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Continue Best books for gmat preparation 2020 Ready to take the next step in your career by earning an MBA? One of the first things you’ll need to tackle is the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). This computer-adaptive exam is a necessary application component for most graduate business schools. The GMAT measures your analytical writing, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning abilities. GMAT prep books can help you study and prepare for this three-and-a-half-hour test. The best GMAT prep books have extensive review materials, multiple practice tests, and closely simulate the real exam. But with so many test prep books available, how do you find the right one for you? We’re here to help. At BestReviews, we want to simplify shopping for you. We do in-depth research, buy and test products in our labs, interview experts, and gather data from existing customers. We never accept free products from manufacturers, so you can be sure that our advice is honest and unbiased. If you’re ready to purchase a GMAT prep book, check out the product list above for our top picks. For more on the GMAT exam and how to choose the best test prep book for you, just keep reading. Reasons to take the GMATThe GMAT is valued by business schoolsYour GMAT score is highly weighted in your application to a graduate business school. The GMAT is designed by the Graduate Management Admission Council, a non-profit collection of business schools, to examine the specific skills necessary for success in a graduate management program. The GMAT assesses your readiness for business managementThe different components of the GMAT test the skills you will need in a business school classroom. A good GMAT score helps your application stand outThe GMAT is a way to demonstrate a set of skills that may not be apparent in the other elements of your business school application. Did you know?Nine out of 10 MBA admissions are made using a GMAT score.STAFFBestReviewsThe GMAT exam has four sections: analytical writing assessment, integrated reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Verbal reasoningThe verbal reasoning section measures your reading comprehension, aptitude at evaluating arguments, and ability to edit text to conform to written English standards. Integrated reasoningYour ability to evaluate information in multiple formats and from multiple sources is measured in this section. In a world where business is increasingly driven by data, your skill at integrated reasoning is an important assessment. Quantitative reasoningThis section measures your quantitative reasoning skills, or how well you analyze data to draw conclusions. Don’t let the math in the quantitative section throw you off; it’s no more difficult than what you learned in high school. CautionMake sure you adequately pace your time when taking the GMAT. Leaving questions unanswered at the end can lower your score significantly.STAFFBestReviewsThis section of the exam, often referred to as the AWA, measures your critical thinking and how well you communicate your ideas. In this section, you’ll be asked to analyze the reasoning behind an argument with a written critique. Did you know?Test-takers are given 30 minutes for the analytical writing assessment, 30 minutes for integrated reasoning, 75 minutes for quantitative, and 75 minutes for verbal.STAFFBestReviewsYou will be given three options for the order in which the sections will appear on the test. Maybe you want to get the more difficult sections done first, or maybe you’d rather build up by first tackling the sections that are easier for you. Here are the three options: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, Verbal Verbal, Quantitative, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment Quantitative, Verbal, Integrated Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment Create a study scheduleYou need significant time to prepare for the GMAT exam. Many potential MBA students take two to three months to prepare. To study more efficiently, it helps to create a study schedule. Take practice testsPractice tests ensure you will be prepared and confident come test time. Remember this is a test that lasts three and a half hours. To accurately practice, you’ll need to complete a practice test in the same amount of time. Take the exam earlyYou’ll want to take the GMAT exam early in your undergraduate years. It’s best to take it in your sophomore or junior year of college, rather than waiting until after you graduate. This way you’ll have plenty of time to retake the exam if you’re unhappy with your score, and also the math concepts will be fresher in your mind. Your GMAT score remains active for five years, so you’ll still have a window post-undergrad for applying to business schools. FAQQ. How is the GMAT exam scored? A. Your points from the quantitative and verbal sections are added together, leading to a score of 200 to 800 in 10-point increments. The analytical writing assessment and integrated reasoning sections are