Review of the new GMATprep – v2

August 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

For many years, the most accurate GMAT test simulator has been the GMATPrep software available at mba.com. GMATprep was an old DOS-based program that suffered from two major flaws:

1. At the end of the exam, it would display your Quant/Verbal score breakdown and your overall score just one time; once you clicked away, you were unable to bring this screen back
2. It was PC-only; there was no version for Mac. This was an annoyance for tens of thousands of students. I have tutored many students who owned Macs, and they had to borrow a PC or use a work computer in order to take the GMATprep exams

After many years of providing this clunky old software, the GMAC has finally released a new version of GMATprep. Right away, I noticed a couple improvements. First and foremost, they have finally added a Mac version. Plus, the PC version now runs through windows, so you can minimize it like any other program.

Unfortunately, the questions that come with the free version of the program aren’t new. There’s 90 practice questions included, and 2 practice tests. I recognized many of the problems from the previous version of GMATprep, and others have been floating around GMAT forums for years.

However, there’s one big improvement, although it isn’t free. For $25, you can buy a Question Pack with 404 additional questions. These are all new questions that have never before appeared in any GMAT preparation material. The best part of this Question Pack is that they’ve classified the questions into “Easy”, “Medium”, and “Hard”. So, for the first time, you can focus on questions that the GMAC considers difficult. This addresses one of the major complaints about the Official Guide, which is that it doesn’t include enough hard questions.

I bought the Question Pack and think it’s excellent; I’d say it’s now required prep material for students who want to score in 700 range. If you’re aiming for a 700, you should be able to get 80% of the ‘Medium’ questions correct and at least 50% of the ‘Hard’ questions correct. Regarding the ‘Hard’ quant questions, some of them are truly brutal; this is what you can expect to see if you’re scoring in the Q48-50 range. I doubt think anyone will top 80% correct on the hard questions (except maybe Jeff Sackmann :-).

I noticed one additional flaw with the software. After taking a practice exam, if you exit the software, you can no longer review the questions and answers. You can only retrieve your score. I’m so surprised by this, that I feel like it must be a mistake that they intend to fix in a later update of the software. On the old version of GMATprep, you could review the questions at a later time; as a tutor, I found that reviewing GMATprep exams with students was extremely helpful.

Now, after taking a 3.5 hour practice exam, the software expects you to review it during the same session. That could easily take 2-3 hours, and it’s unlikely most students have enough mental energy. One possible solution is to take screenshots of the questions you missed, paste them into Word, and save them for review later.

Overall, there are some improvements and some drawbacks to the new GMATprep. I definitely recommend the $25 Question Pack for students aiming to do well on the GMAT.

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QS World MBA Fair Coming To Los Angeles

August 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

If you are in Los Angeles and interested in attending an MBA fair, there’s a big one coming up on September 22. This is an opportunity to meet representatives from many different schools in the LA area – I have confirmed that both UCLA and USC will be at the fair. I would imagine that other LA MBA schools such as Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, etc. will also be there.

Registration is only $5 through this link: QS World MBA Tour 2012.

If you are looking to gather information from many different schools, this is a good opportunity. I wouldn’t expect that you could have in-depth conversations with admissions officers – that’s more likely to happen at an information session for an individual school.

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Review Of The New GMAT Official Guide 13th Edition

March 25, 2012 By 6 Comments

GMAT Offical Guide TealYesterday I received my copy of the new GMAT Official Guide 13th Edition, which I had preordered. The book was originally listed as shipping in early April, so they moved the shipping schedule up by a week. I’ve spent a couple hours looking through the book and comparing it to the previous OG 12th Edition. Here’s my synopsis.

1. I scanned through the Quant section and tried to estimate the number of new questions. For Problem Solving section I counted 66 new questions out of 230; for Data Sufficiency it was 44 new questions out of 174. Overall, that’s 110 new Quant questions, which is about 27% of the total. I didn’t look at the Verbal too closely, but I’d imagine the percentage of new questions is about the same. Keep in mind I estimated these numbers (Edit: I’ve read elsewhere that’s there a total of 156 new questions out of 907 for the whole book, so my numbers for Quant might be too high). 

