Rise in Unemployment Leads to Rise in GMAT Test Takers

Bloomberg News recently came out with a study showing that during recession periods, many unemployed turn to options to further their education, especially in business.

With the current recession being the worst since World War II, there has been a record number of GMAT exam registrations.


With an increased number of exam takers, there is increased competition to score well. That's why we at MBA Podcaster want to make sure you've got all the tips to score your best on test day.

If you are planning to take your GMAT soon, make sure you've listened to all our GMAT shows and taken advantage of our discount codes offered for test prep courses.

Lastly, find out if your dream business school allows you to take the GRE instead of the GMAT. Many top business schools are changing those admissions requirements these days. We talk about that in our show, GMAT Not Required.

Good luck!

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

I'm Diana Jordan with MBA Podcaster. I'm working on an upcoming show about the GMAT. GMAT experts are giving me advice on how you can improve your score.

Liza Weale with Kaplan shocks me. She says on the GMAT, you'll find "stuff you did in seventh and eighth grade." The point is there is no magic bullet, Weale says, you have to study, practice. She compares prepping for the GMAT with trying to learn French for a vacation in France. Know your areas. If you're going on a business trip, you learn the words you will use in negotiations. If you are going for pleasure, you focus on those words. For the GMAT, you don't cram, and you focus on your areas of opportunity.

Weale says she took the GMAT twice -- once, just out of college, and she scored 590. And then, after choosing Kaplan, she scores a 740 and goes to MIT. Scores can jump. Weale suggests that you practice your pacing -- take several practice tests, spacing them out. The better you do on the GMAT, the harder it gets. So, she says, if a question is too tough, let it go, and move on.

Weale says anxiety is driven by the fear of the unknown, so know what you're heading into. Practice! Don't add a new pattern the night before your test. Sleep well. And skip the caffeine and the sugar.

On this show, you'll be hearing from experts from PowerScore, Veritas, ManhattanGMAT and others, and I'll be blogging about their test-taking wisdom. 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 pros give advice

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

This morning I spoke with Jon Denning of PowerScore. He says the company was founded in 1997 and focused on the LSAT at that time. PowerScore swooped into the GMAT market about six years ago. One of Denning's strongest points -- one he emphasized throughout the interview -- is that if you are taking the GMAT, self-knowledge is critical. He says whether you have two months or two years to prep for the GMAT, you must know your starting point. Take a few practice tests at the very beginning of your process -- it will give you a ballpark for your score, as well as familiarize you with how this test works.

One comforting thought -- Denning believes that it is possible to make giant leaps in your GMAT scores. That is very important, given this competitive environment. Denning says with the economy so rocky, the landscape has changed dramatically. Grad schools' number of applicants are skyrocketing...which means you have to shine. And that means you must do all the prep you can before your GMAT test -- this includes making a trial drive to your test site the day before your test. He says he just assumed he knew where his test site was, and he got lost...getting more and more anxious as the minutes to the start of his test ticked away. He arrived with just moments to spare. Denning says the days of just walking into a test without any prep, are long gone.

On this show, you'll be hearing from experts from Veritas, Manhattan GMAT, Kaplan and others, and I'll be blogging about their test-taking wisdom. 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)