EMBA Test Preparation
Each EMBA program sets its own testing route: a standardized score, a waiver or a test of its own. Which route you take, and when, is a strategic decision before it is a study plan.
Jeffrey Robinson, CFA, has 20+ years of test preparation experience, has written GMAT and GRE curriculum and has advised 1,000+ EMBA and MBA candidacies since 2004.
Which Test to Take: EA, GMAT, GRE or a School Test
Four leading programs taught in the UAE show the range:
- •INSEAD accepts the Executive Assessment (EA), GMAT, GRE or its own INSEAD Executive Test, and grants no waivers.
- •LBS accepts the EA, GMAT or GRE and considers waivers for exceptional work experience or a quantitative background.
- •NYU Stern Abu Dhabi requires a test, encourages the EA and considers waivers.
- •Georgetown's Executive MBA in Dubai requires no test.
Preparation starts with a 1-hour Test Strategy Session: a diagnostic review, the choice of test, an assessment of whether a waiver request is worth making and a dated plan that fits your test date to each deadline.
Private Tutoring
One-to-one sessions with Jeffrey for the EA, GMAT or GRE, scheduled across time zones, including Gulf evenings by arrangement. Hours can be booked one at a time or in packages of 10 or 20.
INSEAD Executive Test Preparation
INSEAD offers its own test as an alternative to the EA, GMAT or GRE. The INSEAD Executive Test is open only after pre-selection, INSEAD's first screening of the written application, and can be taken only once. It is taken online and has written and oral parts.
Preparation is booked as private tutoring hours or within a package. The Test Strategy Session sets how many hours you need.
Executive Assessment Class, January 2027
Jeffrey teaches a small live online class for executives preparing for the Executive Assessment.
| Sessions | 8 sessions of 2.5 hours, Mondays and Wednesdays, from Monday 11 January to Wednesday 3 February 2027 |
| Time | 19:00 to 21:30 Gulf time (UTC+4), 15:00 to 17:30 UTC |
| Class size | 4 to 6 executives |
| Fee | US$1,950 per participant |
| Enrollment closes | Thursday 17 December 2026 |
The class runs once 4 participants have enrolled.
If these dates or times do not suit you, including if you are in another time zone, register your interest in a later cohort.
HEC Management Test
HEC Paris allows Executive MBA candidates to take its in-house management test instead of the GMAT, GRE or Executive Assessment, and the test takes place during 1 of the 2 interviews with EMBA alumni. Jeffrey prepares candidates for it as part of interview preparation, booked as private tutoring hours.
Fees and Terms
Tuition at leading programs, including INSEAD GEMBA and the LBS Executive MBA, runs from about US$155,000 to US$180,000, and NYU Stern notes that a strong score may increase a merit scholarship. Preparation is a small part of that investment.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Test Strategy Session (1 hour) | US$350, credited in full toward a package bought within 60 days |
| Private tutoring | US$350 per hour |
| 10-hour package | US$3,250 |
| 20-hour package | US$6,000 |
Terms
- •Fees are in USD and invoiced in advance.
- •Fees are non-refundable once paid, except where the law requires otherwise. If a class does not run because it has not filled, participants receive a full refund or may credit the fee to private tutoring.
- •Hours are valid 12 months from purchase. Additional hours are billed at the hourly rate.
- •One-to-one sessions can be rescheduled with 24 hours' notice. Class sessions are not rescheduled for individuals.
Begin With a Conversation
No Obligation. Complete Confidentiality.Tell Jeffrey which test you are considering, your target programs and your target date. You will hear back within one business day.
Discuss Your Test Strategy