GMAT with CD-ROM: Fifth Edition (Kaplan)

Rating:
Summary: Kaplan raised my score by over 100 points!!
Review: Although the book has some interesting exercises, its value pales in comparison to that of the companion CD. The CD, stocked with a diagnostic test, four practice tests, and at least three practice sets for each question type (data sufficiency, problem solving, sentence correction, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning), is an invaluable part of any study regimen. The quantitative questions are harder than those on the "real" GMAT (a popular sentiment), whereas the verbal questions are right on. So, a word of advice, don't be discouraged by low scores on the practice tests as they tend to underestimate your true ability.

In addition to the Kaplan book, another good resource is the PowerPrep software offered by ETS. PowerPrep's practice tests offer you the best approximation of your true score, familiarize you with the interface used on the real GMAT, and help you pinpoint areas for improvement. Before I purchased the Kaplan book I downloaded the Powerprep software and took the first practice exam cold. I scored a 660. I then bought this book and Princeton Review's Verbal Workout (another excellent book). I took all of Kaplan's practice exams, scoring 590, 610, 640 and 650 on consecutive tests. Two days before the GMAT, I took PowerPrep's second practice test and scored a 740, a sizeable improvement. I've no doubt most people experience the same improvement, giving them considerable confidence going into the exam (confidence that helped me score a 780).

The bottom line - buy this book. Despite somewhat forgettable lessons and annoying typos in some of the reading passages, this book/CD succeeds. It will help you work out any timing issues and, unless you're already at 700 or above, it WILL raise your score.

Rating:
Summary: included CD is invaluable
Review: For those thinking about taking the GMAT, it is absolutely essential that you prepare correctly before the test, not so much in order to do some last minute memorization (there's no arcane vocabulary to memorize or anything like that), but more to get yourself familiar with the type and style of the questions, and to sharpen your skills in answering them. The style of question can be overwhelming, or in some cases, deceptive, so having a guide that breaks down the questions and instructs you on where to focus in order to arrive at the correct answer in invaluable. The Kaplan study guide does a great job at taking you through these problems. The math of the GMAT can be tricky - it requires you to think in a different way than you're used to. The guide will take you through it. More importantly, the book takes you through and explains the grammar part of the test. Most people, including myself, have terrible grammar skills but don't even know it (as I am sure this review proves), as most English teaching is pretty lax and the stuff that wasn't we didn't pay attention to anyway. The guide will take you through that all, and provides ample opportunity to practice with many, many examples. The real gem in this packages is the CD-ROM. It's not just a plain rehashing of what's in the book, as are a couple of other guides I've tried. Rather, I'd almost go so far as to say the book is almost just a rehashing of the CD. It's got interactive lessons, it's analytical, suggests areas of improvement, and even tosses out little facts (that it actually uses your imput to determine) that get you excited about taking the test. It's got a light, fun feel to it in terms of the layout and look, which can be good if you're stressing about the test. Plus, since the test is completely administered by computer nowadays, it's essential to get familiar with that form of testtaking. The book is good for practicing away from home, but you will definitely want to stick to the CD. The only reason why I knocked a star off was because the practice tests were so much harder than the real thing that it could actually discourage you. I'd suggest registering for the test early on, because they send you a CD with a couple of practice tests on it - ones that are more like the real thing. I was getting pretty dissapointing results and getting discouraged. But I took the GMAT's practice test, and scored almost 150 points higher than my Kaplan practice tests. My actual GMAT score ended up being 100 points higher than my last Kaplan test, so again, I have to question making the practices THAT difficult. But overall, a great resource that I beleive is essential to success on the GMATs.

Rating:
Summary: Here's the deal...
Review: I have used several GMAT books to fully prepare for my big day. The book that accompanies this package is unremarkable. However, I was amazed at the tech quality of the CD ROM: the "virtual instructors" provide the basic facts about the GMAT and its components. The CD is really what you're paying for.

The astute GMAT student will take and review all 4 practice tests on the CD. Please note--the Math sections are A LOT tougher than those appearing on real GMAT. Don't be discouraged by poor results on these sections!

The Verbal sections are over-simplified. I think they give prospective test-takers a false sense of security on test day. Obtain an English grammar/usage book to supplement the Kaplan materials.

Of course, you MUST purchase the Offical GMAT prep-book. ("Ain't nuthin like the real thing bay-bay.") Do the real questions after you've completed the Kaplan tests. You should be peaking at this point. Take the plunge!

Finally, I found it helpful to "log" my errors for each section. That's right, a log. Try it--it works.

Bonne chance! (relax, no french on the gmat)

Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: I used thi book to prepre my GMAT and I scored 760.
There are few tests on the book in itself but the software on the CD rom is very useful.
I suggest to get also the Official guide to GMAT with the official powerprep software.

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best
Review: I was very nervous about taking the GMAT test. I graduated in 1986 and truly didn't know how rusty I had become on grammar and math.

I started my testing by reading the Kaplan GMAT paperbook. I did some practice tests by hand. Then I started on the CD. I wish I would have bypassed the book and just went for the CD, it would have saved me time.

The CD was awesome. I did an assessment test to see how bad my skills really were. I had some weaknesses AND also strengths which the assessment pointed out. Then I was given a course of study so I could review those areas.

It was helpful for me to recognize that math was not ever going to be my strength. That's OK. Through the CD study sessions, I learned how to figure out some problems. When I didn't know how to figure out a problem, the CD showed me how to eliminate the obviously wrong choices to more likely answer correctly. The verbal part was my strong-suit to begin with. Yet, the CD helped me maximize my potential there as well. I learned the tips that were taught and boosted my score easily.

