Can you use scratch paper on the GMAT? What does it look like, and how do you use it? Questions about the GMAT scratch pad are common for students preparing for the exam.

In this article, I’ll go over the details of the GMAT scratch paper, how to use your GMAT noteboard effectively, and how to simulate the official notepad at home as you prepare to take the test.

GMAT Scratch Paper: The Logistics

First off, the good news: Yes, you are given a notepad and marker to take notes on during the GMAT. It’s specifically created for use by GMAT test takers.

The GMAT scratch paper is a laminated scratch pad with five yellow grid double-sided pages. The pages are about the size of those on a legal pad (that is, significantly bigger than a typical sheet of paper). It looks like a cross between a dry erase board and a flip pad or sketchbook.

Here’s what it looks like:

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The surface of the GMAT scratch pad is plastic, which will feel different from writing with pen on paper:

The GMAT notepad is accompanied by a non-permanent wet erase marker, not a pen. The marker is around the size and shape of a regular Sharpie or a thin dry erase marker. While the GMAT noteboard looks a lot like a dry erase board, you cannot erase anything on it. So use your space wisely.

However, if you do start running out of room, that’s ok. If you need more scratch paper during the test, raise your hand and a proctor will replace it for you. There are no limitations on how much scratch paper you can use during the GMAT. Taking notes can take up precious time, however, so make sure that what you do write is directly useful to you.

Try to plan ahead so you don’t run out of room on the scratch pad before a section of the GMAT ends. The best time to ask the proctor for a new scratch pad is between sections, so you don’t have to interrupt your thought process or waste time during a section.

How to Use Your GMAT Noteboard Effectively

Remember, you can’t bring your own scratch paper or writing utensils to the GMAT. In fact, no personal items are allowed in the room except for pre-approved ‘comfort items’ like cough drops or a jacket. So you’ll want to learn how to use this specific tool comfortably so you won’t feel blindsided by it on exam day. Let’s go over some ways that you can make the GMAT scratch paper work most effectively for you.

General Tips for Using the GMAT Scratch Paper

Here are some general tips to help you use your GMAT notepad to your best advantage:

• Divide each page up into sections. Before you start each section, some students find it helpful to divide a scratch pad page (or two, or three) into squares corresponding to the number of questions. For example, the Integrated Reasoning section consists of 12 questions, so you’d divide a notepad page into 12 squares and label them 1-12. You’d write your notes or calculations for each question in its corresponding square. This can help you stay organized and focused during the test, or go back to a previous difficult question.

• If you have it, use extra time in another section to set up the next set of scratch pad pages. If you finish your Analytical Writing Assessment early, for example, you can use that extra time to set up your squares for the Integrated Reasoning section. You can also use a few minutes of your break time or a few minutes at the beginning of the allotted section time to ‘customize’ your scratch paper.

• Some students also find it helpful to keep track of their time using the scratch pad, especially if they struggle with timing. In each square, you can write the approximate time you should use for that question in a ‘countdown’ format. For example, you have around two minutes for each question in the Quant section and 62 minutes to finish the section. So your first question square would read “:62” at the top, and the second would read “:60,” and so on. This helps some students stay on top of things and confuses others, so don’t worry about it if this wouldn’t work for you.

• Don’t overuse your GMAT scratch paper. As much as you can, practice doing calculations and picking out main ideas from readings in your head at home. Using the GMAT scratch pad can be very helpful, but it can also take up time and energy that you’ll need for the test.

• Practice writing small at home when you take notes. Taking up too much space for each problem will make things more difficult and visually confusing.

• Some students prefer using the GMAT scratch pad horizontally rather than vertically. Try it at home and see what works for you. Experiment with various ways of setting up the pages. Remember, this is your space!

Quant Section Tips

• The GMAT scratch pad is especially important for the Quant section because the Quant section doesn’t have an onscreen calculator. Any calculations you do will have to be by hand on the laminated scratch pad.

• It can be helpful to jot down the ‘given’ information for each problem and clearly mark it as ‘given’ (with a line next to it or a circle around it, for example) before you start your calculations for that problem.

• For the Data Sufficiency questions, using the process of elimination and physically crossing out incorrect answers on your scratch pad can be especially helpful.

Analytical Writing Assessment Tips

Since you’ll write your essay for the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) in an onscreen text editor, you can keep your notes there if you want to save your GMAT scratch pad for other sections.

However, I recommend using the scratch pad to create an outline before actually writing your essay. Having a plan will make writing go faster, and it will be much easier to refer back to on your notepad.

Verbal Section Tips

Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to take notes on for the Verbal section. Your scratch pad can be used in two ways here:

• You can pull out major points, such as main ideas, evidence, and counterarguments, from each reading and jot them down for each reading. This is especially helpful for the longer Reading Comprehension passages, which are accompanied by several questions each. If you don’t find taking notes helpful, though, don’t feel like you have to.

• For all Verbal GMAT questions, you can use the notepad for process of elimination. You can write down “ABCDE” in each question square and cross out the answer choices you know are incorrect as you read.

Integrated Reasoning (IR) Tips

You’ll have a calculator onscreen for the IR section, but you can use your GMAT notepad and marker to keep track of your calculations or to eliminate answer choices. For example, many IR questions have several parts (I, II, and III, for example) and ask you to determine whether I is “True,” II is “False,” III cannot be determined, or any combination thereof. You can also use this space to create a visual diagram of those choices and keep track of them as you go along.

How to Simulate the GMAT Noteboard

In preparation for the GMAT, it’s helpful to simulate as many aspects of the test as possible. This will help you feel confident, do your best, and avoid wasting time and energy on exam day. There are two ways you can simulate the experience of using the GMAT scratch paper at home in preparation for the test:

Manhattan Prep has created a GMAT test simulation booklet that is nearly identical to the one you’ll receive at the GMAT. It also includes a corresponding marker. You can purchase the simulation booklet here. This will give you the most realistic experience and writing feel.

To create a DIY version of the GMAT notepad, just purchase a yellow grid legal pad and a slender Sharpie-sized marker. It won’t be exactly the same, but you’ll get the feel for the size and shape of the scratch paper.

It will be most effective to use your simulated GMAT scratch pad alongside the free GMAT prep software at MBA.com. This will help you simulate as many aspects of test day as possible.

What’s Next?

For a more detailed breakdown of each GMAT question type, check out our article on the GMAT format.

For practice questions to use alongside your simulated test booklet, check out our complete collection of GMAT sample questions.

If you’re ready to register for the GMAT,  our guide to GMAT registration will walk you through the process.

The post GMAT Scratch Paper: 13 Expert Tips to Use It Effectively appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

GMAT apps are an undeniably appealing way to study for the GMAT: they’re convenient, fun, and a great excuse to play with your phone. Good ones can be a great addition to your study plan, but they aren’t enough on their own.

This article is a complete guide to GMAT apps that will help you lean how to use GMAT apps effectively, rather than letting them become a time-wasting distraction. I’ll go over the qualities that make a GMAT app worth using, the seven best GMAT apps available, and the best ways to incorporate apps into your GMAT prep.

