Customer Reviews

GMAT with CD-ROM: Fifth Edition (Kaplan)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Although the book has some interesting exercises, its value pales in comparison to that of the companion CD. The CD, stocked with a diagnostic test, four practice tests, and at least three practice sets for each question type (data sufficiency, problem solving, sentence correction, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning), is an invaluable part of any study regimen. The quantitative questions are harder than those on the "real" GMAT (a popular sentiment expressed in most of the reviews), whereas the verbal questions are right on. So, a word of advice, don't be discouraged by low scores on the practice tests as they tend to underestimate your true ability.

In addition to the Kaplan book, another good resource is the PowerPrep software offered by ETS. PowerPrep's practice tests offer you the best approximation of your true score, familiarize you with the interface used on the real GMAT, and help you pinpoint areas for improvement. Before I purchased the Kaplan book I downloaded the Powerprep software and took the first practice exam cold. I scored a 660. I then bought this book and Princeton Review's Verbal Workout (another excellent book). I took all of Kaplan's practice exams, scoring 590, 610, 640 and 650 on consecutive tests. Two days before the GMAT, I took PowerPrep's second practice test and scored a 740, a sizeable improvement. I've no doubt most people experience the same improvement, giving them considerable confidence going into the exam (confidence that helped me score a 780).

The bottomline - buy this book. Despite somewhat forgettable lessons and annoying typos in some of the reading passages, this book/CD succeeds. It will help you work out any timing issues and, unless you're already at 700 or above, it WILL raise your score.

I crammed for the GMAT in one week. I bought books/CDs from both Kaplan and Princeton. I also downloaded the *FREE* PowerPrep software... (from the guys who actually make the real tests). I used all three.

Kaplan had the most amount of useful material. Plenty of sample tests on the CD. The downside is the interface, with a "map" for preparation and tons of useless videos and animation. I'd prefer a simple, plain, interface. My results on Kaplan's practice tests were about 150 points lower than the Princeton and PowerPrep tests. But this isn't a bad thing because it can make you work and study harder.

Princeton was OK, but there wasn't as much information on the CD. My scores on the practice test were slightly lower than on PowerPrep.

PowerPrep was an excellent way to judge my TRUE score. But it won't teach you the "tricks" of getting a higher score. However, the results were almost identical to my actual test results.

If I did it again, I'd buy Kaplan and download PowerPrep. Forget Princeton. Do some practice tests with Kaplan but don't be disappointed in the "low" scores. Then, to boost your confidence, take a PowerPrep test to see where you truly stand.

Good luck!

Although the book has some interesting exercises, its value pales in comparison to that of the companion CD. The CD, stocked with a diagnostic test, four practice tests, and at least three practice sets for each question type (data sufficiency, problem solving, sentence correction, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning), is an invaluable part of any study regimen. The quantitative questions are harder than those on the "real" GMAT (a popular sentiment), whereas the verbal questions are right on. So, a word of advice, don't be discouraged by low scores on the practice tests as they tend to underestimate your true ability.

In addition to the Kaplan book, another good resource is the PowerPrep software offered by ETS. PowerPrep's practice tests offer you the best approximation of your true score, familiarize you with the interface used on the real GMAT, and help you pinpoint areas for improvement. Before I purchased the Kaplan book I downloaded the Powerprep software and took the first practice exam cold. I scored a 660. I then bought this book and Princeton Review's Verbal Workout (another excellent book). I took all of Kaplan's practice exams, scoring 590, 610, 640 and 650 on consecutive tests. Two days before the GMAT, I took PowerPrep's second practice test and scored a 740, a sizeable improvement. I've no doubt most people experience the same improvement, giving them considerable confidence going into the exam (confidence that helped me score a 780).

The bottom line - buy this book. Despite somewhat forgettable lessons and annoying typos in some of the reading passages, this book/CD succeeds. It will help you work out any timing issues and, unless you're already at 700 or above, it WILL raise your score.

The Kaplan GMAT reviewer is INDISPENSABLE because of the companion cd. To those taking the GMAT, the secrets to success are practice, practice, and practice. No other test preparation tool gives you the kind of computer exam practice you'll need as the Kaplan cd.

The Kaplan book is so-so. However, you will find its advice on "backsolving and plugging in the answer" invaluable strategies during the real GMAT. Further, the GMAT math reference containing 100 math concepts (easy,intermediate,difficult) is a good starting point for those rusty in their math.

But the companion cd is something else. It has one diagnostic exam, 4 sample exams, and 3 sample exams each for sentence correction, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, problem solving and data sufficiency.

Many people think that by just knowing the concepts, they'd do fine in the GMAT. But a computer adaptive exam is a totally different ballgame. The winning formula depends not only on one's knowledge but also on one's speed and fast thinking. Remember, in the quantitative section, one must answer 37 questions in 75 minutes, and in the verbal section, one should finish 41 questions in 75 minutes. Panic is the greatest enemy because it can block your ability to think. One should go into the exams mentally and physically prepared to tackle the gruelling 3 1/2 - 4 hour exams.

