  We compare the exact evolution of an expanding three-dimensional
Bose-Einstein condensate with that obtained from the effective scaling approach
introduced in D. Gu\'ery-Odelin [Phys. Rev. A 66, 033613 (2002)]. This
approach, which consists in looking for self-similar solutions to be satisfied
on average, is tested here in different geometries and configurations. We find
that, in case of almost isotropic traps, the effective scaling reproduces with
high accuracy the exact evolution dictated by the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for
arbitrary values of the interactions, in agreement with the proof-of-concept of
M. Modugno, G. Pagnini, and M. A. Valle-Basagoiti [Phys. Rev. A 97, 043604
(2018)]. Conversely, it is shown that the hypothesis of universal
self-similarity breaks down in case of strong anisotropies and trapped
geometries.
