An experiment was developed to determine if cognitive learning strategies improved standardized university business exam results. Previous studies revealed that factors such as prior ability, age, gender, and culture predicted a student's Major Field Test in Business (MFTB) score better than course content. The experiment control consisted of identical syllabi and faculty (except for the treatment). The analysis of covariance results were statistically significant (n = 134) with a 40% effect size (and a 74% effect size using multiple regression). The study demonstrated that cognitive learning strategies (accounting for gender and course level grade point average) can influence a student's MFTB exam score. An analysis of covariance can be used to accurately measure student learning gain regardless of prior ability.