Kaplan GMAT Premier Program [With CDROM]

I decided to take the GMAT on pretty short notice and ordered this book when I registered for the test. I spent about a month with this book and went through the practices from start to finish. It provides some good tips and tricks for various sections, but to make it even better it could provide a summary of the tips and tricks. I was really satisfied with the book because I got a 740 and a 6 on the writing. For $30, I couldn't have asked for more. I found the verbal section of this book (and the accompanying CD) to be a bit harder than the GMAT. I found the math section to be a bit easier. However, it gave a really good, comprehensive review. One thing the CD really helps with is test timing. I was able to finish the verbal section on the real GMAT with 10 minutes to spare thanks to this book. Your scores on the CD tests will likely be disappointing, but the actual score you receive on the GMAT from this review should be higher than the review CD scores.

I didn't want to take the GMAT more than once, so it was essential that I knock it out the first time. I used three books to study (I would recommend completing all three, in this order): - the official GMAT review book & PowerPREP software - the Kaplan premier program & CD-ROM tests - the Kaplan GMAT 800 review book Kaplan practice test scores: 580 to 630 Actual GMAT score: 710 I wouldn't start with this book because the math questions can be frustrating at first, that's why I'd begin with the offical GMAT book. The sample electronic tests that come on the CD with this book are essential as they really helped me get my pacing down on the quantitative section, where I needed the most help. 2 minutes to do some of these problems is not a lot of time, so you have to either quickly solve it or get a best guess and move on. Doing these problems out of a book is just not the same as the computerized test you will take, so I think the included CD is worth the price of this book alone. The "premier" website that you get access to with the book was worthless and I didn't bother doing anything with it. As others have stated, the practice Kaplan tests are much harder than the real test (especially the math) - so don't be discouraged if your Kaplan scores seem low. I would alternate my studying between the book and the practice tests to keep things interesting, but save two of the practice tests for the days before the actual test. I took the exam on a saturday, so I did one practice test on thursday and friday night right before. This was helpful for me to refine my timing on the quant section. If you complete this review along with the other books listed above, I think you will be in good shape for the exam.

I took a lot of comfort from the posts here by people who scored under 600 on the Kaplan practice CATs, and over 700 on the real test. This was my goal, and this is how it happened: PowerPrep 1: 680 Kaplan 1: 580 Kaplan 2: 560 Kaplan 3: 570 PowerPrep 2: 650 Real GMAT: 730! So don't take the scores on the Kaplan tests too seriously. They are much, much harder than the real deal. I found that the Kaplan tests had many intentionally confusing questions, especially in the verbal section. I was angry sometimes at the Kaplan test makers for making the questions so frickin ambiguous. Good luck to everyone taking the GMAT. The Kaplan book is a great resource and prepaed me well.

I took the GMAT yesterday 11/7/2005. The Kaplan practice tests (on the CD) are one of the primary reasons that I scored well. Besides the two PowerPrep tests, I did not use any materials to supplement the Kaplan book and cd, so I can't judge how it compares to other publishers' prep books. The Kaplan book itself is average: good strategies for attacking the quant questions, but no earth-shattering revelations. The math concept/formula review section was particularly helpful. The practice CAT tests are worth the price of the book. As most reviewers note, the practice tests are MUCH more difficult than the actual exam. If you can stomach the low scores, the practice tests will give you insight into how to solve systematically even the most difficult, complex GMAT questions. The practice tests are only beneficial, however, if you review your mistakes and apply the information in the explanations. For what it's worth, here are my scores in chronological order: PowerPrep Test 1: 660 Kaplan CAT 1: 590 Kaplan CAT 2: 560 Kaplan CAT 3: 580 Kaplan CAT 4: 570 PowerPrep Test 2: 720 GMAT Score: 760 As you can see, my CAT scores did not vary significantly, but they helped to improve my second PP practice and actual score. One word of wisdom: Remain calm and relaxed during the test, because your mood during the test can have as much impact on the test's outcome as your preparation has.

I took the GMAT this week and found that the book was helpful, but the practice tests on the CD were not representative of my real score. These tests are great practice because they are way harder than the actual thing, but don't get discouraged because of bad scores. Download the Powerprep software from mba.com for a more representative score. The following are my scores: Kaplan CD Test 1: 560 Kaplan CD Test 2: 550 Powerprep Test 1: 680 Powerprep Test 2: 680 Actual GMAT: 730