GMAT Apps: An Overview

You can use apps for almost anything, and GMAT prep is no exception. GMAT prep apps may include practice tests, additional practice questions, drills targeting particular skills, lessons, and other content to help you prepare for the exam and track your progress.

GMAT apps that you download to your tablet or phone can help you get ready for the test in an interactive and even fun way. They aren’t enough as a comprehensive source of GMAT prep, but they can be a great addition to your other practice materials. If you’re looking for an affordable, comprehensive online prep program, check out PrepScholar GMAT. The course includes access to over 1,000 practice questions and 30 lessons covering all the essential GMAT skills.

Why GMAT Apps Are Not Enough

GMAT apps can be a great resource, but they’re not enough for adequate GMAT prep or to achieve your target score. You’ll need to use more comprehensive GMAT study resources like practice tests and books if you want to improve.

Firstly, most apps aren’t catered to your particular weaknesses and strengths. A few apps track your progress, but not in in-depth ways.

Secondly, most of the GMAT apps don’t have enough realistic practice questions to be effective as your primary or only GMAT prep resource. Many of them only have a few, or the practice questions aren’t organized by question type, so it’s difficult to target specific skills or concepts.

Finally, GMAT apps don’t tend to include detailed answer explanations for practice questions, meaning you may not be able to pinpoint why you missed the questions and determine how to improve for the future.

What Makes a Good GMAT App?

Let’s take a look at the qualities that make a GMAT app effective for use as part of your overall prep.

#1: Realistic Practice Questions

If a GMAT app features practice questions, they should be similar in content, tone, difficulty, and length to those on the actual GMAT. The more realistic, the better the questions are for your GMAT prep.

#2: In-Depth Lessons and Content

If a GMAT prep app contains skill-building lessons, they should be detailed, breaking down each question type or necessary skill in depth. You should be able to come away from a lesson with an understanding of a topic you previously didn’t know much about.

#3: User-Friendly

Any GMAT prep app you choose to download should be easy to understand, use, and navigate. It should be clear how to find information you need, and easy to select answers on practice questions. Some apps are difficult to read due to issues with the text or visuals.

The Top 7 GMAT Apps

Let’s go over some of the best GMAT apps available for download. For each GMAT prep app, I’ll go over its cost, its content, and its advantages and disadvantages.

Manhattan Prep GMAT

The Manhattan Prep GMAT app has lots of quality, varied content, including 1,110 quantitative and verbal practice questions; 1,556 quantitative, vocab, idioms, and sentence correction drills and quizzes; strategies for each question type; general GMAT study tips; math and verbal glossaries; MBA tips; and a section that tracks your progress, including your average timing on each practice question.

You can try out the Manhattan Prep GMAT app for free for 24 hours. After that, if you want to upgrade to premium, it will cost you $29.99. Otherwise, you can stay at the ‘basic’ level, which contains fewer customization options and fewer practice questions.

The Manhattan Prep GMAT app is the most comprehensive one out there, with high quality practice questions and lots of drills in both basic and advanced quant (hard to find). The idiom and vocabulary drills are also helpful for non-native English speakers. Questions are divided by difficulty as well as skill type, so the app will help you hone in on your weaknesses effectively.

Ready4 GMAT (Prep 4 GMAT)

The basic version of Ready4 GMAT is free with an account, while the premium version (which includes over 1,000 practice questions, 500 flashcards, GMAT prep and vocab quizzes, and an in-depth prep course, including a full GMAT practice test) costs $19.99.

The free version has a great deal of content, though, including an assessment test with 10 practice GMAT questions and an in-app GMAT prep course, with lessons on each GMAT section, fundamental skills like grammar, quizzes, and drills on specific question types. The only downside is that you can’t access a lesson without completing the one before it.

Ready4 GMAT also has some unique features, such as a “school matcher” that lets you customize your list of prospective business schools according to your personal demographics, preferences, academic background, GMAT score, and goals. If you complete it, you can enter to win a $1,000 Ready4 scholarship to business school.

GMAT Math Flashcards and GMAT Idiom Flashcards (Magoosh)

Both of these helpful, targeted apps from Magoosh are free. They don’t contain full-length practice questions; instead, they allow you to test fundamental skills that will help you on the quant and verbal sections.

The GMAT Math Flashcards ask about basic math concepts or simple calculations (such as determining 20% of a given number in your head). They can help you practice estimation, which is important for the quant section since you won’t have access to a calculator. The set contains 19 algebra practice questions; 38 questions on fractions, ratios, and percents; 51 geometry questions; two sections of 33 and 32 questions, respectively on number properties; 24 statistics and probability questions; and six sets of miscellaneous practice, containing 36-37 questions each.

Each GMAT Idiom Flashcard contains two versions of a sentence with variations on an idiom; you select which one is correct. After you virtually ‘flip’ the card, you’ll see the correct answer and will be asked whether you were familiar with the correct idiom. The cards are divided into two basic and two advanced sections; they track your mastery and will test you on unfamiliar idioms as you continue to practice.

These are helpful flashcards on the go, or to target a particular math skill. The idiom list will be especially helpful for non-native English speakers. However, they don’t contain actual GMAT practice questions, so they won’t be enough for substantial GMAT prep.

GMAT Prep Course (Veritas Prep)

With a free GMAT On Demand trial account, you can access over 24 hours of instructional videos (a ‘self-guided course’) from Veritas Prep that take you through every section of the GMAT and every skill you’ll need to master. With your trial account, you can also access various online Veritas Prep practice materials, including a computer-adaptive GMAT practice test and GMAT practice questions, for seven days.

Veritas Prep lessons are high-quality and informative, with instructors guiding you through each GMAT question type and concept in detail. Each lesson (such as ‘arithmetic calculations,’ the first section of the arithmetic lesson) is around 20-30 minutes.

While you’ll need to purchase the full course to get permanent access to the Veritas Prep resources, you can use this app for an overview of the test and the skills you’ll need to learn, especially at the beginning of your prep process.

Economist GMAT Tutor

You’ll have to create an account to access a free trial Economist GMAT Tutor app, which includes one free tutor session, opportunities to ask questions of tutors trained by The Economist, and a simulated GMAT test, as well as lessons that delve into specific GMAT skills.

The biggest advantage of this app are the in-depth lessons. Each lesson breaks down the various aspects of a particular section or question type in more detail than the majority of app-based GMAT lessons. One disadvantage, besides the obvious drawback of most of the materials only being available for purchase, is that you’ll have to complete one lesson before moving on to the next. So if you’re looking to quickly target a specific skill, this isn’t the best app for your GMAT prep.

GMAT: Practice, Prep, Flashcards (Varsity Tutors)

The Varsity Tutors GMAT: Practice, Prep, Flashcards app is completely free. You can find flashcards organized by concept, diagnostic tests, and GMAT practice tests and quizzes.

