 "scores were all over the place" | 2008-05-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A33A7UGT42OPOF |
I aced my first practice test, then didn't do as well on the rest. I was studying tons, so my score should have gone up. I suppose it could have been operator error, but I think these practice exams are screwy.
Nevertheless, practicing on the computer did help me prepare for the format of the actual exam. |
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| "Kaplan Guides are Always Usually Good" | 2008-01-27 |
| - Reviewed By fusionvic |
| I used this guide to prepare for the GMAT but I find that it is only useful as a reference as to how the GMAT is mechanically structured. Whatever skills you need to achieve your required score will depend on your grasp of the different mechanics called out in the exam. Therefore, I recommend the Kaplan guide to be used as a tool to help you succeed and not to be used as a "pass the GMAT in 5 days" program. You receive sample exams after registering for the GMAT, and those exams are much more realistic than the Kaplan exams. |
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| "Excellent companion to official prep software" | 2008-01-27 |
| - Reviewed By fusionvic |
| I used this guide to prepare for the GMAT but I find that it is only useful as a reference as to how the GMAT is mechanically structured. Whatever skills you need to achieve your required score will depend on your grasp of the different mechanics called out in the exam. Therefore, I recommend the Kaplan guide to be used as a tool to help you succeed and not to be used as a "pass the GMAT in 5 days" program. You receive sample exams after registering for the GMAT, and those exams are much more realistic than the Kaplan exams. The Pearson GMAT Prep software is 99% identical to the actual exam, but the Kaplan guide provides many more sample tests and tests for the different sections. I recommend pounding away at the sample tests and just practice. I raised my practice test scores by over 100 points just using the CD and GMATPrep programs, and the actual exam score exceeded my expectations. |
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 "most important resource for gmat candidates" | 2007-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By manuvns |
| if you wish to prepare for GMAT you need only two books official guide to GMAT and this kaplan gmat book . |
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 "The next step for serious GMAT review" | 2007-09-07 |
| - Reviewed By kskorija |
As most have stated, princeton review is the easier book, and the kaplan series are more difficult.
For someone shooting for a top ten, I would recommend using all of the books. I would start with princeton review to break you in and set the basics, take their practice tests to warm you up, they are a bit easier than the others. I would then move to the Kaplan series. Take ALL of the tests you can get a hold of... they are the best prep and ia good ndicator of your progress.
That said, you can have a bad score one day and a good score the next, but the practice will help prepare you for the real deal.
Finally do the problems in the official GMAT books! Make sure to do all of those problems. The problems in those books are the best. |
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| "Take the tests, ignore the scores" | 2007-07-07 |
| - Reviewed By satya318 |
I took the Kaplan practice tests before taking the GMAT. Like most people, I think the Kaplan tests differ significantly from what you'll see on the real GMAT. The Kaplan math questions were just as difficult as what I saw on the real test, while the verbal questions on the real GMAT were much easier than questions on Kaplan's practice tests.
It can be disappointing to see low scores on Kaplan practice tests after doing a lot of hard work. Keep in mind, though, that it's in Kaplan's best interests for you to improve on test day, rather than see your scores go down. Also, when you score poorly on practice tests after going through their book, you might be more likely to sign up for one of Kaplan's courses. However, I think the most reasonable explanation for test taker's consistently underperforming on Kaplan practice tests is simply that the scoring system is poorly calibrated.
I prepared for the GMAT by going through the Kaplan 800 book. For the sections I found most difficult, I went through the practice questions in the three "Official Guide for GMAT Review" books. I think the key to a good score is doing as many practice problems and practice tests as you can get your hands on.
My practice test scores were:
Kaplan Practice Test 1: 640 (14 days before the exam)
Kaplan Practice Test 2: 640 (10 days before the exam)
Kaplan Practice Test 3: 580 (5 days before the exam)
Kaplan Practice Test 4: 540 (3 days before the exam)
GMATPrep Test 1: 740 (2 days before the exam)
GMATPrep Test 2: 740 (1 day before the exam)
Actual GMAT: 760
The Kaplan tests helped me gain a sense of how much time I had to spend on each question. It was useful for me to see how rushed I would be at the end of a section as a result of spending just five minutes too long on the first 20-25 questions. On test day, I benefited from being disciplined enough to move on before getting bogged down on a question.