scored separately, from 0 to 6 and 1 to 8, respectively. Q. Where and when can I take the GMAT exam? A. The test can be taken any day of the year, save certain holidays, and is available globally at designated facilities. Q. What do I need to bring to my GMAT exam? A. You must bring a government-issued ID, the list of graduate programs you would like to receive your score, and your appointment confirmation letter or email. Q. What items are not allowed in the testing center? A. You are not allowed to bring the following into the testing center: calculators, cell phones, notes, watches, cameras, music devices, books, dictionaries, writing utensils, or measuring devices. A calculator will be provided to you for the integrated reasoning section only. You are also not allowed to check your cell phone during breaks. 0 If you want to attend a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program at your school of choice, you’ll have to take a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). The GMAT is a test given to students that can gauge how well they’ll do in MBA programs. The score you get will influence the decision made about your admission by the school you’re eyeing. The GMAT can help or hurt your chances at landing a spot in the program you want. That’s why many students use a GMAT Prep Course to supplement their study program. Admission into a good business program can greatly impact your career prospects. If you get into a top business school, you can command a hefty salary upon graduation. This article will focus on the best GMAT prep books to help you ace the GMAT exam. GMAT Official Guide 2020 Bundle This three-book set includes the Quantitative Review 2020, the Verbal Review 2020, and the GMAT Official Guide 2020 books. You’ll also get an online question bank and a mobile app. These resources cover all the test sections and have more than 1,700 questions to help you prepare. If you get a test question wrong, it also has answer explanations so you can learn from your mistake. This bundle of books is a good value for any student serious about preparing for the GMAT. Make sure you have plenty of time on your hands, though, to use all these materials to fully prepare – it will be time intensive to go through this many pages. All the GMAT If you have a specific goal in mind of getting at least a 700 score on your GMAT, this three-book set can help you do it if you’re willing to put in the work. This book provides content review, six online practice tests, and strategies you can use to boost your score. The problems and lessons in this set were crafted by instructors who have landed 99th-percentile scores on the GMAT. This guide is for serious students – there are collectively 1,912 pages you’ll have to wade through. GMAT Complete 2020 This set offers you four prep books, a year of access to online materials, and strategies to improve your test-taking skills. It includes more than 2,000 questions that cover integrated reasoning, analytical writing, quantitative, and verbal test sections. You’ll also get six online practice tests. Because these practice tests use the exact computer interface as the real GMAT, you’ll be more prepared when test day rolls around. The practice tests also let you choose the study topic and the question difficulty. This makes it easy to improve your skills with particular topics and question types. This book set includes 2,268 pages collectively and is for serious students who want a top GMAT score. GMAT Foundations of Math If you think you are prepared for the GMAT, but you’re a little worried about the math section, this resource can give you more confidence. It’s not aimed at teaching you all the math concepts you’ll need to understand to score well on the GMAT. Instead, it’s there to serve as a refresher course for the more basic concepts you’ll need to know. So, this is a great option for people that need a math refresher. Once you get more comfortable with the basic material, you can move on to more advanced books. The book will give you more than 700 practice problems and show you step-by-step instructions. If you buy this book, you’ll also get one year of access to online resource materials, including more than 400 extra practice questions. Cracking the GMAT This 2020 edition book gives you six computer-adaptive practice tests with score reports and explanations to the answers. You’ll also get topic reviews, and online resource materials. It walks you through reviews of verbal, writing, math, and integrated reasoning skills. You’ll also learn about test-taking techniques that can help you improve your score. It doesn’t stop with just readying you for your test though. It includes other features to help you get into your business school of choice, such as sample business school essays and interviews. You’ll also learn about financial aid options. It’s a good book for students who want to walk through the entire graduate school application process and can be useful to anyone from beginners to the more serious students. GMAT Advanced Quant This book is great for students who want to push themselves a bit further past the usual test prep work. It’s geared toward those who want to land a score of 800 and aren’t afraid to put in the effort to make that happen. It focuses on the most trying math problems you’ll see on the GMAT. Students will have access to more than 250 of these problems, as well as two online practice sets. The GMAT Advanced Quant book is way too advanced for beginners, but this can be a great resource for students with strong math skills that want to achieve a top quartile math score. 