Rating: 
Summary: Another CD Fan
Review: After being out of school for over 20 years, I decided to take the advice offered on this page in order to focus my preparation. I only used two study aids -- PowerPrep & this book. Like the other reviewers, I found the most value from the CD with its practice tests and explanations of correct answers. The CD lessons and book were marginal.
Over the course of three weeks, I tried to take a balanced approach by taking only two mini (category-based) tests an evening. On the weekends, I would take a simulated GMAT. As noted in the other reviews, these tests are far more challenging than the PowerPrep test. I had to keep reminding myself of that in order not to get too discouraged. I took the test today and the extra effort was rewarded with a 710.
Rating:
Summary: But this book!
Review: Along with the other reviewers, I used this book along with other resources to study for the GMAT and I ended up scoring a 730. Overall, I highly recommend reading this book, following the CD tutorial, and then taking as many practice questions in the Official Guide as possible.I did not take a class because my work schedule would not allow it, so my score is entirely based on self study. But I did go through this book, the CD, and Kaplan Verbal Workbook, the Princeton Review, and the Official Guide. All of which were valuable, but I think the most helpful part of my studying was reading through the Kaplan guide to pick up their tips for dealing with questions and then applying the tips to real problems from the Official Guide. As far as my score history goes, I scored a 590 on the diagnostic, a 550 on my first Kaplan test. I then took an ETS practice test and got a 660. I took the GMAT once and got a 660. Disappointed, I reviewed the material and studied a few hours more, and then took the test again and I scored a 730. Each of the books has value, but I like the Kaplan book better than the Princeton book basically because of differing approaches to the test. Kaplan focuses on helping you solve questions quickly and effectively and guessing if you have to. Princeton helps you figure out how hard a problem is (which is impossible in the real test) and then guess effectively. For me the Kaplan was a much better book overall. Many people complain that the Kaplan tests are too hard, but if you plan to score well you need to be able to complete difficult problems in a short period of time. Practicing hard questions doesn't hurt, as long as you keep you confidence up. GOOD LUCK!
Rating: 
Summary: Important, but not the best study guide
Review: Background - I am 13 years out of college. My test taking and math skills were pretty rusty. I want to get into a top 20 MBA program to make it worth the investment. Consequently a great score was very important. I was shooting for 700. I bought the Princeton book / CD, the Kaplan book / CD, and the Official Guide from ETS. I also downloaded the PowerPrep software from ETS for free. I completely exhausted the Princeton and Kaplan material - test strategies, exercises, practice tests. I did all the practice tests in PowerPrep. Moreover, I did the last third of the questions from the Official Guide (the harder questions are in the back). I did not take a training class. I took a Kaplan class 14 years ago for the LSAT and was not happy with the investment. Better would be to find a study partner in your area. My assessment:
1. The Princeton book by far has the better explanations of test taking strategies, as compared to Kaplan.
2. The Princeton questions are much more similar in structure to the real GMAT questions, as compared to Kaplan.
3. The verbal sections of Princeton practice tests are pretty similar in terms of difficulty to the real GMAT verbal section, as compared to Kaplan.