I thought the GMATPrep practice tests that you get when you sign up for the exam were the closest to what I saw on the real test. To me, the verbal section on test day was easy, while the math section had more tough questions than I had seen on any other exam. There were at least 3-4 math questions where I just guessed and moved on rather than waste time trying to come up with a solution. Just beware on test day that this won't ruin your chances of getting a solid score.
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 "Kind of bad" | 2007-01-04 |
| - Reviewed By vinodgs1 |
I have not yet taken the GMAT, but am so far NOT satisfied with this book. I also have the PR (2007) and the latest edition(s) of the 3 GMAC books, and the main difference(s) that I have found between them and this one are the following....
1) The explanantions to the answers are very concise, and you have to keep flipping back to the question pages in several instances to read the question - the other books have the questions also printed along-with the answer explanations, and are more explantory.
2) In a lot of instances in the verbal section(s), I have, even after reading the explanation, felt that the answer/explanation to be very vague, and in some instances, I have actually felt that the answer is actually wrong.
3) In the verbal section, in the "inference" questions, in several instances, it is mentioned that an inference cannot be something that is factually stated in the passage, but in some instances, those (that had been factually stated) have been chosen as the answers.
But contrary to some of the opinions that I have read, I have not found the quant. questions (in the book, not the CD) to be too hard.
UPDATE:
Took the GMAT : Actual Score 730 (97th percentile).
Kaplan Scores : 560 - 630. |
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| "Ignore the scores . . . as hard as that may be!" | 2006-08-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3IA6YY9XBJMRN |
First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who posted reviews with reassuring stories of scoring in the 500's on the Kaplan tests, only to break into the 700+ territory on the real deal. I used this book, as well as the Kaplan GMAT 800 book to prepare, followed by the GMATPrep tests in the final week before the exam.
I found the preparation material to be quite adequate, without being too tedious. However, the extent to which the tests on the CD undershoot one's actual scoring potential is completely ridiculous. After scoring 570 on the first CAT, I was reconsidering the whole idea of business school altogether (before reading the posts of other reviewers). My subsequent scores were 560, 600 and 640, after which I scored 760 and 730 on the 2 GMATPrep tests. My actual GMAT score ended up being a 750. On the bright side, I certainly appreciated my real score a whole lot more after being humbled so severly by the Kaplan tests. On the other hand, the stress from the whole ordeal probably took a couple of years off my life:) So in sum, the book provides good GMAT preparation, but use the tests at your own risk! |
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| "this book is a big help" | 2006-07-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2GHDBBBH9AB7B |
| this is a good resource. I have not taken my GMAT exam yet..but so far this material has helped me tremendously |
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| "Helpful, but don't solely rely on it..." | 2006-07-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2DMLNVLUT1TV6 |
The Kaplan book is helpful in that it gives you extra problems to work and tests to practice with. The tests really are ridiculously hard, and should only be used to practice your timing and get used to computer format testing. I found that the Princeton Review book was more helpful if you want to read through something and review math and verbal concepts. The math problems in the Kaplan book (and the PR book for that matter), are not worded or set up quite like the ones in the Official GMAC guide or the GMAT itself, so go ahead and do the problems in all the study guides, then spend the last few days before your test date to go through the GMAC book only. This will get you used to the types of questions, how they are asked, and will help you to recognize the answers they are looking for. The GMAC practice tests are easier than the real thing, especially if you have done a lot of their questions previously. I had gone through a good portion of the Official Guide before I took them, and could recall all of the verbal sections (the math was a little harder to rememeber). Here is what I got on the tests for all the study books:
Kaplan: 560,580,540,550,600
PR: 560,590,650
GMAC: 730,710
....Then on the real thing I got a 680--disappionting considering I was looking forward to a 700+ according to the PowerPrep tests. Then I decided to ONLY study the newest editions of the Official Guide and review the older edition. I went in for my second crack at the test and got a 740. So, do the Kaplan, do the PR, the Baron's or whatever you chose, but don't forget the importance of real test questions (GMAC guide)! |
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