The Varsity Tutors app’s primary strength is its organization. While many apps organize questions according to general categories, like ‘quant section’ or ‘advanced quant,’ Varsity Tutors’ concept categories are hyper-specific and usually include several subcategories. This means you can target your weaknesses much more effectively using Varsity Tutors than on many other apps.

The quant practice questions in the diagnostic tests are a little on the easy side, and the app itself can be a little confusing to navigate. Other than that, this is a comprehensive and effective app to switch up your method of GMAT prep.

GMAT Exam Prep (Pocket Prep, Inc.)

The GMAT Exam Prep app from Pocket Prep offers flashcards, practice questions, and personal statistics on your progress. You can also use the app to challenge other users in GMAT practice question duels.

The app’s benefits are its variety (flashcards on everything from analytical writing-specific vocabulary to advanced quant) and its ability to track your progress over time. The app schedules you for reviews of certain GMAT concepts and skills based on your weaknesses. The downsides? There are some distracting typos in questions and headings, and the ads can be annoying as well.

You can access this app free with an account or upgrade it for a fee. The Basic version (with no ads and offline study available) is $4.99, while the Premium version (which will store all the app’s data in the Cloud) is $9.99.

How to Use GMAT Apps

There are a few ways to use GMAT apps that will maximize their usefulness for your exam prep.

#1: To Focus On Your Weaknesses

The drills in GMAT prep apps can sometimes help you get an extra boost in particularly weak areas. Apps with short quizzes or mini-lessons centered around certain question types or foundational skills can be helpful as an extra resource for your trouble spots.

#2: To Add Practice Questions

Additional GMAT practice questions, especially free ones, are always a big plus during prep. As long as the questions in the apps you choose are realistic and high-quality, more practice is always better.

#3: On the Go

Since GMAT apps can be downloaded to a phone or tablet, they can be a great resource for extra practice while you’re out and about or if you only have a short time.

Also, it can be useful to study in a variety of ways. Prepping using a different form of technology can motivate you and allow you to engage with the material in a new way.

Wrap-Up: Using GMAT Apps

GMAT apps can be a great addition to your overall prep. They can help you switch it up and learn or practice using a new interface and in a new way.

While they’re not enough as a comprehensive source of practice, you should consider adding a GMAT prep app (or two!) to your study plan.

What’s Next?

Find additional practice questions in our extensive collection of GMAT sample questions.

In How to Prepare for the GMAT, you can find a more comprehensive guide to GMAT prep.

If you’re a non-native English speaker or looking to improve your verbal score, our guide to GMAT idioms will help you prepare for sentence correction and critical reasoning questions on the GMAT.

The post How the 7 Best GMAT Apps Can Improve Your Score appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Taking timed practice tests is an integral part of preparing for the GMAT. Fortunately, there’s a lot of free material online that will give you the full test-taking experience.

This guide features the top 12 resources for free GMAT practice tests, along with a full review of each test’s strengths and weaknesses. Plus, you’ll find some tips on how to use GMAT practice tests in the most effective way possible.

Before getting to the free GMAT practice tests, let’s consider what you should look for in a practice test.

What Makes a Good GMAT Practice Test?

The best GMAT practice tests look the same as the real GMAT. They are computer-based and adaptive. They share the same structure, instructions, and question types as the real test. They are also timed in the same way, with two 30-minute sections and two 75-minute sections.

The best GMAT practice tests come directly from the test makers, the Graduate Management Admission Council, or GMAC. Official practice tests are the most realistic version of the real test, plus they’re the only ones that use GMAC’s top secret algorithm for scoring and adaptive testing.

Makers of unofficial GMAT practice tests can only guess at the algorithm, so none can give you a perfect sense of your current scoring level. That being said, there are several realistic unofficial practice tests that can be very useful for your prep (click here to go straight to them!). A few even come with video explanations, an online tutor, or the option to attend a live event with other prospective students at a university.

You should note that no free GMAT test offers essay-scoring. You can get a prompt and write the 30-minute essay, but you’ll have to evaluate it on your own using the AWA rubric.

When you take a practice test, make sure that it has the same computerized format, structure, and question types as the real GMAT. Below you’ll find suggestions for the top 11 unofficial free GMAT practice tests, but first, let’s look at the official GMAT practice tests that you can access for free at MBA.com.

Official Free GMAT Practice Tests

GMAC offers two full-length GMAT practice tests on its free GMAT Prep Software. After creating an account and downloading the software, you can access the two tests. You’ll also get 90 free GMAT practice questions — 30 Quantitative, 45 Verbal, and 15 Integrated Reasoning.

The two free GMAT practice tests are almost identical to what you’ll see on test day. They feature all four sections of the test — Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), Integrated Reasoning (IR), Quantitative, and Verbal — and have realistic instruction screens between each section.

Because the questions are made by the test makers themselves, they are the most realistic representation of GMAT questions. Your exam will also be scored in the same way that the real GMAT will be.

Just keep in mind that there’s a certain margin of error. Total scores within 30 to 40 points of each other are considered to fall in the same range.

There are a few differences between the free GMAT practice tests and the real exam. The practice tests allow you to pause time and take as much time as you want reading instructions. On the real GMAT, you’ll have 10 minutes to read the AWA tutorial and only one minute for all of the other instruction screens.

You can also pause the practice tests at any time, flag questions that you’re not sure about, and reveal a question’s answer whenever you like. None of these options, of course, will be available to you when you take the real test, but they’re helpful study tools.

There’s one other useful feature of these two official GMAT practice tests. Because they draw on a huge pool of practice questions, you can actually take each one more than once. You might see a few repeat questions, but most will be new the second and even third time. In essence, you have four to six free practice tests at your disposal thanks to the GMAT Prep Software.

So, how can you use these practice tests in the most effective way to get ready for the GMAT? Read on for some tips for taking official GMAT practice tests.

Tips for Taking Official GMAT Practice Tests

How can you use the official GMAT practice tests in the most effective way? When should you take them, and how can they inform your study plan? Consider the following five tips as you move forward.

#1: Take One Near the Beginning, One Near the End

Since there are just two free official practice tests, you should be strategic about when you take them. We recommend taking the first near the beginning of your prep and the second near the end. You can take some time to familiarize yourself with the format and structure of the GMAT and then review key concepts.

After learning about the test, you could take the first official free GMAT practice test to get a sense of the testing experience and establish your baseline scoring level. This practice test helps you diagnose your current scoring level and identify your strengths and weaknesses.

You can retake this test as you continue to study, but you’ll likely see some repeat questions, so it won’t be as realistic as the actual GMAT. We recommend saving the second official practice test for somewhere near the end of your prep. Once you’ve done a lot of review and answered sample questions, you can take this test to measure all the progress you’ve made.

In between these official GMAT practice tests, you can also take unofficial practice tests to measure your progress. Since the official ones are the most realistic version of the GMAT, it can be useful to use one as a diagnostic practice test and the second after you’ve spent a significant amount of time studying.

