Executive Assessment Overview – all details about the EA

The Executive Assessment (EA) is a 90-minute, computer-adaptive, standardized assessment designed to provide information on business school readiness by incorporating both industry-specific knowledge and real-world experience. Accepted at more than 100 part-time, full-time, hybrid, and Executive MBA (EMBA) programs around the world, the EA is intended to evaluate the skills business school applicants have acquired through a convenient exam offered online, as well as at local testing centers. Designed for professionals with busy schedules, the exam is intended to be convenient, with the average test taker spending approximately 30 hours preparing for the test. The EA consists of 40 questions delivered across three sections: Integrated Reasoning (12 questions), Verbal Reasoning (14 questions), and Quantitative Reasoning (14 questions). The EA is owned and managed by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a "non-profit organization of leading graduate management schools around the world," and was created in 2016 as a way to assess readiness for business school. Unlike the traditional Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the EA is not intended to function as the type of test where the higher you score, the better. Instead, the EA serves as a threshold indicator, meaning if you score above the threshold of the business program you hope to attend, they can be confident you are ready for the academic rigor of the program (provided the rest of your application supports this, of course). Scoring on the EA ranges from 100 to 200, with the most selective business schools generally seeking a score at or above 155.

As a general introduction to the EA, please have a look at the following topics:

  • EA Basics
    This page discusses general information about the EA, including the purpose of the test, a brief overview of EA scoring, and statistics on EA performance at selected business schools.

  • EA Format
    Consult this page for information on the structure of the EA. Students can find details on the individual EA sections, how the EA is administered, an overview of the EA’s computer-adaptive testing, and how the EA’s organization is relevant to student preparation.

  • Recent EA Changes
    This page provides a summary of the changes to the EA since its inception in 2016, including motives for changes, policy revisions, and how the changes impact EA preparation and applying to business school.

  • EA Administration
    See this page for an overview of EA administration. Topics covered include general administration policies, test center rules and regulations, standards for academic honesty, and test security measures. This page also discusses available accommodations for students with disabilities and the procedures for gaining access to those accommodations.

  • EA Registration
    Information about EA registration can be found on this page. Learn about registration procedures, requirements for acceptable identification, how to find available dates and test centers, applicable registration fees, GMAC privacy policies and protections for student data, and relevant federal and state regulations for the use of student information.

  • Testing Locations: Home Versus a Testing Center
    Read this page to learn about taking the EA from the comfort of your own home or taking the exam at a locally-based testing center.

  • EA Test-Taking Strategies
    Learn how to approach the EA strategically by reading this page. Receive helpful tips for strategic practice and preparation with official and unofficial EA exercises, developing the most effective time management skills, guessing answers, and general advice for improving performance through stress reduction and physical well-being.

  • EA Scores
    This page features a discussion of EA scoring. Students can learn about total scores and section scores, and can gain an understanding of how scores are converted on the computer-adaptive exam. Also included is a summary of typical EA performance (average scores and score ranges of accepted students) at highly selective business schools in the United States, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton.

  • EA History
    Consult this page for an overview of the EA’s history from its first administration in 2016 to the present. Students will learn about the circumstances surrounding the creation of the EA, the content of earlier versions of the test, major revisions, and the consistency and security of the EA.

  • EA versus GMAT
    Business school applicants can get a comparison of the EA and the GMAT by reading this page, which will help you decide which test is right for you. Each test has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages with respect to content, degree of acceptance, and accessibility.

Fill out Info Request