Kaplan GMAT 2004 with CD-ROM (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

You will score higher. We guarantee it.

Kaplan's GMAT® 2004 with CD-ROM comes complete with a comprehensive review of all the material on the exam, plus Kaplan's proven test-taking strategies to help maximize your score. This powerful combination is a highly effective way for you to score higher on the GMAT® and make yourself competitive for business school admissions.

Succeed on the Analytical Writing Assessment with Kaplan's expert strategies on approaching the computerized essay grader.

Prepare with quizzes for Problem Solving, Critical Reasoning, Data Sufficiency, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Correction, and a new, expanded GMAT® Math Reference section.

Practice with 5 full-length practice tests, including 4 computer-adaptive ones -- all with complete explanations for every answer.

Score Higher with effective strategies for managing time, succeeding on every question type, dealing with stress, and more.

Plus Special CD-ROM Features Include:

4 computer-adaptive practice GMAT exams

Personalized analysis of your test performance

Over 200 grammar and math flashcards

9 verbal practice tests

9 math practice tests

15 math review lessons

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About the Author

Kaplan is the educational division of The Washington Post Company, which also publishes Newsweek. Kaplan offers courses in London and at 185 centres throughout the world.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan; Bk&CD-Rom edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743241401
• ISBN-13: 978-0743241403
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #679,249 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Important, but not the best study guide, March 4, 2004

By	"scsweeney" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Background - I am 13 years out of college. My test taking and math skills were pretty rusty. I want to get into a top 20 MBA program to make it worth the investment. Consequently a great score was very important. I was shooting for 700.

I bought the Princeton book / CD, the Kaplan book / CD, and the Official Guide from ETS. I also downloaded the PowerPrep software from ETS for free. I completely exhausted the Princeton and Kaplan material - test strategies, exercises, practice tests. I did all the practice tests in PowerPrep. Moreover, I did the last third of the questions from the Official Guide (the harder questions are in the back).

I did not take a training class. I took a Kaplan class 14 years ago for the LSAT and was not happy with the investment. Better would be to find a study partner in your area.

My assessment:
1. The Princeton book by far has the better explanations of test taking strategies, as compared to Kaplan.
2. The Princeton questions are much more similar in structure to the real GMAT questions, as compared to Kaplan.
3. The verbal sections of Princeton practice tests are pretty similar in terms of difficulty to the real GMAT verbal section, as compared to Kaplan.
4. The quantitative section of the real GMAT is far more difficult than Princeton practice tests.
5. The Kaplan practice tests are much harder than the real GMAT.
6. The free online tests that come with the Princeton book / CD are a great added bonus.
7. The PowerPrep software is identical in look and feel to the real GMAT, but the quant questions are definitely easier.
8. The Princeton book has the best approach to the writing sections, but do review the Kaplan material as well.

If you want a top score then my advice is to get all three books and download PowerPrep. You also need a lot of time to prepare, particularly if you're working full time or if you've been out of college for a while. I studied and practiced for about 8 weeks. You also need to be comfortable with taking the test on a computer. It is more difficult than on paper - harder to read on the screen, harder to take notes, etc.

First, start with the Princeton book - this will give you a solid foundation. Next, exhaust the PowerPrep software. This will give you a good baseline of where you are and where you need to focus. (I scored 730 and 740 w/ the PowerPrep software.)

Next tackle the Kaplan book, but only focus on sections where you are having trouble. Then exhaust the Princeton Software. (I scored 720 and 730 on the practice tests on Princeton's CD.)

Then do the Kaplan CD practice exercises and practice tests. The tests are very hard, more difficult than the GMAT . . . particularly the verbal. You will score lower on these tests. The practice exercises don't give you enough time to answer all of the questions. Nevertheless, try not to become too frustrated. Keep in mind that you are building stamina and you are improving by seeing new, challenging quant questions. (I scored 640 on the diagnostic, and 680, 580, 650, 600 on the Kaplan CD practice tests, much lower than Princeton and PowerPrep.)

When you're finished w/ the Kaplan CD, start doing the last 1/3 or so of each section in the Official Guide, 20 questions at a time. These are ACTUAL GMAT questions. The explanations are EXCELLENT, far better than either Kaplan or Princeton. Unfortunately some Official Guide questions are repeated from the PowerPrep software.

