Best GMAT Books
The best GMAT books to score 700+. These books helped me score 730 on the GMAT and are the best I’ve found if you’re aiming for a 700+ score.
A good workbook for reviewing math concepts. Although GMAT math isn’t ‘advanced math’, per se, it is difficult because GMAC makes the questions as convoluted as possible. Beating the GMAT quant section requires spending most of your time figuring out what the question is asking, rather than trying to remember the formulas necessary to solve it. This book will prevent you from wasting precious time trying to remember the formulas that you know but just haven’t used in years. It has an especially good explanation of combinations and permutations, which you will see on the GMAT. Guaranteed.
Great how-to tips and tricks. Half of succeeding on the GMAT is learning how to take the GMAT. Princeton Review is an excellent guide in this regard. The tips and tricks in this book are not things you’ll find in the official GMAT study guide such as an excellent section on pre-writing the structure of your GMAT AWA essays. A couple caveats: This book contains quite a few guess-and-check strategies. Although these strategies may be helpful for some, most high score seekers will want to look beyond guess-and-check and really learn how to solve the problems that they are likely to see. Also, the practice problems cover an excellent breadth but are not as difficult as Kaplan’s practice questions or those on the actual GMAT. So don’t use this as your only source of practice questions. Nevertheless, a very useful guide for becoming familiar with the GMAT and learning how to take it successfully.
Some people trash on Kaplan, but I really liked their book. This was the bread and butter of my test prep. Princeton Review has excellent tips and tricks, but Kaplan is arguably more thorough. Despite my short review here, if I could choose only one book this would be it.
I never did use this book much, but I wish to hell that I had. Unfortunately, I ran out of study time. If you are aiming for 700+, these questions are at the difficulty level that you’ll encounter. Take my word for it. I scored a 730, but wholeheartedly believe that if I had used this book in its entirety I could have reached 760 or 770. If you are in the 640-700 range, you can probably score 700+, but you’ll need to be able to answer at least some questions at the Kaplan 800 difficulty level. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get all or even most questions in this book. Nobody does. Not even those that ultimately kick ass on the GMAT. But that is the whole point of Kaplan 800. This book is a mental workout and isn’t something to leave it until the last few days before your test. Remember, the GMAT is difficult because of how the questions are constructed. Kaplan managed to make the questions as convoluted as you’ll see on the real GMAT when you are earning a 700+ score. Two thumbs up! Can’t recommend highly enough.
This book has good practice problems. Obviously, the main advantage of the GMAC Official Guide to the GMAT Review is that you know the questions are similar to those that you’ll see on the GMAT. However, I never saw this book as adding much value beyond competitive books by Kaplan or Princeton Review. I mention this book only so you know it exists if you desire more practice problems. Kaplan and Princeton Review provide good tips to master the test that you won’t find in this book. Additionally, the concept reviews in this book feel as if relevant information is merely barfed on the page rather than actually explained. This book may be worthwhile if you are seeking additional practice problems. But if you really want more practice problems, Kaplan GMAT 800 might be a better use of your time.
Definitely worth doing. They’re free once you register for a test date. I used one near the beginning and one at the end, two nights before the test. I definitely got more serious about studying after doing my first practice exam. The practice makes the task more real and lets you know just what to expect. I wouldn’t recommend doing your last practice test the night before your big day though. Runners taper their workouts down to race day and take it very easy the day before a race. The same works for your gray matter. Take it easy the day before. I’m a big believer in reviewing notes briefly and doing one of each type of problem just before going to sleep. But to each his own. You know what works for you.
GMAT Tips:
- While studying, using a dry erase board for math calculations. This is very similar to what you’ll get on the test. GMAC gives you a fine tip marker and laminated sheets. This adds one more familiar element that will make you feel comfortable at the test center.
- While studying, gradually build a review sheet for each section of the test including the most important core concepts and the stupid mistakes that you find yourself saying, “I knew that.” Review this each night during the week of your test. It essentially condenses all your studying down into only that which is helpful. Keeps your brain rested in the nights immediately before the test while still keeping the most critical info on the tip of your mind.
- A word of encouragement. I know many people who get scared out of even taking the GMAT. The same is true of the GRE, MCAT, and LSAT. I almost did too. But in the end, you have to do it. Prep with these books and at least you’ll know that you gave 100%.
