Graduate Entry Tests for PhD Study – What You Need to Know

If you’re applying for a PhD, you might have come across various graduate entry tests in the admissions requirements. Although these tests are fairly rare at European universities, they’re more common at North American institutions.

In this blog, we hope to give you a better idea of what these tests involve, when you’re likely to have to take them and what kind of score you may need to apply to a doctoral programme. We’ll focus on two of the most ‘popular’ graduate entry tests: the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). We’ve also included the latest information on how these tests have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is a standardised test primarily used in the entry requirements for MBAs and doctoral programmes in Business (like the Doctor of Business Administration – DBA).

It’s a computer-based test that takes just over three hours to complete, with four sections that measure candidates’ abilities in written, numerical and reasoning tasks.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is also a standardised test, but it has more of a general focus than the GMAT, used by departments across disciplines (not just business schools). It’s usually computer-delivered, although a paper-based version is available in a number of locations.

There are two types of GRE: the general GRE is three hours and 45 minutes long, comprising three sections: analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning. Meanwhile, there are several subject-specific GREs that focus on certain disciplines.

Other than the GRE and the GMAT, you may come across the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) and the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) if you’re applying for doctoral programmes in those subjects at Indian universities.

If you’re applying for a PhD in the UK or across most of Europe, the answer is... probably not. However, it’s worth checking the requirements for your chosen programme carefully, particularly if it’s in a Business subject. Some business schools in Europe may mention that a strong GMAT or GRE score can supplement your application, without including it as a requisite.

It’s more common for business schools in the USA, Canada and Australia to include graduate entry test scores in their admissions requirements. This is usually the GMAT, but increasingly business departments accept the GRE too.

If you’re applying for a non-Business doctoral programme in North America or Australia, you’ll often be asked to provide a relevant subject-specific GRE. These are provided in the following disciplines:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• English Literature
• Maths
• Physics
• Psychology

These subject-specific GREs are usually aimed at students who already hold a university qualification in the subject in question.

Most universities don’t specify a particular graduate entry test score in their entry requirements, instead providing an average student profile from previous PhD cohorts. A below-average score doesn’t necessarily mean that your application will be rejected, just as an above-average score doesn’t guarantee success.

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to view your graduate entry test score – GMAT or GRE – as just one element of your PhD application rather than the be all and end all.

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