Strategy Question - please help answering these 3 questions .

Question

i've already taken the gmat 3 times and the highst score on the math part was 41 which is in the 49 percintile. "disappointing" :cry:

i used Manhatten GMAT prep books (5 math books) but they are little old from year 2011. im pretty sure that i didn't prepare very well and didn't understand the concepts and the rules carfully, so im planning to spend more time and study harder this time. My 3 Questions: 1- Should i buy new MGMAT books or just study from the old version 2011 ? (did they make any changes on thier books aince 2011 ?). 2- also what is the diffrent between the MGMAT prep books and the Kaplan Premier ? do i need both of them or one just enough ? 3- is it better to buy the Kaplan 8oo book or to spend the money on buying Cat tests ? (fyi .. i have not done any CAT tests so far ) thank you in advanced

KyleWiddison · Answer

I can't speak to the differences between our materials and other materials, but I can respond to your question about purchasing new materials.

We have made lot of updates to the materials between 2011 and now and the new materials are certainly better than the old. That said, the GMAT hasn't undergone massive changes during that period, so what you have should be sufficient for your preparation.

It sounds like you probably need a solid review of the foundational elements of quant. For that, I would recommend the Foundations of Math book. It's a great review of all the basic principles that get forgotten along the way. Understanding those foundational principles make the study of the GMAT concepts MUCH more meaningful.

Also, you said you hadn't done any CATs, but you have taken the GMAT three times? That doesn't make much sense because you should be taking lots of practice CATs as you prepare for the GMAT. I would recommend purchasing CATs from us because that would give you diagnostics that show your strengths and weakness by topic, so you can focus your preparation efforts on your areas of weakness.

KW

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi shagalo,

I'd like to know a bit more about your overall situation and goals:

1) What is your score goal?
2) What did you score on each of your Official GMATs (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores)?

3) How much time did you spend studying before each of your GMATs?
4) Did you use any practice materials besides the MGMAT books?

5) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
6) Do you know which Schools you plan to apply to?

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

sameerp80 · Answer

1) I don't think there is so much drastically different in the current Manhattan books from the 2011 ed. No point buying the new editions.

2) MGMAT is far superior to Kaplan Premier

3) You can do without the Kaplan 800 book but you can't do without the CATs, so spend the money on CATs.

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

As a member of the MGMAT curriculum team, I can attest that there have been quite a few significant changes to the books over the past 4 years. Some guides, such as the RC guide, have been substantially rewritten. Others have been reorganized to place additional emphasis on core strategies. As Kyle said, the test has not changed substantially, so you certainly safe with the books you have, but we have made some noticeable improvements to a number of elements.

ak1802 · Answer

Veritas Prep FREE video course: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/complet ... 60224?mt=8

Veritas Prep CAT Exams (pick up the GMAT Club Premium membership and you have access to these for free).

MGMAT books.

sauravpaul · Answer

Hello everyone, I am starting my preparation. What is the material that would be best suited for critical reasoning and sentence correction.

Also, I feel the quant basics would be largely in place for me. So, is there any material that directly covers only the advanced concepts and tests on tougher questions.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi sauravpaul,

If you're just beginning your studies, then it would be a good idea to take a FULL-LENGTH practice CAT Test; you can download 2 for free from www.mba.com (and they come with some additional practice materials). A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to take it in one sitting. Once you have those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

To help you to establish your own expectations, you should know that most Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) studying for the GMAT; during that time, it's common to spend 10-15 hours per week on the process.

I'd 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?

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

ak1802 · Answer

All Quant on the GMAT is basic. Even 700+ problems test basic concepts; if-x-is-the-reciprocal-of-a-positive-integer-then-the-maximum-value-o-197084.html#p1521370 If you have the basics down, and are scoring 10/10 on 500-600 level problems, chances are you can easily reason your way through 700 level problems. One note of caution on 700 level problems - ratios, percents, and probability tend to show up more on higher level problems. While the concepts for these are basic, the wording can be quite confusing. Make sure you're comfortable interpreting cumbersome passages that deal with such topics. As for CR and SC - study the OG Verbal to get a "feel" for how the GMAT tests certain concepts.

sauravpaul · Answer

Thank you Rich. I am hoping for a score of more than 700.

As for GMAT date, I don't have anything specific date, because I will fix it, after I am prepared and am getting the score that I am looking for.

sauravpaul · Answer

Thanks ak1802. Yes basics do seem doable.

However, my question was whether there was some source (am willing to "buy") which would just give me a collection of "only tough" quant questions?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi sauravpaul,

Before you invest in any GMAT resources, it's important to take a FULL-LENGTH CAT to establish a 'baseline' score and get an initial assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. While you might be interested in "tough" Quant material, we don't know if you actually *need* that material right now (or if you'll ever really need that type of material at all).

Once you take that CAT, you should report back here with your scores and I'll be happy to advise.

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

ak1802 · Answer

Here's where you can easily go wrong, and find yourself lost in a rabbit hole.

There are plenty of "extremely difficult" unofficial GMAT problems out there. Only problem is; they aren't created by GMAT professionals. Beware of downloading "collection of 700+ Quant questions" files. These questions are often not the types you will encounter on the GMAT.

My 3 pieces of advice:

1 - buy the official GMAT Quant Book.

2 - buy the GMAT Club Premier Membership. The Veritas Prep CAT exams were an invaluable resource for me. The questions were difficult, yet realistic.

3 - check out Rich's EMPOWERgmat membership. I haven't used it, but he's on the forums often and gives sound advice. The free downloadable guides also look comprehensive.

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