#2: Simulate Real Testing Conditions

Official practice tests give you a very realistic experience of taking the GMAT. The only thing you’re missing is the test center.

To make the experience as real as possible, you should find a quiet space free of distractions. Follow the same timing as the test, and take the optional eight-minute breaks after the Integrated Reasoning (IR) and Quantitative sections. Don’t use your own calculator, but rather get used to using the on-screen calculator (this only applies to the Integrated Reasoning section).

Essentially, you should do everything you can to make the testing experience as close to the real thing as possible.

#3: Use Them to Practice Test Taking, Not to Learn Concepts

Practice tests help you become a better test taker. You can practice your time management, develop a rhythm, and apply your understanding to practice problems.

Full-length practice tests are not so useful for concept review. You shouldn’t rely just on practice tests to learn all of the math, grammar, or data interpretation skills you need for the GMAT.

Instead, you can use the tests to figure out what you don’t know, and then consult other prep materials to fill in any gaps in knowledge.

#4: Keep an Error Log

To help you figure out what you don’t know, you should keep an error log and write down any questions that you got wrong or felt confused about. Go over the answer explanations, and figure out what it was that tripped you up.

Did you read the question wrong? Do you not understand the concept? Did you run out of time? By rooting out the source of your mistake, you can take specific steps to fix it. Practice tests help you discover your weak spots, so you can build them up for next time.

#5: Set Goals for Where to Go Next

Once you’ve taken a practice test, reviewed your performance, and uncovered your weak areas, you should set specific goals for what to do next. The GMAT practice test gives insight into your current scoring level. It’s up to you to take this feedback and use it to inform a targeted, customized study plan that will help you improve.

Most of these tips are useful as you take unofficial practice tests, as well. Just keep in mind that these tests won’t be the best experience of the GMAT, and the scores don’t come from GMAC’s secret scoring algorithm.

Now that we’ve covered the official tests, read on for a full evaluation of the best unofficial free GMAT practice tests, ranked from best to worst.

11 Free GMAT Practice Tests, Ranked

Below are the 11 best free GMAT tests available online, ranked from most realistic to least.

#1: Kaplan

Kaplan’s free GMAT practice test tops the list for its realistic format and high-quality practice questions. Not only does the test closely resemble the real GMAT, but it also comes with detailed video answer explanations.

You can take the test online at any time, or you can sign up for a live, instructor-proctored test. If you go the proctored route, then you’ll see live explanations from Kaplan faculty, a mini lesson from an instructor, and a live chat window where you can ask questions.

Like the real GMAT, the Quantitative and Verbal sections are adaptive. You can also opt for 50% or 100% additional time if you’ll be getting accommodations. Just make sure that you don’t accidentally hit “End Test,” or you will exit the exam and won’t be able to restart it!

You can access the Kaplan practice test by creating an account on its website and then choosing the self-proctored or instructor-proctored practice test. If you don’t want promotional emails from Kaplan, then make sure to uncheck the appropriate box.

#2: Veritas

Veritas is a close second for best free GMAT practice test. The exam is realistic and presents high-quality practice questions. You can take the exam in full or just choose certain sections.

Like the official GMAT practice tests, you can pause the test at any time. It’s recommended, however, that you take the test in full and follow the real GMAT timing to build up your stamina for test day.

You can also choose 50% or 100% extra time if you need accommodations. To access the test, head to VeritasPrep.com and create an account. The company also offers six additional computer-adaptive GMAT practice tests for $49.

#3: Manhattan Prep

For your third unofficial free GMAT practice test, head to ManhattanPrep.com. You’ll just need to create an account to access the test.

The questions on the Manhattan Prep test are high quality, but the visuals of the test don’t match the real GMAT. While it’s recommended that you follow the same timing as the GMAT, you do have the option here of manually adjusting time settings.

You could extend the time limits by section, or take the test completely untimed. You also have the option of setting a time limit on yourself for each question. If you go with this option, then you’ll have to move on to the next question when time runs out whether you’ve answered the question or not.

Unanswered GMAT questions can really drag down your score, but this option can be useful as you develop a test taking rhythm. At the same time, it’s not always the best practice to spend the exact same amount of time on every question in a section.

For instance, problem solving questions may take longer than data sufficiency questions in math, and reading comprehension questions may take longer than sentence corrections in verbal. This option can be useful to solidify your time management skills, but it’s also not the most realistic experience of taking the GMAT.

#4: Princeton Review

When you create an account with Princeton Review, you can access one free GMAT practice test. You can either self-proctor the exam and take it online, or you can sign up for a practice test event.

The events in the Boston area, for example, take place at local colleges, like Northeastern and Brandeis University. These events give you a realistic, testing center experience, but they’re mostly offered to promote Princeton Review classes and tutoring.

The questions are realistic and match the format of the GMAT. Some users may have trouble accessing the practice test without the right version of Java. You also must make sure that any ad-blocking software is turned off.

#5: 800 Score Test

To take the 800 Score free GMAT test, all you have to do is enter a username and password and start testing. You’ll see five practice tests, but just the first one is free. The remaining four tests are available for $24.95.

The format and visuals of these practice tests don’t closely mirror the actual GMAT exam. That being said, the questions are relatively realistic and both the math and verbal sections have the adaptive format.

At the end of your 800 Score free GMAT test, you can look over your answers, read answer explanations, and see how much time you spent on each question. If you choose not to take the test all at once, you can also save your results, return to it later, and pick up where you left off.

#6: McGraw-Hill

Head to McGraw Hill Education for six free GMAT tests, each with three of the four GMAT sections. The tests are missing the AWA section, but otherwise include all of the question types you’ll get on the GMAT.

The visuals don’t closely resemble the real GMAT exam, but the questions are decent. The Verbal and Integrated Reasoning questions are especially strong, while the Quantitative questions seem easier than what you’ll get on the real test.

You can take McGraw-Hill’s free GMAT tests timed or untimed, and you can log out and save your progress at any time. The score reports will tell you how many questions you got right in each section, and you’ll be able to review answer explanations.

Since the score reports show you your percentage of correct answers, the tests are most useful as extra practice, rather than for getting a realistic sense of your GMAT scoring level.

#7: Prep Adviser Test

The Prep Adviser test includes the Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal sections. Since it added the IR section recently, you’ll need to take this section separately and then navigate to the Quantitative and Verbal sections, rather than getting all sections together.

The test features decent free GMAT practice questions, but they are easier overall than what you’ll get on the real GMAT. As you take the test, you’ll see a timer and question tracker. You can also exit the test and return back to it at a later time.

The Prep Adviser free GMAT exam does not include the AWA section. You would have to add this in on your own, which you could easily do by choosing one of the official AWA prompts and giving yourself 30 minutes to write an essay.

#8: Babson (or London Business School) Practice Test

Both Babson’s FW Olin Graduate School of Business and London Business School offer the same GMAT practice resources on their websites. The tests include realistic, timed math and verbal sections. However, they are missing AWA and Integrated Reasoning.