2. The overall difficulty of the questions doesn’t appear to have changed. I didn’t see any new Combinatorics or Probability questions in the Quant section. Thus, the chief complaint with the Official Guide remains the same – it doesn’t provide enough practice with 700+ level questions.

3. For Integrated Reasoning, there’s a 10-page brief synopsis that introduces the 4 different question types, but no examples within the book itself. Instead, for practice IR questions, you have to visit the publisher’s website and register with a unique code that’s found in the back of the book. Once you register and create a login, you have access for 6 months. On the website, there are a total of 50 example questions; however, each question can have multiple sub-questions, as per the screenshot below:

gmat integrated reasoning 2

4. Amazingly, the Integrated Reasoning sample questions allow you to use an on-screen calculator. This should help save some time on this section. I don’t think the calculator will be available in the regular math/ verbal section.

5. The Diagnostic Test at the beginning of the Official Guide hasn’t changed since the last edition

6. In the Analytical Writing section, the Analysis Of An Argument question is still in; the Analysis Of An Issue question has been removed.

That’s my first impression of the book; it’s available for order on Amazon here.

Author: .

 

Filed Under: gmat, integrated reasoning Tagged With: , ,

GMAT Pill Review: An Online Video Course From A Former GMAT Tutor

January 28, 2012 By 3 Comments

(Update July 2012: The GMATPill now has an Integrated Reasoning section – see my updated review here. The review below still applies to the original five sections of the GMATPill.)

For the past year, I’ve seen the GMAT Pill mentioned on various online forums like Beat The GMAT and GMAT Club. The founder, Zeke Lee, has been active on the forums, and I’ve been impressed with the sample videos he has posted around the web. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to review the whole video series. Here’s my review in bullet point format.

- What Is the GMAT Pill? The GMAT Pill is essentially a complete online video course for the exam; it consists of five individual “pills”, one for each question type. The pills can be purchased individually, or the whole 27-hour package can be purchased at once. Since there’s currently a large discount for buying the whole thing, that’s the recommended option.

The videos are written and narrated by Zeke Lee, a Stanford grad who scored 760 on the exam. From the content of the videos, I can tell he clearly has an extensive background teaching the GMAT. He spends more time on important topics, and less time on unimportant topics.

The quality of the audio and visuals is fine. They’re not as polished as the videos from Kaplan or Manhattan GMAT, but this can be explained by the fact that GMATPill is a one-man show. Zeke appears to have created all the content himself, and I think there’s a benefit to this since he consistently refers to his core frameworks.

The whole GMAT Pill course is intended to be completed in about one month. When you purchase the course, you receive a syllabus that details exactly where you should be on days 1-30. That being said, you obviously don’t have to follow the syllabus to the letter; in fact, you get lifetime access to the videos once you purchase. Personally I feel you could watch the videos over the course of 2 months while working on Official Guide problems and you would be fine.

Surprisingly, the GMAT Pill actually has a 50-point score increase guarantee (conditions are described below). That’s pretty unique for a startup company – you usually only see score guarantees from the big players (Kaplan et al).

- How Good Is The Content? Over the past couple weeks I’ve spent a good deal of time watching the GMAT Pill videos, and my verdict is that the content is very good. It’s similar to the lessons you would get if you hired your own private GMAT tutor, and the overall cost is much less. The quant videos are comprehensive; as you work your way through the videos, all the various GMAT quant topics are introduced and discussed. The two quant sections (Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency) each have a series of “Core frameworks” videos, which are content lessons that describe how to approach particular question types. Additionally, each section has timed quizzes that you can do right within your web browser. The quiz questions tend to be challenging, and are actually labeled “600-level” or “700-level” questions. After completing a quiz, you see the results, and can watch an individual video explaining any questions you missed.

The verbal sections follow the same pattern, with one difference. For each verbal question, Zeke first answers it quickly through elimination. Then, he reviews the problem slowly and thoroughly, and explains the logic that helped him eliminate the wrong answer choices. This is the same method that I’d use if I was explaining a problem in-person to a student.

