How I Got a 770 in GMAT

List of Best GMAT and MBA Books with Top GMAT Books Reviewed and Rated | GMATing

2011-06-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I get way too many questions about which GMAT Books to buy. And answering them every time based on each individual’s requirement can be repetitive. So I decided to put down all the data I could collect and organize it here. Here you will find the list of TOP GMAT and MBA Admissions books. You will also find reviews (pros/cons), rankings, ratings, my recommendations and as to who should buy what! Enjoy!
These are the top GMAT Books ranked. I have considered best selling rankings at Amazon, Average ratings, activity, etc along with my judgment to rank them. The list shows the names of the book with my recommendation, people who should consider buying them and amazon ratings.

Read the entire post here.....its awesome!!!

List of Best GMAT and MBA Books with Top GMAT Books Reviewed and Rated | GMATing

Four Year Under Graduate Degree Requirement in US B-Schools | GMATing

2011-05-25T20:46:00.001-07:00

This is one question which comes up so many times that it's almost cruel to expect an answer. Mainly because the best way to answer this is to look up the school's website. But for all those distressed souls out there, who want it in one place, here it goes. In summary, only Haas, among the top B-Schools takes a NO stand on this. But again, check for yourself. I have taken the text verbatim from their site.

University of Chicago Booth School of Business

In light of the Bologna Accord, Chicago Booth will also accept all three-year international degrees to fulfill the undergraduate prerequisite for application to Chicago Booth.

Admissions | FAQs

Harvard Business School

An international applicant is required to hold a college or university degree equivalent to a four-year American baccalaureate degree.

Admissions | FAQs

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

There are a number of universities around the world that offer 3-year undergraduate programs. If you have received a Bachelor's degree upon completion of such a program, you are eligible to apply to the Wharton MBA program.

Admissions | FAQs

Kellogg School of Management: Northwestern University

Applicants who are part of an international educational system where three-year undergraduate programs are the norm (e.g., India, United Kingdom) are eligible to apply.

Admissions | FAQs

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Degrees from international universities offering only 3-year baccalaureate degrees are valid equivalents.

Admissions

Duke's University Fuqua School of Business

Generally, we will accept international bachelor's degrees. Most of the degrees we see are at least four years. Three-year degrees are fairly common in all U.K.-based systems. Level exams frequently are equal to the first year of college; therefore, a three-year degree from England, Scotland, Wales and Australia are usually equivalent to a four-year program. In India, the bachelor's of commerce degree is three years, and is usually considered the equivalent of a U.S. business degree.

Admissions | FAQs

Stephen M. Ross School of Business: University of Michigan

Yes. Beginning August 2010, we will consider applicants who hold a three-year undergraduate degree from India.

Admissions | FAQs

Haas School of Business: University of California Berkeley

Applicants with a three-year Indian bachelors degree and no additional degree may apply, but are at a significant competitive disadvantage when compared to applicants with similar backgrounds and eligible education.

Unaccepted first degrees: A Postgraduate Diploma in business technology awarded by the Centre for International Management (16 mos) is an UNACCEPTABLE first degree. Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Associate of Institute of Cost Works Accountants, Associate of Business Management, and Associate of Institute of Engineers are NOT acceptable as substitutes for a four-year degree.

Applicants with only a 3-year bachelor's degree do not meet the requirement for admission and are not as competitive compared to candidates with 4-year degrees. Therefore, to be competitive, applicants would need to complete a master's degree (2 years after your bachelor's degree) or other acceptable degree. If you are interested in applying to the Berkeley MBA program, we suggest that you complete an application. Eligibility with regard to the degrees equivalent to a US bachelor's degree cannot be determined in advance of filing an application. The Graduate Division reserves the right to review the official academic records of all applicants whose undergraduate degrees were earned outside the US to determine whether the academic credentials presented for a foreign institution are comparable to the US bachelor's degree.

Admissions | FAQs

The Admissions Office accepts applications from candidates with a three-year undergraduate degree. Those applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Admissions | FAQs

MIT Sloan School of Management

Yes. Candidates with three-year bachelor degrees from outside of the U.S. may apply.

Admissions | FAQs

Darden School of Business: University of Virginia

Darden will also recognize undergraduate degrees that were earned in only three years of study.

Admissions | FAQs

Johnson Graduate School of Business: Cornell University

No Info.

Admissions | FAQs

Tuck School of Business: Dartmouth University

Yes. We require that applicants hold a bachelor's degree (university level) or equivalent. It is of no consequence to the admissions committee whether the degree was completed in more or fewer than four years.

Admissions | FAQs

Tepper School of Business: Carnegie Mellon University

We will consider applicants who hold a 3-year undergraduate degree. In general, due to the highly competitive nature of our applicant pool, candidates with additional education beyond their 3-year degree are more competitive.

Admissions | FAQs

Counting (Permutations & Combinations): GMAT Algebra | GMATing

2011-05-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

Video Lecture Series! Much awaited lecture on Counting. See here...and don't forget to subscribe on youtube!

Come back with suggestions, requests, almost anything. For all those GMAT takers, send me your requests.

Counting (Permutations & Combinations): GMAT Algebra | GMATing

Enjoy!

Kellogg Admissions Success Story

2011-05-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

Hey there! And this week we have Kshitij with us, who got into Kellogg Graduate School of Management in 2010 Fall. He is a very close friend of mine. We went together to IIT and infact we have the same major. He is one of the nicest person I know and was took time to share his side of story with us.

Read here:

Kellogg Graduate School of Management Admissions Success Story: Kshitij | GMATing

MIT Sloan MBA Admissions Success Story | GMATing

2011-05-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

This is the first among the many interviews to come from successful B-School applicants. I was hoping if I can ask my friends to share their success stories and application strategies with us, it would be wonderful. I am fortunate to have a terrific network of people I personally know, who are in the best b-schools, living their MBA dream. I thought if I could give them the platform to share the knowledge, we all will benefit. So enjoy the post and leave a thanks for our guest speaker to show your appreciation. Read more here...MIT Sloan MBA Admissions Success Story | GMATing

GMAT Math Lectures Series: Mixtures and Allgation

2011-04-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

So finally the Videos! I have started with a bunch of instructional videos showing how to do mixtures problems on the GMAT with a cool trick. Hope it will help you guys! And do not forget to subscribe to my website which has so much more. Many articles on individual topics, videos, stories, etc.

Here is the link to my youtube channel: GMATing

Enjoy and comment on the videos. Your comments will come back to help you and everyone else...so share the knowledge....thats what we do. Remember its all free :)

Should You Retake the GMAT?

2011-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Many people ask me whether they should retake the GMAT. I do not want to sound as if I don't have confidence in them and so I end up telling them that they can certainly improve it. And almost always I end up helping them personally with my time and effort. But if you do not have such a support system you might wanna reconsider that decision.
In order to benefit people who are in such a dilemma, and not a good one, I am writing this article which will help you take a stand on this tough question.

