Cracking the GMAT with DVD [With DVD]

I recently went through the whole GMAT experience. I purchased this book and the Official Guide 11th edition. (The 2006 Princeton Review edition works just as well so that could save you some cash)The Princeton Review book is great for preparing for the test. It especially helped on the Sentence Correction Section and gave some good insight on the Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. The book also gives a very good math review. While there were a couple of items that I felt like it missed, it is still by far the best Math Review out there. I read this book first and did all the practice questions in it first. As for the practice exams, I felt that they were very accurate and on the same level as the real GMAT. I received two 710s on the Princeton Review practice exams. I also got the Official Guide. It has lots of questions as advertised. The review sections were pretty weak. The one major thing it does provide is insight to how the test makers think. When reviewing their answer explanations, you start to build up an idea of their logic. It helps come test day. I also used the GMATPrep software to take a practice exam 2 days before the test and scored a 730 on it. On test day, I felt fully prepared. When you are finishing it, you feel like you did worse than you really did. In the end, I got a 760 which I am happy about. I could not have got this score without both books. If you just need a decent score and are only going to spend money on 1 book, I would buy the 2006 Princeton Review edition. If you are striving for the best, get both. Good luck!

I highly recommend The Princeton Review study guides. Cracking the GMAT is an excellent guide for the overall exam. Also, I encourage you to use The Princeton Review Math Workout and The P.R. Verbal Workout. These two books went into details not found in Cracking the GMAT. Specifically, the strategies for answering different question types were extremely helpful when I took the exam. I did not find the DVD helpful at all. It may be a nice introduction to the exam, but it didn't help with study prep at all. I also was not very pleased with the interface of the online practice exams. I found the 2 practice exams available on [...] to be more accurate and easy to use. That said, save some money and buy the Cracking the GMAT without the DVD and the 2 extra online exams. Put the difference towards the Math and Verbal Workouts. Those are essential. Only buy The Official Guide from GMAC if you have time to do extra problems beyond the above study guides. Better yet, get a copy from your local library to do extra problems. This strategy served me well. I went from a 640 on my first online test (before studying) to a 730 on the real thing yesterday!

No short (even at 560 large pages plus a CD) book is going to replace what you should have learned over many years of classwork. You should know the basic rules in English, mathematics and the rest. Instead, this book concentrates on the testing aspects: what areas does the test cover, how is it administered, what is the format of the test, things like that. And within the confines of what it is trying to do, this book does an excellent job. It is based on what the test is actually testing. That is, here's the scoop on how to take a multiple choice test that is going to be graded in the way the GMAT will be graded. And there are four practice exams, which seem to be bit harder than the actual test. In addition to the book, there is a CD with a half hour 'TV' show on the test as well as guidance on how to create an outstanding application. In short here's what you need to get into an exclusive MBA program.

i have now had the chance to read through this book. i also have the kaplan one. i find pr to be more focused and concise compared to any of the other gmat books. i feel like the authors respect my time, schedule and tell me EXACTLY what i need to know. very impressive book and very well organized. it's obviously smart to buy several gmat books - this should be one of your purchases. highly recommended.....