Thus, you need to practice under true test conditions. The Kaplan cd is your best resource that helps simulate true testing conditions.

Aside from the Kaplan, purchase the GMAT official reviewer by ETS. This is a must have too because it has hundreds of sample questions. Though a must-have, the GMAT reviewer will merely help one weave through the kinds of questions that may be asked but does not prepare one to deal with the time-pressure that one experiences in the real GMAT. Of course, the official reviewer comes with the powerprep software containing 2 sample exams. But these exams rehash the questions asked in the official reviewer. (Tip: Don't dwell too much on the topics on sets and the discussion on probabilities. They will just confuse you. The discussions were too academic. The Kaplan discussion on probabilities was better. But the official reviewer is a good resource for topics on arithmetic, algebra, geometry and coordinate geometry.)

As a final resource, buy the Peterson Guide to the CAT GMAT. It has lots of sample questions too taken under true test conditions. (Junk its advice on timing - it does not work. Tip: think quick and answer quickly). Plus, its reviewers on Math concepts and sentence correction are top-notch!

Believe me when I say that your success in the GMAT will depend on a large part on the PRACTICE YOU GET UNDER TRUE TEST CONDITIONS. I did not exactly get a score of 700 (+) but very close to that. I could not have gotten my near-700 score without the Kaplan. (Remember: A high GMAT score is very important but is not everything. You also need good grades, good work experience, great essays and strong recommendations. For those targetting the "top 10" B-schools, consider purchasing the ABC of Getting the MBA Admissions Edge)

And don't get discouraged if you don't get good simulation scores in the Kaplan. The questions in the Kaplan cd were a bit more difficult than those that came out during the actual GMAT. I guess it is better to "over prepare" than to "under prepare."

One last advice - for the AWA part - don't concentrate too much on this one. As long as you have practice for 2 "issues" and 2 "analysis" questions, you'll do fine in the real GMAT.

So good luck with the GMAT! Just remember - never underestimate the power of practice. PRACTICE WILL GIVE YOU THAT PUSH TOWARDS 700 AND BEYOND!!!

I bought the Kaplan book because of the company's reputation, and because the CD promised to give the tests I needed, fast.

On the first test I took, I scored 690, and was looking forward to raising my score for the schools I was applying to. Here's how I did:
Test 2 = 650
Test 3 = 590
Test 4 = 550

That's just the numbers. In terms of the feeling you get during the actual test, it's quite stressful. So many of the questions, especially the reading comperhension, were incorrect, eg they quote wrong line numbers. It wastes a lot of your time trying to figure out the right question before you can tackle the right answer.

Furthermore, the testing methods are inappropriate for the GMAT - the difficulty of the questions is random, and then scaled appropriately to give you a score analogous to the GMAT's. But the real GMAT is based on adaptive difficulty of questions - if you get a question right, the next question is more difficult. If you get that one wrong, the next question is easier. Getting this kind of experience is important if you are to arrive at the exam fully prepared - on the day, there must be nothing new about the situation.

I gave up, and decided I needed a better teacher.

Enter the Princeton book (Cracking the GMAT 2002, ISBN 0375761950). Its questions are accurate. They CD's tests have adaptive difficulty. And the interface more closely matches the GMAT's. A truly excellent bonus is the book - its course logically and powerfully explains the reasoning behind the GMAT, and the skills you should improve.

My score with the Princeton Review was 710. My score with the GMAT was 720. Take my advice, and stick with the Princeton Review.

This book comes with a CD-ROM with interactive multimedia presentations on how to increase your chances of doing a GREAT job on the GMAT. The book is very good for those who learn best through that medium. I found the CD-ROM lessons to be excellent reviews of each type of question you'll find in the Quantitative, Verbal, and essay sections. Plus -- and this is the real value -- there are dozens of practice tests in addition to 4 complete practice computer-adaptive tests that simulate the GMAT's tests. You can keep track of all of your scores on these practice tests, and with graphs you can visualize the progress you make as you practice.

Contrast this with the Princeton Review book w/CD-ROM. The book has ridiculous, self-defeating strategies. Plus, the quality of writing and explanations are much lower in the Princeton Review book than in the Kaplan book. The CD-ROM only has a smattering of practice tests and 4 full-length tests. Buyer beware: The Princeton Review CD-ROM is sparse and contains NO reviews or lessons, whereas the Kaplan CD-ROM is excellent and a wonderful piece of highly produced interactive, educational multimedia.

Avoid the Princeton Review if you can get your hands on this Kaplan GMAT book/CD-ROM!

I only had 1 week with this Kaplan book, but my score increased by 160 points in one week of practice and review. This was AFTER I had pored over the meager Princeton Review book. Don't make my mistake. Get Kaplan.

[Note: I originally wanted to avoid Kaplan because I had a bias against this huge test prep company, but when I saw their book I realized that they quite simply had the superior product. (I'm writing this immediately after returning from the test center and you should know that this book prepared me excellently for the test! I scored higher than I thought possible.)]

