Official GMAT Material

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Official GMAT Material

by champwix » Sun Mar 10, 2013 6:47 pm
I have OG12, OG13, GMAT Prep Ques Pack (full version), VR and QR guides as the official GMAT Prep material. I have solved these materials more than twice. Do we have any other Official GMAT prep materials than listed above?

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by David@VeritasPrep » Mon Mar 11, 2013 6:32 am
Older material is not as indicative of what is on the test now. For example, while OG 11 has some questions not in the 12th or 13th edition, those questions where written long before 2005 when that book was written. And the GMAT Paper tests that are available are even older.

You seem to have done lots of problems! I just want to remind you that GMAC has indicated that the problems in the Official Guides are problems that have been retired. In many cases they are not as good as the problems actually on the GMAT. It can be in your best interest to do some unofficial questions as well at this point. These materials can be more difficult and can actually give you better preparation for the test - when combined with the official sources you have named.

For example, you could use Veritas or Manhattan materials to get practice questions. In addition to the books that you can purchase there are other resources, such as the free Veritas Prep question bank that has become very popular.
https://www.veritasprep.com/gmat-question-bank/

And you can use some LSAT questions for reading comp and critical reasoning. Here are a couple of links to articles I wrote discussing the use of LSAT questions to study for the GMAT.

Using the LSAT to Study for the GMAT
https://www.beatthegmat.com/using-the-ls ... 66548.html

https://www.beatthegmat.com/lsat-to-stud ... 69915.html

https://www.beatthegmat.com/lsat-to-stud ... 71361.html
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by OfficialGMAT » Tue Mar 12, 2013 12:35 pm
Thanks for the interesting discussion! I want to clarify David's comment below that questions in OG prep materials "are not as good as the problems actually on the GMAT. " The retired questions used in GMAT prep materials are valid GMAT questions that are no longer in circulation on the live exam. Because there have been no changes to the Quant and Verbal section, they are still a valuable study reference when preparing for the exam.

Good luck in your studies!
Leah
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Have a question about customer service issues, GMAT exam policies, or GMAT exam structure? Post your question in our Ask the Test Maker forum!

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by David@VeritasPrep » Tue Mar 12, 2013 1:30 pm
Sorry, Rebecca I did not mean to offend! The Official Guide is still indispensable for any test-taker! As is the GMATPrep software, etc.
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by champwix » Wed Mar 13, 2013 5:37 pm
Yes David - I was not referring the Official GMAT materials as old and retired but as closest simulation (in terms of structure and language) of questions on the real GMAT.
Moreover, I signed in for the Veritas Free Ques Bank last time itself when I prepared for my earlier GMAT in Dec'2012. Those ques are really very competitive sets to hone your skills. However, as I am approaching my retake I want to stay close with the Official GMAT style. ;)
Rebecca - Indeed GMAT Official material is indispensable as stated by David. I do have all those materials except for the paper based tests. Since I am exhausted with those materials, I do not want to inflate my prac scores, eventually confidence, practicing same content. :)

Thank you!!