Zeke devotes more time to topics that appear frequently, and less time to topics that appear infrequently. For example, in the Sentence Correction pill, he spends 30 minutes discussing Subject-Verb Agreement, while he spends only 6 minutes discussing Active Voice vs. Passive Voice. That’s about the right balance – both topics appear on the exam, but you’re far more likely to be tested on Agreement.

- How Much Does It Cost? The price of the whole set is currently $337 if you purchase through this link.

- Who Should Buy The GMAT Pill? I recommend the GMAT Pill for:

1) Students who don’t have the time to physically travel to a GMAT class twice a week
2) Any new GMAT test-takers that want a full-length course that will walk you through the content of the whole exam
3) Students with a limited time frame of 1-2 months
4) Students who live in an area where there are no GMAT courses or GMAT tutors available

- Who Shouldn’t Buy The GMAT Pill? If you really like taking in-person classes, or you can only concentrate when you are physically in a classroom, then the GMAT pill is not for you. It’s a self-study course, so you will have to be disciplined about watching the videos while blocking out distractions like your phone, Facebook, etc.

One potential drawback when compared to the major test prep companies is that you don’t get access to their vast array of online resources. However, Zeke is clearly very active in responding to questions through email; in fact, in order to be eligible for the 50-point score increase guarantee, he requires that you contact him twice over a 30-day period.

50-Point Guaranteed Score Increase: The GMAT Pill actually has a 50-point score increase guarantee, which is unusual for a small company. It comes with certain conditions attached – but that’s true with any GMAT company guarantee. (For example, Kaplan has rather stringent requirements). The GMAT Pill’s requirements are in line with Zeke’s approach of ‘improve your score within one month’. To meet the guarantee you must:
1) Log in to the GMATPill site and watch the videos on 22 of the 30 days prior to your exam
2) Email Zeke with two questions at some point during the 30 days.

These seem like pretty reasonable conditions.

Does it have an Integrated Reasoning section: The GMAT Pill has an Integrated Reasoning section which was released in July. The IR Pill is included if you buy the full course.

Conclusion: I’d recommend the GMAT Pill as a viable alternative for students that want a complete self-study GMAT course. Like any product, the GMAT Pill has to be compared to the alternatives. On the expensive side, full-length courses from a major test prep companies like Kaplan or Manhattan GMAT cost $1200 and up. On the less expensive side, you can just buy the 3 Official Guides for about $50. The GMAT Pill is a viable middle option.

Zeke has posted a ton of free content around the forums and on his website, so if you’re interested in seeing some of his videos, you can visit the GMATPill website here.

Also, here’s my video review of the GMAT Pill – it’s a little long, but you can see the actual interface:

 

 

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Filed Under: gmat, gmat strategy tips Tagged With: , ,

Total GMAT Math by Jeff Sackmann – Another Source Of GMAT Sample Questions

August 27, 2011 By 3 Comments

Update January 2012: In addition to the book Total GMAT Math, Jeff Sackmann has also written a math supplement called 1800 GMAT Practice Questions. This is a huge additional resource of GMAT sample questions. Both of these books can be bought from his online store here: GMAT Hacks.  

As a GMAT tutor, I’m always looking for new GMAT practice materials that will be helpful for my students. Over the past two years there has been an explosion of new books and online courses designed to help students improve on the exam. This includes startup companies like Knewton and Grockit, complete online video courses like the GMAT Pill, and new content delivery platforms like iPhone apps.

Of course, there are also standard textbooks available, and these materials can be just as effective. One example is Jeff Sackmann’s Total GMAT Math. I’ve been hearing about this book for a couple years on various forums, and I finally got a copy. Sackmann works as a GMAT tutor in New York City and runs the website GMAT Hacks. He’s been teaching the GMAT for over ten years; like many private instructors, he began with a major test prep company and then went off on his own. I’ve been reading his GMAThacks blog for a while now and I’ve been impressed with the level of quality content.

Total GMAT Math is available as a PDF for $49.95, or a paperback book for $59.95. I’ve been using the PDF and think this is a good option, as it encourages you to do your scratchwork separately (like the real exam).