30 Day GMAT Success If you want to find a way to improve your GMAT score, but you only have a month to do so, this book may help. The language and writing style make it accessible to beginners, and it teaches students to follow a study plan and how to address their strengths and weaknesses. For students who like a more personal touch while reading a prep book, they may like that the author puts in advice that helped him the day he took the GMAT. This book, however, will need to be supplemented with other GMAT books because you’ll want to make sure you have access to GMAT practice tests. For some additional practice questions, we recommend trying our GMAT Practice Question of the Day resource. Editor’s note: none of the following content is sponsored! Magoosh has purchased each of the best GMAT prep books reviewed below to ensure the most objective reviews possible. Finding the Best GMAT Books and Resources The first step in preparing for the GMAT is finding the best resources. With the welter of test prep companies touting their respective books, this first step can be downright daunting. Over the years, the Magoosh team has logged hundreds of hours purchasing and researching dozens of GMAT books. In this article, we review five GMAT books and several additional resources, including material from GMAC, Manhattan GMAT, Nova, and Powerscore. Your prep starts and stops with the material below. Table of Contents We’ll start with five paid resources and then look at three free ones. We know that you’re busy and have probably already done your fair share of research on the available options. Feel free to click the links below to jump ahead in the post. No judgement. Top GMAT Prep Books There’s so much great online material out there for the GMAT. But GMAT books definitely have their place in the canon of study materials! If you prefer non-digital study resources or eBooks, you definitely have a huge array of materials to choose from. So how do you pick? Never fear! Here are our recommended best GMAT prep books. The table gives a brief overview, but you can also scroll down for more in-depth reviews, as well as our summary of the best free GMAT study resources out there! Category#1#2#3#4 BookComplete GMAT Strategy Guide SetThe Official Guide to the GMAT ReviewGMAT Math Prep CourseThe PowerScore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible PublisherManhattanGMACNovaPowerScore Pages19121088 (OG), 336 (Quant), 544 (Verbal)516434 Most Recent Edition7th2022 20192021 Practice Tests/Questions6 practice tests1900+ questions600+ math questions600+ verbal Approx. Price on Amazon (New)$140.99$77.85$19.95$33.24 NotesYou don't need the most current edition. The 10-book 6th edition that separates the books by section is an acceptable alternative.3 books. Worth buying for the official practice material from GMAC.Worth buying if you need additional challenging math practice.Three books (one for each verbal section). Consider buying only for extra practice on the subjects where you need it. The CR book has best reputation. Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Books (MGMAT) TL;DR: This is an excellent series of GMAT prep books. The newer versions (“All the GMAT”) are slightly better for Problem Solving questions and in terms of overall organization. However, the old ones are really top-notch as well—and can come quite a bit cheaper. The best GMAT prep book award goes to Manhattan Prep. This full set (purchasable on Amazon.com) is a truly comprehensive guide to the whole GMAT. Don’t just learn a bunch of nifty tricks; learn the fundamentals behind the questions, so you won’t just be flailing about on test day, relying only on guessing strategies. Across Magoosh we refer to different “books” from Manhattan, because the 6th edition has 10 books that have been changed into “units” in the new 7th edition (pictured below). The 7th edition (purchasable on Manhattan’s website) combined all the three Verbal and Quant books into massive subject books (All the Verbal and All the Quant) with the sections that were once separated into separate books now reorganized as “units” in their respective book. IR and Essay remains its own book in any available edition, and the relatively unhelpful GMAT Roadmap (its own book) is now gone. The order of the units and books remains the same in either edition, making either a fine choice in terms of content. The 7th has some advantages. It’s a much better organized package, and the formatting in the books is much cleaner, lending itself to an overall