GMAT 800 Book

Question

Has anyone made use of this book? It claims to tackle the toughest questions and am thinking of using it my final ten days before the exam. I am aiming for a 700 score but since reading the threads here, not sure what to expect.

Paul · Answer

Kaplan800 is a good although I'm not sure how much you can cram in in 10 days...

tareks · Answer

thanks Paul. I have already gone thru the regular Kaplan material, and have the basics down. I do realize that am quite late in my preparations, but thats another story.

I have been tracking my strengths/weakness and I feel ok with the basics, its that extra push i need to take me over the target. 

I have taken couple practice CATs but i wasnt in tip top shape, tired sleepy etc...got a low 560 and 550 on Kaplan CAT -that was few weeks back. 

If you knew that you are more or less around the 600 mark and have ten days, whats teh best strategy to maximize your score?

Paul · Answer

Take as many CAT's as you can. What matters is that you work under  timed conditions . If you do paper tests, time yourself. Since it will be tough to work on fundamentals at this point, make sure you analyze each test you've gone through. Spend at least half the time you take for a test to analyze it. Do 1 test a day to give you the "rush" for the real test day although you should not do more than 1 per day so as to deplete your mental stamina. Try to answer some questions from the math and verbal forum on gmatclub on a sporadic basis to expose yourself to a variety of potential GMAT questions. This will in turn minimize the shock of being faced by a totally alien question during test day. Of course, the day before should be dedicated to rest.

tareks · Answer

am so glad i stumbled on this site. Just the enviroment here makes a big difference! 

am going to take one CAT per day in the morning, then spend the afternoon analyzing and correcting. Is it a good idea to look at various books at once for each specific topic? Lets say am tackling Geometry is it wise to look at the various stats and books at once? Or is that a recipe for total confusion.

Lastly, how often does the 700 testaker plug-in, backsolve. I noticed on various exercises, even in Kaplan that at times the plugging in takes much longer and is more prone to errors given the lengthy calculations needed.

Thanks

Tarek

Paul · Answer

When practicing, do as much varied problems as possible. When reading or studying for fundamentals, focus on one topic at a time. This does not mean though that you should spend a whole day on one single topic. 

If you are familiar with the backsolving or plugging-in method, sure, go ahead for it during the exam. However, during  untimed  practice, make sure you can answer a problem without relying on those "tricks" because it will ensure that you understood fundamentals.

tareks · Answer

great tips, thanks. I will divide my studying between Timed for real test simulation using all techniques and tricks and Untimed for grasping as many concepts as possible.

Anderson2007 · Answer

I thought it was a good book but it was f'in hard. I think I missed half of the questions I attempted. But I did well on my GMAT so it must have been an okay prep method.

tareks · Answer

Did u you use other prep materials? What range was your score in?

basketcase · Answer

Hi Tarek, 

I was in between jobs so i thought 4 weeks intensive training was enough for the GMAT. I just took it today and the result was below my expectation. (650 vs a desired 750). I did particularly well in college (3.6) by mostly cramming papers and exams, but alas, that strategy didn't work for the GMAT. I breezed through Princeton and OG for the first two weeks (averaging 5-7 hours a day) and Kaplan 800 + PowerPrep for the last two weeks. As for your question, I feel 10 days isn't enough for K800. It's a good book, really - especially for CR and SC. But if I could redo it again, I'd absorb this book and its strategies for one whole month. I"m planning to take the GMAT again, in maybe 3-4 months.

Anderson2007 · Answer

I studied from the Princeton Review book (usless), ARCO (pretty useless), Kaplan, Kaplan Verbal Workbook, and Kaplan 800. Took the test twice, got a 690/5.5 the first time and a 750/6.0 the second time.

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