GMAT Study Aides and GMAT Prep Materials for Prospective MBA Students.

GMAT Prep Materials - GMAT Review Books

GMAT prep materials are essential for preparing for the GMAT exam. Personally I utilized two books in my GMAT prep. They are listed below from Amazon. The most critical is "The Official Guide to GMAT Review". Thru the link you will have access to new and used copies of the book. You want to make sure you pick up the 10th edition of the book which the link below provides.

Why is "The Official Guide to GMAT Review" the best resource available for GMAT review?

Because the book is published by ETS, the writer of the GMAT exam. Since ETS writes the exam questions they include actual GMAT test questions from previous years. The book also contains hundreds of example questions. My best recommendation in this article will be, GET THE BOOK!!

What other books would you recommend for GMAT Prep?

I have to be honest there are a lot of books available that look at GMAT preparation. I would recommend picking up may be one or two other books outside of "The Official Guide to GMAT Review". The one I utilized was Princeton Review's, "Cracking the GMAT". The book was an easy read with some interesting pointers on taking the exam. It also had a decent section on both the verbal and math. However, in comparison to "The Official Guide" the GMAT test questions are not as representative as the actual GMAT exam questions. With that said here a number of books available at Amazon you may wish to consider and pick up.

What can I expect from the math section of the exam?

Coming from a technical background with multiple courses in mathematics, I would like to say the math was simple. Initially, it was NOT. Why? Simply because we are talking about a whole new flavor of mathematics. We are talking GMAT MATH.

GMAT math is a new form of math that can easily be presented in a multiple choice format and at the same time attempt to test basic principles of mathematics. The test writers at ETS created GMAT math and the business schools use it to judge, to a certain extent, your analytic abilities. The GMAT math principles are rudimentary, mostly high school level and, to a small extent, freshman level finite math topics. The GMAT math principles covered on the exam are:

• Arithmetic - integers, digits, remainders, prime numbers, factors and multiples are a few principles in this category.
• Basic Algebra - solving inequalities, solving simultaneous equations, quadratic equations, functions are some principles and terms you will need to know for the basic algebra questions.
• Geometry - degrees and angles, triangles, circles, solids, volumes are few of the principles covered in Geometry.
• Probability - many of the review texts do not cover these problems well. In fact they are often combined with basic algebra. Understanding and being able to bang out a high math score will require competence in this area. If you did not have a Business Math, Statistics, or Probability course in college these question will be challenging! Topics in this section include probability, permutation, combinations, and counting problems.

The questions on the math section are asked in two different formats.

• Data Sufficiency - Unique to the GMAT, these questions require practice to become familiar with their structure. Essentially, a GMAT data sufficiency problem presents a question or problem statement and gives you two relationships that apply to the question. You have to determine whether one, both, each one, or neither of the relationships is sufficient to solve the problem statement. Whew, sounds confusing just writing it out. Again, the best way to learn how to do data sufficiency questions is by acquiring either the Princeton Review book or the Kaplan book to find tips and than work a lot of problems in "The Official Guide".
• Math Multiple Choice Word Problems - Given a statement with information regarding a problem, you are to determine a solution. You are given 5 selections one of which is the right answer. The GMAT prep books will go over techniques for approaching these problems which will simply your testing.

How can I score high on the math section?

Whether you are coming from a math background or a more liberal arts background, you will need to spend time studying the math section. For the sake of simplicity, I want to divide the audience into two crowds:

• The Analytic Bunch - You are in the analytic bunch if you studied in a major that required more math then advanced algebra or you chose for some strange reason to take calculus in college. If you are in this bunch and felt adequate in your math classes, 2 to 3 weeks of hardcore GMAT Math prep should get you ready. (Time will obvious vary for each prospective MBA student.) You will want to refresh on all principles covered. The best way to do this is to work thru a lot of problems, over and over again, from "The Official Guide to GMAT Review". What we like to call in athletics, drilling. Drilling will get you to a point were you can do the problems in your sleep. The area you will ultimately need to concentrate your efforts is in the probability area.
  
  As a member of the analytical group, there is absolutely no excuse why you shouldn't score in 90th percentile on the math section. It will simply take a lot of drilling. If you are lazy, sure, you can score lower, but if you are lazy than you might as well cross the top 20 MBA programs off your application list.
  
