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: ManhattanGMAT

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

Chris Ryan of Manhattan GMAT says if you're thinking of taking the GMAT, the sooner the better. After all, the scores are good for five years, and you can take the test several times -- schools expect that. Ryan says some schools, like Harvard Business School, raise an eyebrow if you take the GMAT a half-dozen times, but other schools don't mind if the figure gets into the low double digits. But, he emphasizes, since you have 31-days minimum between tests, in between, be sure you evaluate how you did on content -- your math and verbal -- and on process -- did you get freaked out during the test? And re-prepare, he says.

As you get closer to the GMAT test date, Ryan says skip the two-week every-day cram routine. It's better to break up your study schedule into eight one-hour sessons or four two-hour sessions. He says it's best to study for hundreds of hours spread out over a few months.

The night before the exam -- pay attention to your body's needs, and introduce nothing new. The day of -- focus on deep-breathing, progressive muscle-relaxation, and positive self-talk. And you will do just fine!

On the show, you'll hear from experts of Veritas, PowerScore, Kaplan, and Knewton, and I'm 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)