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Top Best GMAT Quantitative Books
This is a RETIRED TOPIC
The Latest version of this discussion is here:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ma ... 35162.html
Common Book Combinations and Recommendatios
1. Need to figure out your weaknesses in GMAT math? Take a GMATPrep test or GMAT Club's free gmat diagnostic test
2. Rusty with Math or want to be very methodical - start with basics: Manhattan GMAT Foundations of GMAT Math
3. OK with Math but need a good review in a short amount of time: Kaplan Math Workbook + MGMAT Number Properties + MGMAT Word Translations
4. Need highest score and have time: MGMAT Guides + GMAT Club tests
5. Need specific question practice: PR 1012 (has some errors/typos), Quant OG, or use gmat club tags
6. Probability and Combinations review: https://gmatclub.com/forum/combinations- ... 56486.html and MGMAT Word Translations
1. GMAT Math Books
1. Manhattan GMAT (MGMAT) Guides
Recommended for best results if you have the time.
Strengths:
1. Good balance between test taking strategies and background theory explanations
2. Single-topic focus of each guide allows the student to purchase only those guides that pertain to his/her weaknesses
3. Covered concepts are illustrated with examples that are conveniently assigned to either PS or DS section.
4. Access to 6 Online CAT's (same for each book)
5. Additional online practice question banks (different for each book)
Weaknesses:
1. Time and Money
2. Books themselves do not contain many practice questions (though online and OG 12 references more than compensate)
Notes: most often recommended guide is the Manhattan GMAT Number properties and MGMAT Word Translations[rating1]yellow/390957[/rating1]
2. Veritas Prep Guides
Rival of the MGMAT bundle though a bit higher priced.
Strengths:
1. 12 total guides + an intro book for quant + test simulation booklet
2. Practice questions. Every one of the guides is packed with practice questions
3. Fresh questions; you probably have not seen them on forums/etc since these books have just been published
Weaknesses:
1. Price: $250
2. Spacing is a bit strange sometimes with only one question per page
3. Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook
A solid supplement to the Official Guide
Strengths:
1. Fairly comprehensive review of the basic math concepts needed for the GMAT
2. Structure of the book allows you to work from start to finish, building on previous skills learned
3. Sections devoted to Word problem and Data Sufficiency questions
Weaknesses:
1. Statistics, Combinations/Permutations and Probability are not covered
2. Questions do not reflect GMAT questions, but rather are designed to insure that the material is mastered
Notes: Recommended/most interesting problem compilation from Kaplan Math Workbook
Faster than going through the math MGMAT Guides, but also not as thorough
4. Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review
Great for additional math practice questions, but don't expect to find any strategies or math lessons here.
Strengths:
1. 300 real GMAT questions
2. Real GMAT questions retired from past tests
3. The practice questions are organized by level of difficulty
4. The practice questions follow actual GMAT test patterns - great to have one's ear trained.
Weaknesses:
1. The book does not contain any strategies
2. It does have a few short review sections but they are very weak
3. Mostly low and medium difficulty questions. Not very helpful to a person aiming to get above 700.
Bottom Line: this book is optional; usually OG 12 is sufficient by itself.
Veritas Prep Combinations & Probability - added 08/24/10
Dedicated Combinations and Probability Guide considered by many to be the best
Strengths:
1. Good strategies
2. Plenty of practice questions
3. Well organized and laid out
Weaknesses:
1. Possibly crosses into non-gmat section but a very minor concern
.