Read it at my website. Retaking the GMAT

I am sure it will help. Even if you are not in the same boat, you might wanna read it for so many reasons. Leave a comment or two!

Take care all. Once again the LINK

Tuck Admitted Students Weekend ASW

2011-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

ASWome! Just came back from Tuck School of Business, University of Dartmouth in Hanover NH. And everything I have heard about Tuck is so true! And things I never heard about Tuck are so overwhelming too! Seriously guys I now know why B School Applications are so important. Because they know their stuff man. More than me, the adcom guys know that I am gonna be a great fit in their school. It was two days of immense fun, knowledge and caring. First thing you feel about Tuck is that everyone is so caring and so super helpful. It sounds cliched but thats how it is. They are all so passionate. I mean if you are not sure about Tuck, they are completely gonna rewire your brain. The place is like a Robert Frost's poem. The school looks as if it is a beacon of knowledge. The whole thing is fantastic. Nestled in the idyllic Hanover, it's a gem of a school.

And I don't know why no one hears so much about Tuck, when it is the best School in terms of placement and jobs. I am not kidding, it IS. Go check. Everyone gets a job, great jobs. Even in recession, everyone here was happy. People have 3 jobs with super awesome pays. The alum network is fantastic! I mean fantastic.

I will write more about it, the whole thing. Too tired after two days of driving around, drinking beer, attending sessions, lectures, events, dance parties, international lunches, student hosted dinners, etc etc :D

I am so sure that I am going to Tuck. And hell they even have financial aid without a cosigner now!!! Fantastic!

Making a timeline for your GMAT to B-School Journey

2011-04-13T00:00:00.001-07:00

Before you start your GMAT preparation, you MUST have a timeline. Basically a good time to start the GMAT preparation is the start of the year. I will tell you why!

Let’s work backwards. Eventually you will have to apply to a B-School. Let’s say you are an international applicant, you must apply no later than Round 2. Now you would ideally want to apply in Early Decision Rounds or Round 1, and keep a few backup schools in Round 2. This translates to deadlines around Oct 1st to Oct 15th for the first set of applications. Now I am an expert on Applying to B-schools (that’s a different story!) and I know that even for the best writers, it takes around 2 months to write a good set of essays. But to make them great, plus filling out those lengthy forms, managing your transcripts, supporting documents and constantly poking your recommenders will add another 1 month to your timeline.

Now that means July, August and September are consumed in applying for the October Deadlines. Now you may like it or not, many people have to retake the GMAT and so keep that 1 Month buffer in your plan. That takes care of June too. BTW you cannot retake the GMAT within one month of your last attempt. So that’s why the 1 month buffer.

So that leaves you with 5 months. An average student takes around 3 months to prepare. All my students who have prepared gave the tests before May end. Now this may have started making you anxious. So now you see why I ask you to start early! So anyway, the point is you should start your preparation in full blow by March so that you have a good time line. But use that time in Jan and Feb to see what you are up against.

10 tips for your GMAT that actually help

2011-04-11T22:40:00.001-07:00

Whatever you do, whichever way you plan your studies, however long is your timeline, there are a couple of things you MUST keep in mind. These 10 points are my most repeated ones whenever I am giving advice or sharing my experience.

Take a test date: After dabbling with the idea of GMAT for a maximum of one week, take a diagnostic test and based on that take a test date. It may be 2 months later, 3 months later, but you HAVE to take a test date to stay motivated and on track.
Read the best books: I cannot stress this enough. It's actually very obvious: you save time, you learn only correct stuff, you do not waste time and energy over whelming yourself. So only get the highly recommended bare essentials except if you have special needs with a particular topic or section.
Have your Basics strong: Give time and effort in strengthening your basics. It's a fixed cost you incur, but the foundation has to be strong to capitalize on it. It's not just about GMAT. When you get into a B-school, you will need these concepts again. You don't just want a shallow, short-term knowledge base. So before solving problems it's always a good idea to study that topic from a trusted source.
Practice / Study daily: No brainer. To be consistent in your performance and build a good stamina for the exam you have to practice daily as if it's the last day of your prep. Practice as if you are taking the actual test. Give your best in every problem, every line of the book.
Take atleast 10 mock tests: Anything fewer is not going to be a true representative of your preparation. So if you want to have a fair idea of your final score, take no more than 10. 2 GMAT prep + 4 Kaplan + 2 Princeton/Manhattan maybe.
Do not rely solely on Mock Test Scores: They are not correct most of the times. I recommend relying on your accuracy levels for a fairer judgment.
Keep 1 Month in case you have to retake GMAT: Try for the best, prepare for the worst. Even after lots of hard work, sometimes people fail. That doesn't mean you give up. Get back and retake it. But space that 1 month before the application season which starts around June. So keep that buffer.
Have a reasonable goal: Don't under or over assess yourself. There are things which might be stopping you from getting your dream score, but you should figure that out in that 1 month. After that, it's just an excuse. If your goal is a 720, make sure there no major glitches toward getting that number. There is no point analyzing after you have screwed up; well there is, but it's always better to do that before the exam.
Get the help when you need it: If you get stuck, get help right away. No point waiting for something to happen. Get help, ask people, get the impediments out of the way as soon as you encounter them.
Stay healthy: It's weird but you won't believe how many times people say that they screwed up because they were on medication. Stay fit. Stay positive. Live healthy. Take out time for hobbies, fun activities. GMAT does not mean 2 months of jail. Have a good life, balanced life. Enjoy the journey.

Tuck Calling!

2010-12-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah this post took longer than expected, but nevertheless it happened. Got into Tuck! Been feeling on top of the world these days :) Always saw myself in a school with a small batch size. And yes ivy league certainly adds to the appeal. Something about Tuck always gave me that feeling of belonging :)

Thanks to all of you for all the good wishes and blessings. Knowing that you guys always wished for my success makes this a very special accomplishment.

Cheers!

Conquered CFA Level 1

2009-08-27T00:07:00.003-07:00

Hi Guys! I hope your GMAT preparation is going well. All the best to all test takers and applicants!
Good news! I passed CFA level 1 Exam. Infact I got >70% in all 10 topics, which I was hoping for. As always I worked hard and it paid off! Hope this inspires all you guys who are finding it tough to sail through. I know office hours can be mean, leaving you no time to study. But the truth is all of us are going through the same phase, and most of the applicants are employed. So if anyone of us can do well on these exams, it goes on to show that you can too. I am an engineer and CFA has nothing to do with it. I had to start from scratch and most importantly I had no one who could give company. So if you want some help or guidance while anyone of you consider CFA, let me know. I will be more than happy to help!

Meanwhile I have updated my website to include the much awaited 3 months schedule. Sorry for not being active. As you can imagine, theres a lot of stuff in my plate. And building and managing the entire website is indeed a huge task.

