Applicants may request a Standardized Test Waiver if they can demonstrate strong quantitative or analytical abilities through their academic background and professional experience. The MBA Admissions Committee evaluates waiver requests holistically to assess readiness for the quantitative rigor of the MBA curriculum.
Waiver requests must be submitted prior to submitting the application and will be reviewed within 10 business days.
Although submitting an application with a test waiver does not automatically disadvantage your application, a strong test score can strengthen your candidacy— particularly if you have a lower GPA, limited quantitative coursework, less professional experience, or are making a substantial career switch. A strong test score may also positively influence scholarship consideration.
Applicants admitted to the Full-Time MBA program without a valid test score must complete the Accelerated Foundations Program—a one-week quantitative prep course taught by McCombs faculty. There is an additional cost associated with this requirement.
All standardized test waiver candidates must demonstrate BOTH:
- Strong academic performance in an undergraduate or graduate degree with an analytical focus (examples include accounting, business, economics, engineering, information systems/computer science, mathematics/physical science) – ideally with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and a solid foundation in quantitative coursework.
AND
- A minimum of three years of progressive, post-undergraduate work experience that includes significant analytical responsibilities.
Test waiver requests can be submitted on the Standardized Test Waiver form or can be found in the Test Score section of the application. Requests must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the targeted application submission date.
After creating a UT EID, the petition will require:
- A brief statement highlighting the merits of your request (200 words or less)
- 1-2 page professional resume
- Undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts
Along with strong academic and professional history, holding advanced degrees or professional certifications (CFA, CPA, etc.) can strengthen your case.
All transcripts must include degree received and a detailed breakdown of courses. Transcripts (and/or WES evaluation) must be in English, clearly legible, and based on a 4.0 grading scale. If your transcript is not in English or does not follow a 4.0 scale, you must submit a WES Basic Transcript Evaluation. We also accept evaluations from
Scholaro and ECE.
Decisions will be emailed within 10 business days. If you are denied a test waiver, allow adequate time to prepare and take a standardized test. Waiver requests cannot be resubmitted in a later round of the same application year.
Note: Test waivers will be void if valid test scores (within 5 years) have already been submitted to UT Austin.
All Full-Time and Working Professional MBA candidates are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships upon application submission (Executive MBA candidates are not eligible). Though all candidates are eligible for merit-based scholarships, a valid test score provides the MBA Admissions Committee a concrete data point that may strengthen a candidate’s position for scholarship awards.
Scholarships at Texas McCombs are competitive, merit-based and limited in number. Decisions are based on a longstanding holistic review process taking into account your entire application and serves to assess the overall strength of your candidacy, including readiness for academic rigor, career goals, and leadership potential. For Working Professional MBAs, early applicants are more likely to receive awards.
For more questions on test waivers or scholarships, please email TexasMBA@mccombs.utexas.edu.
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