4. The quantitative section of the real GMAT is far more difficult than Princeton practice tests.
5. The Kaplan practice tests are much harder than the real GMAT.
6. The free online tests that come with the Princeton book / CD are a great added bonus.
7. The PowerPrep software is identical in look and feel to the real GMAT, but the quant questions are definitely easier.
8. The Princeton book has the best approach to the writing sections, but do review the Kaplan material as well. If you want a top score then my advice is to get all three books and download PowerPrep. You also need a lot of time to prepare, particularly if you're working full time or if you've been out of college for a while. I studied and practiced for about 8 weeks. You also need to be comfortable with taking the test on a computer. It is more difficult than on paper - harder to read on the screen, harder to take notes, etc. First, start with the Princeton book - this will give you a solid foundation. Next, exhaust the PowerPrep software. This will give you a good baseline of where you are and where you need to focus. (I scored 730 and 740 w/ the PowerPrep software.) Next tackle the Kaplan book, but only focus on sections where you are having trouble. Then exhaust the Princeton Software. (I scored 720 and 730 on the practice tests on Princeton's CD.) Then do the Kaplan CD practice exercises and practice tests. The tests are very hard, more difficult than the GMAT . . . particularly the verbal. You will score lower on these tests. The practice exercises don't give you enough time to answer all of the questions. Nevertheless, try not to become too frustrated. Keep in mind that you are building stamina and you are improving by seeing new, challenging quant questions. (I scored 640 on the diagnostic, and 680, 580, 650, 600 on the Kaplan CD practice tests, much lower than Princeton and PowerPrep.) When you're finished w/ the Kaplan CD, start doing the last 1/3 or so of each section in the Official Guide, 20 questions at a time. These are ACTUAL GMAT questions. The explanations are EXCELLENT, far better than either Kaplan or Princeton. Unfortunately some Official Guide questions are repeated from the PowerPrep software. Meanwhile, mix in online practice tests from Princeton; again you'll have seen some questions before. Don't sweat the recycled material. You won't remember the answers to many of them and you'll have to rework the quant questions anyway. At this point it is more important to understand why you are missing certain types of questions repeatedly and to improve how you attack specific question types. (I scored 750, 710, 690, 730 on the Princeton online practice tests. However, these scores are suspect due to the recycled questions.) My advice is to take NO tests the day before the GMAT. Clear your head some. Spend time getting comfortable with a template for the writing section. Review specific questions that you've missed in the past - the Official Guide is ideal for this - understanding the correct approach. Relax if you can and get a good night's sleep. Last piece of advice, bring a snack and use ALL of BOTH breaks. Stand up, stretch, whiz, drink something, eat something. The test is exhausting and you need to use the breaks to clear your head and refocus. If you do all this you should get a great score. The real GMAT was VERY difficult, even after all of my preparation. I even guessed on a few quant questions that I had no idea how to attack. The whole test went by in a blur. Stamina and timing, however, were not an issue with so much full-length practice. I ended up with a 760, far better than I targeted and expected, even better than on any practice test I took. This was a pleasant surprise, given how difficult the test was as compared to much of the practice material. However, by using all of the practice material effectively I am now able to look at top 10 programs instead of top 20! Yeah!
Rating: 
Summary: Good CD, don't be discouraged by the practice tests
Review: Even after reading several reviews that warned the Kaplan practice test scores were lower than the actual GMAT scores, I worried about the results. Then, I took the second Official GMAT practice test and scored 100 points higher. When I took the actual GMAT, I scored even a bit higher than that. The CD was silly but helpful, and the more difficult problems forced me to think and work more quickly. I wish I had started with this instead of Barron's!
Rating:
Summary: Very useful resource
Review: I am rather suprised at the low overall customer-review rating of this book. I used a combination of online sample tests, the Kaplan book, the Princeton Review and ETS study guides. Of these resources, I feel the Kaplan more closely replicated the questions on the actual GMAT. My score from taking the Kaplan book's exams were consistently within 10 points of my actual score, proving there is incredible similarity between Kaplan's questions and ETS'. The Princeton Review book has reasonable sample questions as well, but explanation as how to arrive at an answer simply don't make a lot of sense. The study CD ETS mails out once you signed up for the test is just incredibly too easy. I steadily scored 700+ every time I took an ETS sample test... my actual was nearly 100 points less. :( The GMAT test knowledge you've built over the years; in reality there's little you can do to significantly increase your score, but you do stand a better chance of feeling prepared by using using these guides. In the end, the Kaplan book was the highest-quality study material on the market.
Rating:
Summary: GMAT: use ETS books first
Review: I am writing to echo the comments by earlier readers. I recently studied for the GMAT, and used Princeton Review (GMAT and Verbal workout), Kaplan, and the ETS official guide book (plus PowerPrep CD). Here is how I did: - studied Princeton Review and Kaplan books. Midway through, tried 1st Kaplan prep test: got 640. Not good.
