Dvorak vs GMAT and GRE

This information has come up before but not from anyone actually facing 
the situation.    I wrote to them several times but always got an 
unhelpful reply.   I did not follow up with a lawyer because I was not 
actually facing the prospect of taking the tests.   From the response 
that I got, a lawsuit would seem to be the next course of action.   

There are also actions that might be helpful from a public relations 
standpoint.   You should document your communications with the GMAT on a 
blog or similar, including here.  My communications are in the archives 
of this list.  You might video yourself typing on Dvorak while 
discussing the situation.   I do not know if there are any universities 
or colleges sympathetic to the use of Dvorak.   If there were, they 
might be able to apply greater pressure on the GMAT company. 

If you start a lawsuit, I think it might make entertaining news and 
reading in the popular news and websites.  



A successful lawsuit would recoup expenses and might gain punitive 
damages.   I assume that many of us Dvorak users would contribute to the 
initial expenses. 
It is hard to think on what grounds GMAT could defend their position.   
They are a private company, but their influence and use is so widespread 
as to be equivalent to a public agency.

What part of the country are you located and when were you hoping to 
take the test?

Paul Martzen


    Dvorak vs GMAT and GRE
    <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/altkeyboards/message/3692;_ylc=X3oDMTJxZjg5cWxqBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE1Nzk5ODIEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA3MjA4NTY0BG1zZ0lkAzM2OTIEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTI2MzU2ODY3Nw-->



      Posted by: "nathansmithgoestowashington"
      [email protected]
      <mailto:[email protected]?Subject=%20Re%3ADvorak%20vs%20GMAT%20and%20GRE>
        nathansmithgoestowashington
      <http://profiles.yahoo.com/nathansmithgoestowashington>


        Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:27 am (PST)



I use the dvorak keyboard. I did not learn QWERTY. I am looking to go to 
grad school soon and have found that the GMAT and maybe the GRE will not 
allow me to change the keyboard settings to dvorak during the test. 
Since there are essays on the tests, and I am required to use one of 
their computers to take the tests, this puts me at a disadvantage. I was 
wondering if any of you have heard anything about this since you are a 
proponents of the dvorak keyboard and I see that some of you may have 
had issues with this in the past. I told the GMAT people that all I 
needed to do was change one setting but they still refused my request. I 
do not want to learn QWERTY just so that I can take a test. If any of 
you know of anyone that can help me with this issue I would greatly 
appreciate it.

Thank you,