I hope you enjoyed the post! Keep in touch! And don't forget to subscribe to my website using the RSS feed. www.gmating.com and Subscribe to GMATing.
Adios!

Best time to take the GMAT

2009-05-21T05:31:00.004-07:00

Many guys ask me, "What's the best time to take the GMAT"? I always suggest them a time somewhere around July-August. Keeping atleast 2 months in hand, one should start in May. Which is now!

If you are still thinking about the same old question, better stop thinking and start doing! This is THE right time for you....

To strengthen my argument I would like to add that the most number of visitors to my blog are at this time. Most number of GMAT related stuff is purchased during this time!!

So start today! Read my other posts, go to my website and start rocking!!

All the best!

The Official Guide for GMAT® Review, 12th Edition

2009-04-16T23:29:00.004-07:00

The newest GMAT study guide with real GMAT questions—and their answers— by the creators of the test.

This is the description as per the MBA.com

The new 12th Edition debuts 300 new questions (and answer explanations) not seen in any of our other study materials. We’ve also updated answer explanations for many questions to make them easier to follow and understand.

Other features of the Guide include:

* A total of 907 questions and thorough answer explanations for each
* 100-question diagnostic test
* 807 practice questions in order of difficulty
* 270 essay topics, sample responses, and scoring information
* Comprehensive math and grammar reviews
* The truth about the Top 10 GMAT myths
* Tips to prepare for the GMAT exam

Get your study materials straight from the source—the experts on the GMAT exam.

There is no overlap between questions found in The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 12th Edition, The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review, The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, and GMATPrep®. The 300 new practice questions in the 12th Edition replace 300 practice questions from the 11th Edition. The remaining questions overlap.

Brand New Website

2009-02-19T04:33:00.006-08:00

Brand new shining website launched!!! www.gmating.com
I know it's not fully developed yet and it has lotsa things missing may be. But it's there and trust me it's gonna give some prep sites, a serious run for their money.
It's not an extension to this blog. The website is aimed at being a encyclopaedia for GMAT. I will include feedback forms, forums, Schedulers, videos and so many other cool stuff. But I am working on this all alone! It's a herculean task and I want the quality to be awesome!

So keep checking it out and you can comment here for the mean time!! I hope all you guys who have been an avid reader of this blog will help me help you by improving my website....PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZ comment!

Cheers!

Updates for My Readers

2008-11-02T07:40:00.009-08:00

Hi everyone!

I am really happy that you guys find my blog to be useful. In return for the overwhelming support and appreciation from you guys, I promise that it will be my constant endeavour to keep the blog updated and useful.

Few things I would share:

1. My download links ARE working now! E-mail me for anything else! I give you my word that I will revert.

2. I will start working on my website as soon as I am done with my CFA exams in December. You will have a host of new stuff there.

3. I am planning to make lecture videos. Hoping to give the coaching classes a run for their money. It will be free as usual and comprehensive. I need some time tho.

4. I will start playing with new features and widgets to enhance the usability of my proposed website. I need help from you guys who are good in php, web designing and things like that.

5. I feel that most of the GMAT related stuff is already there on this blog, but the prominent exclusion is post-GMAT related help. I will include MBA application section soon. I have helped my friends to get to their dream schools. One of my friend has made it to Tepper, CMU and I am proud to say that, I took care of everything right from GMAT(740)-TOEFL(109/120)-School Selection-Essays-Recos-Submissions-Visa Interviews-Flight Tickets. One of my friends who scored a 570 last yr came to me and again we had quite a success in that he scored a 670 this yr and got an ADMIT from ISB which is the only school he applied to. All the success/failure stories will go up here.

6. To update you about whats happening on my end : Prepping for the upcoming CFA L1. Starting Jan I will start prepping for my 2010 Fall Applications. Will require extensive reading, organization, school selection and eventually writing/re-writing essays and interview preparation (if i get the interview calls!)

7. Everything will go on the blog/website.

8. Why I write this blog? Because I believe in the fundamental values of education which says that it grows by sharing. I do just that.

Thanks for reading and all the mails/comments. All the best you guys!

And yes! Recession is good for the good and bad for the bad. So lets better ourselves!

The non-Gmat side of Zaphod!!

2008-05-21T04:43:00.007-07:00

After a long time wanted to write a post...was looking for some gaps in my blog site which I could fill. Naaah!! It's almost there...may be a lot more will come when I start applying next year. So thought why not talk about me. All you guys know about me is that I am a frustrated soul, who took the GMAT outta frustration and just killing time by blogging...hardly!!

I will apply to some really good schools next year, such as Stan, Kellogs, GSB chic, HBS (stop laughing....will you? ) Meanwhile I will just work at my current company which makes short painted tales using its own proprietary software...which is some kick-ass piece of coding. You can check out my company's site here : AURYN
Hopefully in a month we'll roll out yet another short painted tale for kids (which will have my name in the credits too :D )

I love my gadgets!! And I love talking about them too! :D If i didn't have a love for them...prolly I wouldn't be working as hard. After a long tiring day or week I totally rely on them to relax me. Playing with them keeps my mind sharp and adds zing to my life.

My most beautiful possession is my Camera...I just love it. Its a Canon EOS digital rebel XTI aka EOS 440D. I have a modest assortment of lenses as well to go with it which I have collected over time. I got a 18-55mm kit lens with it...which I have never used.
I also got a 17-85 mm IS lens with it...which is an invaluable lens. Image stabilization is kick ass and the range is very useful especially when I am traveling and clicking random pics and don't bother to change lenses. Its a value for money, and is a must. The picture quality is not stunning, but you can click some really nice photos. Its not really fair to compare it to a prime lens or a L-series lens. It works very well at f8 if you are into landscape photography. Good thing is it can couple as a macro lens too...Its not a true macro lens (meaning 1:1) but its nonetheless good.

Recently I got a 100mm Macro lens and 70-200mm L f4 non-IS lens. They simply ROCK!!! 100mm is just impressive....the macro pics are STUNNING!!! And its said that its the sharpest lens canon makes. All reviews, everywhere tell you the same story. The other good thing about this lens is that you can do normal portraits and landscapes too. Not really meant for it...but nevertheless if you feel your subject is treated well at this focal range (which becomes 160mm in my camera) it would turn out to be sharp and impressive.

70-200 f4 is an L series lens....shall I say more...and its not like the other tele lenses...which become soft at extremes...it is sharp, meaning SHARP, at all focal lengths. The color quality is awesome...it has the typical canon L lens feel to it, obviously. Its not heavy or big. But you lose out on IS. But mostly I do my photography in good light conditions and 200mm (which become 320mm) is not too tough for me to handle, I get good shots even hand held (blur due to shake is a probabilistic phenomenon...so take 2-3 shots and you will end up with a gud sharp pic)

My camera kit is not extravagant (compared to some really rich enthusiasts)...but its balanced and I am happy and will be happy for a quite a while.