GMAT Hacks Review

The first thing you notice about this book is that it’s huge – 430 pages in all. Sackmann includes literally every sub-topic of math for the GMAT. As a result, the book is extremely comprehensive. It was updated in 2010 and Sackmann has said that he periodically retakes the GMAT, so it’s likely that the material is up to date. Of the 430 pages, 260 are content and 170 are explanations. The explanations are one of the book’s main strengths – they are considerably more detailed than those in the Official Guide.

I was impressed by the organization of the book. Each sub-topic is divided into three parts: first, an overview of how to solve that question type; second, a question drill that reinforces the concept; third, a set of GMAT sample questions in the actual format of the exam (including answer choices A-E.) Here’s a screenshot of some GMAT Rate problems from the book:

gmat hacks rate problems pg 148

GMAT Sample Questions

As mentioned, the book is quite comprehensive and covers every topic you are likely to see on the GMAT. Some readers may find the beginning of the book too basic – it starts with overviews of arithmetic and algebra. Yet even here, Sackmann adds value in his discussion of “Mental Math”, which are tricks that are designed to help prevent difficult handwritten calculations. I know from experience that many students struggle with decimal multiplication and division, so this section should be very helpful for saving time and preventing careless errors. Sackmann actually believes that you can never do any long division at all on the GMAT. I think that’s stretching it a bit, but you can definitely avoid many long calculations with his recommendations.

The questions themselves are very good, and they have the most important characteristic of GMAT sample questions: they closely model questions from the Official Guide. As everyone knows, the undisputed best GMAT book is the Official Guide for GMAT Review 12th Edition. The problem with the OG is that there are a limited number of questions and the explanations are often poor. Sackmann has based many of his problems on Official Guide questions, but his explanations are longer and much more comprehensible. Here’s the explanations to the earlier questions:

gmat hacks rate problems explanations

The GMAT books that I typically recommend are the excellent set of books from Manhattan GMAT, which I think are the best on the market. However, I always give students the caveat that some MGMAT question are too “far out” and unlikely to appear on the actual exam. Total GMAT Math doesn’t have this problem – everything in the book closely models official questions provided by the GMAC.

The book starts to get really good later on. I noticed that Sackmann devotes extra time and practice questions to topics that appear more frequently on the exam, such as GMAT Work problems and Number Properties problems. Every topic has at least 5-10 GMAT-like sample questions. However, for the more important topics, Sackmann adds an extra set of more difficult “challenge questions.” The fact that Sackmann organized the book like this demonstrates his extensive familiarity with the exam. These “challenge questions” provide an excellent extra set of example problems for those looking to score 700 on the GMAT.

GMAT Hacks Review Summary

In summary, Total GMAT Math is an excellent resource for students seeking extra questions and explanations that go beyond the Official Guide. The book only costs about $50, so I highly recommend it as part of a study program. To see the book on Sackmann’s website, head over there now. Click here to visit GMAT Hacks.

 

 

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The Best $20 You Can Spend On GMAT Prep

February 25, 2011 By 4 Comments

As an aspiring GMAT test-taker, it can be hard to sort through the overwhelming amount of test prep materials that are available. In working as a GMAT tutor, I’ve met students that have used the books of all the major companies – Kaplan, Veritas, Princeton Review, and Manhattan GMAT. Often, they wonder exactly which are the most cost-effective materials forimproving their GMAT score. Based on my experience teaching the GMAT, I always give the same advice: buy just one Manhattan GMAT book. It costs only $20, and gives you access to MGMAT’s excellent online materials.

If you buy a single MGMAT book (there are eight to choose from), you get access to their online Student Center, which includes:

1. Six full-length online CAT exams. MGMAT’s software is excellent – when reviewing the exam, you can see the difficulty level of each question, and the time you spent answering it. You also get statistics on your % correct for each question type. This allows you to focus on your weak areas. If you want to score 700+ on the GMAT, these practice exams are absolutely essential. I’d take as many of them as possible.

2. Flash cards. You get access to online flash cards, which can also be printed. Each one tests a single concept. These will help you fill in the small gaps in your GMAT content knowledge.

3. A 25-question Question Bank for the particular book that you purchased.

Now, the books themselves from MGMAT are excellent as well. Since there are a total of eight different books available, you may wonder which one to buy. I recommend the following based on your particularweak areas.

