GMAT Waivers: Which MBA Programs Waive the Test, and What It Takes
Test-waiver policies vary more than any other admissions rule. Here is where ten major programs stand in the 2026-27 cycle, what typically qualifies, and the Executive Assessment alternative.
By Mark Khoury, Founder
Updated October 3, 2026
The landscape
There is no central waiver: every program sets its own policy, and the policies range from never to optional. Harvard Business School states it does not provide test waivers for any applicant under any circumstances; Wharton and MIT Sloan require a GMAT or GRE from all applicants; Chicago Booth waives it only for current University of Chicago students and graduates. At the other end, USC Marshall makes the test optional for full-time MBA applicants, Michigan Ross lets any applicant substitute a Statement of Quantitative Academic Readiness with no pre-approval, and Darden, Rice and Kelley review waiver requests case by case.
Treat this page as orientation, not gospel: policies change between cycles, and the only binding version is the admissions page of your target program for your intake year.
Where ten programs stand (2026-27 cycle)
| Program | Waiver policy | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard Business School | None, ever | GMAT or GRE required from all applicants |
| Wharton | None stated | GMAT (either edition) or GRE required |
| MIT Sloan | None stated | GMAT (Focus or 10th Edition) or GRE required |
| Chicago Booth | UChicago students and graduates only | GMAT or GRE otherwise required, no other exceptions |
| Michigan Ross | Statement instead of a score | Statement of Quantitative Academic Readiness; any applicant, no pre-approval. Analytic role, STEM or analytical grad degree, strong quant GPA, CPA or CFA, or another graduate test (MCAT, LSAT and similar) all cited |
| UVA Darden | Case by case | Strong undergraduate record, analytical master's degree, or 3+ years of quantitative professional experience; SAT, ACT, CPA or CFA as support |
| Georgetown McDonough | Pre-assessment process | Optional pre-assessment with feedback in about 10 business days; academic background and professional experience drive it |
| Rice Jones | Case by case | 3+ years of post-undergraduate work plus a strong STEM or quantitative degree, an MD or PhD, a CPA or CFA, or another graduate-level test |
| USC Marshall | Test optional | GMAT or GRE optional for the full-time MBA |
| Indiana Kelley | Waiver inside the application | Prior academic achievement, quantitative coursework, CPA or CFA or similar; indicated in the phase-1 application, no separate request |
What typically qualifies
Across the programs that do grant waivers, the same evidence repeats: an analytical or quantitative career with real tenure (Darden and Rice both name three-plus years), a STEM or otherwise quantitative degree with a strong GPA, graduate coursework, professional certifications like the CPA or CFA, and other standardized graduate tests such as the MCAT or LSAT. The common thread is proof of quantitative readiness that a school can defend to its accreditor and its ranking data.
What a waiver does not do: fund you, compete for you, or survive a weak rest-of-application. At programs where a score is optional, a strong score still helps exactly the way it always did, and scholarship committees at several schools read the quantitative evidence first.
The Executive Assessment route
The Executive Assessment (EA) is GMAC's shorter exam for experienced professionals: 90 minutes, 40 questions, US$350, scored 100 to 200, with three 30-minute sections in Integrated Reasoning, Verbal and Quant. GMAC designed it for executive MBA admissions and it is accepted by more than 100 schools and executive MBA programs, with GMAC counting 300-plus accepting programs overall. Ross, Darden, Georgetown and Rice name it explicitly as an accepted alternative to the GMAT; several other schools accept it without advertising it. If your target is an EMBA or a part-time MBA for experienced professionals, check the EA before you commit to a full GMAT prep arc.
School waivers are not GMAC fee waivers
A program waiving its test requirement is separate from GMAC's fee vouchers, which reduce or remove the US$275 exam fee itself and are distributed through participating programs and organizations. Ask your target programs whether they hold GMAC vouchers if the fee is the constraint.
Waiver questions
Can I get into an MBA without the GMAT?
At some programs, yes: USC Marshall makes the test optional, Ross accepts a Statement of Quantitative Academic Readiness, and Darden, Rice and Kelley grant case-by-case waivers. HBS, Wharton, MIT Sloan and Booth require a test from everyone (Booth excepts UChicago students and graduates).
What qualifies for a GMAT waiver?
The recurring evidence: three-plus years in an analytical role, a strong quantitative degree, a CPA or CFA, another graduate test score such as the MCAT or LSAT, or a high GPA in advanced quantitative coursework. Every program lists its own criteria; several offer a pre-assessment before you commit.
What is the Executive Assessment?
GMAC's 90-minute, US$350 exam for experienced professionals, scored 100 to 200, accepted by 100-plus schools including Ross, Darden, Georgetown and Rice. If your target programs accept it, it is a lighter lift than the full GMAT.
Should I apply with a waiver or take the test?
If your quantitative evidence is strong and your target programs explicitly welcome waivers, a waiver is legitimate. If your profile leans verbal or entrepreneurial, or you are chasing scholarships, a strong score does work a waiver cannot.
- 1Michigan Ross, Full-time MBA application requirements (checked October 2, 2026)
- 2UVA Darden, MBA admissions FAQ and guidelines (checked October 2, 2026)
- 3Georgetown McDonough, Full-time MBA application components and pre-assessment (checked October 2, 2026)
- 4Rice Jones, MBA admissions, standardized test waivers (checked October 2, 2026)
- 5USC Marshall, Full-time MBA admissions (checked October 2, 2026)
- 6Indiana Kelley, Full-time MBA admissions (checked October 2, 2026)
- 7Harvard Business School, MBA admissions frequently asked questions (checked October 2, 2026)
- 8Chicago Booth, Full-time MBA FAQ (waiver exception) (checked October 2, 2026)
- 9GMAC, mba.com, Executive Assessment: about, structure and fees (checked October 2, 2026)
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