5. Manhattan GMAT Word Translations Guide - added 11/11/09
1936240122
Contains material on Combinations and Probability
Strengths:
1. Coverage of combinations and probability
2. Coverage of Statistics and Overlapping sets problems
3. Comes with 6 MGMAT tests
Weaknesses:
1. As with all MGMAT Guides, lacks practice questions and relies on the Official Guide for additional practice. If you have covered the OG, you may have to look elsewhere for practice, such as GMAT Club's free collection of probability questions: https://gmatclub.com/forum/combinations- ... 56486.html
6. Manhattan GMAT Foundations of GMAT Math - Added 2/5/2010
Great for refreshing math concepts and building confidence in math
Strengths:
1. Works well with other MGMAT books (structured in a similar way)
2. Best book for brushing up on long forgotten math concepts (fractions, powers, etc)
3. Comes with additional online practice questions
Weaknesses:
1. The book has 400 practice questions but they are not in a GMAT format, rather a math-textbook format
2. Long! 300 full-size pages - I think the expectation is that you skip parts that you know
3. No access to MGMAT tests that usually are included with all of the other 8 guides
Notes: recommended instead of the Kaplan Math Foundations. See a very detailed review of the Foundations of GMAT Math by a member
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This post is a part of a series on best GMAT Books. Also see:
Best GMAT Guidebooks
Best GMAT Verbal Prep Books
GMAT Fiction - improve reading skills on GMAT
Top 20 Best GMAT books - ranked by GMAT Club members
Best GMAT Guidebooks
Best GMAT Verbal Prep Books
GMAT Fiction - improve reading skills on GMAT
Top 20 Best GMAT books - ranked by GMAT Club members
This is a RETIRED TOPIC
The Latest version of this discussion is here:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-ma ... 35162.html
Common Book Combinations and Recommendatios
1. Need to figure out your weaknesses in GMAT math? Take a GMATPrep test or GMAT Club's free gmat diagnostic test
2. Rusty with Math or want to be very methodical - start with basics: Manhattan GMAT Foundations of GMAT Math
3. OK with Math but need a good review in a short amount of time: Kaplan Math Workbook + MGMAT Number Properties + MGMAT Word Translations
4. Need highest score and have time: MGMAT Guides + GMAT Club tests
5. Need specific question practice: PR 1012 (has some errors/typos), Quant OG, or use gmat club tags
6. Probability and Combinations review: https://gmatclub.com/forum/combinations- ... 56486.html and MGMAT Word Translations
| Book Bundles and Study Plans at a Glance | ||||
| Standard Plan | Advanced Plan | Ultimate Plan | Beyond Hardcore Plan | |
| General Strategy Books Explain how GMAT works, provide general principles and strategies, give an idea about weaknesses, provide practice tests | Kaplan Live Online + comes with 6 practice tests | Kaplan Live Online + comes with 6 practice tests Kaplan GMAT Advanced - Poor guidebook, more of a question collection | Kaplan Live Online + comes with 6 practice tests Kaplan GMAT Advanced - Poor guidebook, more of a question collection GMAT Test Simulation Booklet + Great for practice | Kaplan Live Online + comes with 6 practice tests Kaplan GMAT Advanced - Poor guidebook, more of a question collection GMAT Test Simulation Booklet + Great for practice |
| Quant Books Refresh math principles, fill gaps, and learn patterns | Kaplan Math Workbook - missing probability and combinations | Kaplan Math Workbook - missing probability and combinations MGMAT Number Properties | 5 Quant MGMAT Guides MGMAT Math Foundations | 5 Quant MGMAT Guides MGMAT Math Foundations Probability and Combinations for Dummies |
| Verbal Books Refresh grammar rules, aquire CR and RC strategies | Kaplan Verbal Workbook OR: PowerScore Verbal Bible | CR: PowerScore CR or MGMAT CR RC: MGMAT RC SC: PowerScore SC or MGMAT SC | CR: PowerScore CR or MGMAT CR RC: MGMAT RC SC: PowerScore SC or MGMAT SC SC: Kaplan Verbal Foundations | CR: PowerScore CR or MGMAT CR CR: LSAT Critical Reasoning RC: MGMAT RC RC: LSAT Reading Comprehension SC: PowerScore SC or MGMAT SC SC: Doing Grammar |
| Practice Questions Additional practice | Official Guide 12th + 900 retired real GMAT questions | Official Guide 12th + 900 retired real GMAT questions Verbal Official Guide + 300 retired verbal GMAT questions Quant Official Guide + 300 retired quant GMAT questions | Official Guide 12th + 900 retired real GMAT questions Verbal Official Guide + 300 retired verbal GMAT questions Quant Official Guide + 300 retired quant GMAT questions Princeton Review 1012 + Great target practice | Official Guide 12th + 900 retired real GMAT questions Verbal Official Guide + 300 retired verbal GMAT questions Quant Official Guide + 300 retired quant GMAT questions Princeton Review 1012 + Great target practice Paper GMAT Tests + Official Retired tests available from GMAC |
| Tests Simulated Practice GMAT tests | GMATPrep, Kaplan, Free tests | GMATprep, Kaplan, MGMAT, some GMATClub tests | GMATprep, PowerPrep, GMAT Focus, Kaplan, MGMAT, GMATClub tests | GMATprep, PowerPrep, GMAT Focus, Kaplan, MGMAT, PR, GMATClub tests |
1. GMAT Math Books
1. Manhattan GMAT (MGMAT) Guides
Recommended for best results if you have the time.