Which Manhattan GMAT Book To Buy

1. If you have trouble with word problems, or translating words into algebra, try the Manhattan GMAT Word Translations book. It has specific problems and exercises aimed at improving this skill.

2. If you’re already a high-scorer (600+) looking for an extra boost, I recommend Manhattan GMAT Number Properties. This book has excellent techniques for working problems that involves prime numbers, factors, and factorization, and odd-even properties.

3. If Sentence Correction is your weak point, buy Manhattan GMAT Sentence Correction. This is by far the best SC correction book on the market – it has a particularly strong section on idioms. The idiom section is very useful for non-native English speakers, as it has examples of “CORRECT”, “SUSPECT”, and “WRONG” uses of each particular idiom.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend picking up a MGMAT book. It will be among the best investments you can make in your GMAT prep.

p.s. No, I don’t work for Manhattan GMAT :) But I do use their books with my students.


Filed Under: gmat, gmat 2011, gmat quantitative Tagged With: , ,

GMAT 2011: What to Expect From the GMAT Exam in 2011

November 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Recently, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (the authors of the GMAT exam) announced that a new section would appear on the GMAT in 2012. This section, Integrated Reasoning, is currently under development by the GMAC. However, for the time being, the GMAT exam in 2011 will retain the same format it has had since it switched to a Computer Adaptive Test in 1997.

That being said, students who take the GMAT in 2011 should be aware of some broad trends. First of all, the median GMAT score has been trending upwards in the past five years; currently, the median GMAT score is 540. Interestingly, this upward trend has been observable since 2005; in the previous five years, the median GMAT score remained steady at 520.

I can think of two possible explanations for this trend. First, 2005 was the year that Pearson VUE took over administration of the GMAT exam from ETS. This switch may have caused GMAT scores to reset to a higher baseline. Secondly, a number of excellent new test prep companies have gained popularity since 2005. Along with new GMAT test prep materials, additional GMAT study options have become available. In particular, online GMAT test prep and online GMAT tutoring has become more accepted. The wealth of high-quality test prep materials and greater access to skilled GMAT instructors may be contributing to the rise in GMAT scores.

Another trend is the rising number of non-US citizens taking the GMAT exam. In 2009, the majority of examinees sitting for the GMAT exam were non-US citizens. Although US-based programs are still the preferred destination for most MBA applicants, business schools applications in other countries have been growing astronomically. Since 2005, MBA applications have more than doubled for schools located in India, Singapore, and Spain.

Although US schools are losing “market share”, the absolute number of applicants is still rising due to the rise in the overall level of GMAT examinees. In 2009, 263,000 examinees took the GMAT, compared to 200,000 in 2005. This represents a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of about 7%. At this rate, the GMAT 2011 will have just over 300,000 examinees. However, it should be noted that historically, the number of GMAT examinees increases most rapidly during economic recessions. This seems to be true in the latest economic cycle. In 2006 GMAT test-takers only increased by 4,000, while in 2008 and 2009 GMAT examinees increased by more than 20,000 each year.

gmat 2011 trendsOne ratio appears to be holding constant. Since 2000, the ratio of male to female examinees on the GMAT exam had held steady at 60/40. Since this ratio has held steady for the past ten years, it is likely that it will be roughly the same for the GMAT 2011.

Overall, since the new section of the GMAT exam won’t be added until 2012, current test prep materials remain valid. Students certainly should not delay taking the exam until 2012 because of the new section. The right time to take the exam is when you can devote 2-3 months to studying, while leaving yourself with ample time for application essays and recommendations.

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I’m a GMAT Tutor based in Los Angeles, CA. I can be reached at matt@thegmattutor.com or through www.thegmattutor.com. Visit the GMAT Pill for more information.

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Improving from a GMAT Score of 650 to 700

November 11, 2010 By 3 Comments

Some GMAT students are able to get their score up to a 650 level without too much anguish. Using the most recent statistics from the GMAC, a 650 score is approximately the 80th percentile. The amount of study time required to reach this point can vary – it depends on your background in math, and whether you are a native English speaker. For most test-takers, I’d estimate that it takes at least 50 hours of study.