The camera + kit lens (700$)
17-85mm 550$
100mm 450$
70-200mm f4 550$

Check out my album if you really want to verify if it's really worth the money :-D

The next best thing I have is my car...suzuki ALTO...not much in terms of specs...actually it comes at the low end of things...but but but...it s really really comfortable. Long drives are fun, you can hear the engine noise...i don't keep the A/C most of the times and it's the breeze which I want on my face. Very cheap to maintain, good mileage. Not good for rear passengers...but who cares!! I am single! I put my camera and tripod in my car, fill it up and zoom. One of the crazy things i have done in my car is I made a trip to Ajanta Ellora in a day, 710 kms, 14 hrs of continuous driving :D

Ok so next in line is my bicycle...as a kid I cudn't have asked for more than a hero bicycle...so this time I got a bike of my choice. I have a firefox viper which rocks! for 17000 I get Shimano tourney gears, 21 speed, Disc brakes for front and rear and lotsa other jazz. I make my office run on the bike which comes to around 16 kms!! And since you can't leave it in the parking lot (its damn too costly for a bike!!) I carry it 5 floors to my balcony :D I love it!! It helps me stay fit and when I want to I can go offroading with my camera.

Then come my laptop, which is a Dell Precision M6300. The specs are really good. 4GB RAM, Ge Force Quadro FX and HD display (Infact more 1920 X 1200) Since I work wth Maya and Adobe products, needed a good display and great performance. This machne rocks. The performance is awesome and the display is just stunning! It was heavy on my pocket (2500$ +) The bad things...hideous by design and painfully heavy (especially when I have to carry it on my back and bike to the office :( )

Then comes ICE (In Car Entertainment). I am a music lover and I don't mean noise. I have to have my music pure. I have a set of JBL GTO97 in the rear and Illusion electra component speakers for the front. It gives me a good range right from the lower to higher frequencies. And the clarity is awesome. The HUD is Pioneer (wid USB support) so I can connect my antique Ipod to it as well...the total damn thing cost me 17000 bucks which is more than I initially planned...but who cares!

Other random stuff which help me keep myself busy are my LEGO robotics set and my RC Lambo :D

What would life be without these toys! As its rightly said...when boys become men, they don't stop playing...the toys get faster, bigger and expensive :D

Share your hobbies and passions too!! Btw photography helped me a lot durng my GMAT prep...it helped me take my mind off things and just chill...

Ciao! I enjoyed writing this post...and btw thanks to all you guys who buy stuff from here...I use the amazon referral to buy my gadgets from Amazon...how ironic!!

GMAT Preparation Guide ... A Detailed Schedule for Two Months....PART II

2008-03-07T04:02:00.005-08:00

So here we meet again!!! So you have completed one month of prepping and now you are ready for the next step!!!
This is gonna be super awesome...you know why?? Simply because this month we will go to the next level of serious prepping (not that you can afford not to be serious in the first month :-D ). This month we will target Kaplan 800, redo the OG and take as many tests as possible. And then you can happily go and crack the GMAT !

A small summary will help at this point of time. Last two weeks...test marathon (including sectional tests). First two weeks will be devoted to finish the kaplan 800, redo the Tough+Medium OG questions and revise your notes.

============== WEEK FIVE ================

Day 29 :
Arrange all the new books on your table. Pick up Kaplan 800. Start RC section. And finish it from start to end. Make notes, grids and all the jazz I have mentioned earlier. Make Flashcards for RC tricks and tips and stick it!

Day 30 :
Ditto for PS.

Day 31 :
Ditto for SC.

Day 32 :
Ditto for CR. But but but...also take out the AWA document I have provided. And go through it.

Day 33 :
Today also we will do CR and AWA. MAke notes from the AWA document and learn them by heart. Write two sets of AWA essays, i.e. 4 essays (2 argument and 2 issue)

Day 34 :
Start DS. And finish it from start to end. Make notes, grids and all the jazz I have mentioned earlier. Make Flashcards for DS and tips and stick it!

Day 35 :
Revise everything. Do the questions again which you missed the first time. Or if you have any confusion, just get it clarified.

SUMMARY :

So this week you finished the toughest book in stores for GMAT. Feel good and satisfied. Go through all the new things you learnt and revise your notes. Analyse whats going good/bad with your prep. How much more you need to put in. Things like that. ATB.

============== WEEK SIX ================

Day 36 :
Take out your OG grid and OG. Make a list (or get out the print out) of all the questions you did wrong on the first go (Last month when you did the OG) for all the sections.

Then take the SC section and side-by-side open the SC section of the Kaplan 800 for reference. Then solve the questions from that list. And hey here I am assuming you will at max get 100 questions wrong and so you should be able to do it in one day. If your work pressure is too much, then do something about it. No one can help you with that except yourself!

Day 37 : Do the same thing for the CR section.

Day 38 : Do the same thing for the RC section.

Day 39 : Do the same thing for the PS section.

Day 40 : Do the same thing for the DS section.

Day 41 : Write 3 sets of essays for AWA section. Take help from the AWA doc.

Day 42 :Do whatever you want to. Take a chill pill. Sit down on a chair facing the window and in your mind go through all the SC rules in your mind. Think about the fallacies. Revise the formulae in your mind. Basically make a mental map of all the stuff you have gone through.

SUMMARY :

So this week you revised and learnt from all your mistakes and gotten ready for the ultimate two weeks before the actual GMAT.

============== WEEK SEVEN ================

Day 43 : Get your laptop/machine...preferably with a mouse. Collect your test materials...CDs and sit down with all your concentration. Its going to be long and better be prepared for it. And simply start. One test a day!

Day 44 : --do--

Day 45 : --do--

Day 46 : --do--

Day 47 : --do--

Day 48 : --do--

Day 49 :--do--

SUMMARY :
So basically you take a test each day and analyze it properly. Track your mistakes...not repeat them. Revise your formulae sheet.

============== WEEK EIGHT ================

Same as last week. After 14 tests just chill and go take the test....
I would recommend you to take the tests in the proper order. See my post on test strategies.

ATB

What is GMAT® ?

2008-02-20T05:01:00.012-08:00

Hitchhiker's Guide to GMAT!
Answers to Life, the Universe and Everything (including GMAT) !!

People often stop me in the streets to ask "Hey Zaphod, what's this GMAT thingy all about"? Sometimes I can't even walk outside my house without somebody standing there with a giant neon sign that blinks "What is GMAT"? Instead of answering every individual separately and so you can save your money on those neon signs. I decided to write a post that would answer that simple yet complex question. My special thanks to Sir Douglas Adams, IIMs, my Girlfriend and well...Destiny.

What is the GMAT?

The Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) is a standardized assessment—delivered in English—that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs. To add to this, most MBA schools require a GMAT.

How does GMAT look like?

