Which GMAT Study Guide to buy?

Question

I am Canadian future GMAT taker, and looking to purchase the best Study guide 2015-2016.
In local book stores (Indigo) I've seen the following books:
1.  The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2015 
2.  The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2016 with Online Question Bank and Exclusive Video 
3.  Manhattan Complete GMAT, 6th edition 
4.   KAPLAN GMAT, PREMIER 2016 EDITION 
5.   KAPLAN GMAT 2016 Strategies, Practice, and Review with 2 Practice Tests: Book + Online

QUESTION 1: I am doing GMAT in November 2015, Which book to buy GMAT OFFICIAL 2015 or 2016 ?
QUESTION 2: Out of all study guides which ones are the BEST ?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi GMATTIME1,

Most Test Takers include at least one of the OG books in their study resources, but you have to decide how you best learn (and choose the resources that best match your personality). You'll likely find that you'll need to invest in some significant NON-book resources to help you hit your goals, so you should look beyond the immediate list that you've put together.

With a November Test Date, you have plenty of time to study, but 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 apply to Business School?
3) What Schools are you planning to apply to?
4) How many hours per week do you think that you can commit to studying?

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

GMATTIME1 · Answer

Thank you for a quick response!

1) What is your goal score?  (approximately 700-720) 
2) When are you planning to apply to Business School?  (Round One deadline are in October, but Round Two are on January 7, so probably I will apply in Round TWO) 
3) What Schools are you planning to apply to?  (Schulich and Rotman, both are in Toronto, Canada) 
4) How many hours per week do you think that you can commit to studying?  (2-3 hours/day)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi GMATTIME1,

When it comes to studying for the GMAT, there are a variety of different options. Most GMAT Companies offer some type of free materials (practice problems, Trial Accounts, videos, etc.) that you can use to 'test out' a product before you buy it. We have a variety of those resources at out site (www.empowergmat.com). I suggest that you take advantage of all of them then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

It sounds like you're just beginning your GMAT studies. Is that the case? Have you done any prep so far?

When putting together a study plan, it's important to take a FULL-LENGTH CAT to establish a 'baseline score' - this will help to define your strengths and weaknesses and provide a basis for comparison as you study. You can download 2 free CATs from www.mba.com. A FULL CAT takes about 4 hours to complete, so make sure that you've set aside enough time to do so in one sitting. Once you have that first result, you should post back here with your scores. If you want to do a little bit of prep work (to familiarize yourself with the basic content and question types) before you take that first CAT, then that's fine, but you shouldn't wait too long to take it.

If you have any additional question, then just let me know.

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

GMATTIME1 · Answer

Thank you for advice! From your experience, should I consider buying The Official Guide for GMAT Review  2015 OR 2016  ?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi GMATTIME1,

Either of those books would be useful during your studies. Roughly 25% of the material in the OG2016 has been 'updated', but it's not appreciably different from the material in the OG2015.

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

RichEconomistGMAT · Answer

Hi GMATTIME1,

A combination of online and book resources is a great way to ensure that you're brushing up on concepts AND test-taking strategies, especially considering the GMAT is an event that you can train for. As Rich mentioned, take advantage of the trials available from most online resources. To help get you started, here's a link to try Economist GMAT Tutor for 7 days: https://bit.ly/1aKYX0U. You'll find it's a great combination of concept review and test-taking strategies, plus its adaptive technology creates a study plan geared specifically to your needs.

Best,
Rich

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

I don't see any reason to buy the old OG15 unless you have some other resources that are keyed specifically to the edition. Get the latest version--the 2016 OG.

However. . . the OG is really just a book of practice problems. Make sure that you are also picking up at least one book of instruction/strategy (i.e. something from a test prep company). Although the OG has some content review in it, it is not designed to show you the  best  way to approach problems.

Burnsem1 · Answer

Do you have any advice on which brand produces the best results? In addition the the OG, it sounds like supplementing with a study guide such as Kaplan or The Princeton Review, as well as online resources would be beneficial. Thank you.

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

Well, I'm going to recommend Manhattan Prep's guides, especially since I helped to write them!

I don't think I'm being too biased, though. Our set of strategy guides has led us to the top of the industry. You can check them out (along with other folks' books) at the store, order them as a set, or get them as part of our Interact on-demand course. https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/prep/on-demand/# Good luck!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Burnsem1,

There are LOTS of options when it comes to studying for the GMAT. If possible, it's important to define your timeline and goals, so that you can study in an efficient fashion.

1) What is your score goal?
2) When are you planning to take the GMAT?
3) When are you planning to apply to Business School?

It sounds like you're just starting out. Is that true? Have you done any studying so far?

If you're just beginning, 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. If you want to do a little bit of studying to familiarize yourself with the general content and question 'format' before taking that CAT, then that's fine, but you shouldn't wait too long to take that initial CAT.

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.

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

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