- finished PR and Kaplan, tried 1st PowerPrep test: 720. Felt better.
- studied ETS Guide, half way through, tried 2st PowerPrep: 760. Much better. But ran into many of same questions as in ETS book
- finished ETS guide, done studying (and sick of it), tried 2nd Kaplan test: still 640... Threw the CD in the garbage can. - Actual exam, 2 months into studying: 740. I recommend that you finish all exercises in the ETS book, the last math exercises are hard and resemble more what you get on the actual test. Also, practice speed reading, because you'll need it during actual Verbal test.
Use Kaplan book to prepare for exam, their CD is useless and discouraging.
Rating: 
Summary: Virtually identical to 2003 version!!
Review: I bought the 2003 version in May and decided to get the 2004 version in July because I wanted to get more practice tests. Wrong! The paperback itself is essentially identical except the cover page. As far as I can tell, the tests in cd are the same from 2003. Their ad is very misleading, and I plan to mail my book to the publisher to get my money back. If you have the 2003 version or can get it for a cheaper price, then go with the 2003.
Rating: 
Summary: Very little of this book is useful
Review: I bought this book because of the great reviews here. It has turned out be a disappointment. I took the GMAT in 1997. I studied with the Princeton Review "Beating the GMAT" and got a 690. I don't remember liking that book all that much so I expected more from this one. After all, this book includes "proven test taking strategies" from their $1,000 class... However I found very little of use in this book. Most of the book is either a) facts about the GMAT that are freely available or b) basic standardized test techniques that you should have learned for the SAT. Such memorable advice as "Make sure you understand the directions" and "Choose an answer"... I did find the 100 math tips to be very helpful, which means that I found 26 of the 352 pages to be helpful. I have not looked at the CD. Perhaps that is helpful? For now I will focus on the study guide from the ETS itself. That book provides actual test questions with explanations. So if a book costs $37 and has 352 pages but only 26 pages are useful, what should the price P of the book be?
Rating:
Summary: Same book, different cover page.....
Review: I bought this book hoping to get more practice given that I had the 2003 edition. This is virtually the same book with a different cover. An absolute waste of cash (i.e. if you have the 2003 edition). You'll be better off getting the GMAT Review book written by the test makers themsleves rather than waste money on this.
Rating:
Summary: Not very useful - Use only if you have no other choice
Review: I bought this book, Princeton Review book for GMAT, and the Official Guide for the GMAT. I would rank them in the following order: 1. Official Guide - you can't beat this (5 stars)
2. Princeton Review - The techniques in this book are great, but the tests are a bit easier (but much better than Kaplan tests) (4 stars)
3. Kaplan GMAT with CD - 2 stars The main problem with the Kaplan book is that the problems are not realistic at all. Most of the problems are extremely difficult. Plus in many places, you feel that the answers are so close that their explanation does not make any sense. Either could have been the correct answer. As far as techniques and lessons are concerned, this book fares below the other two books. In this respect, Princeton review book is much better and does a fantastic job of explaining the tricks. The Kaplan book's CD is even more useless. I got 710 and 720 on the two ETS practice tests and 600, 630, 710, and 630 on the four practice CATs in Kaplan book (my actual GMAT score was 750). These scores were very very discouraging and at one point, had a negative impact on my overall confidence and preparation. Fortunately, at this point, I read some reviews of this book, which helped me regain my confidence. The practice questions in the Kaplan CD are also of not much use, since the time alloted to each mini-test (set of 17 questions or so) is just 25 minutes, which is way less than what you get in the actual test. In order to finish the mini-test without losing any questions, I tended to solve fast, making many mistake along. This was further discouraging. Kaplan book is only useful for quick reference of the math formulas. These are good, but I doubt whether this list alone makes it worth buying. Overall, I would not recommend this book - buy the Princeton book and the Official Guide. OG is the best. I also have created practice verbal tests from questions in the OG. If anyone is interested in using them, send me a note at abhi_gmat@yahoo.com. Good luck on your GMAT!!
| 