However, most GMAT students know that 700 is the magical number to be competitive at a top-20 school. Many students wonder exactly how to earn those last 50 points and go from 650 to 700. First of all, recognize that it may take an additional 1-2 months of study. The GMAT rewards preparation and problem-solving efficiency, and these can only be achieved through a considerable investment of study time. Next, examine your individual section scores (Quant and Verbal) and determine which you need to focus on.

Improve Your GMAT Quantitative Score: One reason you may be scoring about 650 is you’re very strong on verbal, but have gaps in your math fundamentals. Remember, the GMAT is scored not only on the basis of how many questions you get right, but also on the difficulty level of those questions. If you’re scoring between 40-44 on Quant, it means you are missing the more difficult math questions. This may include number properties, overlapping sets, absolute values, inequalities, probability, and combinatorics.

It’s likely that you can improve by using more advanced test-prep materials such as Kaplan GMAT 800 or a Manhattan GMAT quant guide (“Number Properties” or “Equations, Inequalities & VIC’s” cover some more advanced topics). If you’ve only worked with the Official Guide 12th Edition (the red book), consider also buying the Official Guide For Quantitative Review 2nd Edition (the green book). The OG Quant contains hundred of additional quant examples. The regular Official Guide has only a few examples in the areas of probability and combinations, but you can find a few more examples of these difficult question types in the Quant book. Another option is one of Jeff Sackmann’s GMAT books. Jeff’s book Total GMAT Math is a whopping 430 pages and has every possible GMAT question type broken down by topic. The PDF version of the book is $49.95. He also has a book called “1800 Practice Math Problems” which is more expensive but has a lot more problems.

It’s also likely that you could benefit from working on your timing on the Quant section. You should be working at a measured pace of approximately two minutes per question – less for Data Sufficiency and more for tough Problem Solving questions. Work with a timer, keep an error log, and see if you notice any patterns in your incorrect answers.

On the exam itself, you should be prepared to just “let go” of a few questions that are just too difficult or time-consuming. If you are completely clueless on a math question (i.e. have no idea how to approach it), simply make an educated guess after 60 seconds, and move on! If you don’t follow this strategy and instead spend 4 minutes on a tough problem, you’ll find yourself under time pressure at the end of the section. The situation you absolutely want to avoid is encountering questions at the end of the section that you know how to solve, but don’t have enough time. You’ll have to guess on problems that you could easily solve if you had managed your time more effectively. Remember that any single question in quant is not that important – it’s possible to miss 10 questions on and still score a 48Q (97th percentile).

Finally, as you are doing practice problems, keep an error log of the ones you miss. Make a note of the question type, and try to find similar examples. Come back to the question in a week and see if you can solve it. You may also benefit from hiring a private tutor. Make sure any tutor you hire has experience teaching the GMAT itself – you should avoid hiring a math generalist, who may not be familiar with the specific math content of the GMAT.

Improve Your GMAT Verbal Score: Another group of test-takers are those that score very high on Quant but receive mediocre Verbal scores. Oftentimes, these are non-native English speakers. Many 650-level scorers fall into this category. I’ve seen very unbalanced scores such as Q49V33 (660) or Q46V27 (600). If this is the case, then you clearly need to spend your additional time working on your verbal fundamentals.

I have several recommendations. First, consider buying one of the highest-recommended verbal test prep books. These would be from Manhattan GMAT and Powerscore. Manhattan GMAT publishes the best GMAT sentence correction book and Powerscore publishes the best GMAT Critical Reasoning book.

Second, work on your timing for each of the three verbal question types. It is critical to get your average Sentence Correction time under one minute. Critical Reasoning times can vary, depending on the difficulty of the question – they can take between 45 seconds and two and a half minutes. Once you have your timing down on these two question types, you’ll be able to read through long Reading Comprehension passages without feeling time pressure. Some tough Reading Comprehension passages can take as long as ten minutes, and you’ll want to have sufficient time for these.

Getting from 650 to 700 can be tough for many GMAT test takers, and can often take an additional 1-2 months of study. However, if you can earn the “7” in the hundreds digit of your GMAT score, it may be worth the time.

 

Filed Under: 650, gmat, gmat 700, gmat quantitative