The GMAT® exam consists of three main parts, the Analytical Writing Assessment, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section.
Analytical Writing Assessment
The GMAT® exam begins with the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). The AWA consists of two separate writing tasks—Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. You are allowed 30 minutes to complete each one.

Optional Break (5 mins)

Quantitative Section
Following an optional ten-minute break, you begin the Quantitative Section of the GMAT® exam. This section contains 37 multiple-choice questions of two question types—Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. You are allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section.

Optional Break (5 mins)

Verbal Section
After a second optional ten-minute break, you begin the Verbal Section of the GMAT® exam. This section contains 41 multiple choice questions of three question types—Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. You are allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section.

Hey! What is CAT? I hear a lot about it (mostly myths).

Its not witchcraft!! It means that its a Computer Adaptive Test. Quantitative and Verbal sections consist of multiple-choice questions delivered in a computer-adaptive format. Questions in these sections are dynamically selected as you take the test; the multiple-choice questions will adjust to your ability level, and your test will be unique.

For each multiple-choice section of the GMAT® exam, there is a large pool of potential questions ranging from a low to high level of difficulty. Each section of the test starts with a question of moderate difficulty. If you answer the first question correctly, the computer will usually give you a harder question. If you answer the first question incorrectly, your next question will be easier. This process will continue until you complete the section, at which point the computer will have an accurate assessment of your ability level in that subject area.
In a computer-adaptive test, only one question at a time is presented. Because the computer scores each question before selecting the next one, you may not skip, return to, or change your responses to previous questions.

TIPS:

Make educated guesses, when you have to.
Its always better to finish off the section by making logical guesses than to leave the section unfinished.

Your score is determined by:

the number of questions you answer,
whether you answer the questions correctly or incorrectly, and
the level of difficulty and other statistical characteristics of each question.

Some questions are not rated, but that doesn't mean you know which ones! So answer all questions properly.

Practise a lot with the GMAT Prep software. Its an exact replica of the actual test.
(Look Wise only!!)

What does it cost to take the GMAT?

The current fee to register for the GMAT is $250 (USD). If a test appointment is cancelled at least seven calendar days prior to the scheduled appointment, a partial refund of $80 (USD) is issued. The test fee of $250 includes the release of your score report to up to five business schools. Additional score reports can be requested for an additional cost of $25 per school.

How to report scores to the schools?

Five score reports are free. The names of these schools are supposed to be filled in before the test. You just need to know which schools you wan to apply to. The procedure is simple. You can search the schools and use the drop downs to populate the names. You DON'T have to memorize the codes!! And yes, it needs to be filled in before you take the test. So you should apply to 2 dream schools. 2 feasible schools and 1 safe school, so that you don't waste that freebie.

When should I take the GMAT?

Okay! So obviously there's an ideal scenario and there's a not so ideal scenario. Strive to take the GMAT about a year prior to your expected entrance into Business School. You will have plenty of time to work on your application process, which is 20 imes tougher than taking the GMAT.

Also let's say you screwed up the first time, you cannot reschedule it within one calender month. So keep that buffer period as well. Also your score comes only after 20 days...so that's also a consideration.

At a minimum, you want to take the GMAT a month before the application deadline. It will take anywhere from two to four weeks to get your official score, although you will get an unofficial score immediately after you take the test. You can arrange for your test score to be sent directly to you and up to 5 schools in which you are applying. If you take the test close to an application deadline, you may want to include the unofficial score report with your application.

Last but not the least take the GMAT only when you have prepared and are confident that you'll rock.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Suggested links : GMAC OFFICIAL SITE

GMAT Reading Comprehension : Tips, Tricks and Strategies to Score Higher

2008-02-19T08:20:00.010-08:00

Many of my readers/students find RC the toughest in Verbal Section on GMAT. I've only one thing to say to them : you may actually never solve a SC question or involve yourself in Critically Reason out an argument, but you would certainly read something everyday!! Reading comprehension requires lots of practice and very good understanding of the examiner's psyche.

This is what makers of the GMAT have to say about READING COMPREHENSION :

Reading Comprehension Questions

Reading Comprehension passages are up to 350 words long. Topics contain material from the social sciences, physical or biological sciences, and business-related areas (marketing, economics, human resource management, etc.).

Because the Reading Comprehension section of the GMAT® exam includes passages from several different content areas, you may be generally familiar with some of the material; however, no specific knowledge of the material is required. All questions are to be answered on the basis of what is stated or implied in the reading material.

Reading Comprehension passages are accompanied by interpretive, applied, and inferential questions.

What Is Measured

Reading Comprehension questions measure your ability to understand, analyze, and apply information and concepts presented in written form.

This section evaluates the following abilities:

Understanding words and statements in reading passages: Questions of this type test your understanding of and ability to comprehend terms used in the passage and your understanding of the English language.
Understanding the logical relationships between significant points and concepts in the reading passages: Questions of this type ask you to determine the strong and weak points of an argument or to evaluate the importance of arguments and ideas in a passage.
Drawing inferences from facts and statements in the reading passages: Questions of this type ask you to consider factual statements or information and, on the basis of that information, reach a general conclusion.
Understanding and following the development of quantitative concepts as they are presented in verbal material: Questions of this type involve the interpretation of numerical data or the use of simple arithmetic to reach conclusions about material in a passage.

I have a post discussing each of these types :

How to Tackle Reading Comprehension Questions on the GMAT

Here are some links you may find useful :
http://www.west.net/~stewart/gmat/qmread.htm
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/gmat/exam.asp
http://www.educationindex.net/educationarticles/graduateschoolstips/preparegradschool/gmatbusinessexams/gmatsverbalsection.html
http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/readingtest2.htm

Here is the list of all Tricks /Pointers I could think of :

Read between the Paragraphs.
Read for Author's Main Idea and Primary Purpose.
Create a thought flowchart by writing down the Main Idea and Primary purpose after each paragraph.
The Main Idea of the passage is the repeated idea in each of the Main ideas (of the paragraphs)
The primary purpose is mostly the Primary purpose of the concluding paragraph.
Classify the passages as

Explanatory (Mostly Science passages, explain one theory/phenomenon in detail)
Comparative (two or more point of views on a theory/topic. Doesn't go in much detail)
Argumentative (Subjective, opinionated. Mostly social science/business topics. Pros and cons of a topic with author's views on them)

Paraphrase the text to simplify.
Don't over read. Skip examples, dates, lengthy names, any details which can be referred in case something is asked explicitly.
Don't go for choices which hold true only for one part of the author's argument.
Don't go for choices which exaggerate the author's conclusion.
Don't fill in the blanks yourself. Use only as much is there in the passage.
At the end of reading, ask yourself questions like : What was the passage about? What was author's motive in writing all this?
Read quickly through soporific passages.
Read the first question before the Passage.
Use your Critical Reasoning techniques for reasoning/inference/strengthen/weaken questions.

Dreaded Bold Faced CR Terms!!

