I have OG10, do I need OG11?

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skimo: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 8; Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:32 am

I have OG10, do I need OG11?

by skimo » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:22 pm

Hello,

GREAT forum. I have been practicing from OG10 only to find out there is an OG11 out there

Do they have the same questions? Is it worth while getting the OG11? Why? My test is in about 4 weeks.

The thing I hate about OG10 is that the questions are not organized by difficulty, I wish I could just focus on the medium-hard questions and not "waste" valuable time on the easy ones. Also, OG10 did not come with practice tests. (I got mine from a friend)

Thanks for your feedback!
Skimo

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Source: Beat The GMAT — GMAT Strategy | Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:22 pm

wildrebel: Community Manager; Posts: 40; Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:59 pm; Followed by:1 members

by wildrebel » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:37 pm

Hi skimo,

I suggest you waste no time in going out and getting yourself OG11.

As far as I know, there is little or no overlap between the two. The questions ARE in level of difficulty (from easiest to hardest) so that should help you out.

Also, the OGs basically use retired GMAT questions. OG11 would have more recent questions than OG10. Therefore those questions would be closer to the type you'd face on the actual test.

You can download the GMATPrep software from:
https://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/Tool ... in2006.htm
That has actual CAT mock tests which use retired GMAT questions. Although you should note that there IS some overlap between the OGs and the GMATPrep software. So you'd get a more accurate score estimate if you solve the GMATPrep tests before completing the OGs.

All the best!

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx

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ianstrike: Community Manager; Posts: 35; Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:17 am; Location: New York, NY

by ianstrike » Tue Oct 17, 2006 1:09 pm

I think that I've gotta disagree with WiLDREBEL. I've tutored (and taught GMAT classes) extensively with both the 10th and 11th editions of the OG.

While I wouldn't necessarily encourage anyone to LOOK for the 10th edition instead of the 11th, there's little reason - in my view - for anyone who owns the 10th edition, to purchase the 11th.

The 11th edition has 800 questions (most of them, maybe 80% or 90%, are identical to those in the 10th edition.)

The 10th Ediition has 1400 questions.

GMAC also has a 300 Question verbal edition and a 300 question Quantitative edition. I believe that a fairly high percent of the 600 questions in these two guides are also in OG 10.

While the questions in each section of the 11th edition (as well as the 300-Q section guides) are in order of difficulty, I don't know that that's sufficient reason to toss the 10th in favor of the 11th.

As far as the issue of overlap between the Official Guides and the GMATPrep software, the overlap was with the POWERprep software. What made the release of the GMATPrep software (replacing POWERPREP) significant was that there's NOT overlap.

-----------------
DISCLOSURE: I'm a bit embarassed to be disagreeing so fervently with my esteemed moderator colleague WILDREBEL. I've only been a moderator on this site for a week. Everything that I've seen that WILDREBEL has posted seems truly wise and eloquent. I don't want to come off as an ass. But I do think that buying the 11th edition (if you already have the 10th) is like buying another copy of the same book.

I'm actually going to do an analysis of the 10th Ed --> 11th Ed. tonight to confirm whether I'm right or not.

Ian Streicher

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wildrebel: Community Manager; Posts: 40; Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:59 pm; Followed by:1 members

by wildrebel » Tue Oct 17, 2006 1:40 pm

I provided my suggestion based on my own (limited) experience with the GMAT. I've only studied for the test for 2 months and I've only ever taken the actual test once.

The books I used were OG11, OGVerbal, OGQuant and PR 07. I have admittedly not used OG10.

I'd fully endorse Ian's view, as it seems to come from a far more knowledgable and experienced source.

Either way, it's not the quantity of sums you solve, it's the quality- as well as the analysis you do after solving.

All the best!

Nandan
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PS: Ian, you can refer to me as Nandan. "Wildrebel" is an embarrasing result of registering on this website in my sleep! Thanks for the compliments, but I'd have to say real world experience trumps eloquence anyday!

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
- Groucho Marx

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GMAT/MBA Expert

beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 am; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times; Followed by:994 members

by beatthegmat » Tue Oct 17, 2006 1:42 pm

Here's a grid you can use to guage the difficulty level of all questions in OG 10: https://www.ericbahn.com/viewtopic.php?t=82

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ianstrike: Community Manager; Posts: 35; Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:17 am; Location: New York, NY

by ianstrike » Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:42 pm

As promised, I've done some actual analysis of the degree of overlap between OG 10 and OG 11. As I might have guessed, my general sense of things IS correct, but my estimates were too high.

I knew that it would be quickest and easiest to evaluate the degree of overlap in DS and RC. (I was able to compare all of the RC passages in the three editions rapidly; finding the overlapped questions in DS is FAR more time consuming.) For DS, I chose to focus on the last 25 items in OG11. Since the most difficult DS questions are in the back of the OG11's DS section, I figured that I would see how many of those were new to the OG 11.

