What is the Executive Assessment?

The Executive Assessment (EA) is an exam that you can use to apply to business school.

Here’s what you should know about the EA:

It is designed for professionals who want to attend an executive MBA program
It’s short (only 90 minutes long!)
It uses the same exact question types as the GMAT
It’s not the best bet for acceptance into competitive, full-time MBA programs
It is a good option if you’re applying to part-time programs.

According to GMAC (the organization that offers the test), the EA is “designed specifically for busy, experienced professionals” and “requires minimum preparation.” The main reason for this claim is that the test is only 90 minutes long, as compared to the 3 hr 45 minute GMAT experience. It is primarily accepted by executive, part-time, and online MBA programs, although some full time programs are beginning to accept it as well.

To see whether your target programs accept the EA, it is best to check the application requirements on the schools’ websites. You can also find a full list of schools that accept the EA on the GMAC website.

The EA is scored on a scale from 100-200, with a median test score sitting at 150. While schools don’t usually publish EA scores from students they have accepted, hitting at least a 150 is a good minimum target to aim for.

What is the Executive Assessment used for?

Schools use your Executive Assessment score to predict your odds of success in graduate school.

Graduate programs want to admit candidates who are going to succeed in their programs, graduate with flying colors, and go on to lucrative and fulfilling careers. But how can schools know that a certain applicant has the academic chops to succeed?

Undergraduate academic records are certainly useful, but GPAs mean different things at different institutions, and it can be useful for graduate programs to see additional evidence of academic readiness. Schools rely on EA scores as an equalizing force to ensure that students have the quantitative and verbal reasoning skills to succeed in graduate-level classes.

What content is on the Executive Assessment?

Quantitative Reasoning

The following are some of the most common math topics that appear on the EA quant section:

Arithmetic
Algebra
Exponents
Percents
Ratios
Rates
Probability
Combinatorics
Statistics
Number Properties

You’ve probably noticed that Geometry is not on this list. That wasn’t an accident: there will be no Geometry questions on the EA. However, there could be questions involving coordinate planes as the GMAT considers those to be algebra questions.

Verbal Reasoning

The verbal section of the EA includes three broad question types:

Critical Reasoning: short arguments followed by one question
Reading Comprehension: long passages followed by 3 or 4 questions
Sentence Correction: grammar-based questions.

Taking the Executive Assessment at home or in a test center

You can currently take the EA either at a test center or in your home. The exam is exactly the same in both settings, so it’s up to you to choose the option that is best for your situation.

You might want to take the test at home if:

It’s inconvenient to get to a test center in your area
It’s hard to get an appointment at a test center
You’ll be more nervous in the test center environment
You’re uncomfortable with the current health-related policies (masks, etc.) at your local test center

You might want to take the test in a test center if:

Your internet connection at home is unstable
Your environment and equipment at home do not meet GMAC requirements