Which London Business School programs require which tests?
At London Business School (LBS), each of the five programs below has its own online application, with an admissions test as one component among others. The table summarizes pages reviewed October 15, 2026. The MBA and full-time Masters in Finance list August 2027 entry; check other programs’ individual calendars.
Entry profiles vary considerably. The MBA is for applicants with work experience; its FAQ lists an average of 5.5 years without naming the class year. Applicants with fewer than three years of experience are expected to have an excellent academic record and exceptional evidence of leadership. The Masters in Management and Masters in Financial Analysis target applicants who graduated within the past two years and have no more than two years of post-degree experience; the “MiM or MBA” article can help you choose a program level.
| Program | Entry | Admissions test | English test |
|---|---|---|---|
| MBA | Three deadlines per year, 5 p.m. UK time; average 5.5 years of experience | GMAT or GRE valid before submission, no preference; scores less than five years old | IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge CPE or CAE, PTE Academic, Duolingo; no minimum on the page |
| Masters in Management (MiM) | Degree earned within the past two years, no more than two years of post-degree experience; UK 2:1 or minimum 3.3 GPA | GMAT / GMAT Focus or GRE before submission; highest score retained, no combining tests | IELTS 7.0 (6.5 per component); TOEFL 5 after January 21, 2026, 96 before then; CAE or CPE 180, PTE 76, Duolingo 130; component minimums in linked sheet |
| Masters in Financial Analysis (MFA) | Degree earned within the past two years, no more than two years of post-degree experience; UK 2:1 or minimum 3.3 GPA | GMAT / GMAT Focus, GRE, or CFA Level I; passing CFA Level I waives GMAT and GRE | Same minimums as the MiM |
| Full-time Masters in Finance | Separate program from the MFA | GMAT, GMAT Focus, or GRE; may apply before testing, waivers case by case; CFA Level II or higher automatically waives the GMAT | Same tests accepted; no minimum on the page; waiver possible at the committee’s discretion |
| Executive MBA (London and Dubai) | Executives; average 15 years of experience, including five in management | Executive Assessment, GMAT, or GRE, no minimum score; waivers possible for exceptional applicants | TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Cambridge; no minimum on the page; waiver possible after substantial work or a degree in English |
GMAT or GRE: does the school prefer one?
The MBA FAQ says directly that the school has no preference between the GMAT and GRE. Choose based on your schedule, your strengths, and the other schools on your list; the “GMAT or GRE: choosing based on your programs and the format” article explains these criteria.
Two points are worth knowing. The FAQ notes that some employers may ask for a GMAT score and advises retaking the test if you think you can improve your score. For the MiM and MFA, it says the school uses the highest score but does not combine scores from different tests.
For the Masters in Financial Analysis, applicants who have passed CFA Level I do not need to submit a test score. The school still recommends one because recruiters use scores to compare candidates; the FAQ gives no other waiver. The MiM pages list no test waiver. The Executive MBA FAQ accepts the Executive Assessment, GMAT, or GRE; the Executive Assessment article explains what it measures.
Which English test, and what is the minimum?
An English test may also be required unless waived. The MBA, MiM, MFA, and full-time Masters in Finance accept IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge CPE or CAE, PTE Academic, and Duolingo English Test; their TOEFL code is 0898. The Executive MBA page lists TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, and Cambridge. TOEIC is not on these lists.
The information sheet currently linked by the MiM and MFA requires IELTS 7.0 (6.5 per component), CAE or CPE 180 (170 per component), PTE Academic 76 (70 per component), and Duolingo 130 (125 per component). For TOEFL taken after January 21, 2026, it requires 5 overall, with 4 in Speaking, 4.5 in Reading and Writing, and 5 in Listening. Before that date, it lists 96 out of 120, with 22 in Speaking and Listening and 23 in Reading and Writing. The test must be taken within two years before the August intake; no scale conversion is made here.
The MBA admissions page lists accepted tests but no minimum. Do not apply MiM minimums to the MBA; confirm its requirements with the school.
In all cases, the committee may waive the requirement at its discretion. For the MiM and MFA, a waiver may be requested after completing a full-time undergraduate or graduate degree taught entirely in English in a majority English-speaking country within two years before entry; an exchange program does not count. Canadian degrees are assessed individually and do not automatically qualify. For the MBA, the requirement does not apply if English is your first language and you have always been a citizen and primary resident of a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK visa authorities.