You can also take a micro test and a mini test for shorter experiences of GMAT testing. To access the test, you’ll need to create an account.

You should note a discrepancy in the LBS instructions. It says you’re entitled to a 10-minute break between the Quantitative and Verbal sections, but on the actual GMAT, your break can only go up to eight minutes.

#9: GMAT Club Test Practice

GMAT Club offers two GMAT sections, one computer-adaptive Quantitative section and one computer-adaptive Verbal section. Both are 75 minutes long and feature realistic questions and visuals. You’ll also have access to independent sets of critical reasoning, reading comprehension, sentence correction, and math questions.

To access these free GMAT practice questions, you need to sign up for an account and respond to the activation email. When you sign up, you’ll also get to choose a few nice perks, like access to two free practice tests from Veritas Prep or one month of free trial access to a Magoosh GMAT lesson.

#10: Manhattan Review Practice Test

After you sign up for an account with Manhattan Review, check your email for your account password. Once you’ve signed in, you can access a free diagnostic practice GMAT test.

The test is timed and features AWA, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal sections. The AWA section is outdated, featuring two prompts instead of one.

The questions aren’t especially high-quality, with many appearing easier than what you’ll get on the actual test. While this test is OK if you need some extra free practice, it won’t do as much to help you prepare or get an accurate understanding of your scoring level.

#11: Test Prep Practice

Your final option for free GMAT practice tests comes from Test Prep Practice. Rather than full practice tests, it offers practice sections by question type for the Quantitative and Verbal section.

You’ll find sample GMAT questions for reading comprehension, sentence correction, critical reasoning, data sufficiency, and problem solving questions. None of these sections appear to be adaptive, and they don’t resemble the format of the test.

These questions are most useful for drilling skills and getting extra practice answering GMAT-type questions. However, they won’t help much in the way of pacing or getting a realistic experience of the test.

As you can see, there are some great full-length, computer-adaptive GMAT practice tests available for free, and then there are some that, while still useful, are not quite as high quality.

While you read some tips for using official GMAT practice tests above, what do you need to know about making the most of these unofficial GMAT practice tests?

How to Make the Most of Unofficial Free GMAT Practice Tests

How can you use these practice tests effectively to get ready for the GMAT? When should you take them, and how can they inform your study plan? Consider these five tips below as you design your approach to GMAT prep.

#1: Use Practice Tests to Measure Progress

Practice tests are a great way to check in and measure your progress. After you use an official GMAT test to diagnose your beginning scoring level, you can stagger unofficial practice tests throughout the weeks to gauge your score improvement.

You’ll see whether you’re meeting your goals and if not, what you can do to make your studying more effective. If you’ve stalled in a particular section, then you know you need to pay more attention there.

There’s no magic number of practice tests to take before the real exam, but many test takers swear by taking a practice test every two to three weeks. You don’t want to take so many that you burn out, but they can be very useful to see how you’re improving and gain experience taking the test.

Maybe you’ll get so familiar with the exam that the actual GMAT will seem like just one more practice test!

#2: Take Time to Reflect on Your Performance

You won’t get a ton out of a practice test if you just take it and move on. As discussed above, you should take time to note any mistakes, figure out the source of your mistakes, and figure out what you need to do to fix them.

Think carefully about your performance in each section and on each question type. Consider your pacing and whether you need to speed up or slow down. Be thoughtful about your strengths and weaknesses, and use this feedback to adjust your study plan as needed.

#3: If Missing, Add and Score Your Own AWA Section

As you saw, some of the free GMAT tests don’t include the AWA section. None of the practice tests score this section. To get the most realistic experience of the test, you should add in your own AWA section before Integrated Reasoning.

Choose a prompt from the full list, and give yourself 30 minutes to plan and type your response. You may also try to grade your essay with the AWA rubric, or perhaps you can swap essays with a fellow test taker and grade each other’s.

#4: Focus on Pacing and Time Management

Practice tests can help reinforce skills and concepts, but they’re also hugely useful for improving your time management. To do well on the GMAT, you need to get to all of the questions before time is up. On average, you have just two minutes per question.

Some of the practice GMAT exams allow you to set a time limit per question if you need to get really strict with your timing. Many also show you how much time you spent per question at the end.

You might set certain benchmarks, like you’ll have a little over half of the questions answered in a section when you’re halfway through the time. As you take practice tests, see if you’re meeting those benchmarks throughout the section, not just when you reach the end.

#5: Consider Supplementing Tests With Purchased Material

Finally, you might consider supplementing these free GMAT practice tests with purchased material. You can buy two more full-length practice tests from GMAC for $49.99, as well as 404 additional GMAT questions and answer explanations for $29.99.

As you know, official tests and questions are the most realistic, plus they get scored in the same way as the GMAT. Above any other free practice test, official GMAT questions most closely resemble what you’ll see on test day.

Many of the test prep companies mentioned above also offer additional computer-adaptive practice tests for a fee. If you want to stick to a certain format, rather than jumping between websites, you might consider purchasing these practice tests.

Overall, you want to make sure you get enough testing experience to drill skills, find a test taking rhythm, and feel confident for test day. As we close up, let’s go over some final thoughts about free GMAT practice tests.

Free GMAT Practice Tests: Final Thoughts

The GMAT is expensive, but GMAT practice tests don’t have to be. In fact, there are a bunch of high-quality, free options for computer-adaptive free GMAT practice tests scattered around the internet.

Your first stop should be GMAC’s free GMAT Prep Software, which features two practice tests and 90 practice questions. You can even take these tests several times, though you may see a few repeat questions.

To measure your progress as you study, you should take unofficial GMAT practice tests every few weeks. These tests can give you useful feedback, but just remember that they’re not using the same scoring algorithm as the official GMAT test. The scores can give you a sense of your current scoring range, but they’re not 100% accurate.

Taking practice GMAT tests is a great way to have the GMAT experience before you sit for the official test. By timing yourself and analyzing your results, you can work toward mastery of this challenging business school exam.

What’s Next?

What’s the best way to study for the GMAT? Check out these tips for designing your GMAT study plan on this full GMAT syllabus.

Are you familiar with the format and question types on the GMAT? This guide goes over the full GMAT exam pattern and has samples of each and every question type.

How is each section of the GMAT scored, and where do your section scores come from? Check out this guide to GMAT scoring for everything you need to know.

The post The 12 Best Free GMAT Practice Tests appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

For many students, there’s an air of mystery surrounding the GMAT Integrated Reasoning section.  Designed to test real-world skills, the IR section can seem more complicated to study for than the other sections of the exam. In this guide, I’ll help you find the best tools for GMAT integrated reasoning practice.

First, I’ll talk about what the IR section tests and the types of questions you’ll see on it. Next, I’ll talk about what you need to prepare for the IR and what you should look for in your IR practice materials. Then, I’ll review both official and unofficial practice materials so that you have a good starting place to begin your practice. Finally, I’ll give you some tips for making the most out of your Integrated Reasoning GMAT practice.

What’s on the GMAT Integrated Reasoning Section?