better studying experience. While practice questions broadly remain the same, the language now has been altered on roughly 20% of the questions (especially PS questions) to make them appear far more GMAT-like. That gives it a clear edge over the 6th by our estimation. However, the 6th edition separates into 10 books rather than as units in a single package, which means that if you’re looking to only improve one particular section, then you can select your subject a la carte, only buying the books you need. This brings us to another point: not every Manhattan book is built equally! In general, the Quant material is of a higher standard than that of the Verbal. The Quant material is marginally more difficult than what you’ll see on the test, while the Verbal questions are noticeably easier. The Manhattan series consists of the following (click each link for a full Magoosh book review). Keep in mind that Quant and Verbal were books 1-5 and 6-8 respectively before the 7th edition grouped them together as units into the new All the Quant and All the Verbal books. GMAT Official Guide (OG) by GMAC Before we get into the nitty-gritty, check out our GMAT expert’s video review of the OG and where it ranks among the best GMAT books! As Erika says here, books in general aren’t the ideal or only way to prep for the GMAT, because: The test is taken online with a computer, so it’s best to prep with one! And books aren’t adaptive (of course!) However, when you’re out of GMAT materials online, the OG is a solid book to have on your bookshelf. In fact, some would argue that the GMAT OG material is the actual bible of GMAT preparation, and the rest mere apocrypha. After all, the main OG book and its two companion books that focus on Verbal and Quant are made by the brilliant people (GMAC) who actually write the questions you’ll see on GMAT test day. With that said, we suggest that you don’t rely on the Official Guides for strategies (the way you would with MGMAT), instead using official material for the best source of high quality GMAT questions. You can get an elite score using any one edition of the OGs, but we still encourage students to use one of the more recent editions of the GMAT OG (2018 and on). By contrast, the older books (pre-2018) have practice tests and format explanations that don’t reflect the changes in the test that took place in April 2018. In other words: if you started to study for the GMAT a couple years back and you already have the 2018 or 2019 book, then that will do the trick. However, if you don’t already own one of a copy of the Official Guides, we usually recommend buying the most recent available. Owning the newest edition is not 100% essential, but just preferable to older copies due to the small changes they make between each edition. For example: the 2022 version of the OG has 50 new practice questions than the 2021 version, while the 2021 version has 70 more questions than the 2020 version. In turn, the 2020 version has 100 more questions than the 2019 version. That sounds like the setup for a Quant question in and of itself, but the takeaway: while the 2022 version is technically the best buy, it’s not by a huge margin. Definitely consider getting an older book, particularly if you can save some money in doing so. The GMAT Official Advanced Questions by GMAC The Advanced Guide compiles 300 difficult questions from all sections of the exam, making it an excellent supplemental resource for those looking to reach 700+ scores on the test. Released in September of 2019, the Advanced Guide is one of the most recent and helpful resources for the GMAT. Its strengths and limitations are very similar to those of other GMAC-created resources. Expect excellent practice questions (coupled with frustratingly opaque explanations). It also, interestingly, leans more towards more DS than PS questions in the Quant section, while the Verbal questions are nearly evenly distributed between CR, SC and RC. Across the book, the RC gets the highest difficulty spike, because each question is engineered to be very hard (whereas an ordinary RC section would have a much wider spread of difficulty for each question reading prompt). Nova Need even more math questions? Nova’s GMAT Prep Course has a wealth of math practice material and advice. Magoosh’s experts have taken a close look at this resource and found it to be flawed but still very useful. The newest edition, released in 2019, appears to be virtually the same book as the 2016 edition. Upon review of the books side-by-side, we still can’t spot the difference! In fact, 2019’s edition still lists the testing requirements for the pre-April 2018 GMAT. That means we recommend choosing whichever is the better priced of the two copies at the time you look into purchasing the book. Understand that this book uses the same studying philosophy as Manhattan’s resources: it prefers to challenge test-takers with questions slightly more challenging than their supposed difficulty. Some might prefer this approach, which tends to over-prepare students by testing the upper-limits