I had been studying for a couple of weeks when I reviewed my college's GMAT score requirement and discovered that I had already exceeded the score in my first practice test. So I quit studying. I took the test and exceeded my needed score by 90 points. I know I could have brought the score up at least another 50 points through continued focused study.

When I took the test, I really felt like I knew what I was getting into. The look of the screen, the directions, the order of the sections was all exactly like it was on the CD. Because I had already taken the test several times on my own PC, I had no test anxiety. I knew what to expect.

I would say when you're using this product, skip the book and go right for the CD. Try to minimize your weaknesses, but also remember to spend time on your strengths. I think you have the most potential to boost your score by excelling at what you already do well.

I also bought the Princeton Review Verbal Workout and the Official Guide for GMAT review. I never even needed to look at these, Kaplan was so effective.

Good luck on the GMAT. If I can do it, so can you!

Rating:
Summary: A great practice book for GMAT
Review: Kaplan has done a great job with this book. The techniques to solve various verbal and math problems are very helpful and one can improve his/her score if one takes this book seriously and uses it properly. You have to spend time with the book and do all the excercises if you want to get the max out of it.
I would like to see more excercises in future editions though.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: Like reviewers before me have said, I'd recommend going straight to the CD. Give the diagnostic test and follow the preparation plan it makes for you based on the same.

I had absolutely no trouble installing the software on win2K and NT4.0.

Rating:
Summary: To get that GMAT advantage, this is a "MUST BUY!"
Review: The Kaplan GMAT reviewer is INDISPENSABLE because of the companion cd. To those taking the GMAT, the secrets to success are practice, practice, and practice. No other test preparation tool gives you the kind of computer exam practice you'll need as the Kaplan cd.

The Kaplan book is so-so. However, you will find its advice on "backsolving and plugging in the answer" invaluable strategies during the real GMAT. Further, the GMAT math reference containing 100 math concepts (easy,intermediate,difficult) is a good starting point for those rusty in their math.

But the companion cd is something else. It has one diagnostic exam, 4 sample exams, and 3 sample exams each for sentence correction, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, problem solving and data sufficiency.

Many people think that by just knowing the concepts, they'd do fine in the GMAT. But a computer adaptive exam is a totally different ballgame. The winning formula depends not only on one's knowledge but also on one's speed and fast thinking. Remember, in the quantitative section, one must answer 37 questions in 75 minutes, and in the verbal section, one should finish 41 questions in 75 minutes. Panic is the greatest enemy because it can block your ability to think. One should go into the exams mentally and physically prepared to tackle the gruelling 3 1/2 - 4 hour exams.

Thus, you need to practice under true test conditions. The Kaplan cd is your best resource that helps simulate true testing conditions.

Aside from the Kaplan, purchase the GMAT official reviewer by ETS. This is a must have too because it has hundreds of sample questions. Though a must-have, the GMAT reviewer will merely help one weave through the kinds of questions that may be asked but does not prepare one to deal with the time-pressure that one experiences in the real GMAT. Of course, the official reviewer comes with the powerprep software containing 2 sample exams. But these exams rehash the questions asked in the official reviewer. (Tip: Don't dwell too much on the topics on sets and the discussion on probabilities. They will just confuse you. The discussions were too academic. The Kaplan discussion on probabilities was better. But the official reviewer is a good resource for topics on arithmetic, algebra, geometry and coordinate geometry.)

As a final resource, buy the Peterson Guide to the CAT GMAT. It has lots of sample questions too taken under true test conditions. (Junk its advice on timing - it does not work. Tip: think quick and answer quickly). Plus, its reviewers on Math concepts and sentence correction are top-notch!

Believe me when I say that your success in the GMAT will depend on a large part on the PRACTICE YOU GET UNDER TRUE TEST CONDITIONS. I did not exactly get a score of 700 (+) but very close to that. I could not have gotten my near-700 score without the Kaplan. (Remember: A high GMAT score is very important but is not everything. You also need good grades, good work experience, great essays and strong recommendations. For those targetting the "top 10" B-schools, consider purchasing the ABC of Getting the MBA Admissions Edge)

And don't get discouraged if you don't get good simulation scores in the Kaplan. The questions in the Kaplan cd were a bit more difficult than those that came out during the actual GMAT. I guess it is better to "over prepare" than to "under prepare."

One last advice - for the AWA part - don't concentrate too much on this one. As long as you have practice for 2 "issues" and 2 "analysis" questions, you'll do fine in the real GMAT.

So good luck with the GMAT! Just remember - never underestimate the power of practice. PRACTICE WILL GIVE YOU THAT PUSH TOWARDS 700 AND BEYOND!!!

Rating:
Summary: Good Questions- bad CD's
Review: We have received a lot of favorable feedback from our MBA admissions clients on this book over the past 6 years. The book is helpful and contains many good study tips.

The CD-ROM is what really makes this a good buy, however, due to the extensive test questions and diagnostic tools. Additionally, since the GMAT is now a computer adaptive test, it is imperative that you become very comfortable with its new format.

While there is a large group of people who like the Kaplan questions because they claim they are more difficult than the real GMAT questions, we still prefer the official ETS questions and simply recommend augmenting -- not substituting -- the Kaplan questions for the real GMAT questions contained in the ETS book. Even if they are indeed more difficult than the ETS questions, they are certainly not comparable to the real ones.

BTW, the other unofficial GMAT guide that has consistently been ranked as high by our clients and consultants is Princeton Review's Cracking the GMAT. While that book does have some typos and much easier practice questions than the Kaplan guide, it's prep tips have also been described as more readable and easier and quicker to follow.