Making the Most of Short GMAT Breaks

We heard from our friends at Manhattan GMAT that as of today, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) may be shortening the length of break time in between test sections during the three-hour GMAT. Rumor has it that the break times will be shortened from ten minutes to eight minutes, leaving test takers with two less minutes to refresh themselves mentally for the next section.

We don't have confirmed information from GMAC on this change, so if you are planning to take the GMAT soon, don't freak out just yet. But in case it happens, we wanted to share some tips we found on making the most of your GMAT breaks:

• Snack on something with a little bit of sugar to keep your mind alert. That means you'll need to remember to bring a snack with you on test day. You aren't allowed to bring food into the testing area, so the breaks are a good time to sneak in a few bites.
  
• Use the restroom, even if you don't think you need to. You don't want to be bothered by the urge to go during testing time!
• Go outside for some fresh air. You may start to feel cooped up inside a stuffy test center, so refresh yourself by taking a few breaths outside.
  
• Splash your face with cold water. This will help you stay awake and alert during the next section.
  
• Last but not least, try not to analyze how you did on the last section and instead focus on being mentally prepared for the next section.
  

A good idea to prepare for test day is to practice taking these breaks when you are taking practice tests at home. This will give you a good idea of how to manage your time during the real breaks on test day.

Good luck!

5 of the Top 10 MBA Programs in the World Now Accept the GRE

Is the GMAT not working for you? Has it been too long since grade school math? Fear not, now you have options! The GRE is gaining popularity among top business schools around the world.

Which top schools? China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Harvard, Instituto De Empresa (IE), Canada's Queen's School of Business, MIT Sloan and Stanford. To view a complete list of MBA programs that accept GRE visit www.ets.org/gre/bschools.

More than 190 business schools from across the globe - including many top-ranked MBA programs in Europe, Asia and North America - are part of a growing trend of MBA programs that are seeking to broaden and diversify their candidate pools by accepting GRE test scores.

Last month, Harvard Business School (HBS) announced that it will accept GRE scores for admission into its 2+2 program. "The HBS 2+2 program is designed to encourage college juniors - especially those in majors such as engineering, science and government - to consider business as a career path," said Deirdre Leopold, Harvard Business School's Managing Director of Admissions and Financial Aid. "Since the GRE is the test these students are most familiar with on the road to graduate school, we are pleased to offer it as an alternative option to the GMAT®." And this just in (added 5/18/09) the regular Harvard MBA program now accepts the GRE as well.

In addition, MBA programs cite institutional competitiveness and student access to GRE test centers as practical reasons for accepting GRE test scores. But it is the current global economy and the GRE test's inherent ability to support programs' diversity goals that creates the most appeal, according to David Bach, Associate Dean of MBA programs at Instituto de Empresa (IE) Business School.

"As the financial crisis deepens, new approaches are needed to rebuild global financial systems and to uncover opportunities for creating value in business and society," says Bach. "Business schools must look to diverse participants to engage in this process, and we find the GRE test an excellent tool to help us meet this objective."

For more info on finding an MBA Program that doesn't require the GMAT check out our show on this topic.

GMAT Test-Taking Tips & Today's Expert: Veritas Prep

I'm Diana Jordan with MBA Podcaster. I'm working on an upcoming show about the GMAT. I have interviewed five experts who have been giving me their advice on how you can improve your GMAT score.

The fifth of five experts on this topic is Brian Galvin of Veritas Prep. Galvin is given to visual examples. He mentions the guy whose car broke down on the day of the test, and he had to sprint. Sweating, then chilled by the air conditioning, the GMAT test-taker finally calmed down after he realized he was nailing the answers because he was so well-prepared.

Then there's what not to do. Galvin says one student decided to stay in a hotel the night before her GMAT. And, since she'd heard that salmon was great brain-food, she dined at an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant. Her plans got upended when she got food-poisoning and spent much of the night and the morning of the test day puking. The lesson here, Galvin says, is stick with your normal routine. Eat what is familiar to you. And do what is familiar -- for example, if you usually workout at night -- do it.

And that brings me to another one of his great stories. Galvin says he's a marathoner. Much like the GMAT test, in a marathon you log hundreds of miles -- or hours -- practicing, so by the time you get to test day or the day of the marathon, and you get out there, with the timer about to start..recognize that you've already done the hard part. And, that, he says, should give you confidence!

On the upcoming show, you'll hear from experts from PowerScore, Manhattan GMAT, Kaplan and Knewton. The finished show should be posted in a few weeks at MBA Podcaster.

(Updated! Listen to the completed show here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/gmat-test-taking-tips.asp?iEpisode=77)

GMAT test taking advice from the experts

I'm Diana Jordan with MBA Podcaster. I'm working on an upcoming show about the GMAT. I'm talking to several GMAT experts and asking them for advice on how you can improve your score.

My first guest is the CEO of a new GMAT test prep company. Knewton's CEO tells me that no one comes out of the womb being a good test-taker. Jose Ferreira says being a natural at taking the GMAT is not unlike being able to bend your elbow backwards. Ouch.

So I ask how Knewton came to be, and Ferreira says he used to design courses at Kaplan, but then he went to business school, and when he got out, he went back to Kaplan, all the while his head brewing with ideas. Finally, he says technology caught up with his dreams. Instead of having classrooms around the country, he has a few very well-paid, carefully-chosen teachers in classrooms with a live video feed. Then there's the adaptive learning engine, and the ability to target student weaknesses.

You'll hear more in a show coming up on MBA Podcaster -- I'll be interviewing representatives from about five different GMAT test-taking companies.

Biggest theme Ferreira hit on -- better start prepping for the GMAT six months in advance. Much better, he says, to study gradually than to cram. And if you are cramming, better to blow off one of the more focused areas, like permutations and computations, than to sacrifice some of the more general concepts.

He says work really hard -- studying weekends and spare weekday hours -- but about a week or so before your GMAT, distract yourself with some great movies, and the night before test day, be sure you get really good sleep. For energy? Choose a brisk walk instead of a thermos of coffee. The day of your GMAT? Dress in layers. Bring bottled water and maybe some earplugs. Know where the test center is. And, bring painkillers!

Over the next few days, I'll be interviewing experts from Veritas, Manhattan GMAT, and Kaplan...maybe a few others as well. Don't worry -- I'll let you in on their test-taking wisdom as well...and the finished show should be posted in a few weeks at MBA Podcaster.

(Updated! Listen to the completed show here: http://www.mbapodcaster.com/MBA_MoreInfo/gmat-test-taking-tips.asp?iEpisode=77)