  So you're asking, what puts me in the position to talk about math prep to the analytic group like this. I graduated from a top 20 engineering school with A's in my calculus and DiffEQ courses. Guess what, all that math didn't help me on the GMAT. It proves I have a mind that can do math, but not necessarily GMAT math. So the first time I took the GMAT, my GMAT prep for the math was minimal. I figured it would be like walking. It wasn't, in fact I walked away with my pride badly injured (which isn't necessarily a bad thing for someone going into B-school - we could all use a fresh dose of humility.). I had scored a 43 or in the 71st percentile....UGH!! My composite for the first round was a 650, which wasn't where I personally wanted to be. I had to do better, so I followed my own guidelines and after 3 weeks of hardcore drilling I took the exam a 2nd time and busted out a 50 or a 95th percentile score, which helped push my score upto a 720.
  
  I address this to the analytic group, because there is simply no excuse why you to should not score in the 90th percentile or higher. In fact, you will have to break out a high score on the math in order to carry your possibly lower verbal score.



• The Liberal Arts Bunch - Sorry if this offends, but lets be honest that it is typically the liberal arts side of campus that flees from math. This group has never taken an advance math class. If you are in this group, you will probably require far more work to bust a high score on the GMAT. I would estimate anywhere from 6-8 weeks. The cool thing is you can to it with a little hardwork and perserverance. Get the books and start drilling.
  
  If you are strong in verbal, you may decide a weaker math score is acceptable. Be careful of this mindset if you are considering a top tier MBA program. Achieving a high math score with a liberal arts/non-math background will demonstrate you have the ability to handle the analytic portion of the MBA curriculum. If you do poorly on the GMAT Math section, the admissions folks will have an easy red flag to wave on your application. That may not be a problem for a Tier-2 school but for the top schools it will make your case much more difficult. So take the time to prepare to do well on the math section.

Beyond those helpful tips, I have to again highly recommend acquiring the books listed above. Those will provide additional information on cracking the math GMAT with good GMAT prep skills.

What other GMAT prep materials do you recommend for the math section?

I would highly recommend picking up an Introduction to Business Math textbook or a Finite Mathematics Textbook that will cover sets and counting, probability, and probability and statistics. The questions in that book will be very similar to the questions on the GMAT. Also I would recommend a couple of other books written specifically for the math section. Use these as resources to learn how to work certain problems, like a permutation problem.

Used Finite Mathematics Textbooks - Use this link to find a great Finite Mathematics text that can be purchased used for $10.00 to $35.00 for Alibias.
Additional Finite Mathematics Textbooks - Additional Finite Mathematics textbooks new and used. You may wish to also pick up a used solutions manual for the book you select, if one is available.

What can I expect from the verbal section of the exam?

Liberal arts folks, this is your time to glout and make fun of us analytic types. Honestly, I hope I am able to communicate well with the written word, despite my handicap coming from a left brain dominated mind. However, what often happens is my English takes on a whole new form that is brought about by too many late nights sipping coffee and scribbling functions on a notepad preparing for an engineering exam. Please don't feel sorry for me. Now is your time to shine! So what is on the exam?

• Sentence Correction
- This is the section where we all get the opportunity to display our mastery of proper grammar and sentence structure. The Princeton Review book actually helped me a lot on the verbal sections consider an appropriate testing method. I simply had to read thru those sections, acquire some of the "tricks", and practice. I quickly learned that without weeks, if not months, of grammer and sentence structure training I would only be able to reach a certain level of proficiency on the sentence correction questions of the verbal exam. Based on that analysis I chose to spend more time on the other two sections of the verbal.
• Reading Comprehension - The exam gives you a passage to read and you have questions relating to the passage. Simple enough, but again pick up the Princeton Review or Kaplan book for some helpful tips on working this section effectively.
• Critical Reasoning - This section attempt to measure how well you reason. Typically the questions are in the form of an argument and you will need to identify the conclusion, the premises, and the assumptions of the argument to effectively answer the questions. Once again, either the Princeton Review or the Kaplan GMAT prep book will help you out with GMAT tips and tricks.

How can I score high on the verbal section?

The best advice I can again give is to drill and then drill some more. You will have to determine for yourself how much studying is enough given your current verbal skills. The best way to determine a baseline is by taking a computerized practice exam. Thankfully you can download a free GMAT practice exam for free from ETS. I have provided the links below to get you going.

For folks with strong verbal skills, a week of drilling will probably be adequate. For others like myself, expect a longer period (2-4 weeks) depending on how well you do on the practice exam.