2008-02-12T11:12:00.003-08:00

List of Bold Faced Critical Reasoning Terms & Definitions

I often see people starting off their CR preparation without actually knowing what are the terms used in the question. That is BAD!! Why would you bother listening to a cricket commentary when you don't know what is "power play" or what's a "free hit". So the idea of this post was to enlighten you guys, so that you have a better understanding of what's being asked. Here is a compilation collected from the web. Cheers!

Premise: This is usually a required statement to arrive at a conclusion. Evidence and facts want to prove something to you whereas premises are there to logically lead you to a conclusion. The best example of premises is the ones included in syllogisms. For instance, you can say that(premise1) when it rains, you go outside. Then, it rains(premise2). You have to be outside(conclusion).Assumption: Unstated information which will link the argument to a logical conclusion. Without this, the argument falls apart.

Conclusion: An opinion/assertion/contention that the author wants to prove, using premises and assumptions. The strength of the conclusion/assertion depends on the validity of the premise.

Inference: Something that might not be explicitly stated or proved. For instance, you may say that 95% of GMAT test-takers have over 340. We can reasonably infer that Anthony will get more than 340 on his GMAT based on the fact given. I think the main difference b/w an inference and a conclusion is that the former might not be the final line of an argument. For instance, there could be facts/evidence given, an inference in b/w, and then the conclusion. An inference can be an intermediate step before the conclusion which will sum up the whole passage. Also, a conclusion seems to be stronger because it is based on stronger facts/evidence. As in my previous example, we can reasonably infer that Anthony got 340+ on his GMAT but we cannot conclude that he got 340+. See the nuance?

Principle: Something fundamental that we do not question. This would be somewhat stronger than a fact because it is not specific to a limited number of cases but instead, apply to a broader range of scenarios(and often deeper in meaning). For instance, you will not talk about the principle that crime is increasing in large cities. Instead, it is a fact which applies to large cities. However, you will talk about the principles of Physics or the fundamental principles of Human Rights. I believe principles convey a stronger connotation than mere facts.

Fact: Something taken as true at face value (stats, historical events)

Evidence: What is used to support a conclusion (examples, stats, historical events). Although these may include facts, it is usually stronger than facts because they are direct elements needed for the conclusion to stand whereas facts are not necessary for the latter to stand

Pre-evidence: This is a bit of a stretch. It will not often be on the test but it seems very similar to "background" information as described below.

Background: Elements needed to put the evidence into context but which, as stand alone pieces of information, might not constitute what is called an evidence necessary to arrive at a conclusion. For instance, blood tests performed on one thousand persons may reveal that 35% of those persons were HIV infected. However, the background information could be that the test was performed in more underinformed regions of the world where AIDS knowledge is at a minimum. As you can see, the fact that the test was performed in more underinformed regions is not in and of itself an evidence because it does not allow us to come to a conclusion. Instead, the 35% stats, as a stand-alone piece of info, is what will lead us to the conclusion we want. However, the background info is also crucial and cannot be omitted; it is required background info.

Consideration: Something which was taken into account or given some thought before arriving to the conclusion.

Suggested Books : Kaplan 800, Kaplan Verbal Workbook, Official Guide

This is hardly a post. But still I feel that it would certainly help you while doing CR questions. In the next post fr CR, I would like to discuss the common fallacies and how to tackle them. For the past few months I was teaching for GMAT and that's how I gained a better perspective towards what is most difficult for students to understand and in what manner it can be made simple for them to understand. Because of this newly gained insight I have been posting quite regularly. I am thinking of putting everything here and keep this blog as a reference for all your GMAT "needs".

Cheers!

How to Tackle Reading Comprehension Questions on the GMAT

2008-02-09T11:49:00.002-08:00

All about RC Questions on the GMAT

The first post on RC doesn't really tell you much about what to expect on the GMAT. This post will give detail you about all question types typically asked on the GMAT. I'll also talk about the various strategies to handle those questions.

All answers that present "extreme" viewpoints are, in all probability, incorrect unless they are comprehensively supported by information in the passage. GMAT will usually not have such passages. May be you will encounter a very few, if any, such questions in social science passages.

There are mainly five categories of questions that follow:

Summary Questions
Inference questions
Logical structure questions
Parallel reasoning
Direct details questions

Summary questions:

IF the questions ask you the Primary Purpose of the passage, then try to see "WHY" the author has written that passage, and not what or how he has written the passage. Primary purpose is exactly what it means...primary purpose. The answers will start with "To..." most of the times. And try identifying what kind of passage it is: explanatory, comparative or argumentative to know whether the author's primary purpose is to "outline", "evaluate", "compare", etc.

If the questions ask you the Main Idea of the passage, then eliminate all options which are relevant only to one paragraph in the passage. That can't be the "MAIN" idea. The main idea is the one which covers all the ideas and aspects in the passage. So the trick here is: this option will probably be longer than the others (a superset of 2-3 options) because it should cover all aspects. So don't tick the option which is true as per the passage, because it may just cover one aspect of the passage.

For Style and Tone questions you will have to focus on the “HOW?”.
Style is How the author put forth his ideas : descriptive, analytical, critical, ambiguous, etc.
Tone is How the author expresses his opinion. I am giving you a small list I have compiled which gives you Tone words. I would recommend learning the meaning of all these words.

satiric

whimsical

dramatic

learned

informative

somber

urgent

confident

mock-heroic

objective

diffident

ironic

didactic

petty

factual

restrained

elegiac

disdainful

lugubrious

pedantic

indignant

bantering

flippant

condescending

patronizing

facetious

clinical

mock-serious

inflammatory

benevolent

burlesque

fanciful

detached

cynical

incisive

allusive

effusive

scornful

colloquial

compassionate

impartial

insipid

pretentious

vibrtant

irreverent

sentimental'

moralistic

complimentary

sympathetic

taunting

concerned

angry

turgid

sardonic

contentious

insolent

candid

Inference Questions :

These questions ask you to identify indirect references, implications and suggestions in the passage. The ideas may not be explicitly laid out in the passage, but may be implied by the author. That is where your CR skills come into play.

Do not go outside the scope of the passage. Don't use your general knowledge and don't try to read the author's mind. Any answer will follow logically from the information given in the passage.

Avoid marking any option which is very extreme in language or ideas.

Logical Structure Questions :

These questions will test your understanding of How the passage has been constructed. So you should pay attention to the Ideas which the author includes/excludes and the order in which he put forth the ideas.

Prepare the flowchart for the passage by putting down the Primary ypurpose and Main Idea of each paragraph. This will clearly demonstrate the sequence and nature of the ideas presented in the passage.

Parallel Reasoning Questions :

These questions will ask you to identify the line of reasoning used in the specified part/paragraph of the passage and draw the analogy to other scenarios.

The strategy to solve these questions is to simplify the scenario in the passage and rephrase in your own words. And then eliminate any answer option which deviate from the underlying logic.