What scores does London Business School publish?
This table includes only information published by the school itself, with its scope and source page. “No figure on the pages reviewed” describes only these sources and does not claim to cover all school publications. The MBA pages do not name the GMAT edition, so figures are marked “edition unspecified” and are not converted between scales.
The MBA class profile for 2027, MiM profile for 2026, and MFA profile for 2026 describe class size, experience, and nationalities without listing scores. An October 2020 admissions blog post gave class averages for programs other than the MBA; it names neither the class nor scale and is not included here.
| Test | Program or scope | What the school publishes | Edition and period |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMAT | MBA, admissions page | Average about 645 for the MBA class, typical range 555–805 | Edition unspecified; current page, class year not named |
| GMAT | MBA, FAQ | Minimum score “usually” accepted is about 555 | Edition unspecified; current page |
| GMAT | MBA, in the MBA and One-year MBA blog post | “Traditional” average about 645; range 555–755 | June 20, 2025 blog post; refers to newer score scales without naming them |
| GRE | MBA, admissions page | Preference for above 160 in Verbal and Quant; no minimum or average | Current page; June 20, 2025 post cites 163 and 164 as equivalent-average benchmarks |
| GMAT | MiM, admissions page | No minimum; 555 or higher recommended | Edition unspecified for 555 (page says “GMAT / GMAT Focus”); current page |
| GMAT | MFA, admissions page | No minimum; 555 or higher recommended | Edition unspecified for 555; current page |
| GRE | MiM, MFA | No figure on the pages reviewed | Current pages; class year not named |
| GMAT, GRE | Full-time Masters in Finance | No aggregated score on the page reviewed | August 2027 entry |
| Executive Assessment, GMAT, GRE | Executive MBA | No aggregate on the pages reviewed; no minimum score | Current pages; class year not named |
The pitfall
Treating 555 as a cutoff and 645 as a target
Three figures recur on the MBA pages and are easy to confuse. The 645 is the class average, not a target set by the school. In the FAQ, 555 is the minimum “usually” accepted; on the MiM and MFA pages, it is a recommended GMAT score, with an explicit statement that there is no minimum. The 805 is the top of the class range, not a target. In its June 2025 post, the school says a high score can strengthen an application but does not guarantee admission, and a low score does not automatically disqualify an applicant.
Figures also differ from page to page: the same average of 645 appears with a 555–755 range in the June 2025 post and a 555–805 range on the MBA page, and the school does not name the GMAT edition. Do not use the upper bound as a target or apply these figures to the GRE, for which the school states a preference for above 160 in each section and cites 163–164 as an average benchmark in its post. A figure for one program does not apply to another; identify the program before interpreting a score.
What happens after the test?
The MBA application includes three essays (500 words on post-MBA goals, 200 words on what makes you distinctive, and an optional 500-word essay), a professional recommendation, and a £200 application fee. Shortlisted applicants interview with alumni or admissions staff in their region. Outcomes are admission, rejection, or waitlist.
For the MiM, the page describes an application review, a virtual interview, and a holistic committee review; the pages reviewed say interviews are held remotely. The MFA follows the same process. Both require an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK 2:1 or 3.3 GPA, completed before the program begins. The Executive MBA requires two essays of up to 600 words, a one-page CV, a recommendation from your direct manager, and a £180 application fee.
Deadlines appear in an application calendar on each admissions page: three per year for the MBA, at 5 p.m. UK time. Check the school’s page and work backward to allow time for the test and a possible retake before your target deadline.
Key takeaways
- The MBA and MiM require a GMAT or GRE before application; the MBA does not prefer one over the other. For the MFA, passing CFA Level I can replace the test.
- Among the current pages reviewed, the MBA reports an average of about 645 and a range of 555–805 on an unnamed GMAT edition. The MiM and MFA recommend a GMAT score of 555 with no minimum; the Executive MBA pages reviewed give no score aggregate.
- For the GRE, the MBA page prefers above 160 in Verbal and Quant; this is a preference, not a minimum, and the page gives no average. Only a blog post cites 163 and 164 as benchmarks.
- The English minimums found (IELTS 7.0; TOEFL 5 after January 21, 2026) apply to the MiM and MFA, not the MBA; TOEIC is not listed among accepted tests.