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And if so, which did you find more difficult, the GMAT or the LSAT?

I've taken both. Well, I took the GMAT just so I could support my friend as he took it, study together, etc. I found it harder because it had math, and I'm a fair bit removed from having to deal with algebra etc. Also I found the adaptive difficulty something hard to wrap my mind around.

Also, those "Data Sufficiency" questions were just death to me.

Peter North wrote:Tru dat!

Keep in mind, though, many of the top b-schools (eg, HBS) are accepting the GRE in lieu of the GMAT, for applicants seeking admission to an MBA program.

If you're the type who likes memorizing content, the GRE might be a suitable alternative. (Note: I didn't take the GRE).

Shpuld we abplish it anyway?

I got a 720 (94th percentile) on a cold diagnostic. Have not taken the real thing yet. I'm sure that getting 99th percentile can still be tough, but compared to the LSAT I think its a joke. Both tests have easy questions, but GMAT virtually has no time pressure - that makes all the difference.

JustDude wrote:

Peter North wrote:Tru dat!

Keep in mind, though, many of the top b-schools (eg, HBS) are accepting the GRE in lieu of the GMAT, for applicants seeking admission to an MBA program.

If you're the type who likes memorizing content, the GRE might be a suitable alternative. (Note: I didn't take the GRE).

Shpuld we abplish it anyway?

haha

I thought the GMAT was much easier, but I did do it after the LSAT and I have no difficulty with math. The lack of time pressure is notable, though; you have about two minutes per question.

700 on actual GMAT (2 practice tests, both 700)

163 on actual LSAT (practice tests in 168-172 range)

I just took a sample math section test and thought it was stupid easy...maybe i should take the GMAT too and see how it goes.

Peter North wrote:Clearly not the same for the LSAT because even if one scores perfect on the either LR1/LR2 or on RC/LG, you still need to do well in the other sections in order to get a good LSAT score.

This is a bad argument. Quant is half of the GMAT. LR is half of the LSAT. Plus, as you pointed out, mastering LR leads to carryover on the other two sections, whereas GMAT quant and verbal are entirely independent.

As to the original question, I find the LSAT much more challenging because of the time limits. The GMAT time limits are a joke. I finished each section of the GMAT with about 45 minutes left.

For reference, I scored 780 on the GMAT and 180 on the LSAT.

SoCalKevin wrote:And if so, which did you find more difficult, the GMAT or the LSAT?

The LSAT is widely considered to be the most difficult of the five graduate entrance exams. I have taken the GMAT, and it is a piece of cake compared to the LSAT I hear the GRE is even easier. The MCAT and DAT are supposed to present some challenges, but not like those of the LSAT.

I would say the LSAT is more challenging.

Studied two months for the LSAT with diagnostics improving from 165 to 173. Definitely flubbed a setup for the logic games, among other minor points, and ended up with a 167.

I took the GMAT cold (literally signed up Tuesday and took it Friday during the school year with only general knowledge of the exam structure) and got a 710.

PDaddy wrote:

SoCalKevin wrote:And if so, which did you find more difficult, the GMAT or the LSAT?

The LSAT is widely considered to be the most difficult of the five graduate entrance exams. I have taken the GMAT, and it is a piece of cake compared to the LSAT I hear the GRE is even easier. The MCAT and DAT are supposed to present some challenges, but not like those of the LSAT.

Eh, sketchy. A lot of people would say the MCAT is harder than the LSAT (though a lot of people would say the reverse). They're really not comparable; the MCAT has a ton of content, while the LSAT has none. But yeah, the GMAT, GRE, and DAT are often described as easier.

Okay, so is this practice test really typical math from the GMAT?

http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/algebra1c.htm

I'm familiar with both exams. The LSAT is more difficult but the GMAT has a worse curve on it.

I found the GMAT easier, but as the other posters have said it's largely a matter of your skills. If you're not quantitatively oriented it will be pretty challenging, but if you're comfortable with math, I think it's a lot less daunting than the LSAT.

Also, I second what other posters said about the ridiculous GMAT curve. I got a 50 (out of 51) on the math section, and that was 94th percentile - which seems to imply that 6% of test takers got every question right.

Edit: Also, the GMAT is computer adaptive, which means they adjust the difficulty of the questions based on how well you've done so far. Because I was getting harder questions I felt that I was not doing so well, but they adjust for the degree of difficulty.