GRE scores to be accepted by premier Indian institutes

Premier Indian institutes, including IIMs and SPJIMR, will now accept GRE scores from international students starting from the academic year 2024-25. This move aims to attract a more diverse pool of international students and enhance global recognition. The GRE General Test will also undergo a significant reduction in test duration, making it more efficient and reducing anxiety and fatigue. Over 100 Indian institutes are expected to acknowledge GRE scores, expanding its recognition beyond the United States, Canada, and a few other countries.

MUMBAI: Starting from academic year 2024-25, premier Indian institutes are set to broaden their admission criteria by accepting Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from international students.

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Traditionally, international students have been admitted based on Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores alone. Now, the Calcutta and Bangalore IIMs, Mumbai’s S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) and Hyderabad’s Indian School of Business and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research among others will all welcome GRE scores.

According to the Educational Testing Service (ETS), an assessment firm that develops and administers various international tests, including TOFEL, TOEIC, GRE and other skilled-based examinations in more than 180 countries, approximately 100 Indian institutes will now acknowledge GRE scores. Until recently, GRE was primarily recognised by universities in the United States, Canada and a few other countries.

Sachin Jain, country manager for India and South Asia at ETS, said that Indian management institutes were poised to accept GRE scores in order to attract a greater number of international students. “This move will enable Indian institutions to welcome an increasingly diverse pool of international students, bolstering their global recognition,” he said. “After establishing ETS India a year ago, our goal is to further broaden GRE acceptance to encompass over 150 Indian institutions within this year.”

According to the ministry of education, during academic year 2020-21, over 48,000 foreign students from 163 different countries were enrolled in Indian institutes of higher learning.

In addition to the expanded acceptance of GRE scores, the GRE General Test is set to undergo a transformation, with the test duration being reduced significantly, from 3.45 hours to 1.58 hours starting September 22. Jain said this modification would enhance the test-taking experience, reduce anxiety and fatigue, and make it more efficient. “The GRE General Test will be the shortest and most efficient examination for admission to top graduate and professional programmes, including those in business and law,” he said.

The GRE is used by more than 1,300 graduate and business schools worldwide, and nearly 100 leading business schools in India will now rely on it to evaluate applicants. According to the brochure published on the IIM-B website for international students of the 2024-26 batch, eligibility criteria includes “a valid GMAT/GRE (administered in test centre) score”. “The test scores should have been reported to GMAC/ETS respectively before applying to IIM-B,” states the brochure.

An IIM-B official said that the institute had decided to open one more entry window for international students in order to attract more foreign students. “Almost all the top 50 B-schools across the globe accept the GRE score,” he said. “To compete with this, we have to add more and more entry-level options for foreign students.”

Mumbai-based SPJIMR also recently accepted GRE scores for its global management programme. Ramessh Misshra, assistant director, marketing and admissions outreach, said, “GRE candidates appear for the exam with the intention of studying abroad or pursuing dual-degree programmes in collaboration with foreign universities. At SPJIMR, we are accepting GRE scores for our Global Management Programme, where candidates earn MS/MBA degrees from our international partner schools in USA/UK/Europe. Currently, SPJIMR does not accept GRE scores for its full-time programmes. If the All India Council for Technical Education sends guidelines, then we will have to evaluate if we need to include GRE.”