GMAT Official Guide Review

GMAT Official Guide Review

If you are only going to invest in one GMAT prep book, make sure it is the GMAT Official Guide. The Official Guide comes from the creators of the GMAT, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). While it is good to use a variety of test prep resources, the Official guide is essential. The current edition is the 11TH Edition (at the time of this writing).

The Official Guide is an invaluable resource because it contains several hundred actual questions from past GMAT tests. There is no better material to prepare for the GMAT. The Official Guide gives a complete overview of everything you will need to know for the exam, including information about the exam format, test centers, and the way in which your test will be scored. Furthermore, it has Quantitative and Verbal review sections to get you "up to speed". The Official Guide delves into the knowledge and strategies required to succeed on the three GMAT sections: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Quantitative, and Verbal. The Guide specifically reviews each type of problem you will encounter in the Quantitative and Verbal sections, and breaks the AWA down in terms of both essay types.

To supplement the GMAT Official Guide you should download the free GMAT PREP software from MBA.com. This software was also created by the GMAC, and is an accurate representation of the real test. It contains four full length practice tests and employs the same algorithm and questions (past questions obviously) as the real exam. One thing to take into account regarding the software is that there is some overlap between the problems on the software and the problems in the Official Guide. However, this does not become an issue unless you have gone through a decent chunk of the book.

If you feel you have a weakness in either the Quant or verbal section, there are Official Guide workbooks geared specifically for each section.

No other GMAT prep company offers materials that compare with the Official Guide in accuracy, after all, its creators are responsible for the GMAT. The GMAT Official Guide should be a part of everyone's GMAT preparation, regardless of skill level; it will be beneficial to anyone who uses it.

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