GMAT Advice Request

Great advice! Thanks for the help. I ran a report off Manhattan GMAT for my last 3 practice tests. In terms of percentage right, I got 55% of the problem solving right and 51% of the data sufficiency. So, comparatively speaking, I am weaker in data sufficiency. In terms of quant content area, the three areas I am poorest in are as follows. I am worst in Geometry with 33% right, followed by Algebra with 46% right, and finally Word Translations with 53% right.

When I look at the break down for Word Translations, the areas that I am at or below 50% on are Statistics with 0% right, Probability with 33% right, Ratios with 50% right, and finally Rates & Work with 50% right.

I wonder if the book "Total GMAT Math" would be helpful, or if I should revisit specific Manhattan GMAT books, or if an online review course like Kaplan's would be helpful?

But, it sounds like going back to specific Manhattan GMAT books would be best.

Which of the 5 Manhattan GMAT quant books provide complete coverage of GMAT Algebra? Thank you.

Buddy, A wise person is one who knows his Shortcomings and works on them. So having identified the problems , now we know that you need to go through each of the five books cover to cover and repeat...If u need any, let me know.
Moreover, go slow initially,giving more importance on understanding the concept rather than hurrying up on problems...don't worry about time at all...trust with due prac, u will be able to do most of the probs under 2 mins..
so wish u luck...

Thanks again for the great advice! Your recommendations really boil down to what I need to be doing. So, basically I need to go through each of the 5 books cover-to-cover and then when I am done do it all over again. That is a lot of work. But, I am willing to do it.

I have two of the 5 books in the series. So, I will order the other 3 books. Then, I will go through each book cover to cover and then I will take a practice test to see how much I have improved. Then, I will report back to this forum to let you know how much I have improved.

Then, I will start over and go through all 5 books again.

Going through all 5 books is probably going to take me a month or two. But, I will report back once I am done. I've got a lot of work ahead, but no one said accomplishing anything great would be easy.

Thanks again!

Is there a particular order that is best to go through these 5 quant MGMAT books? Off-hand, the following is the order I am thinking of:

Number Properties
Fractions, Decimals & Percents
Equations, Inequalities, & VICs
Geometry
Word Translations

pm me what u don't have, i will share with u...afterall we are GMAT clubbers and supposed to help each other.

Buddy, these books look pretty lengthy at the first sight but don't go by the number of pages...once u will immerse urself, u will be able to do each in 3-4 days..

the very first time when u will be reading them , be slow n if possible do a lot of problems of that particular topic. It's the first time deliberate reading with a variety of problems that will give you the much needed comfort and confidence in the subject...
The second time reading is only to revise , which u should be doing very quickly(5-6 hrs/book) and stopping only when u have a doubt or if the concept is still troubling u..


u have quoted the correct order , lemme know which all you don't have...

Thanks again!



I work during the day Monday thru Friday. So, during the week I only have 2 to 3 hours per day to study. In consideration of this, do you think I can still get through a book in 3-4 days or will it take more like a week or so?



Do you mean that I should do all of the problems at the end of a section in the MGMAT book and any problems that the section refers me to in the Official Guide? I think this is what you mean for me to do.

Buddy, in that case u may take a little longer and yes you have to do the problems given in the end and the og 12 problems also...that's a prerequisite with maths atleast...It's the familiarity with different type of problems of a subject giving you the much needed confidence and slowly slowly u will start gaining interest...also develop a habit of doing problems Orally( i mean without writing down, in ur mind)..This is a kind of skill that comes with some practice..one has to train his or her mind in thinking a particular way and this will hold u in good spirit not only in GMAT but in many other spheres of life...I have been doing this for almost 15 yrs now and the first diagnostic test (mgmat 1) i gave with out any preparation, i scored Q 47 (finished 20 mins early)...my waterloo is Verbal as i am struck between 35-40 and the quest is on for taking it upto 45..

Buddy, trust me , Quant is all about practice, practice and practice...so it's essential to do that way.
one more thing, success tastes good when one has sweat for it....So immerse urself truly in this GMAT journey..we think we have only two to three hours a day but we have all d day with us to prepare in someway for the impending test.
One can always sqeeze in time and this is something i call Immersion.....consider it to be ur religion, eat GAMT, Think GMAT and Sleep GMAT...make flash cards of important formulas and whenever u have time , u must read them......Immerse urself and success will kiss ur feet..
that's my 2 cents ...

Really great advice. Thank you! I will immerse myself in my GMAT study and after a few weeks I will take a prep test to see how my score has improved. I can see where the verbal could be more difficult than the quantitative. Unfortunately, lanquage does not prescribe to solid set of rules, especially idioms.

Thanks again. I will let you know how I am progressing.

buddy, agreed.. verbal takes more time to improve than quant...ur lucky...lol..
my best wishes with u ...
lemme know if u need ny help...

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One amazing thing that MGMAT does is give you a invaluable strategy for DS. This is your weak area. I believe this strategy is in the Number Properties book. Its called "rephrase the question". At the end of this chapter they give you sample OG problems where all they ask you to do is to go through the problems and rephrase the questions and statements. This alone has improved my ds from 45% hit rate to 85% hit rate. Try it and thank me later... Key is to apply this method consistently. Investing time upfront on a DS question pays great dividents. Half the time I find that by rephrasing the Q and simplifying I arrive to one of the two statements verbatum.

Thanks for the feedback and advice. I appreciate it!

I started reading the Number Properties book for the 2nd time and noticed the chapter you are talking about. I will pay special attention to it when I get to that chapter.



This sounds like really good advice. I will try to do that. Thanks again.

I would say you should do them in this order
1) NP
2) EIV
3) WT
4) FDP
5) Geometry

Thanks for the advice on the order of how to go through these books. I appreciate it!

I have been browsing through this forum for a past few days and have found that many books available in the market don't provide questions with difficulty level at par or greater than the real test which you need to score in the range of 770. So could anybody tell me some good books for concept building and practicing good questions. I heard Manhattan books were good, but some are skeptical even about them. Can u people help me to find such material..?

I am not a gmat expert, but I have read on this forum that the practice tests available on this forum are very challenging. Also, I can tell you from personal experience that the Kaplan practice tests are more difficult than MGMAT. If that is what you want or need.

I hope this helps you.