Admissions tests and entrance exams mean the same thing, and universities use both terms. To study at either the undergraduate or postgraduate level in the USA, you will find that the entry requirements for the course you’re interested in include both an English language test result and an admissions test. Here we give you an overview of the different tests available at the various study levels. 

Overview of US admissions tests

Several admissions tests help you gain entry into a course at a university in the USA. Here we have summarised them as follows:

English Language Tests

There are a few tests that are accepted by the majority of institutions in the US such as IELTS, PTE Academic and TOEFL (iBT). Here we focus on the main two:

• IELTS - International English Language Testing System
• TOEFL (iBT) – Test of English as a Foreign Language

To understand the differences between the two tests please read – IELTS vs. TOEFL: Which should you take?

Undergraduate Admissions Tests

• SAT – a globally recognised college admission test
• ACT – an entrance test accepted and recognised by all four-year programmes in US colleges and universities.

Many students in the US take both the SAT and ACT to increase their chances of getting good scores. 

SAT vs ACT 

For all undergraduate courses, you need to take either the SAT or the ACT. Both tests are designed to show how ready you are for university education. They both test a student’s critical thinking and analytical skills. 

Read more about the differences between the two:

It’s best to take a full practice test for each of the exams to help decide which one suits you better.

Postgraduate Admissions Tests

Below you will find the main entrance exams required for postgraduate studies in the US:

• GRE – General Test is accepted by many graduate schools in the US and Canada. Students may also be asked to take a GRE Subject Test, which assesses technical knowledge in specific subjects.
• GMAT – Graduate Management Admissions Test – An admissions test for graduate management and/or business programs (like an MBA). 
• LSAT – Law School Admission Test 
• MCAT – Medical College Admission Test
• DAT – Dental Admission Test
• PCAT – Pharmacy College Admission Test
• OAT – Optometry Admission Test

As with all courses, the advice is to check the entry requirements of the course you’re interested in directly with the university. 

GRE vs GMAT

The table below gives a general overview of the two tests:

GRE General Test scores are accepted by thousands of graduate schools which include business and law schools. You can check which institutions accept a GRE score on the ETS GRE website. Check which Law Schools and MBA programs accept a GRE score. There are also subject-specific tests in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Psychology. Subject tests are offered three times a year and are paper-based. The GRE General Test is offered at test centres around the world and can be taken online at home also. 

The GMAT exam ‘is used by more than 2,400 institutions and universities globally.’ It was ‘designed by business schools for business schools and is offered both online and at test centres worldwide. The Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning questions are adaptive which means that a student’s answer to one question determines the difficulty of the next question. 

Universities do not prefer one test or the other. For example, the Stanford Graduate School of Business states: ‘We have no preference for one test over the other. If you take both exams, you may provide both scores.’ MIT Sloan School also states: 'We have no preference between the two exams, and you are welcome to submit either exam. We also accept both in-person and online GMAT and GRE scores.' When deciding which admissions tests to take, it’s advisable to do your research and find the test that best suits your academic style and needs.