The GMAT Integrated Reasoning section is non-adaptive (meaning the difficulty level of questions doesn’t vary depending on how you do), contains 12 questions, and lasts for 30 minutes. The IR section is scored from 1 to 8, in single-digit increments. Like the Analytical Writing Assessment, your IR score is separate from your Quantitative and Verbal scores and doesn’t factor into your total GMAT score.

IR questions a more open-ended than normal multiple choice questions. Instead of simply selecting the one right answer of five options, you may choose one, two, three, four, or even all five answers as correct. IR questions ask you to use both your Verbal and Quantitative skills together. You’ll have to analyze data in a number of forms (words, charts, tables, etc) and pull out insights from each.

There are four types of GMAT IR questions:

• Two-part analysis: these questions are often wordy and have small tables attached to them. You’ll be asked to choose two correct answers out of five or six options.

• Multi-source reasoning: these questions present information from, you guessed it, multiple sources. You’ll navigate through and analyze multiple sources of data.

• Graphic interpretation: these questions require you to analyze the information presented in a graph or a chart. You’ll have two questions, with answer choices presented in drop down menu format.

• Table analysis: data in these questions is presented in a sortable table along with three questions. To answer these questions correctly, you’ll need to differentiate between essential and nonessential information.

What Should I Look for in GMAT Integrated Reasoning Practice?

As a test-taker, it can be hard to figure out which GMAT integrated reasoning practice questions are right for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself when considering which materials to use.

#1: Do the Questions Have the Same Format as Real GMAT IR Questions?

GMAT IR questions have unique formats that are unfamiliar for most students and can be confusing. The only way to ensure you know how to approach the questions on test day is to practice with questions that look like those you’ll see on the real GMAT IR section until you’re comfortable with with their style. As such, it’s vital that your GMAT IR practice questions are the same four types and closely resemble those you’ll see on the test.

#2: Is the Resource Computerized?

You’ll take the GMAT on a computer, so it makes sense to practice on a computer as much as possible before test day. This is especially important for IR practice, since the questions require you manipulate data and interact with answers in ways that aren’t possible on paper.

#3: Does the Difficulty Level of the Practice Questions Match the Real GMAT?

While the Integrated Reasoning section isn’t adaptive, you will see questions at different difficulty levels (easy, medium, and hard). When practicing, you’ll want to make sure that your GMAT IR practice questions cover all difficulty levels so you’re prepared to solve whatever questions you see on test day.

You should also beware that unofficial questions can sometimes be much easier or harder than the questions you’ll actually see on the GMAT. If you notice that you’re doing much better or worse than usual on a specific set of practice questions, consider that they may not be very accurate.

#4: Are Practice Questions Grouped by Skill or Difficulty Level?

Targeted practice, when you focus your practice session on one specific skill or question type, is one of the most effective ways to prepare for the GMAT. If you decide to focus on solving only graphic interpretation questions for one hour-long session, you’ll learn more than if you break that same one-hour session into shorter, 15-minute sections for all four question types. You might also want target your practice by difficulty level, for instance working at solving easy questions in a shorter amount of time.

Resources that allow you to sort questions by difficulty level or skill are extremely valuable, since they make creating targeted practice sets much simpler.

Official GMAT Integrated Reasoning Practice

Using official GMAT integrated reasoning practice questions is a great way to ensure that you’re preparing with high-quality practice questions. The questions in GMAT official resources are actual, retired GMAT questions, written by the same people who write the real GMAT.

The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2017 ($28.89)

This print guide, written by GMAC, is an official study guide that covers all sections of the GMAT. The guide comes with a chapter dedicated to the Integrated Reasoning section, which reviews the question types and discusses strategies for solving problems. The guide also comes with access to an online Integrated Reasoning companion, which includes more information about the IR section as well as 50 online IR practice problems.

Overall, it’s a great place to start with your GMAT prep, including for IR.

GMATPrep (Free)

This online software gives you access to two full-length practice computer-based tests, with the option of purchasing up to six total CATs. Each of the practice tests includes one IR section, with 12 questions.

Beyond the CATs, GMATPrep includes an additional 15 free IR practice questions.

IR Prep Tool ($19.99)

This online software includes 48 IR questions, answer explanations, and customizable question sets. This resource is great because it lets you create your own sets of GMAT IR practice questions, sorting by question type and difficulty. It also lets you practice questions in either study mode (untimed) or exam mode (timed).

If you really want to focus on GMAT IR practice, this is one of the best tools available, but it’s fairly expensive for just a few dozen questions, especially compared to the full official guide.

Unofficial GMAT Integrated Reasoning Practice

Because the Integrated Reasoning section is the newest section on the GMAT, there are relatively few resources out there, especially if you compare the few GMAT Integrated Reasoning practice questions to the numerous Quant or Verbal questions. Even so, there are some high-quality GMAT IR practice materials out there that you can use to supplement the official resources in your prep.

Veritas Prep Integrated Reasoning Sample Questions

Veritas Prep has developed a number of Integrated Reasoning practice questions, and offers 14 of them free-of-charge on their website. Veritas Prep is known for having high-quality practice questions and this resource gives you realistic examples of all four types of questions that you’ll find on the IR section. The questions are also accompanied by in-depth explanations that explain why each answer is correct or incorrect.

GMAT Club’s E-Book Bundle

GMAT Club, an online forum that provides support and advice for GMAT test takers, has compiled a list of all free e-books and practice question sets that address the IR section. This resource is great for test takers who are looking for materials that include both instruction and practice questions. Note that these downloadable resources are available as PDFs, so you won’t be able to solve questions online.

GMAT Pill’s Integrated Reasoning Sample Questions

GMATPill has compiled nearly 200 IR sample questions that you can practice online. These questions are broken down into question type, with specific information on skills tested and solve rate, so you can see how hard each question is.

The online format is useful, because you’ll get used to solving the questions on a computer, but the web-based interface doesn’t look anything at all like the interface on the real GMAT. Keep that in mind as you’re practicing.

800score.com’s Integrated Reasoning Sample Questions

800score.com offers demos of the four question types in an online format that has a very similar interface to the actual GMAT. The site also offers instructional videos and other resources you can use in your prep.

Unfortunately, there are only four GMAT integrated reasoning practice questions here, but they’re of high quality and worthwhile for their similarity to actual GMAT IR questions.

4 Tips for Making the Most of Your GMAT Integrated Reasoning Practice

It’s important to make sure that you’re making the most out of your GMAT test prep by practicing smart. Here are some tips for how to make sure you’re making your GMAT IR prep valuable.

#1: Practice Your Pacing

The GMAT IR section is short – only 30 minutes to solve 12 complex, multi-step questions. It’s important to consider timing when you’re practicing. You’ll want to pay attention to how long it takes you to solve problems, particularly during practice tests, when you’ll be answering all 12 questions in one sitting. As you practice, place time limits on yourself and work to see how quickly you can solve problems.