What other GMAT prep materials do you recommend for the math section?

If you purchase "The Official Guide to GMAT Review" and atleast one of the other GMAT prep guides listed above, you should have enough to get started. If you find you need more resources, the best resource I could recommend would be a text on sentence structure. One of the following are recommended by their users for grammar and basic writing tips. The benefit of these Writing texts will go beyond GMAT prep. Your MBA experience will include a great deal of writing and argument/case preparation. Finally, these resources will help you with the final section of the GMAT, the writing assessment.

What is the writing assessment portion of the GMAT?

The writing assessment is an essay YOU will write after you complete the Math and Verbal sections of the GMAT. The essay is intended to provide a true test of your writing abilities. If you are an International student, it provides the admissions offices a written example of your mastery of the English language. Once again, I have to recommend the Princeton Review or Kaplan books as good resources to find tips on how to approach the essay the GMAT way. Trust me read the books and follow their recommendations. Their recommendations helped me score a 5.5 and 6.0 on my two GMAT exams. The max score is a 6.0.

How do I most effectively utilize these GMAT prep materials?

1. Begin by taking a free GMAT practice exam. The great thing is ETS, the maker of the GMAT test, created a GMAT practice exam that you as a prospective MBA student can request for FREE! This will unfortunately be about the only thing that is free in this process!! Sorry, I paid the price, we all have to pay the price to be accepted to our top choices.

   Here is a link to the free GMAT practice exam (keep in mind that you will be linking to a .exe file - see the 2nd link for download instructions.):
   
   Direct link to the GMAT POWERPREP Software Download
   
   Link to GMAT POWERPREP Software Download Instructions
   
   The GMAT POWERPREP Software includes a tutorial for the computer based GMAT exam and a couple of actual practice exams...very cool. Take the time to work thru an entire practice exam. The most effective way to do the practice exam is to take the practice exam at the same time you intend to take the actual exam. Take the breaks as assigned, but no longer. The more realistic you make your practice the better gauge you will have for where you need to improve.

2. Establish your baseline score from your GMAT practice test.
The POWERPREP software will calculate your score once you completed the exam. You than can review the questions and determine which ones you missed. Look at your missed questions and categorize them by problem type, for example for math how many did you miss in data sufficiency and word problem. Also try to break them down by type of math problem. By doing this for both the math and verbal sections you will have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses. Use this as a rough baseline to begin your studies.

WORD OF CAUTION - I noticed after taking my practice exam that I was given only a few probability problems, which I missed! I quickly found out that the computerized exam begins with easier problems and progressively presents more difficult problems as you answer questions correctly. After that realization, I developed a simple theory for myself that helped me divide and conquer the math section. Probability was MY key to scoring high. Perfect probability and I would score high.

For you, it may be different, but keep in mind that most of the probability, counting, and permutation type problems appear as you answer the other questions correctly. As an aside, the Princeton Review and Kaplan materials will come with a CD-ROM with practice exams. Their exams will help break out your score by type of question, which is quite useful. However, I found the exams were not as accurate as the POWERPREP exam in simulating the actual GMAT exam.
3. Set Goals for Your Studying - Once you have an idea of where you need help, write out a calendar between now and when you take the exam. Set aside two to three hours daily over 4 to 8 weeks to study. Give yourself 1 to 2 days off each week. For each week concentrate on weak areas on the exam. If you are an analytic type, master the math section first. Take a practice exam every two weeks to gauge your progress on that particular area. The GMAT preparation books provide some outlines for studying. Basically come up with a plan and stick with it. The end result will be worth it.
4. Drill, Drill, Drill - The GMAT is a GAME. Once you accept that reality and approach it with that mind set, the anxiety should lessen and your course of action should become clear. Like any game, to become the master you have to practice the fundamentals. The fundamentals are mastered thru drills. As a basketball player, I spent more time in the gym going over shooting drills and dribbling drills then I ever did playing actual games. The same holds true with the GMAT. Practice Game, Drill, drill, drill, practice game, drill, drill, drill, practice game, drill, drill, drill, GAMEDAY. That is the formula to GMAT prep.

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This page offers GMAT prep ideas and suggestions. Link to a free GMAT practice test. Also links to "The Official Guide to GMAT Review" are provided. All are great GMAT preparation or GMAT practice. GMAT prep, GMAT preparation, GMAT exam, GMAT test, GMAT practice test