Difference between MGMAT materials

Question

Hello Guys,

since I have an over 3 months summer break atm i want to prepare for the GMAT.
I´ve already purchased the OG/Verbal Review and Quant Review. I often heard and read about the Manhattan Prep books
 and also want to get them. There are two options:
1. Buy the new MGMAT books from 2019: 
All the Quant
All the Verbal
Integrated Reasoning & Essay
Advanced Quant
Foundations of Math
Foundations of Verbal
Integrated Reasoning & Essay

2. Buy the older 6th edition (the 10 red booklets):
GMAT Roadmap
Number Properties
Fractions, Decimals, & Percents
Algebra
Word Problems
Geometry
Critical Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Correction
Integrated Reasoning & Essays

If I choose the 6th edition i would buy them used and could not use the codes for the CATs.
Buying the more recent version from 2019 would cost more but i could use the codes for the CATs.

I really dont know how to decide since i dont know how the two versions differ and how useful the CATs are.
Thanks in advance for your advice!

bb · Answer

Welcome to GMAT Club!

Good question! I have a long post about it: https://gmatclub.com/forum/manhattan-gm ... 05147.html

I personally liked the 6th (older edition) better though both sets ultimately seem to have the same info minus the gmat roadmap book that got cut out of the 2019tg edition. The 6th edition was longer and was not relying on the online access. That is not a big deal for most though but I felt it was easier with everything in one place.

As to the value if CATs, they are helpful. You can buy them separately $50.

If you prefer studying from several sources including books and online PDF’s then the 7th 2019 edition is fine. If you prefer books like me, I still like the 6th edition better.

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mikethemechanic,

You would likely be fine working with either set of books, so the broader question is what additional resources you might need to hit your Score Goal.

From your post, it sounds as though you are just beginning your studies, so it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can take 2 for free at www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). If you want to do a little studying first, so that you can familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types, then that's okay - but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT. That score will give us a good sense of your natural strengths and weaknesses and will help provide a basis for comparison as you continue to study. A FULL CAT takes about 3.5 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have your initial Score, you should report back here (or you can PM me directly) and we can come up with a study plan.

I'd also like to know a bit more about your timeline and goals:
1) What is your goal score?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School and what Schools are you planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Russ19 · Answer

As the sixth edition offers more contents, and the price is lower, you can go for it. It is better to buy the official CAT's.

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi,

First of all, it is good that you started seeking suggestions right before you start your preparation. This will save you a lot of time and effort. Most students generally start self-study using random resources and realize half-way through that they need to have a proper study plan and use a standard resource to score well on GMAT and then start seeking advices. Let me share my insights here on what could be the best plan for you.

Is just practicing questions enough to crack GMAT? 
If you think so, let me tell you the harsh truth. GMAT is a test of application of concepts and it would require a strong conceptual knowledge and the right use of strategies to ace the test. Most students start their preparation by practicing questions from random resources and if they get a few questions incorrect, they keep practicing more and more questions of that type. When they take a mock, they get disappointed with the score and realize that they have to change their approach. But by that time, they would have already invested a considerable amount of time, effort and money. So, in the initial stages itself, it is really important to understand what should be the approach and what resources help me do that effectively.

Is it better to rely on random resources or a standard resource? 
Now once you know what needs to be done, it is really important how to do it. As you are pretty confused about which resource to choose, here is my take on how different types of resources help you in your preparation.
Below is the comparison of what you’ll probably do when you prepare using random resources and a standard one

Random resources    Standard resource   
  Solve “N” number of questions  Learn the concepts and the methodology  
  Refer to vague solutions  Refer to detailed solutions  
  No change in approach and will be stuck at the same score  A significant improvement can be achieved by referring to the step-by-step solutions and there by learning the right methodology

Why do I emphasize so much on using the right methodology? 
GMAT is a one such test which focuses mainly on application of concepts rather than just concepts. So, to score well on GMAT, it is really important to use the right methodology to solve questions. If you have a misconception that GMAT just gives you questions which test your conceptual knowledge and remembering few formulae would help you solve them, then let me tell you the harsh truth. GMAT questions are very tricky and one would require a strong conceptual knowledge and right strategies to solve them. One has to perform a certain pre-analysis on the question stem to understand what is it that the question actually requires you to do. Only learning the right methodology to solve questions will help you do this process effectively. The same goes with Verbal. Each module on verbal (SC, CR and RC) has to be approached in a certain way.

For example, there is a misconception that SC questions test your knowledge of grammatical rules. But what GMAT actually tests is the ability to convey the right meaning without any ambiguity. So, it is really important to approach them from a meaning stand-point. Grammatical rules are helpful but only to some extent. You can find a few answer choices which are grammatically correct and also convey a logical meaning. But there is only one answer choice, which conveys the intended meaning. So, it is important to understand the meaning the sentence is trying to convey and identify the errors and then eliminate the answer choices which do not convey the intended meaning.

What differentiates an ordinary and extra-ordinary resource? 
  Way of teaching:

Even though, the concepts taught my most online courses are more or less the same, what differentiates them is the way they teach the concepts. There is a particular way of teaching concepts by which students learn the concepts along with the methodology required to solve the questions. And once they learn, it is important to apply that learning on a few GMAT like questions to solidify that learning.

Adaptability:

And not all students are capable of learning in one go. Students falter in a few topics and it is important to identify those areas and work on them. The course has to help students identify their weaker areas and provide a few improvement modules to work on them.

Study plan:

The most important thing that makes a course extra-ordinary is its ability to provide a personalized study plan. Students find it difficult to organize things and plan their studies accordingly. In their busy life, balancing work and studies becomes a hectic task. So, the course has to provide a proper study plan with clear deadlines so that students can focus just on finishing those weekly tasks assigned to them.

So, while looking for a course, make sure that you choose a course which provides you with all the above features. The best way to select the course is to check the free trial of the course and then decide whether it is suitable for you or not. There are plenty of online courses available, so, I would recommend to check the free trial of the courses you feel are suitable for you and then decide.

If you are open to suggestions, I would like you to take a check at the course of GMATWhiz. 
  It is one unique course which offers you the best quality content and employs an artificial intelligence driven learning. 
 It offers you a personalized study plan which is integrated with the course. The concept booster and practice quizzes after every concept video help you solve GMAT like questions using the right methodology.  
 It offers you real time improvement modules so that you can work on your weaker areas right away.  
There are many more exciting features offered by the course. I would recommend you to check the free trial of GMATWhiz before taking the decision.

Which mocks are the best? 
Most online courses offer mocks but if you ask me, I would say the official GMAT prep mocks are the most reliable ones. The algorithm used by GMAT is very unique and only the official mocks use that. So, if you wish to buy any mock tests, I recommend you to buy the official ones only.

GMAT requires a significant investment of time and money. So, make sure to invest them on the right resource. Hope it helped! If you have any more concerns regarding the GMAT preparation or wish to know more about study strategy, you can always write back or a better way would be to discuss over a call. You can schedule a free consultation call using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

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Difference between MGMAT materials

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My Rewards

Random resources	Standard resource
Solve “N” number of questions	Learn the concepts and the methodology
Refer to vague solutions	Refer to detailed solutions
No change in approach and will be stuck at the same score	A significant improvement can be achieved by referring to the step-by-step solutions and there by learning the right methodology