#2: Put Away the Calculator

The IR section doesn’t let you use your own calculator, though you’ll have access to an online calculator with basic functions. Practice using the online calculator with your sample questions, or using a simple four-function calculator on your phone that mimics the simple calculator you’ll use on the test. By only using the resources you’ll actually have on the GMAT, you’ll ensure you’re comfortable and prepared on test day.

#3: Dedicate Time to IR Practice

Many test takers skip preparing for the IR section in favor of spending more time on the Quant and Verbal sections, since they’re considered more important. But as the IR section becomes more seasoned, business schools are considering IR scores more. Especially since the IR section is designed to simulate skills you’ll need in the real world, it’s important to make sure you do well on it!

While you’ll likely spend more time prepping for the Quant and Verbal sections, build in time to focus on IR. Make sure you take the IR section on every practice test you do and spend a few dedicated study sessions on IR questions.

#4: Familiarize Yourself With the Questions

The IR questions look different from every other question type on the GMAT. Spend time with the practice questions so that you familiarize yourself with the visual nature of these questions, as well as with the practice of choosing multiple right answers. Doing so will help you feel more confident on test day. It will also save you time, as you’ll be able to easily recognize question types and know what to when you take the actual exam.

What’s Next?

Learn more about the other sections of that GMAT by reading our guides on GMAT Quant and GMAT Verbal.

Is the GMAT Total score the only one that matters? Read our guide to find out how the total score is calculated and how business schools weight the different scores.

Take a look at our massive collection of GMAT sample questions to start your prep with a huge selection of practice questions for all four sections,

The post The Best GMAT IR Practice: 200+ Questions for Your Prep appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

If you don’t have regular access to a computer or another web-enabled device, or if you simply like using pen and paper, studying with a GMAT PDF can be another way to prepare on your GMAT preparation journey.

There aren’t many high quality GMAT PDF resources out there, but in this guide, I’ll give you links to some of the best ones across a number of categories. I’ll also talk about the pros and cons of using a GMAT PDF as you’re preparing to take the GMAT.

GMAT PDFs Overview

There aren’t many GMAT study guide PDF  resources out there, and for good reason. The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test, which means that you’ll take the official GMAT on a computer at a testing center. For this reason, most GMAT prep resources are found online or have heavy online components.

While there aren’t many GMAT PDF resources out there, there are a handful of good ones that you can use in your prep. Before I talk to you about what those are, let’s learn a little bit more about using GMAT PDFs.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a GMAT PDF?

I’ll be honest – the cons of using a GMAT PDF vastly outweigh the pros. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t use one, however. Just keep these pros and cons in mind as you’re thinking about whether or not to use a GMAT PDF. Here are a few of the pros and cons of using PDFs in your GMAT study plans.

Pros of Using a GMAT PDF

There aren’t many pros to using a PDF to study for the GMAT, as I discussed before. Here are a couple that may, however, convince you to use them in your prep.

#1: You Can Use a GMAT PDF Any Time, Any Place

GMAT PDFs are highly portable. Simply print them out, and you can pack them easily in your backpack or purse. It’s easier to pull out a few pages of paper than it is to lug around a computer, so if you’re often on the go and want some easy review materials, PDFs are a great supplement to carry with you.

#2: You Don’t Need a Computer to Use a GMAT PDF

If you don’t have reliable access to a computer or Internet, using a PDF will help you continue to practice without the web. If you’re a test-taker who can’t get to a computer while you’re studying, print out a few PDFs to work on. You’ll have access to practice questions and test strategies that will help you improve.

Cons of Using a GMAT PDF

There are many cons to using PDFs to study for the GMAT. Here are the three biggest.

#1: GMAT PDFs Don’t Prepare You for the Computerized Aspect of the GMAT

Perhaps the biggest con of using PDFs to prepare for the GMAT is that PDFs don’t prepare you for the computerized aspect of the GMAT. As I mentioned before, you’ll have to take the GMAT on a computer, so practicing on a computer is key to increasing your comfort and understanding of the test before test day. It’s a good idea to take at least a few practice tests on a computer before test day, or you’ll waste a lot of time trying to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of working the computer.

#2: There’s Not A Great Range of PDF Resources Available

While there are many different books and online resources available to help you prepare for the GMAT, there aren’t many GMAT PDF resources around. You’re mainly limited to short GMAT Ebook free downloads, brief content reviews (like math formula lists), or flashcards. It’s hard to find a comprehensive review for the GMAT available in PDF form and you certainly won’t get into a lot of depth on any single GMAT topic by only using PDFs.

#3: There Are Not Many High Quality GMAT PDF Resources Available

Building off of my previous point, while there aren’t many GMAT PDFs out there to begin with, there are even fewer high quality GMAT PDF resources available. Most of the reputable prep companies offer resources in print or online – not as PDFs. The vast majority of PDF resources that you’ll find from prep companies are mainly advertisements for their print or online services. A lot of other PDFs come from unknown sources, which mean it’s hard to assess their quality.

What Makes a Helpful GMAT PDF?

As with any GMAT prep resource, you want to make sure that you’re using a high quality resource so that you’re well-prepared for the test. A helpful GMAT PDF should have accurate, high quality questions, clear instructions, and should easily fit into your GMAT prep plans. In the next few sections, I’ll offer some recommendations for helpful GMAT PDFs you can use.

Best GMAT Practice Test PDFs

Taking full-length practice tests is an important part of your GMAT prep. It builds your endurance for test day and helps you get used to seeing all the content on the GMAT in one sitting. Unfortunately, there aren’t many high-quality GMAT sample questions PDF resources, especially full-length tests, out there.

GMATClub’s Full-Length GMAT Practice Test PDF Set

There aren’t many full length GMAT practice PDFs available, and for good reason. Taking a computerized adaptive test (CAT) is an important part of preparing you for the test. While a full length PDF may test the same content and be the same length as a computerized GMAT, it’s important to get the full experience of taking the GMAT online.

However, you can use GMATClub’s full length GMAT practice test PDF set to practice a full-length test if you don’t have access to a computer or to build a question bank of questions to practice using pen and paper. This resource has compiled 10 full-length GMAT practice test PDFs into one document. GMATClub is known for aggregating high quality resources that are often peer-reviewed by members of the forum.

Best GMAT Study Guide PDFs

Study guides can help you focus on one specific area of the GMAT, such as quantitative formulas. GMAT PDF study guides are a good way to work on one skill or skill area without having to purchase a book.

PrepScholar GMAT Quant Math Formulas

Our math formulas GMAT study guide PDF (link coming soon!) takes you through all of the most important formulas you should memorize for the GMAT. You won’t get an equation cheat sheet on the GMAT, so it’s important to memorize these formulas ahead of time.

This resource only gives you the formulas; it doesn’t show you how to use them in the context of GMAT quant questions. You’ll need to supplement this PDF with other quant practice in order to prepare for the GMAT.

GMATClub GMAT Math Book

The GMATClub GMAT Free Math Ebook covers every important math concept that you’ll see on the GMAT. You’ll find explanations of the major content concepts the GMAT quant section will cover, as well as sample questions for each.

