Format: Trade Paperback · Published: June 2004
Dimensions: 528 Pages, 8.31 x 10.8 IN
ISBN: 0375764070 · Published by Random House Information Group
Cracking The Gmat, 2005 Edition
Author: Princeton Review
Our Price: $18.90 CDN
NOTE: This review was copied from amazon.com and does not necessarily represent the viewpoints of gmatclub.
REVIEW by scsweeney
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.)
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!
Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook, Second Edition
Kaplan;
Price: US$12.60; Used: US$10.78
I got 99th percentile on my GMAT 750(49, 42) and i used 3 books: this one, Kaplan's book with CD and Verbal Workbook. I had access to PR book and PP, but I did only tests from those. I found Kaplan's materials of quality and difficulty. Some whine that Kaplan is too hard, but that's good - if you can handle Kaplan, you can handle old good GMAT.
My favorite things about this book:
- Very short and condensed math reviews - straight to the point
- No smart-aleck advice about some stupid tricks - only math review - exactly what I needed
- Fabulous problems that illustrate a lot of traps and multiple ways of solving them
- Starts with the basics - arithmetic, integers, primes, etc - the stuff that anybody can uses a review of. A lot of applicants underestimate how much they forgot the basics and skim/skip them. I would not do that, and that book does not either.
- Finally, the number of questions and quizzes in this book is impressive. I am giving a short summary of some of the sections of the book and number of quizzes and test questions. Quiz questions are math only; Test questions are GMAT-type questions.
Arithmetic
-Number operations (15 quiz questoins and 15 test questions)
-Number properties (15, 19)
-Averages (10, 19)
-Ratios (10, 24)
-Percents (25, 25)
-Powers and Roots (12, 17)
Algebra
-Level One (20, 26)
-Level Two (15, 15)
Word Problems
-Level One (10, 26)
-Level Two (37)
-Test (40)
Geometry
-Lines (6, 14)
-Triangles (16, 21)
-Quadrilaterals (15, 19)
-Circles (19, 13)
-Multiple Figures (4, 15)
-Solids (6, 8)
Data Sufficiency
-Test 1 (25)
-Test 2 (25)
CONS:
- I went through this book at least 3 times (helping others) and I found that solutions don't include some of the most genius ways to handle the problems. I think the authors of the questions went beyond themselves.
- No probability or combinations review, which would be very helpful. Get something. I bombed my probability question on the GMAT.
copied from gmatatclub.com
Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook, Second Edition
by Ingrid Multhopp, Kaplan
Available for in-store pickup from US$16.20
I would give 4.5 out of 5
Not 5 because it could use a few more reading passages for additional practice. The book is very good. Even though it has a few questions from the Kaplan CD (not more than 5), it makes a good practice. Here are the main strengths:
1. Good strategy Guide and source of questions; it is very well written and pleasant to read
2. Reading and Critical Reasoning are explained in more depth than in the Kaplan GMAT Guide with CD. I would recommend to get this book in addition to the Kaplan's Guide if you are having troubles with verbal (who doesn't you may ask). I improved RC only after i got this book.
3. However, probably the most helpful part of this book is the Idiom section. It is indispensable for International Students; I think this is the only guide that has so many USEFUL idioms, about 70 with explanations and examples. It is not crammed with all sorts of useless expressions as many idiom dictionaries are and it is not limited to top 5 either. I like the ballance.
The book does not come with any software but has many questions and one verbal section of a practice test. And, yes, the questions are hard. It is Kaplan
這三本 好像不錯