OG 11 - Data Suff. section - Q #s 131 - 155 - 56% overlap w/ OG 10

14 of 25 questions in the OG11 are also in OG 10.

(So 56% of those 25 questions are NOT unique to OG 11. 44% of those questions ARE unique to the OG 11.)

OG 11 - Reading Comp. section - 58% overlap w/ OG 10

The OG 11 has 24 passages; 14 of them are repeats from the OG10.

OG "VERBAL Guide" - Reading Comp. section - 100% overlap w/ OG 10

EVERY RC passage in the purple VERBAL Guide is a repeat from OG 10.

If you think of the OG11 and the purple and green guides COLLECTIVELY as the replacement for OG10 (as I do), then the reading comp works out to a 75% overlap.

Obviously I only compared a small part of the OGs. But I suspect that the 56 - 58% overlap will hold throughout the OG 11. I also suspect that 100% (or close to it) of all of the material in the purple and green guides are overlapped with OG 10.

I realize that this kind of stuff is probably more interesting to me - let alone more important to me - as a test prep guy, than this is to all of you. I have to say though, that this happens all the time: I think that I know something. I decide to actually confirm my knowledge and while I don't disprove my gut instinct, I do end up learning something along the way.

What I also noticed (and was pretty sure of but now have confirmed for myself) is that there's a lot of GREAT questions in OG 10 that were not reproduced in OG 11. I will do more of this comparison in the next few weeks. (I really want to see if these percentages hold throughout the entire editions. I've also got a BIG project in the next few weeks that may preclude me from doing more comparing of guides before Nov. 4 or so.)

---------
Nandan makes a great point in his last post: the LEARNING that you derive from the questions is far more important than the number of items reviewed. Often we can learn more from fewer questions. The subsequent review of questions - and the continual 're-reviewing' is essential to squeeze what you need to out of each question that you work on.

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Nandan: I was looking forward to calling you "wildrebel" - cause I dig the handle, but I'll honor your request and use your preferred moniker.

Ian Streicher

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GMAT/MBA Expert

beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 am; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times; Followed by:994 members

by beatthegmat » Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:58 pm

Great analysis, Ian! I'm going to make this thread sticky.

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skimo: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 8; Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:32 am

by skimo » Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:33 am

Great thanks Ian, wildrebel and eric. Based on your feedback, I will stick to OG10 especially since there is a difficulty grid! Which was my greatest concern.

I was actually scratching my head trying to find my post, only to find its a sticky!! (my first post is a sticky!! YAY!

Somehow I feel more accomplishment having a sticky on this forum than getting a 640 on my first attempt of the GmatPrep! :roll:

Thanks guys!
back to my flash cards!

skimo

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hopefully: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 75; Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:35 am; Thanked: 2 times

by hopefully » Sun Jun 17, 2007 11:34 pm

Hi

I am new to the GMAT world..
I see OG10 PDF available across net and also OG11 part wise...
(Sources ESNIPS.com)

It seems OG10 is only and only questions no theory is provided however OG 11 has some theories defined..

Why is thios difference?

Or is that possible that I m looking at incorrect versions..

In my city i have not yet found OG10 or OG11 and hence this doubt

Thanks in anticipation of response...

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beeparoo: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 200; Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:46 am; Location: Canada; Thanked: 9 times

by beeparoo » Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:45 pm

beatthegmat wrote:Here's a grid you can use to guage the difficulty level of all questions in OG 10: https://www.ericbahn.com/viewtopic.php?t=82

Hi all, thanks to those who actually think of these things! Eric, when i click on the URL you prescribe, the site is no longer in service. It's just a bunch of ads.

Boo-urns.

Is the same grid available elsewhere? I will hunt for it further, but I just wanted to let you know about the link so that you may update it...

Thanks!

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GMAT/MBA Expert

beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 am; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times; Followed by:994 members

I have OG10, do I need OG11?

by beatthegmat » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:05 pm

Hi beeparoo:

The GRID should be available on the GMAT Resource Wiki: https://www.beatthegmat.com/wiki/

Check out the resources area, thanks!

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GCHall840: Community Manager; Posts: 111; Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:57 pm; Location: San Jose CA; Followed by:2 members

Official Guide problem/question grid.

by GCHall840 » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:07 pm

Hi Eric,
Is there an OG 11th edition problem/question grid anywhere to be found other than the ones in each of the Manhattan GMAT strategy guides?

Thanks,
Greg

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GMAT/MBA Expert

beatthegmat: Site Admin; Posts: 6778; Joined: Mon Feb 13, 2006 8:30 am; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 1249 times; Followed by:994 members