Direct Detail Questions :

There's only one strategy, which is hardly a strategy, read CAREFULLY.

Suggested Books : Kaplan 800, Kaplan Verbal Workbook, Official Guide

Hope you enjoyed the post. Do comment!!

GMAT Preparation Guide ... A Detailed Schedule for Two Months....PART I

2008-02-01T10:33:00.005-08:00

Hey there!! Nice to be blogging after so long! Thanks a lot for all the nice words through comments/emails/scraps. Makes me happy!

So the reason I am writing yet another post is that many of you guys thought that a step-by-step preparation chart would be of great help! So here is my humble attempt at it.

There are certain things I would like to assume here:

You have atleast 2 months before actually taking the GMAT. (I don't have to say that more is better)
You are willing to spend atleast 2.5 hrs daily.
On weekends you have 6 hrs to devote.
You have all the resources. (books and tests)
You have a good study table, good lighting and peaceful place.
You want to crack it big time!

Books you'll need :

OG 11/10
Kaplan Basic guide/Princeton Basic guide
Kaplan Verbal Workbook
Manhattan SC
Maths Workbook : Kaplan/Manhattan/Princeton/OG
Kaplan 800
Additionally you can have Verbal by OG/Princeton
Test CDs from GMAT, Kaplan, Princeton (and any other you can lay your hands on)

OK!! So lets start!

============== WEEK ONE ================

Day 1 (Preferably on a weekend):
1. Arrange all the books on your table. Get a bundle of blank sheets for all the rough work. Get one diary/journal to keep a daily log of your scores. And use your notebook (thin) for taking down all the notes while you are learning. Get a pen (not a pencil), preferably black ink, and a sketch pen to make charts. Also get a tiny bundle of post-its and a white and a black chart paper.

2. Read all you can about the GMAT exam on the official website and the introduction part of any of the GMAT guide (Kaplan or Princeton). Educate yourself about the CAT methodology of the test. Look at the different types of questions that come on the GMAT. See how each section looks like. Familiarise yourself!!

3. Finally take a diagnostic and feel good even if you didn't do well. Take a break and think how was it! Go over the analysis section and see what was the toughest/easiest section.

Day 2 :
Take up the Kaplan Basic guide and finish off the CR section. (Theory, examples and exercise + analysis). Do the rough work on the blank sheets and write down the answers in the diary/journal with a proper date, heading, book's name + Section name. Finally write down the score and the accuracy percentage.

Analyse each answer with utmost care and keep jotting down any stuff which you have learnt (there has to plenty of them). Make a habit of taking down notes. On the post-its write down all the silly mistakes you did and stick them on the black chart paper which you should stick to the wall infront of you.

Day 3 :
Follow the same thing for SC.

Day 4 :
Ditto for Problem solving.

Day 5 :
Ditto for DS.

Day 6 :
RC...same routine.

Day 7 :
Finish off the AWA section and take the paper based test at the end of the book. Analyze all the answers. Go through the explanations. Make notes. Write down the silly mistakes on the post-its. Also write down your experiences after you took your first test. Look back at your week. Feel good that you finished one book completely and one test.

SUMMARY:

So this week was a glimpse of what your weeks should look like...productive! Many people would feel that its a bit tough to follow this kind of schedule. But hey! Who said it was going to be easy. I don't believe in insincerity, laziness and doing things without passion. I believe that GMAT is the first step in your enedeavour. Its better to crack it on the first go rather than crying later after you have screwed it up. If you can't find time, do one thing: write down all the things you do in a day, for a week. Spot items which you can sacifice, like going to a movie, chatting, watching TV or going out just like that. I am sure you can take out 2-3 hrs daily for this. If you feel you still don't have time, you can schedule it for three months and stretch the schedule by 1.5 times. But be honest to yourself. Good luck!

============== WEEK TWO ================

From now onwards, your every session should be timed. This week we'll attack SC and PS. I would suggest you to have Kaplan Verbal Workout, Manhattan SC and OG.

Daily log keeping is mandatory. All the rough work on the sheets. Take notes after each exercise while analysing or reading the theory section. Make post-its for the annoyances.

Day 8 :
Go through chapters on 3 C's, Subject Verb Agreement, Tense, Mood & Voice (1, 2 and 3) from Manhattan. Do the exercise.

Day 9 :
Go through chapters on Pronouns and Modifiers from Manhattan (4 & 5).
Finish chapter 2 (SC) from Verbal workout. Do the practice questions.

Day 10 :
Finish Parallelism from Manhattan (6).
Do practice set 1 & 2 of SC from Verbal Workout.

Day 11 :
Open the Maths section from the Workbook you have. Finish the theory part and go through the formulae. Do the practice exercise.
Finish the chapter on Comparisons and Idioms from Manhattan.
Do the practice set 3 from verbal workout.

Day 12 :
Do the practice sets for PS from whichever book you are following.
Finish off Manhattan. Revise all the theory. Go thorough your notes.
Go through any other SC material you have.

Day 13 :
Take out your white chart. Make a section for SC on it. Count the number of sums in your OG for SC. Divide it by 50 and make as many blocks besides SC. I followed OG 10 (which I recommend). There would be 6-7 blocks. Paste it on your wall.

Take out the OG. Do the first 50 questions at a stretch. (1:30 hrs)
Against each answer option you write, you should write the keyword for it. And you should check how many are you able to spot correctly. Analyze the answers, go through explanations, make a note of errors/mistakes you did...basically try to minimise wrongs for your next session. If you have any doubt in any of the explanation, go back to Manhattan to clarify it as much as possible.

Day 14 :
Do the next 50 questions SC from OG. (1:30 hrs)
Do 50 questions from PS from OG as well. (1:30 hrs)
Analyze. Learn formulae, theory...and revise everything (3 hrs)

SUMMARY :

So you have finished Mahattan SC. Great! You have also crossed out two blocks for SC on the white sheet. And one block for PS.

============== WEEK THREE ================

This week we'll target CR and finish off the remaining questions for PS from OG and Workbook.

You will have 6 blocks for CR OG. 35 questions each. So we'll target finshing these six blocks, each a day. And I recommend doing 500 questions for PS and DS each. So this week we'll finish 5 blocks (=250 questions) for PS. Excited!! Lets start!

Day 15:
Take out Verbal Workbook and go through the theory and practice exercise. Thats it for today. Rest of the stuff (analysis, log keeping) will not be told again and again. That should become a habit. Every session has to be well documented.

Day 16:
Finish the practice set 1. Then 1 block from OG for CR.

Day 17:
Finish 1 block from OG CR and PS.

Day 18:
1 block from CR OG and practice set 2 from Verbal workbook.

Day 19 :
1 block CR OG and PS.

Day 20 :
1 block CR OG and practice set 3. 1 block of PS.

