Here are some key statistics from this year:

• 5,900 more women took the GMAT this year than last year, bringing the number to a record 105,900 tests, or 40.1% of all tests taken.
• 30,264 Chinese citizens took the GMAT exam this year, compared to 23,550 last year and 10,142 in 2006. Indian citizens took 26,937 tests.
• 63% of the GMAT tests taken by Chinese citizens were taken by women. 2,700 Chinese women and 741 Chinese men expressed interest in pursuing a masters in accountancy degree.
• Certain countries in the Middle East and Africa showed double- or triple-diget growth since 2006, including Egypt (up 711 tests), Lebanon (up 688 tests), Turkey (up 365 tests), Kuwait (up 338 tests), and South Africa (up 385 tests).
• Non-US citizens accounted for 136,918 of the 263,979 total, up a percent from last year.

To me these stats say that there is unlikely to be any big swings in application volume, although there may be shifts. For example, the article notes that the average age of GMAT test takers crept up. That could be because of an increase in EMBA applicants reported earlier. Or it could be that younger applicants tend to apply more with the GRE, which certainly does NOT seem to be hurting GMAC significantly at this point.

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GMAT Registration Levels Hit New Record in 2009

People registered for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) more times in 2009 than in any other year since the exam’s creation in 1954. Global registration volume for the GMAT in 2009 was a record 301,800, topping the previous record of 298,734 recorded in 2008. In 2007, GMAT registration volume was 270,724.

In December GMAC reported that actual GMAT test-taking was anticipated to hit record levels in 2009.

It doesn’t appear that competition from the GRE is hurting the GMAT, at least not yet. We also may be seeing a surge in round 2 applications and applicants preparing to apply for 2011. Stay tuned.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.