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We have some exciting news this week: the launch of the new, fantastic e-book The GMAT Uncovered by ManhattanGMAT (copyright 2010).

If you normally like my articles, then you’ll probably also find The GMAT Uncovered useful, because I’m a co-author. I’m also totally biased and think the e-book is great. Some excerpts from the new e-book are below; you can decide for yourself!

This roughly 40-page e-book is available on our website as a free, downloadable PDF (and, eventually, it will be available on other platforms, such as the Kindle); click here to find the PDF version.

Okay, without further ado, here’s excerpt #1, from the Analytical Writing Assessment Format sub-chapter:

From The GMAT Uncovered, copyright 2010 ManhattanGMAT; duplication or further distribution requires permission

I. The Analysis of an Issue Essay Type

The Issue essay provides a one or two sentence “prompt” in the form of a quote. You are asked to take a position on the given prompt, based upon your own opinions, life experiences, and knowledge. For example, an Issue prompt might say:

“In a company, it is preferable to have one person who is responsible for making the final decision on a matter rather than a committee that must reach a consensus in order to make a final decision.”

In an essay, you would be expected to establish a thesis, stating whether you agree or disagree with the prompt, and explain why you believe this is the case, using relevant, real-world examples (events that have actually taken place) to support and further explain your reasoning. You are also expected to acknowledge the complexity of the given issue; there is no one position that is always right. For instance, a test-taker might write, “While it is sometimes necessary to have one person responsible for making the final decision, in my experience, it is often better to use a consensus approach because the entire team will be more likely to support the final decision fully.” The test-taker might then provide a specific instance of consensus decision making from his or her work history, along with the positive outcome that was achieved as a result.

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The second excerpt, below, is from the Quantitative Section Format sub-chapter:

From The GMAT Uncovered, copyright 2010 ManhattanGMAT; duplication or further distribution requires permission

II. Data Sufficiency

Data Sufficiency questions require you to understand (a) how to set up a problem and (b) whether the problem can be solved with the given information. You do not actually need to solve the problem as you would with a Problem Solving question. In fact, you should not spend time completing the necessary calculations for these questions as you will then be unable to finish the test in the given amount of time. For example, if the question asks how old Sue is and provides the information that (1) Joe is 12 and (2) Jim is 18, then you cannot solve for the unknown value: Sue’s age. If the information, however, tells you that (1) Joe is 12 and (2) Joe is 4 years younger than Sue, then you can solve for Sue’s age, but you shouldn’t spend time doing so. Sue’s age will not actually appear in any of the answer choices; rather, the correct answer choice will indicate that you need both data points (1) and (2) in order to solve the problem.

Data Sufficiency problems can be worded in one of two main ways: as value questions or as yes/no questions.

A full example of a value Data Sufficiency problem and solution is below.

Problem:

What is the greatest common factor of positive integers a and b?

(1) a = b + 4
(2) b/4 is an integer

A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
C) Both statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER one ALONE is sufficient.
D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Solution:

First, it’s important to be aware that the five answer choices shown above are exactly the same on every data sufficiency problem. The text is identical and the order of the answers is always the same – for example, answer choice (A) always says that statement 1 is sufficient alone but statement 2 is not. You can, and should, memorize the answer choices before you go into the exam.

Factors are integers that divide evenly into other integers. For example, 4 is a factor of 8 because 8/4 = 2, an integer with no remainder. 3 is a factor of 9 because 9/3 = 3, an integer with no remainder.

The greatest common factor of two numbers is the largest factor that is common to both numbers. For instance, the greatest common factor of 4 and 8 is 4, because 4 is the largest factor that divides evenly into both numbers. The greatest common factor of 8 and 12 is also four, because 4 is the largest factor that divides evenly into both numbers.

Examine statement (1) alone first. If you try some numbers, you can see the fact that a = b + 4 leaves you with multiple possible answers to the question. For instance, if b is 4 and a is 8, then the greatest common factor is 4. If, however, b is 5 and a is 9, then the greatest common factor is 1. Statement (1), by itself, is insufficient to answer the question; eliminate answer choices (A) and (D).

Next, examine statement (2) by itself. This statement indicates that b/4 is an integer but tells you nothing about the value of a. As a result, you cannot tell what the greatest common factor of the two might be. Statement (2), by itself, is insufficient to answer the question; eliminate answer choice (B).

Finally, examine the two statements together. Statement (2), b/4 is an integer, indicates that b is a multiple of 4, though it does not tell you an exact value for b. Statement (1) tells you that, whatever b is, a is exactly 4 greater than b. If a is always 4 greater than b, then a must also be a multiple of 4, and a must also be the next consecutive integer multiple of 4. For example, if b is 4, a is 8. If b is 8, a is 12.

You can solve this problem if you know a certain number principle (one that you are expected to know for the GMAT): for any two positive consecutive multiples of an integer n, n is also the greatest common factor of those multiples. Because you know that b and a, respectively, represent two positive consecutive multiples of the integer 4, then 4 is the greatest common factor of b and a.

Bonus exercise: see if you can figure out why the principle discussed in the previous paragraph is always true.

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How To Use The GMAT Uncovered

About ¾ of the book focuses on the GMAT; the last ¼ concentrates on admissions. The GMAT material covers all of the basics, the format, the various question types, the topics tested on the exam, and what to expect on the actual test day. There’s also a chapter on the scoring algorithm, along with discussions on pacing, educated guessing, and experimental questions. The admissions material covers the general process, major components of an application, recommended timing for those components, different types of MBA programs, and what to do when visiting schools or interviewing.

For those just starting out, it would be a good idea to read through the entire book carefully and to note sections that you want to revisit as you progress through your studies. You might not recognize the full significance of all of the information today; it may take a month or two of study before you can take full advantage of some portions of the information.

For those of you who have been studying for a while, put your RC skills to work! Skim the areas that cover things you already know (though read a little bit to make sure there isn’t some info there that you didn’t know!) and concentrate on the areas that are most appropriate for you. (For instance, if you’re struggling with timing or don’t really know how the scoring algorithm works, read the Scoring section very carefully.)

For those who are already done with the GMAT, skip all the way down to the applications section toward the end.

Okay, get to it! If you have any questions about The GMAT Uncovered, use the Comments section here to let us know or send an email to the address listed at the end of the e-book. And, as always, we would love to have your feedback. Please let us know what you like and don’t like about the e-book, as well as anything we should have covered that we didn’t cover. (And if anything is confusing or doesn’t make sense, please let us know ASAP!)