GMAT and GRE exams
Applicants to the study option Finance are required to take the GMAT or the GRE, regardless of which admission group they are in.
Admission groups
Admission to School of Business study options occurs via one of two admission groups.
The degree that gives you eligibility to apply (i.e. bachelor's degree) determines which admission group you apply in.
- ADMISSION GROUP 1: Bachelor’s degree from a university in Finland
Finnish universities are listed on the Ministry of Education and Culture website. - ADMISSION GROUP 2: Bachelor’s degree from a university of applied science in Finland or from a higher education institution abroad
Master's degree does not give eligibility for Master's admissions.
In addition to your bachelor's degree, you can include one higher education degree (e.g. master's degree) in your application form. However, the admission group is based on your bachelor’s degree.
Minimum test score requirements
The table below shows the minimum required test results for GMAT according to study option:
| Programme | Admission group 1 | Admission group 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Not required | 550 |
| Business Analytics | Not required | 600 |
| Creative Sustainability – MSc in Economics and Business Administration | Not required | 550 |
| Economics | Not required | 550 |
| Finance | 650 | 650 |
| Global Management | Not required | 600 |
| Information and Service Management | Not required | 550 |
| International Design Business Management – MSc in Economics and Business Administration | Not required | 550 |
| Marketing | Not required | 550 |
| People Management and Organizational Development | Not required | 550 |
| Strategic Management in a Changing World | Not required | 550 |
| Yritysjuridiikka (Business Law, taught only in Finnish) | Not required | Not required |
Graduate Records Examination GRE test scores are compared to the required GMAT test scores.
GRE scores are converted to a GMAT total score with a conversion tool.
You can find the conversion tool for example at: GRE to GMAT.
GMAT and GRE exams are equivalent in master’s admissions, i.e. neither is considered superior to the other.
Validity period of the test results
GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years after the test day. For 2023 admissions, the oldest acceptable test day is 1 December 2017.
Submitting test scores
The official test results must arrive at Aalto University directly from the testing organisation no later than 9 January 2023.
The test must be taken early enough to meet this deadline. You can check from the test administrator the time required to deliver the official results. Test scores submitted by the applicant are unofficial and will not be accepted. Testing times may fill to capacity towards the start of the application period. Applicants are responsible to enrol for the test sufficiently well ahead of time.
If the GMAT/GRE test scores do not arrive by the deadline or the scores are below the minimum requirement, the application will be rejected.
The GMAT/GRE is not a language test and therefore cannot substitute for a language test.
- GMAT: The official test report must be sent directly by the test administrator to the Aalto University School of Business. The reports are sent by the test administrators electronically. At the test, applicants choose the higher education institution to which they want their test scores sent. Test scores need to be sent with the Aalto University School of Business GMAT program code, C1N-9F-85 (MSc Degree Programs).
If you have taken the test earlier but not sent the results to Aalto University, request the test administrator to send your official results with the School of Business program code.
Only the Total Score will be considered in the admissions. The Total Score includes the Quantitative Section and the Verbal Section. The Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning sections do not affect the score.
See the homepage of GMAT (www.mba.com) for more information.
- GRE: The accepted exams are the GRE General Test and GRE Revised General Test.
The GRE Subject Test is not acceptable. The official test report must be sent directly by the test administrator to the Aalto University. The test results are received electronically from the test administrators.
The GRE test reporting code for Aalto University is 7364.If you took the test earlier but the test scores were not sent to Aalto University, ask the test administrator to send an Additional Score Report to Aalto University.
When converting the score, only the Verbal Reasoning Score and Quantitative Reasoning Score of the GRE test are taken into consideration.
See the homepage of GRE (www.ets.org/gre) for more information. - Note! Aalto University accepts also GMAT™ Online exam and GRE® General Test at home.
Frequently asked questions
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) are standardised tests that are administered in English and used internationally as one of the evaluation criteria for student admissions particularly in the field of business.
The tests measure analytic and linguistic skills as well as quantitative reasoning skills.
Aalto University does not organise GMAT or GRE test. In questions concerning the tests, please contact the test organisers.
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
The GMAT consists of four sections:
- Analytical Writing Assessment (one essay theme), 30 minutes
- Integrated Reasoning (12 questions), 30 minutes
- Quantitative (37 multiple-choice questions), 75 minutes
- Verbal (41 multiple-choice questions), 75 minutes
Aalto University considers only the Total Score when evaluating applicants for a master’s programme in business and economics. Only the Quantitative Section and Verbal Section comprise the Total Score. The Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning sections do not affect the Total Score and they are not considered in the admissions.