This book is one of the keys to doing well on the exam. The book is good; however, the tests are the real deal. The quant questions are far more difficult, while the verbal are dead on. The scoring is quite low, I received 590, 600, 610, and 620. I took the two ETS tests and scored in the mid 700s. I scored similarly on the real exam. Kaplan teaches you the patterns and concepts for which ETS tests and I saw 4-5 difficult problems on the ETS that I had seen on Kaplan tests.

I recommend looking over the explanations with great detail. The ETS book as well as Princeton Review tests are very helpful.

Good luck...

Apparantly all the ppl who wrote a review on this book are in the 95th percentile. Amazing... Well, my advice is take all those recommendations with a grain of salt... a big grain.
Here's the real deal about this book. The math questions are harder then the actual GMAT. The drawback is when you take the actual GMAT you're looking too deeply into the easier problems trying to find the "trick" like you did with the Kaplan review questions.
Now, if you don't remember High School math all that well, then I suggest you first read Princeton's Math Workout, because it will teach you all the basics and tricks. Once you know the basics then move on to this book. If you try to learn the basics with this book you'll rip your hair out, because (my impression of this book is that) Kaplan assumes you are already a master of HS math and this is just review for you. I do recommend this book for advanced review, but don't be fooled into thinking you'll score a 790 like all the other reviewers of this book say they did. Let's face it - anybody scoring in the high 700s probably didn't really need to use this book.
In summary, use this book if you already know your stuff, otherwise use Princeton's to relearn it all!

I just want to take a minute to help you prospective GMAT test-takers. First of all, the Kaplan books are probably the best you will find. Be sure to get the one with the CD--it is probably the most realistic simulation of the GMAT on the market. I bought other books, Barron's and Priceton, just for the CD's so I would have additional practice questions only to find the quality was lacking--the practice questions and tests just weren't GMAT caliber. The Kaplan books are structured so that you really have to buy all 3 (Comprehensive, Math and Verbal) in order to get EVERYTHING. Nevertheless, if you don't need basic Math review, just get the Comprehensive book. The Math book spends a lot of time on the very basics which you will not see on the GMAT; but if you're weak in Math, you probably need the practice. The Verbal book has some good stuff in it too. ETS, the group that creates and administers the GMAT, gives everyone who signs up for the GMAT a free copy of their 'PowerPrep' software. It's good, but here's what you need to be aware of: It is unrealistically easy. If all you use is PowerPrep, they have you where they want you--taking the test over again. I found the Kaplan simulations to be much more like the real test. In fact, my score on the Kaplan CAT's were almost identical to what I scored on the real thing. Most people will need to study for about 3 months or more if they want to score high. Don't underestimate the amount of nit-picky stuff they will throw at you. You will need to know square roots, multiples, and primes--as well as arithmetic, algebra and geometry--very well or they will totally abuse you on test day. I also highly recommend, a book by ARCO called the 'Answers to the Real Essays Questions: Including the 2 that will be on your test'. That's right, all the possible Essay topics are published at ... and this book has a sample essay for each one. So to sum up, use Kaplan's comprehensive GMAT book and PowerPrep first. Exhaust these resources before trying to get more. If you have time, you may want to get the Kaplan Verbal and/or Math books and the ARCO Essay book. Don't bother with Princeton or Barrons books.

The Kaplan GMAT CD-ROM is much better than the text as mentioned by other reviewers. I'm not going to describe too much of what's inside since others have done a good job. Instead, I just wanted to convey my experience with others, so you can see how the Kaplan GMAT can help you with your studies.

1. The PowerPREP CD is actually much closer to the real GMAT than the Kaplan. But the Kaplan will give you many additional tests and exercises to practice on. In my opinion, the math in the Kaplan is much harder than that on the real GMAT. The PowerPREP's was a little harder than the actual GMAT. The Verbal in Kaplan is also harder than the actual GMAT. The Verbal in PowerPREP is a little bit harder than the actual GMAT.

2. Learn to skip or guess intelligently if necessary. This advice especially applies to me for the Math section. It's like a blow to my ego when I find a problem that I can't answer. Luckily, the Kaplan GMAT has enough tough problems that when I took the actual GMAT, I could assess my chances of getting an answer right and instead of getting stuck and burning out the clock, I could make an educated guess instead.

3. Eat well, sleep, and exercise! You'll be surprised at how badly you can do simply because you don't take care of yourself - it may have a bigger factor than practicing or not practicing in some cases.

4. Don't Burn Out!!! When I took the four tests in the Kaplan book, I went from 610 to 640 to 610 to 600! Thinking that I would do better on the PowerPREP, I was shocked to get a 600 the day before the exam! At some point, I began to realize that many of my mistakes on a test were not due to lack of knowledge. Instead, fatigue and carelessness seemed to lower my score more than anything else. So on the night before the exam, I just relaxed and goofed off rather than stress myself out further.

Well, the good news is, I scored 710 on the exam (95th percentile) - not fantastic, but much better than what these practice tests would indicate. My guesstimate is that having studied probably raised my score by at least 70-90 points. Kaplan helps - PowerPREP does too. Make sure you work through both programs and don't forget to sleep... Good luck!