of what is tested on the exam, but for others the process could be disheartening. PowerScore PowerScore built its reputation as an LSAT company with its LSAT Critical Reasoning Bible. For those who don’t know, the LSAT is the GMAT Critical Reasoning section on steroids, so you can bet that PowerScore really knows how to dissect one of the most difficult question types on the GMAT. We’d recommend it as a supplement for those wanting an academic approach to CR. It also seems consistently accurate, especially compared to Manhattan’s CR resources. The 2019 edition is currently the definitive version of this book. It expands helpfully on timing strategies in the beginning of the book before going into a nearly content-identical (but more organized) reiteration of the 2018 and 2017 books. The questions used in each chapter are the exact same in recent editions. So, if you already have the previous editions, there is no rush to purchase the 2019 version. If you don’t have an older edition, however, then we recommend the 2019 one. The book has chapters on every type of CR question, which is helpful, but this surgical approach leaves the book feeling overly “busy,” packed to the margins with information. As a result, it feels far more academic than its peers in CR strategy, skewing much more towards theory than practice, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your learning approach. Expect an in-depth study aid, and prepare to be thumbing frequently between the chapters and the book’s expansive glossary. You might very well feel that you’re ready for either the GMAT or the LSAT after diving into learning about logical fallacies and cognitive traps. Best Free GMAT Exam Resources Remember: Just because a resource is free doesn’t mean that it isn’t high quality. A lot of students begin prepping for business school and start to think that the number of dollar signs in front of something is a symbol of quality. Sure, there’s often a correlation there — but $:quality isn’t a causal relationship. Most students will use a mix of paid and free resources to prep. Here are the best free resources you can start using right away. ResourceCompanyWhy You'll Love It Magoosh.comMagooshWide range of free resources, including study schedules, eBooks, video lessons, and practice questions. GMAT Math FlashcardsMagooshAvailable for Android, iPhone, or web. You can study anywhere. GMAT Idioms FlashcardsMagooshAvailable for Android, iPhone, or web. You can study anywhere. Beat the GMATBeat the GMATForum for GMAT students and instructors. Honest reviews on GMAT prep options. GMAT ClubGMAT ClubForum for GMAT students and instructors. Honest reviews on GMAT prep options. Magoosh Resources Want to get accustomed to taking a stressful test on a computer? Magoosh (that’s us!) offers hundreds upon hundreds of practice questions, all with the stress-inducing timer. Want to learn the fundamentals à la MGMAT, but on a computer? Magoosh has hundreds of lessons modules to get you up and running. That’s our paid product. But Magoosh is all about making prep accessible. So, in addition to our brilliant Premium GMAT Prep, we offer lots of free online resources. And they’re all awesome. (Sure we’re a little biased toward our own prep program, but it’s a seriously great online resource.) And don’t forget to check out our free GMAT eBooks: Plus, we have detailed GMAT study schedules, videos on our YouTube channel, and (drumroll please) video explanations for the Official Guide for GMAT Review 2016. For diagnostic and practice exams, we recommend our free GMAT practice test resources! And if you’re interested in something you can use on the go, keep reading… FREE Magoosh GMAT Math Flashcards Learn and review the most important GMAT math concepts with free online flashcards. Improve your GMAT Math score. Available for Android, iPhone, and web. Get the iOS, Android, and Web links here. FREE Magoosh GMAT Idioms Flashcards Master the 160 most important GMAT idioms and grammar rules with free online flashcards. Improve your GMAT Verbal score. Available for Android, iPhone, and web. Get the iOS, Android, and Web links here. GMAT Forums No man is an island, John Donne once intoned. So don’t be an island, and get out there with your newly acquired GMAT knowledge. Think you can provide a strong explanation to a question? Help the community out. Stumped? Then there are experts waiting to give you a hand over at the GMAT forums. You’ll probably even run into our GMAT expert Mike while you’re at GMAT Club! GMAT Study Material: What You Really Need to Know As you’ve seen in these reviews, many of the best GMAT prep books come from online forums, reputable websites, and book publishers such as Manhattan, Nova, PowerPrep, GMAC and so on. But good GMAT study material can come from many other sources. What’s important is that you seek out as much high-quality GMAT prep as possible! If you’re looking for something more than self-study GMAT books, we recommend you check out our review of the best GMAT prep courses. 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