Applicants may opt to not do the Analytical Writing Assessment and Integrated Reasoning sections at all, if they wish.
For more information on the test, visit the test administrator’s website: www.mba.com
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)
The accepted exams are the GRE General Test and GRE Revised General Test. The GRE Subject Test is not accepted.
Structure of the GRE test:
- Verbal Reasoning: measures ability to analyse and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify author's assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning, such as literal, figurative and author's intent, select important points; distinguish major from minor or relevant points; summarise text; understand the structure of a text, understand the meanings of words, sentences and entire texts; understand relationships among words and among concepts.
- Quantitative Reasoning: measures ability to understand quantitative information, interpret and analyse quantitative information, solve problems using mathematical models, apply basic mathematical skills and elementary mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data interpretation, includes real-life scenarios.
- Analytical Writing: measures ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively, support ideas with relevant reasons and examples, examine claims and accompanying evidence, sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion, control the elements of standard written English.
GRE scores are converted to a GMAT total score with a conversion tool.
You can find the conversion tool for example at: GRE to GMAT.
When converting the score, the Verbal Reasoning Score and Quantitative Reasoning Score of the GRE test are taken into account. The Analytical Writing section has no bearing on admissions process.
For more information on the test, see www.ets.org/gre.
You can take both tests in any of hundreds of test centres around the world. Find a test centre closest to you on the test administrator’s website.
- In Finland, the GMAT test is organised by CertyHub Espoo (LGF), located in Espoo (Address: Metsäneidonkuja 12, Kvintti building, gound floor, postal code FI-02130 Espoo.) The test centre only provides the facilities for taking the GMAT test. To learn more about the test contents, to register for it and pay for the test, visit the test administrator’s website www.mba.com. As you register for the test, you must write your name exactly as it is printed on the identification (ID) documents that you will present on the day of the test. The test costs approximately 250 USD.
- You can book the GRE exam time on the test administrator’s website. When registering online, you should first create a My GRE Account. In Finland, the GRE test centre is Nuevo Mundo, located at Arabiankatu 12 (7th floor), 00560 Helsinki. The test costs approximately 205 USD.
- Note! Aalto University accepts also GMAT™ Online exam and GRE® General Test at home.
You should familiarise yourself with the test structure and content before the test.
The test organisations provide prepping software on their websites. Prep books are also available.
- For tips on how to prepare for the GMAT and free GMAT prep software, go to www.mba.com.
- The GRE website has a ‘Prepare for the Test’ section. On that page, you can download the Powerprep Software, which you can use to practise for the test.
The official test results must come directly from the test administrator to Aalto University no later than 9 January 2023. An unofficial report will not be accepted.
Booking a test time and taking the test early enough is the applicant’s responsibility. You should check the score-sending schedule with the test administrator.
Aalto University does not organise the test and cannot respond to any questions on sending the test scores.
You can arrive at the same GMAT score with various combinations of the Verbal and Quantitative sections in GRE. GRE scores are converted to a GMAT total score with a conversion tool.
You can find the conversion tool for example at: GRE to GMAT.
A GMAT total score of 550 can be attained through, for instance, the following combinations of section scores in GRE: GRE Verbal Reasoning Score 161 + GRE Quantitative Reasoning Score 151, or GRE Verbal Reasoning Score 169 + GRE Quantitative Reasoning Score 146.
You can use the tool to try out different score combinations in the GRE test that are equivalent to the minimum score requirement for the GMAT test.
GMAT or GRE test result is obligatory for all applicants in admission group 2 to theSchool of Business study options with the exception of applicants to Yritysjuridiikka (taught in Finnish).
Applicants to the study option Finance are required to take the GMAT or the GRE, regardless of which admission group they are in.
Applications without GMAT or GRE test score above the minimum criteria by the deadline are rejected.
The best official score that is still valid and received by Aalto University by the deadline will be considered in the admission. You cannot combine scores attained on different test dates.
The date of completion of the GRE/GMAT test needs to be marked on the application form.
Admission information
Information on applying to master’s programmes, required application documents as well as admissions deadlines is available at: