How To Study For The GMAT

I was never very good at taking standardized tests.  With a mediocre SAT score, I thought there was no way I could ever do very well on the GMAT.  I was determined, however, to use a different approach and come up with a really smart and focused study plan.  I sought to really spend time learning how to study for the GMAT before I ever picked up a book.  This was a critical decision for me because I would later realize that the quality of GMAT study materials varies wildly.  I mean, wildly.  If I had not thought to do this before studying, I would have just gone to Barnes and Noble and picked up two random books, studied them as best as I could, and then hoped for the best come test day.  Only through extensive research did I learn how to study for the GMAT.  This site was created for me to pass on all the info and experience I gained and help you maximize your potential on this very challenging test.

You are probably wondering “What did you get on the test?”  I got a 770 with a 50 on Quant and a 46 on Verbal.  I truly believe I only achieved this score because I studied smartly and had the right materials.  I really only studied for 7 weeks, but I spent a long time figuring out how to study for the GMAT before I ever picked up any study materials.  Here I will go through the materials I used and what I would recommend that you use when you study.

Overall:

GMAT Pill- This is a really great resource and I highly recommend it.  It is a series of online videos that mimics the process you would undergo if you had your own personal tutor (at a much smaller cost).  What I love about these videos is that they are so efficient.  The instructor spends time focusing on what matters the most and eliminates all the fluff.  The content within the videos is top-notch as well.  They say that you should go through all the videos in about a month’s time and I think that’s pretty accurate.  I would recommend these videos and think you should buy them and then supplement them with a couple of other books.  You can learn more about GMAT Pill here.

The Official Guide This was a very good resource and I think it is a must have.  These are official practice questions, meaning they were actual GMAT questions at one point.  If you want the best indication of what actual GMAT questions are like, then this is your best source.  Every GMAT study plan should include going through the problems in this book.

Math:

Total GMAT Math- Every good GMAT study plan has time built in to learn the fundamentals.  This is a resource you can find online that was created by Jeff Sackmann.  It was really great at giving a general overview of the basics of GMAT math.  From what I can tell, the Manhattan GMAT Math series is more comprehensive and better overall than this (if you have the time, definitely buy the Manhattan books).  I would give it about an 8/10. It seemed like it was missing a few important formulas/concepts, but overall I thought it was a very good resource for getting an overall picture of what was to be expected in the math section.

Extreme Challenge and GMAT Math Challenge - These are problem sets by Jeff Sackmann.  I thought they were great. The Extreme Challenge definitely had about 35% probability/combinatorics questions, but it was still top notch. (By the way, I only got one question of this type on the GMAT, and it was really basic compared to some of the practice problems I had taken, so I’m not sure it’s worth the time freaking out about probability/combinatorics.)

GMAT Club Tests- You can find these tests at gmatclub.com.  These tests were very difficult. I got pretty frustrated with how hard these tests were. I thought a lot of the questions weren’t very realistic, but after I took and reviewed the first 15 tests, I knew that I was very prepared for the math section the GMAT. These tests are very recommended, but don’t get dismayed if you don’t do well at first. I averaged around 26 out of 37 on these tests.  The website also has a great forum that can help you learn more about how to study for the GMAT.

Verbal:

The PowerScore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible - When researching how to study for the GMAT, I consistently came across this book.  Let’s just say I’m glad I gave it a try.  This book was awesome. It made critical reasoning go from my weakest area in verbal to my strongest. It goes through every question type and discusses all the possible wrong/right answers one could face. I can’t speak highly enough about this book.  It is as close to a must-buy as you can get.

Manhattan GMAT Sentence Correction Guide- This book was pretty great as well. I view it as a great way to start off one’s SC study. Everyone should supplement this with lots and lots of practice (via the The Official Guide or OG Verbal.

Aristotle Prep RC 99- This book was pretty good at enhancing my RC ability. I read about 10 of the difficult passages. It got me used to the most obscure, difficult to decipher types of passages. I’m not sure if I recommend this or not. I would maybe suggest reading all of the OG and OG Verbal passages instead. I did read the Economist, specifically the Science and Technology section, and I believe that helped my reading comprehension a decent amount, so I would definitely suggest doing that as well.

The Official Guide Verbal Supplement- This supplement was great extra practice.   I thought the questions were a little easier than some of the ones on the actual GMAT, but they are official questions, so they really are great practice.

Here’s a summary of how I would rate the materials I used:

GMAT Pill- 9.5/10
Total GMAT Math- 8/10
Extreme Challenge- 9/10
GMAT Club Tests- 9/10
PowerScore CR Bible - 10/10
MGMAT SC Guide- 9/10
RC 99- 7.5/10
The Official Guide 9/10
Official Guide Verbal-8/10

Please go through my section-specific articles to get more in-depth analysis on how to study for the GMAT section-by-section.