the best practice book????

Question

Hi everybody,
I started practicing using 1012 gmat practice questions from princeton. Sometime its tough to understand the explanations, they are so vague.
So my question is, which book is the best for practicing?
thanks in advance

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Seagull88,

The book with the most realistic practice questions is the GMAC Official Guide (the 13th version or the 2015 version - they're the same book). Unfortunately, you're not likely to find enough material in just that 1 book to give you everything that you need to score at a high level on the GMAT. You'll likely need to invest in a variety of resources, learn tactics, practice, make mistakes and then fix them, etc.

How long have you been studying?
What is your score goal?
When do you plan to take the Official GMAT?

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

bb · Answer

That's not the best book, even though it is cheap and has a lot of questions. It is just questions. What are you using for your studying and learning content?

Seagull88 · Answer

I have also Manhattan prep. which one do you guys suggest, manhattan or GMAT Official Guide?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Seagull88,

Most (if not all) Test Takers use a variety of study resources (books, Courses, practice CATs, online Forums, etc.) during their studies, so trying to narrow down everything to just 1 book is not practical. I'll be happy to offer advice and help you put together a study plan, but you'll need to provide some more information about your timeline and goals.

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

Seagull88 · Answer

these are all what i have:
1. manhattan gmat prep books( 8 + 2 additional)
2. gmat premier; everything you need to score higher 2012 (kaplan)
3.1012 gmat practice questions ( the Princeton Review)
4.gmat course book (kaplan)
5. gmat verbal review 2nd edition -the official guide
6. gmat cracking the gmat 2009 edition

i am thinking to take the test as soon as i feel confident with myself. I have a hypothetical goal; take the test in august or sep 2015. But not sure if i can do until that time. I starting studying using 1012 gmat practice questions ( the Princeton Review) but as I mentioned above it has vague answers. which book/ methodology from above do you suggest? or you have a better option?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Seagull88,

You've given yourself plenty of time to study, which is good. You haven't described any other part of your goals or plans though, so you really need to define some of those 'variables' if you're looking for pointed advice.

1) What is your score goal?
2) When do you plan to apply to Business School?
3) Have you thought about which Schools you'll be applying to?

4) Have you taken any practice CATs yet? If so, then what were your scores?

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

Seagull88 · Answer

you're wasting my time. Please DO NOT respond back to my questions. You have asked me the same questions a couple of months ago.

GMATPill · Answer

Seagull -- given that the test is online, have you considered online resources -- not just books?

We have a great online resource that you may find quite helpful: https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-test

Also, see if this sample video helps you: https://www.gmatpill.com/sentencecorrect ... ythons.mp4

or this one: https://www.gmatpill.com/problemsolving/og/222/222.mp4

Seagull88 · Answer

Thanks GMATPill, this is something new for me. 'll take a look and keep in touch if i have any questions.

mattagardiner · Answer

I was wondering about this as well. I've been focussing on the OG under the belief that it has the most realistic GMAT questions in ascending order of difficulty, and I'm scoring good hit rates in the most difficult questions in the book. But a friend of mine that's done the GMAT a few times and scored very well reckons the OG questions only provide a basic foundation, and that the GMAC online bank is the best resource for realistic questions.

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I was planning to start hitting some other sources of practice questions very soon anyway since I'm pretty much done with the OG. It's just a matter of what.

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I was planning to start hitting some other sources of practice questions very soon anyway since I'm pretty much done with the OG. It's just a matter of what.

IanStewart · Answer

Official questions will be more realistic than any others you can find. The difference is especially noticeable in Verbal, less so in Quant if you work from high-quality third party material.

The OG will not feel quite as challenging as the real test, if you're already in a high scoring range. The OG covers all difficulty levels, so a considerable majority of OG questions will be below the level of a 700-level test taker. The OG also still contains a lot of older questions, questions from back when the GMAT was more straightforward (from before ACT started developing the test), and some of them feel rather dated now.

You'll get a fairer impression of what the real test is like by taking a GMATPrep test. If your hit rate is high on questions even at the end of the OG, it's extremely likely you'll score very well both on a GMATPrep and on the real test. But the test will definitely feel harder than the book. For further practice, the single best resource, if you've exhausted the books, is likely the official add-on question pack. Those questions are more contemporary than the OG ones, and while the pack isn't specifically for higher level test takers, it does contain several challenging questions. I'd not recommend other sources for Verbal, but for Quant there are some good third-party question sets.

mattagardiner · Answer

Thanks Ian. That's good to hear.

Sorry just to clarify, when you say the official add-on question pack, do you mean the online question bank that you access with the key in the back of the OG? Or do you mean the Quantitative/Verbal review books that you can buy as a set with the OG? I have both.

IanStewart · Answer

No, I mean the 'Question Pack 1' you'll find at mba.com - click the 'Buy Study Materials' menu at the top, then 'prepare for the GMAT exam', and you'll find a product called 'Question Pack 1' near the bottom of the page. That and the GMATPrep tests (the two free tests, and the two tests you can buy - Exam Pack 1) contain the questions most similar to what you'll see on test day.

apoorv601 · Answer

In my opinion MG guides coupled with OG are the best resources for GMAT

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi apoorv601,

The ultimate measure of any GMAT resource is whether it helps you to achieve your goals (or not). Since you've mentioned some specific books, I assume that you've been working with those materials. How have your studies been going so far? How have you been scoring on your practice CATs?

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

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

"I have also Manhattan prep. which one do you guys suggest, manhattan or GMAT Official Guide?"

Hi Seagull,

I wouldn't make it a choice between the two. I'd say the more the better, since each source is better than others - some for questions, some for review, some for exams, etc. The official guide is essential no matter what, and I'd also suggest their supplementary books if you require more targeted practice. The Manhattan prep materials will prove very helpful in addition to the official guide materials. Don't forget the resources that are online and free. With a well-rounded collection of materials you should be more than prepared. Good luck!!!

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