An applicant with strong academics (90% in 10th/12th, 8.7 CGPA in engineering, 10 years of business experience) was told by their agent that IELTS plus good academics was sufficient for a Canadian MBA, and asked whether GMAT was really unnecessary.
What the group clarified:- GMAT/GRE is generally required for admission to good universities, and also improves your odds of visa approval — even with strong academics and experience, skipping it can limit which universities will accept you.
- Some universities accept GRE as an alternative to GMAT, so you have some flexibility in which standardized test to take, but skipping both is risky if you're targeting reputable schools.
- The agent's claim that GMAT isn't necessary may only be true for lower-tier or diploma-mill-adjacent programs — the group's implication was that this advice depends heavily on which specific university/program the agent is steering you toward.
Takeaway: don't rely solely on an agent's assurance that GMAT/GRE isn't needed — check the specific admission requirements of your target university, since it materially affects both admission chances and visa credibility.