Honest Review of GMAT Books!

[SusanWhite]

After going through all the GMAT books, here is my honest opinion about some of the most popular GMAT books:

Official Guide:
Pros - Excellent source of GMAT questions. Very well organized with real test like questions.
Cons - No review of any math content or test-taking strategies. Not enough explanations of practice questions.
Overall, the Official Guide is a must have for all test-takers. It will give you a good idea about the type of questions to expect on the GMAT; however, if you need more than just a bank of questions, you need to look at some other source.

Kaplan:
Pros - Good for additional practice questions as a supplement
Cons - Review of math content is not thorough but just the very basics. Not enough explanation of test taking strategies. Full of guessing techniques with no real mathematical solutions. Not good enough explanations of practice questions. Unrealistic questions.

Princeton:
Pros - Good for additional practice questions as a supplement
Cons - Review of math content is not thorough but just the very basics. Not enough explanation of test taking strategies. Full of guessing techniques with no real mathematical solutions. Not good enough explanations of practice questions. Weird sense of humor.

Barrons:
Pros - Good math review. Big list of questions. Good test taking strategies. Very well organized. This is by far the best of the all-in-one kinds of books.
Cons - Although the book has a good math review, it doesn't go deep enough into each concept. Not enough explanations to practice questions. Does not have a good section for logical reasoning (permutation, combination, probability, etc) questions, which is one of the most important question-type. Does not break down the concepts/questions step by step.

EZ Solutions (set of 9 books):
Pros - Thorough math review from A to Z. Effective test taking strategies. Abundant solved examples. Numerous practice exercises. Great practice question bank in basic and advanced workbooks.
As with most books, you are expected to already have a good knowledge about the various match concepts, but with these books, you can literally start from scratch and reach the most advanced level of the GMAT.
Cons - To get the best result from these books, you have to invest in buying several books (set of 9 books), but if you compare the cost and benefits, the benefits outweigh the cost, or you can buy a few not all. Missing the verbal section. This is not a good option if you are looking for a mediocre score or just looking for a very basic brush-up. Recommended for serious test takers only.

Some of the other books has no real content; whereas, there are some other books that I haven't yet had an opportunity to review, but may be some of them are good supplementary aids.

I hope my review will help some of you in making the right decision.

[pJackson79]

Kaplan:
Pros - Good for additional practice questions as a supplement
Cons - Review of math content is not thorough but just the very basics. Not enough explanation of test taking strategies. Full of guessing techniques with no real mathematical solutions. Not good enough explanations of practice questions. Unrealistic questions. .

I agree with this, but I would also add that I feel the practice tests at Kaplan are not very accurate. My scores went all over the place.

[Bara]

Great to have this unbiased review of books. I want to remind BTG folks that over-the-counter books are not the same as in house course books, and that some material which is the 'most popular' might not be the best or most comprehensive. Or most easily understood.

A lot of the material available in bookstores is reconfigured and reformmated questions from the OG or other test prep books. You might find as you become 'fluent' in OG material, that questions that just change a number, noun or verb in the question stem, doesn't make a superior question type. So pay heed to this. The Official Guides are mandatory for one's study, and we recommend that as part of our course as well as for self study. A student studying on their own, should pick ONE book/philosophy, instead of getting 'all the books and flashcards' out there, mostly so you don't fall prey to competing strategies.

One thing to note is that you can tell the 'value' of the Verbal sections if they have material BEYOND the 6 main Sentence Correction points. We also recommend that if you're acing CR and RC, you consider practicing on real/retired LSAT material. Keep in mind the LSAT is harder and not the same as GMAT, but excellent practice.

A comprehensive math guide will offer a LOT of details and exercises in number properties and definitions, as well as feature a robust hard questions section. You'll also want a timer or online program that 'times' your work, and compares it to the 'average' test taker.

The GMAT tests not only 'skills' and 'strategy' but is a metaphor for what kind of business person and leader you will be. Make sure the questions in the book you pick tests skills, strategy AND embodies the sophistication of the real questions. Use a book that replicates, and tests, the GMAT's parameters of absolute value, patterns, statistics, the nuances of written English vs. spoken English. And don't be seduced and misguided by bells and whistles. Pick a book that meets your needs and that YOU understand.

For example, just because a self study program is online, it doesn't mean that it will work best for you or that it's even 'good." And just because a 'set' of books seems like it offers an abundance of material, it doesn't always hold true. Peruse books before you buy them, both the descriptions of HOW to do the material, and how to complete the exercises in the most efficient way. If you can spend an afternoon in a library or bookstore, and compare the books, see which one 'feels' most like the real questions or goes into the most detail with respect to grammar and math topics.

then you'll be well on your way!