Strengths:
1. Good balance between test taking strategies and background theory explanations
2. Single-topic focus of each guide allows the student to purchase only those guides that pertain to his/her weaknesses
3. Covered concepts are illustrated with examples that are conveniently assigned to either PS or DS section.
4. Access to 6 Online CAT's (same for each book)
5. Additional online practice question banks (different for each book)
Weaknesses:
1. Time and Money
2. Books themselves do not contain many practice questions (though online and OG 12 references more than compensate)
Notes: most often recommended guide is the Manhattan GMAT Number properties and MGMAT Word Translations[rating1]yellow/390957[/rating1]
2. Veritas Prep Guides
Rival of the MGMAT bundle though a bit higher priced.
Strengths:
1. 12 total guides + an intro book for quant + test simulation booklet
2. Practice questions. Every one of the guides is packed with practice questions
3. Fresh questions; you probably have not seen them on forums/etc since these books have just been published
Weaknesses:
1. Price: $250
2. Spacing is a bit strange sometimes with only one question per page
3. Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook
A solid supplement to the Official Guide
Strengths:
1. Fairly comprehensive review of the basic math concepts needed for the GMAT
2. Structure of the book allows you to work from start to finish, building on previous skills learned
3. Sections devoted to Word problem and Data Sufficiency questions
Weaknesses:
1. Statistics, Combinations/Permutations and Probability are not covered
2. Questions do not reflect GMAT questions, but rather are designed to insure that the material is mastered
Notes: Recommended/most interesting problem compilation from Kaplan Math Workbook
Faster than going through the math MGMAT Guides, but also not as thorough
4. Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review
Great for additional math practice questions, but don't expect to find any strategies or math lessons here.
Strengths:
1. 300 real GMAT questions
2. Real GMAT questions retired from past tests
3. The practice questions are organized by level of difficulty
4. The practice questions follow actual GMAT test patterns - great to have one's ear trained.
Weaknesses:
1. The book does not contain any strategies
2. It does have a few short review sections but they are very weak
3. Mostly low and medium difficulty questions. Not very helpful to a person aiming to get above 700.
Bottom Line: this book is optional; usually OG 12 is sufficient by itself.
Notable Specialized Books - Arithmetic, Probability, Combinations, DS, etc
Combinations & Probability
Veritas Prep Combinations & Probability - added 08/24/10
Dedicated Combinations and Probability Guide considered by many to be the best
Strengths:
1. Good strategies
2. Plenty of practice questions
3. Well organized and laid out
Weaknesses:
1. Possibly crosses into non-gmat section but a very minor concern
.