Day 21 :
1 block of CR OG and 2 block PS

SUMMARY :

You should be quite comfortable with CR, SC and PS by now. If you are able to match up with this schedule, you are doing great. Three good weeks. We'll target RC and DS in the next week. So one month would be over. And you would have finished Manhattan, Verbal Workbook, Maths Workbook and OG.!! Next month it'll be redoing the OG the smarter way, Kaplan 800 (the next step), making notes, and taking lots tests!!

============== WEEK FOUR ================

This week we'll target RC (from OG and Workbook) and DS (from OG and Workbook).

You will have 6 blocks for RC OG. 35 questions each. So we'll target finshing these six blocks, each a day.

Day 22:
Take out Verbal Workbook and go through the theory and practice exercise for Reading Comprehension. Thats it for today. Rest of the stuff (analysis, log keeping). Document your session.

Day 23:
Finish the practice set 1. Then 1 block from OG for RC.

Day 24:
Finish 1 block from OG CR and

Day 25:
1 block from CR OG and practice set 2 from Verbal workbook.

Day 26 :
1 block RC OG and DS.

Day 27 :
1 block RC OG and practice set 3. 1 block of DS.

Day 28 :
1 block of RC OG and 2 block DS

SUMMARY :

Let's look Back at the last month :-) We have finished OG completely. Your Verbal Accuracy at this stage is expected to be above 80% assuming you have done all the analysis and log keeping religiously. The next month is going to be rigorous. This month we'll target doing Kaplan 800, Redoing the OG and taking as many tests as possible. So get ready!! It's going to be fun.

And one more thing...I am sure some of you will be able to achieve the targets set in this schedule and the rest of the junta can just sit back and complain that it is a tough schedule and come up with excuses as to why it didn't work out for them.

All the best...keep checking out the site for updates on this post. You can subscribe.

PART II is out!!

Leave your comments...this will help me fine tune it. And others can draw inspiration from folks who are benefiting from this schedule.

Guide to buy Best GMAT Books and Preparation Software

2007-04-18T04:44:00.001-07:00

Okay!! I know this is gonna be awesome! Books!! The best part of the entire exercise is the part where I get my new books. The smell is itself is so inspiring...forget about the content!! But yeah...there's a lot to be done before you get the books. Books and the prep material which you have can make or break your GMAT. So one needs to make a wise choice before buying the books. Also these books aren't very cheap so as to say. So when you get them, you better suck up every comma, full stop in that book.

Before you buy...think what you aim for, where do you stand right now, how much time do you have....things like that.

Many guys have been asking these questions again and again to me. So I was thinking of writing a post which tells you all about buying your books. And hey!! I am not endorsing any particular publications or any prep classrooms. Whatever I suggest to you is entirely based on my own experiences and my observations. So I can assure you that this is going to be the most unbiased and trustworthy suggestion you can get. And I am equally sure of the good results and benefits you all can reap. :)

Okay so enough of the disclaimer...now the gyan:D

You want to start your GMAT prep??
Get these books :

These books are a must. The OG is a must. I have told this several times that doing and redoing the OG is the key. The Kaplan Gmat book will help you know the question type better. It has good theory and will give you a solid background in all the sections. The Sc part is not very good in this book. So you will need a special SC book. No book does it better than the Manhattan SC. My acuracy in SC improved drastically. I cannot imagine my gmat prep without these books. For more info and reviews on these books, you can click on the thumbnails to your left.

You feel you need to work on the verbal/quant section??

Okay! So this is where the supplemental books come into the picture. You can get these books:

The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review

The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review

Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook

Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook

You can get either the Official guide reviews or Kaplan Workbooks. Both are not recommended. I would personally go for Kaplan. Why because the language in this book is very inspiring and I feel motivated while doing the problems.

The Verbal review really helped me a lot. I didn't get the Math workbook for myself, but one of my students did. And I am happy to say that it helped him. So if you are really weak in maths, you should get one right away. Its not recommended for people who are above average level in maths.

I think I am in the 750+ league!!

Is that so?? Great!! If this is the thing then there's one book I know which is great and a must must buy for people aiming for somewhere around 750...anyone aiming above than 700 should do this book. And I am very sure that this book will improve your score by 20-30 points if you follow this book well. No surprises here!!

Kaplan GMAT 800 2008-2009

Shortcomings in these books: none of the books is good enough for tough maths. Actual GMAT has tougher question than any of the problems in these books when you reach the 50 level. These books do not give you the "gyan". But that you can always get it from here :D Any one book is not sufficient in itself. They all demand rigorous practice.

For the test materials:
GMAT prep...free to download
Kaplan cd...comes with the book
Apart from that paper tests...both power prep ones and kaplan ones.
And if you get timeyou can always help yourself with some tests there on the web.
But I really dont think you need to spend extra bucks for taking practice tests.

For more info and reviews on these books, you can click on the thumbnails to your left.

Sentence Correction Tips for GMAT

2007-04-18T04:18:00.004-07:00

Look out for : none, each,....pronoun number errors.
Verb agreement with subject w.r.t. number, tense, etc.
Modifiers...recognise them.
Possessive case --it's not the subject!!
Dangling Modifiers -- modifiers which have no subject --- wrong!!
Almost always Modifiers come immediately after the word they modify!
IF Vs WHETHER -- If -- hypothetical... whether -- when you have to choose among options
Maintain PARALLELISM -- rather than, instead of, to X is to Y, etc.
Look out for sentences starting with "to"...maintain parallelism
BOTH -- only two things!! and parallel too!!
Look out for COMPARISONS --> LIKE, UNLIKE, SIMILAR TO...compare same types (number, type, etc.)
Look for countable and non-countable nouns. (amount, sum,etc.)
THAT Vs WHICH ...that is restrictive...which is non-restrictive.
LIKE Vs AS ... like expresses similarity ... As compare clauses
SUCH AS --> to give examples .. such X as x1, x2, x3.
JUST AS --> again to compare actions, not nouns.
BECAUSE Vs IN THAT ... because shows cause and effect ... in that is mostly correct on the gmat.
USUAL Vs IS USUAL ... usual... compared to itself... is usual...when compared to a sub-group it belongs to.
NATIVE OF Vs NATIVE TO ... Native of is used for a person...native to is correctfor person/thing..everything else.
CAN Vs COULD -- can = ability, opportunity, possibilty. could = assumption, condition, polite request, suggestion
WOULD --> a condition in the past, anticipation in the past
BECAUSE Vs ON ACCOUNT OF --> former is preferred over the latter. both are correct.
ECONOMIC Vs ECONOMICAL --> Economic is economy related... economical is money-saving
'Declining revenues' -- > is plural !!

These pointers only tell you what should get the bells ringing. When you see any of these, you should know that okay I got to look for errors here. For the rest, see the sentence correction post.

Suggested Books : Wren & Martin, Manhattan SC, Kaplan 800, Kaplan Verbal Workbook, Official Guide