Does ISB PGP-YL accept GRE scores instead of GMAT or CAT?

Yes, ISB PGP-YL accepts GRE scores. The programme accepts GMAT, GMAT Focus Edition, GRE, CAT, and (in select cycles) NMAT, giving you genuine flexibility on test choice. This is not a loophole or a lesser path: ISB explicitly treats all accepted scores as equivalent entry points for the Young Leaders Programme application.

Which Test Actually Works Best for You

The honest answer: GMAT and GMAT Focus Edition remain the most common scores in the ISB cohort, and evaluators see hundreds of them each cycle. GRE is fully accepted but less frequently submitted, which means your score sits in a slightly thinner comparison pool.

That can cut both ways.

If you have already taken the GRE for a US master's programme, use it. There is no structural penalty for doing so.

If you are choosing a test from scratch purely for ISB PGP-YL, GMAT gives your application a more direct benchmark against the admitted cohort.

Score Benchmarks to Target

ISB does not publish a hard cutoff, but historical admit data points to these competitive ranges:

These are not guarantees. The YLP selection process weights leadership signals, essays, and academic record alongside the test score, so a GRE 322 paired with strong internship track record can outperform a GMAT 710 with a thin extracurricular profile.

How ISB Handles GRE-to-GMAT Conversion

ISB uses an internal conversion framework to compare GRE and GMAT scores. The exact table is not public, but the standard ETS-to-GMAC concordance table is the industry baseline: roughly GRE 320 maps to around GMAT 700, and GRE 325 maps to approximately GMAT 720.

You do not need to worry about this conversion yourself. Submit your GRE score exactly as reported by ETS.

The CAT Route for Indian Applicants

If you are preparing for CAT already, the CAT route makes practical sense. A score above the 95th percentile is competitive, and 99th percentile puts you solidly in shortlist territory.

ISB treats strong CAT performance as equivalent to strong GMAT performance, and since most serious Indian MBA aspirants sit CAT anyway, this avoids the cost and prep time of a second exam.

Application Fees and Cycle Costs

The PGP-YL application fee runs approximately ₹2,000-3,000 per cycle (verify on the ISB portal for the current year). The programme itself carries a total fee in the range of the full ISB PGP, which currently sits near ₹40+ lakh for the one-year programme.

Factor in the test fee: GRE costs around $220 (roughly ₹18,000), comparable to the GMAT Focus Edition fee.

One practical point: YLP applications open in your penultimate year of undergrad, so timing your test attempt for your second or third year of college is important. Do not leave it for the final semester.