Is GRE required for MS in Germany for Indian students 2026?

GRE is OPTIONAL at virtually all German MS programs for Indian Bachelor applicants. German universities prioritise Bavarian-Formula-converted CGPA + IELTS + Motivationsschreiben over standardised test scores. Universities that EXPLICITLY do NOT require GRE: TU9 alliance (TU Munich, RWTH Aachen, KIT, TU Berlin, TU Darmstadt, TU Dresden, Leibniz Hannover, Stuttgart, TU Braunschweig) — no GRE required for MSc programs; top Universitäten (LMU Munich, Heidelberg, FAU, Tübingen, Bonn, Göttingen, Hamburg, Humboldt Berlin) — no GRE required; Fachhochschulen — no GRE required for any Master program. Programs where GRE MIGHT be considered (as tie-breaker): TU Munich MSc Informatics sometimes used as differentiator for borderline admissions; TUM Management & Technology GMAT preferred over GRE; University of Mannheim MSc Management / MSc Data Science GMAT 600+ preferred (GRE less commonly accepted); WHU Otto Beisheim / ESMT Berlin / Frankfurt School (private MBA) GMAT 650+ typically required. What German universities prioritise INSTEAD of GRE: (1) Bachelor CGPA converted via Bavarian Formula to German grade (most important); (2) IELTS 6.5+ (7.0+ for elite programs); (3) Motivationsschreiben tied to specific research labs / professors at target German university; (4) final-year project / thesis; (5) internship / work experience (Indian R&D internships HAL / DRDO / ISRO / IIT labs / TCS Research carry weight); (6) published research / conference papers; (7) GitHub / Kaggle portfolio for CS / Data Science / AI / ML applicants. Save GRE fee ₹23,452 (ETS 2026 India localized pricing, taxes included) + 3-month prep time. EEC counsels Indian B.Tech / B.Sc graduates to invest that effort in IELTS 7.0+ retake (most valuable), Motivationsschreiben polish, Bachelor project paper extension, Goethe / telc German A1-B1 prep.