PRINCETON, NJ, Oct 28, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Educational Testing Service(R) (ETS(R)) today announced the introduction of a new GRE(R) Comparison Tool for Business Schools at its website www.ets.org/gre/comparison. The online tool offers business schools a way to predict Graduate Management Admission Test(R) (GMAT(R)) scores from Graduate Record Examinations(R) (GRE) General Test scores.
The comparison tool was developed in response to requests from business schools for information to help them evaluate applicants who submitted GRE scores for admission to MBA programs.
The predicted GMAT scores produced by the tool are calculated based on analyses of test scores from individuals who took both the GRE General Test and the GMAT exam under standard testing conditions between January 2006 and July 2008.
"The GRE and GMAT comparison tool will be very helpful to us," explains David Bach, Associate Dean of MBA programs at Instituto de Empresa (IE) Business School. "The fact that it is accessible online makes the admissions review process easier, too."
Based in Madrid, Spain, IE's MBA program is ranked in the top ten worldwide by The Financial Times.
The launch of the GRE Comparison Tool for Business Schools comes at a time when an increasing number of business schools and MBA programs, both domestically and internationally, are accepting GRE General Test scores for graduate admission. More than 120 MBA programs now accept GRE General Test scores, including Stanford University, MIT, Clemson University, Johns Hopkins and IE Business School. Visit www.ets.org/gre/bschools to view a full list of MBA programs that accept GRE scores.
"As a top-ranked business school, we realize that we need to recruit the most excellent and diverse students," says Bach. "The demand for a creative and diverse workforce comes directly from the professional business community that increasingly competes on a global level. Therefore, we have to be selective and focused on quality, and accept different tests and test formats, provided they are well-suited to select the best."
"The tool is very easy to use," explains ETS Associate Vice President David Payne. "The user enters an applicant's GRE Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores, and then views the applicant's predicted GMAT Total score. The ability to predict a GMAT Total score from GRE Verbal and Quantitative scores is not surprising, given that both tests measure the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning skills that business schools value, and the correlation between the GRE scores and the GMAT Total score is quite high."
In 2009, ETS will launch the Personal Potential Index (PPI), which will provide an evaluation of critical personal attributes that graduate schools and business schools look for in candidates -- attributes that traditional standardized tests weren't intended to measure.
"The PPI will be particularly beneficial for business schools that historically place added value on individual leadership, team work and ethics," adds Payne.
To learn more about the GRE General Test for graduate business and MBA programs, visit www.ets.org/gre/business.
About ETS
ETS is a nonprofit institution with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. In serving individuals, educational institutions and government agencies around the world, ETS customizes solutions to meet the need for teacher professional development products and services, classroom and end-of-course assessments, and research-based teaching and learning tools. Founded in 1947, ETS today develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org
SOURCE: Educational Testing Service
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