and feel more comfortable. The deciding factor, though, is what your target schools accept and expect — check each programme's page before you commit to months of prep.: If the schools you're targeting accept both equally — and most do — take the test you'll score better on. The GRE is often seen as friendlier for applicants whose strengths are verbal or who are applying across a mix of programmes (it's accepted by many master's courses beyond business), while the GMAT's Focus Edition is more squarely business-oriented and sometimes preferred for finance-heavy programmes. Take a timed practice test of each and pick the one where you perform better and feel more comfortable. The deciding factor, though, is what your target schools accept and expect — check each programme's page before you commit to months of prep.