Books for GMAT

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Preparing for GMAT by referring to the right kind of books can get you the score you’re aiming for. However, with the plethora of study material available it is easy to waste your time and money on material that may not help you. Worry not! Here, we’ve provided important tips on finding the right books for you and have also listed out a few of them.

The apt books for GMAT preparation should consist of comprehensive notes on the principal topics and concepts that are asked in the test. It is essential to skim through the book before purchasing it. This helps you to understand if key points and examples are sketchily covered or has detailed information. No topic should just be superficially dealt with. Verbal or quantitative sample questions should be clear and straightforward, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Another important feature of a suitable GMAT prep book is the set of questions printed in it. These set of questions and sample papers should be in par with the level of difficulty of the GMAT test and should be of the same nature as well. The test papers should be balanced in terms of theory, tests and sample answers with detailed explanation.

While the test has four sections: verbal, quantitative, analytic writing and an integrated reasoning section, there are two variations of the course, self-guided and guided. If you are an employed professional, you can opt for the self-guided course as you have full freedom to plan out a good study strategy for yourself. Choosing the guided course ensures you discipline while preparing for the test. Accordingly, you can purchase the necessary guides and books.

The Official Guide for GMAT Review

This book is a must as it is considered the Holy Grail of GMAT preparation. It is a collection of more than 900 questions from past test papers that gives the learner a deeper understanding of GMAT. Since it is authored by GMAC, the creators of the test, the book’s content is limited to topics that are GMAT specific only. Thus preventing any sort of diversion of subject while studying. The various sections in the book help you to prepare for the types of questions expected in the exam. These sections comprise of model questions with detailed explanations, essay topics with illustrated answers, a grammar review, a math review and a score guide along with reasoning questions and a unit on diagnostics. There is also a free software available to download review questions and two full-length practice exams.

There are two more GMAT books authored by GMAC, The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review and The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review. Each of these have a set of 300 GMAT practice questions.  

Manhattan GMAT Complete Strategy Set 

Many opt for the Manhattan Strategy set as it is a widespread series with in-depth knowledge of how to prepare for the test. Along with the series is a test analyser. This feature is of great help to understand one’s areas of strengths and weaknesses. Besides providing the most extensive curriculum in the form of 10 different guides which cover all assigned areas of integrated reasoning, analytics and math, this set contains more than 200 practice questions, 6 computer- adaptive practice exams and a separate guide solely focusing on integrated reasoning. With such a vast availability of study material from just one source, you can be certain of being fully prepared and able to tackle all the questions in the test.

Kaplan GMAT Premier

The Kaplan book is highly recommended by those who have already appeared for the GMAT test. Its key feature is the diagnostic test which enables you to find out your weak areas, work on it and understand corresponding concepts prior to solving papers. There is detailed theory explained at the start of every section. By reading the theory before attempting the questions, your concepts are refreshed and you have a better understanding of answering the sample test. The Kaplan Premier has 6 practice tests of which 5 are available online. Illustrated answers are explained in detail and integrated reasoning strategies are paired with sample questions. Kaplan offers other 9 GMAT prep courses besides the GMAT prep book. 

It is advisable to study from the Kaplan book after referring to the Official Guide as the level of difficulty increases in the Kaplan series.


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