Meanwhile, mix in online practice tests from Princeton; again you'll have seen some questions before. Don't sweat the recycled material. You won't remember the answers to many of them and you'll have to rework the quant questions anyway. At this point it is more important to understand why you are missing certain types of questions repeatedly and to improve how you attack specific question types. (I scored 750, 710, 690, 730 on the Princeton online practice tests. However, these scores are suspect due to the recycled questions.)

My advice is to take NO tests the day before the GMAT. Clear your head some. Spend time getting comfortable with a template for the writing section. Review specific questions that you've missed in the past - the Official Guide is ideal for this - understanding the correct approach. Relax if you can and get a good night's sleep.

Last piece of advice, bring a snack and use ALL of BOTH breaks. Stand up, stretch, whiz, drink something, eat something. The test is exhausting and you need to use the breaks to clear your head and refocus.

If you do all this you should get a great score. The real GMAT was VERY difficult, even after all of my preparation. I even guessed on a few quant questions that I had no idea how to attack. The whole test went by in a blur. Stamina and timing, however, were not an issue with so much full-length practice.

I ended up with a 760, far better than I targeted and expected, even better than on any practice test I took. This was a pleasant surprise, given how difficult the test was as compared to much of the practice material. However, by using all of the practice material effectively I am now able to look at top 10 programs instead of top 20! Yeah!

66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good program, misleading practice tests, August 14, 2003

By A Customer

The most important thing to know about this book is that the practice tests are MUCH HARDER than the actual GMAT. I initially took the diagnostic on the software and got a 680. Encouraged, I went through the software program for a couple of weeks and then decided to take a practice test. Got a 550 and it really freaked me out. I'd like to go to a top school, and a 550 isn't even in the ballpark. I really don't know if Kaplan makes their tests so hard on purpose to scare people into registering for a course, but it almost worked on me.

Instead though, I purchased several other books. Without a doubt, the best one for prep is the "Official Guide". The tests that you get when you register (or from MBA.com) are the best indicators of what you'll actually score. The Princeton review tests seemed much easier than the Kaplan tests (though they proved much more accurate), and the material in that book isn't that great - with the key exception of the writing part. They basically tell you exactly what to do to get a good score - follow their advice, it works.

I also got the Kaplan GMAT 800 book. Not great, but not bad. There aren't enough practice problems in this book. You'll do better just practicing the Official Guide problems at the BACK of each section. Make sure that you do the last 100 problems in each section, which are much harder than those at the beginning of each section.

Overall this is how I scored on the practice tests, and on the GMAT (so that you can get an idea of how the practice tests compare)

Kaplan: 550, 610, 680
Princeton: 720, 740
2 downloadable tests: 720, 760
Actual GMAT: 740

In conclusion, while the Kaplan tests report low scores that do not reflect your likely performance on the GMAT, they also serve as good practice. Buy this book, the Official Guide, and the Princeton Review Verbal Workout (for the writing section).

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Like Training at Altitude, January 10, 2004

By	Sophie Martin (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a GMAT tutor with 15+ years of successful students behind me. Here's what I suggest for the GMAT:

1. Use the Kaplan CD (as cheesy as the presentation is, the tests are very good). I've read the complaints below that the prep tests from Kaplan are too hard, and I have to disagree with the point being made by these students. The only way, on a computer-adaptive test, to increase your score is to test using HARDER, not easier problems. I may kick ass at medium level questions, but unless I want a medium level score, practicing at a lower level hurts rather than helps.

2. Ignore the Kaplan book. Use The Princeton Review books (either Cracking the GMAT or GMAT Workouts for Math and Verbal) for tricks and psychology. Try the Official Guide for extra problems and basic review issues (but use as much of the Princeton psychology as you can -- the official guide encourages you to do the problems straight, and that's a huge waste of time).

3. Take as many practice tests as you can. That means Kaplan, Princeton Review, PowerPrep. Barrons, Petersons, and Dummies are all awful. Don't bother with their instruction or their tests.

4. Check out your local library. Many public libraries have crazy collections of old, out of print Official Guides, chock full o paper-and-pencil tests going back a good 20 years. By all means, use these -- they're a goldmine of practice questions.

Good luck!