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A new exam for those wanting to attend business school will mean a new option of testing for WSU students trying to get accepted in the Carson College of Business.

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is changing the way students apply for business school through the use of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), rather than the General Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Jason Baran, ETS spokesperson, said while the GMAT can be used when applying to business schools, the GRE is the only admissions test accepted by both business schools and graduate schools.

This gives students the option to apply for both programs without having to take two tests, Baran said.

“In the last four to five years, more than 1,200 business schools worldwide will accept either test for admission,” Baran said.

Some people are concerned that better business schools will be less likely to accept the GRE, Baran explained, but that is not the case.

In 2015, 97 out of the top 100 business schools accepted the GRE in applications and made statements about not having preferences over what test scores were submitted, Baran said.

“The GRE has gained steam and more acceptance because graduate and business schools are looking for a more diverse pool of high-quality potential business students,” Baran said.

The GRE is comprised of four sections: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing.

A key differentiator between the GRE and GMAT, Baran said, is the GRE allows you to have a “score select option,” where students get to choose which sets of scores they want to send to schools.

They can take the highest scores they receive in any section and that is all the colleges will ever see, Baran said.

“If a student is interested in studying business, GRE is a better option,” Baran said.

This, he said, is because of the friendly test taking options it includes and its capability to be sent to more than just business schools.

Last month, University of Arizona’s law school started accepting GRE test scores in applications, instead of just LSAT, Baran said.

Since then, 20 to 30 other law schools have expressed interest in adding this option to their applications. Baran said they are doing this for the same reason business schools are. The colleges want to open up a more diverse applicant pool.

Reporting by Shannon Steffen