Official Guide 14 ed (2015) Review - Disappointing

Question

This thread is part of GMAC © Official Guides - The Master Directory Official Guide for GMAT Review 14th Edition. This week GMAC has released the Official Guide 14th Edition for sale. Here is my analysis and review - I am generally disappointed . First of all - if you own the previous version (13th edition of the OG and 2nd edition of Quant and Verbal Guides)), there are no new questions in the this bundle. The only reason you may want to purchase these is to have the online quiz engine available to you (see screenshots I uploaded) Strengths 1. Real GMAT questions retired from past tests 2. Online quiz engine allows you to build practice sets using the OG but it is very weak and cumbersome (more below) 3. Practice questions follow actual GMAT test patterns (it's great to have one's ear trained, esp. in verbal) 4. Overview of the Integrated Reasoning section (50 questions online) Weaknesses 1. The quiz system is very simplistic and cumbersome. For example I have no idea how to start working on question 10. I have to restart from the beginning every single time and it seems it is not even tracking what questions I have attempted??? Very odd... perhaps I have been spoiled with good GMAT Prep and other CAT Test interfaces. I am struggling here. 2. Questions are EASY in general (only about 5 questions are really a 700-level) based on GMAT Club member feedback. Here are the hardest ones: Official Guide Main Book (V Diag 25, PS 218, DS 129, DS 131, DS 141). The Quant book is the especially easy one. 3. Does not include any test-taking strategies. Though it has a few short review sections for each area, they are weak and very unfriendly 4. Questions are predominantly low to medium in difficulty which is often not representative of questions one encounters on the test 5. We really could have used some new questions. The official Guide questions are generally on the EASY side. 6. There is a 100% overlap with previous edition of the Official Guide. 13th Edition has an 83% overlap with the 12th edition. 12th edition has a 66% overlap the 11th edition. Online Questions: All questions are now available online in this odd quiz system. They can be accessed here: https://gmat.wiley.com You will need to have a special code that is included on the back of the OG books. It does not look like access expires. See a screenshot below of the code card/pouch. P.S. If you own the previous 13th edition and 2nd edition of Quant and Verbal Guides, I could see some still buying the book for the advantage of having the online practice quiz access, but the issues that the online quiz engine has I would not buy it. photo.JPG OGScreengrab.jpg 2014-07-09_1336.png 2014-07-09_1337.png 2014-07-09_1337_001.png

OfficialGMAT · Answer

Hi, BG! Rebecca from GMAC here. There are no changes to the GMAT exam scoring algorithm. Your total score will still be calculated from your Quant and Verbal scores, and IR and AWA will be scored separately. Thanks!

Rebecca

OfficialGMAT · Answer

Thanks for sharing this with us. I will certainly pass this onto our product development team.

Rebecca

walker · Answer

That's a big disappointment. GMAC stops a good tradition to add some new questions with each edition. I'm pretty sure many waited for the 15th edition to get some fresh new questions...

GMATHEW · Answer

*************************************************************************

Hey BB - This is the email that I got after activating my OG online-bank access:

Dear XXXXXXXXXXX,

Thank you for registering. -->>> The following PIN code email grants you six months of access to the companion question bank for The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2015:

PIN: XXXXXXXXXX

*******

Rebecca - Perhaps you can shed some light on this:

Does this mean that the PIN code gives you 6-months of access, after which you will get another code and another 6 months (basically as long as you want), or will you need to purchase another PIN for longer access?

Thanks!!!

tiklis · Answer

Can someone let me know how I can get the new OG in India. I checked on amazon in, but it does not seem to be available; however it is available at amazon com, but shipping charges will be too much.

I am somehow not comfortable with reading text books on kindle (stories and novels are ok).

GMATHEW · Answer

Thanks Rebecca for answering this question!

I assume there will be a fee to access the banks after the 6-months are up, however do you know how much (or approximately how much) it will cost if one would want to use the banks > 6 months after activation?

Thanks again:-)

OfficialGMAT · Answer

Hello, Tiklis! You can find the new guide on Amazon India here: https://www.amazon.in/Official-Guide-GMA ... M4ZWYHGEJB. I hope that helps!

GMATHEW · Answer

Yikes - I did the diagnostic test and apparently once you finish it, you can only see your answers / results until you log out, after which you have to start all over again!

I think issues like this should be no-brainers; if anything they should at least let you know things like this before you take a certain test or diagnostic (although other sessions you can see under previous sessions).

Just an fyi for anyone planning to take the diagnostic on the online bank...

mvictor · Answer

is it possible to buy somewhere in electronic format?

kimrani · Answer

Do we have the question directory that categorizes different types of questions in the same group for the OG 2015? I really appreciate if anyone can share how I can find which questions are assumption ones in the Critical Reasoning section!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi kimrani,

The OG2015 has the exact same content in it as the OG13, so if you have access to a breakdown of the OG13, then you can just use that listing.

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

propcandy · Answer

I purchased the OG without knowing the access only for 6 months. It was not stated anywhere in the book, or on the access code sheet. This is a misleading and terrible marketing that GMAT uses to trick students

OfficialGMAT · Answer

Hello,

We never like to hear of students feeling misled by the information we publish about the GMAT or our official prep products. We have confirmed that the information about the online access expiring 6 months after activation is listed both on the online description of the product here:  https://www.mba.com/global/store/store-catalog/gmat-preparation/the-official-guide-for-gmat-review-2015.aspx . It is also listed on the access code insert included within the book.

The online components require activation codes, codes will be available on the inside back cover of the book and will expire 6 months from activation.

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding the exam or our products, please feel free to contact us on our official thread here:  https://gmatclub.com/forum/-post-your-questions-to-gmac-official-representative-here-133929-20.html .

Thank you,
Jeremy

propcandy · Answer

Jeremy, this is the instruction you are talking about? See the attached the photo, and please be honest with me if this is something you still want to say "fair". Please don't try to trick students, we are spending $250 already on the exam.

OfficialGMAT · Answer

Hello,

Yes, that is the access code sheet I am referring to, which explains the six month expiration in the first line of the footer note. However, we always make an effort to make sure that our customers have all of the information they need, so we will certainly take your concerns into consideration when developing new versions of this card. I appreciate your feedback and explanation of your confusion on this subject. Thank you again for reaching out.

Jeremy

radvyas · Answer

Hi All!

I have a very quick question. Have you tried solving the Reading Comprehension Questions on the GMAT official guide online site. (Gmat.wiley)? I don't understand why the passages don't follow with all the corresponding questions? I find it so cumbersome to read an entire passage and answer only one question. The next question will probably appear after 4-5 different passages and by then I can barely remember what I read earlier. This is ultra confusing! In the OG book, the passage follows with all the relevant questions.

Thanks in advance for your help in solving this mystery!

OfficialGMAT · Answer

Hello,

Thanks for your feedback regarding this. I have reached out to our product team about it, and will let you know of any response that they have about it. At any rate, we certainly appreciate this kind of feedback and take it into account when developing new editions and updates.

Thanks,
Jeremy

lydennis · Answer

Does anyone know if GmatPREP Software and the official guide (whether 2016,2015 etc.) + 2nd Ed. Quant/Verb have the same questions?

Do they overlap or does GmatPREP software have entirely new practice questions?

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

No, the questions from these sources do not overlap. Each will have a distinct set of questions.

OfficialGMAT · Answer

There is no overlap between the GMATPrep software questions and the questions included in the Official Guide books and Verbal/Quantitative supplements. If you have any other questions, please let me know.

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Official Guide 14 ed (2015) Review - Disappointing

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