5. Manhattan GMAT Word Translations Guide - added 11/11/09
1936240122
Contains material on Combinations and Probability
Strengths:
1. Coverage of combinations and probability
2. Coverage of Statistics and Overlapping sets problems
3. Comes with 6 MGMAT tests
Weaknesses:
1. As with all MGMAT Guides, lacks practice questions and relies on the Official Guide for additional practice. If you have covered the OG, you may have to look elsewhere for practice, such as GMAT Club's free collection of probability questions: https://gmatclub.com/forum/combinations- ... 56486.html
6. Manhattan GMAT Foundations of GMAT Math - Added 2/5/2010
Great for refreshing math concepts and building confidence in math
Strengths:
1. Works well with other MGMAT books (structured in a similar way)
2. Best book for brushing up on long forgotten math concepts (fractions, powers, etc)
3. Comes with additional online practice questions
Weaknesses:
1. The book has 400 practice questions but they are not in a GMAT format, rather a math-textbook format
2. Long! 300 full-size pages - I think the expectation is that you skip parts that you know
3. No access to MGMAT tests that usually are included with all of the other 8 guides
Notes: recommended instead of the Kaplan Math Foundations. See a very detailed review of the Foundations of GMAT Math by a member
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04 Feb 2010, 09:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
I am picking up a few misunderstandings from your note, let me address them:
1. Official Guide is not a textbook but a collection of questions. If you think you can improve your score considerably by simply going through 900 questions, think again.
2. There is no magic guides. Search for feedback on the EZ books - they are too easy, even the title says it.
See this post for details: gmat-study-plan-for-gmat-novices-start-your-gmat-journey-80727.html
1. Official Guide is not a textbook but a collection of questions. If you think you can improve your score considerably by simply going through 900 questions, think again.
2. There is no magic guides. Search for feedback on the EZ books - they are too easy, even the title says it.
See this post for details: gmat-study-plan-for-gmat-novices-start-your-gmat-journey-80727.html
04 Feb 2010, 09:51
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi All
Im planning to give my GMAT by the end of November this year. Before I drop in my question, I would give you a brief background of myself... I have done my grad 4 years back and not in touch with math since the past 7 years or so, really forgotten all the basic and concepts. I wont mind shedding few more funds on buys books.
After going through various post and threads I have developed 2 plans for my study material, I would really appreciate if you could provide your advice on the same:
Plan A:
Math- I will start with Kaplan Math Foundation, moving forward to Kaplan math workbook and then the MANHATTAN GMAT book
Verbal- Will Start with Kaplan Verbal Foundation, moving on to Kaplan verbal workbook and then the MANHATTAN GMAT books.
Will use All OG's for practice and Kaplan GMAT Live Online 2010 for general strategies (won’t use this for practice as I have a major phobia for this book)
Plan B:
Math- I will start with Kaplan Math Foundation, moving forward the MANHATTAN GMAT books ( Will Skip the Kaplan Workbook)
Verbal- Will Start with Kaplan Verbal Foundation, moving to the MANHATTAN GMAT books ( Will Skip the Kaplan Workbook)
Will use All OG's for practice and Kaplan GMAT Live Online 2010 for general strategies (wont use this for practice as I have a major phobia for this book)
The only difference between Plan A and Plan B is that I won’t use the Workbooks in plan B
Please advice me keeping in consideration that im really poor in math and have some good amount of time to spend for my preparation.
Many thanks
Im planning to give my GMAT by the end of November this year. Before I drop in my question, I would give you a brief background of myself... I have done my grad 4 years back and not in touch with math since the past 7 years or so, really forgotten all the basic and concepts. I wont mind shedding few more funds on buys books.
After going through various post and threads I have developed 2 plans for my study material, I would really appreciate if you could provide your advice on the same:
Plan A:
Math- I will start with Kaplan Math Foundation, moving forward to Kaplan math workbook and then the MANHATTAN GMAT book
Verbal- Will Start with Kaplan Verbal Foundation, moving on to Kaplan verbal workbook and then the MANHATTAN GMAT books.
Will use All OG's for practice and Kaplan GMAT Live Online 2010 for general strategies (won’t use this for practice as I have a major phobia for this book)
Plan B:
Math- I will start with Kaplan Math Foundation, moving forward the MANHATTAN GMAT books ( Will Skip the Kaplan Workbook)
Verbal- Will Start with Kaplan Verbal Foundation, moving to the MANHATTAN GMAT books ( Will Skip the Kaplan Workbook)
Will use All OG's for practice and Kaplan GMAT Live Online 2010 for general strategies (wont use this for practice as I have a major phobia for this book)
The only difference between Plan A and Plan B is that I won’t use the Workbooks in plan B
Please advice me keeping in consideration that im really poor in math and have some good amount of time to spend for my preparation.
Many thanks
!
