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Question

Hi! Apologies in advance if this question has already been asked previously.

I am trying to self-study for the GMAT. I have the 2016 Official Guides and the 5th edition Manhattan Prep books. Both sets of books I received from friends that took the exam a while back, so neither set comes with any access to an online bank of questions.

Is it worth getting the 2018/2019 Official Guides? Based on previous post, it seems that it is not worth it because there are very few new questions added each year. For the Official Guides, are the online questions the same as the questions in the book?

If I do not get the 2018/2019 Official Guides (and online bank), I was planning to buy the GMAT Official Practice Questions + Exams 3 to 6.

I would appreciate any advice/thoughts. Thank you!

AjiteshArun · Answer

The OGs change every year, but the GMAT doesn't

You should be fine with the material you have. 1. Yes, the online questions are the same, but online access also includes IR questions (not included in the books) 2. It's usually a very good idea to get more official GMAT practice tests.

AkshdeepS · Answer

Having OG 16 is good, but it would be better if you have one more latest OG. Official questions are always better than non officials. 30 % approx are new questions in every latest OG. MGMAT guides are good for learning concepts. You should certainly buy Exam pack 3 to 6 and Question packs. By being regular on GMAT club you can earn kudos for some contributions done, and you can redeem 25 kudos get the free access to GMAT club tests and question bank for 3 months : https://gmatclub.com/forum/kudos-points ... ml#p598880 You can also earn points on GMAT club to get access to various test prep material : https://gmatclub.com/forum/rewards-dash ... ier&fl=nav

Bismarck · Answer

You can check below link for all OG directory including 2018/2019 https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmac-officia ... 40610.html

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nancyyy,

Any of the recent versions of the OG books would be fine to use during your studies. Many Test Takers who use a 'book heavy' study approach end up getting 'stuck' at a particular score level, so you'll likely end up needing to invest in some additional non-book resources. Since you've already acquired some practice materials, you can get started with those though. The OG books are great sources for practice questions, but they're not designed to teach you Tactics, patterns or the little 'secrets' behind the GMAT - for those, you'll need Course-oriented materials. To that end, you should work on the OG a little later on in your studies.

Since it sounds like you're just beginning your studies, then 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 those scores, you should report back here and we can come up with a study plan.

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

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi nancyyy,

I’m glad you reached out, and I’m happy to help. So, to answer your question, prep books from 2016 are just fine to use for your prep. That being said, my students tend to find that prep books are most beneficial when paired with a more robust resource, such as an online self-study course.

I can provide some further advice, but first it would be helpful to know your GMAT goal score as well as your baseline GMAT score. Could you take an official MBA.com practice exam and report back with the score breakdown? Once I have your scoring information, I can offer some detailed advice.

Also, you may find it helpful to read this article about  how to score a 700+ on the GMAT .

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