Take it early take it often

You saw most of the math covered in the GMAT in high school. Rather than waiting to take the GMAT after you ve graduated college or even well into your working life, it s best to take the test in your sophomore or junior year of college, says Shadna Wise, executive director of graduate programs for the Princeton Review. By taking it earlier, the concepts you learned in high school, which may or may not have been revisited in an intro math class in college, are fresher in your mind and should lead you to a better score than if you are forced to relearn the material. Taking it during your years as an undergraduate is not detrimental, even though many B schools require applicants to have a few years of work experience before applying. Your GMAT scores remain active for five years, so even if you take the test as a junior, you have a three year window after graduating to garner the work experience that schools value before your GMAT score expires. It s smart for someone, knowing the GMAT is going to cover those basic math principles algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics to actually take the GMAT while you re still in school, says Wise.