This GMAT study guide PDF doesn’t go into huge depth and the questions aren’t adaptive, but as I mentioned before, GMATClub is known for its high quality resources. You can also find a huge community of users in their online forum, which means that if you have questions about this resource, you can ask questions and get answers from the people who wrote it.

GMAC’S GMAT Handbook

GMAC’s GMAT Handbook is a GMAT ebook free download that takes you through everything you need to know about getting ready for the exam. It has helpful checklists of items to remember before and after the test, including registering, making a study plan, and sending your scores to schools.

If you’re unfamiliar with the basics of registering for the GMAT, crafting a study plan, and sharing your scores, this e-book will help you get started and give you useful suggestions of other resources to check out. If you’re already familiar with the mechanics of the GMAT, you can skip this one.

Best GMAT Flashcard PDFs

Flashcards are a great tool to help your prep. You can use flashcards anytime, anywhere, to review quick concepts, like math formulas or idioms.

Beat the GMAT’s Downloadable GMAT Flashcards

Beat the GMAT offers free, downloadable flashcards in PDF form for both the GMAT quant and GMAT verbal sections. You’ll have to register for an account to download these flashcards.

GMAT Club’s Downloadable GMAT Flashcards

GMATClub offers free, downloadable flashcards in PDF form for both the GMAT quant and GMAT verbal sections. You’ll have to register for an account to download these flashcards.

Review: Using GMAT PDFs for Your Prep

While PDFs aren’t a traditional resource to use when preparing for the GMAT, there are a handful of PDFs out there that can help supplement your prep if you don’t have easy access to a web-enabled device.

Make sure you’re using high quality PDFs when practicing, so that you’re well-prepared with accurate information.

What’s Next?

If PDFs aren’t your style, there are plenty of other resources out there to help you prepare for the GMAT, and we’ve reviewed them all! Check out our guides to the best GMAT books, the best free GMAT resources, and the best online GMAT resources (link coming soon!), just to name a few.

If the thought of using your GMAT flashcards PDF has you raring to go, make sure you check out our guide which explains the best way to use flashcards to boost your studying.

If cost is a concern, don’t worry. There are plenty of free GMAT prep resources that you can use as you prepare to take the test. Check out our guide to some of the best free GMAT prep resources for more information.

The post The 6 Best GMAT PDFs for Your Prep appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

If you’ve looked at any GMAT study plan or enrolled in any GMAT prep classes, you’ve probably noticed that the first thing either one will have you do is take a full-length GMAT sample test. That’s because taking GMAT practice tests is a great way to establish your baseline skills and monitor your progress as you move towards test day. But where can you find sample tests to incorporate in your GMAT prep?

In this guide, I’ll talk about how to use sample GMAT tests to get started with your studying. First, I’ll discuss why it’s so important to take sample tests in the first place. Next, I’ll discuss what makes a good sample GMAT (all sample GMATs are not created equal). Then, I’ll give you links to free official and unofficial sample tests you can use. Finally, I’ll talk about how you can use GMAT sample tests to further your studying and get you closer to achieving your GMAT goal score.

Why Is it Important to Take GMAT Sample Tests?

Every single GMAT study plan recommends that you take sample tests at regular intervals during your GMAT prep. But why? Why go through the pain of taking this long and arduous test more than once? In this section, I’ll talk about why it’s so important to take GMAT sample papers.

#1: To Establish Your Baseline Score

It’s important to know where you’re starting before you begin studying for the GMAT.

First of all, knowing your baseline score will help you determine how many points you’ll need to grow to reach your goal score. Similarly, knowing your baseline score can also tell you whether or not your goal score is way off. For instance, if you take a practice test and are ten points away from your goal score, you may want to set a higher goal. On the other hand, if you’re 300 points away from your goal score, you may need to adjust your expectations.

Secondly, taking a sample test will help identify what you’re good at and what you’re bad at. While you may have an idea of your strengths and weaknesses before starting to prep, a sample test will make them super apparent because you’ll be practicing the correct number of questions and correct skills for each section. Maybe you’re doing really well on the quant section, but you missed every geometry section. Or, you thought you were all set on verbal, but totally bombed sentence corrections. Taking a sample test will help you see where you need to grow so you can make a solid study plan that assesses those weaknesses.

#2: To Monitor Your Progress

Taking regularly scheduled GMAT sample tests during your prep is an important way to monitor your progress. It will help you see if you’re on track to meet your goals and where you can make adjustments in your study plan. For instance, if you’ve prepped for four weeks, take a sample test, and see that you’ve already gone up 100 points, you might be able to adjust the amount of time you need to study. On the other hand, if you take a sample test and see that you’re still really far away from your goal, you might want to increase your studying hours.

You can also track your progress on specific skills. Say you missed a bunch of reading comprehension questions during your first practice test. On your second one, you can check and see how you’re doing so that you know if your practice is working.

#3: Learn the Format and Timing of the Exam

The GMAT is an intense exam. It’s long, rigorous, and intimidating. By taking full-length GMAT sample tests before test day, you can prepare for the length of the test and build up your stamina. You’ll also become familiar with the GMAT’s unique formatting, so it won’t be new or confusing to you on test day.

What Makes a Good GMAT Sample Test?

All practice tests aren’t created equal. When choosing the sample GMAT test you’re going to take, look for the following qualities.

#1: Utilizes Same Question Format and Types as the Real GMAT

You want to make sure that your GMAT sample test has questions that are as close to what you’ll see on the real GMAT as possible. Of course, the simplest way to ensure your GMAT sample tests are accurate is to use official practice tests from GMAC. However, if you do use unofficial practice materials, you should make sure that both the style and content of the test are very close to those of the real test.

GMAT questions are written in a very specific style. Practicing that style will help you understand what the questions are asking and how to answer them correctly.

The test you choose should also assess the same content as the GMAT. Why waste your time practicing something that won’t appear on the actual test? Any unofficial practice tests should have an accurate breakdown of content and question types (e.g., there’s a variety of skills tested for each section that mimics the breakdown of skills on the actual GMAT).

#2: Mimics the Difficulty Level of the Real GMAT

Taking a test that mimics the difficulty level of the real GMAT will help you get a clearer picture of your performance range. If you take a test that’s too easy or too hard, you might have an unrealistic idea of how well you’re doing. You won’t be able to make informed decisions about how to adjust your study plan accordingly and could get unnecessarily discouraged or dangerously overconfident.

#3: Is Computerized and Adaptive

The GMAT is given on a computer and is adaptive, which means that questions on the quant and verbal sections will get harder or easier as you answer questions correctly or incorrectly. When practicing, try to take computerized, adaptive tests when possible. Taking a computerized test will help you feel comfortable with testing on a computer for test day. Taking an adaptive test will help you get used to the changing difficulty level of questions and learn to avoid second guessing yourself.

Best GMAT Sample Tests

In this section, I’ll walk you through some of the best GMAT sample papers that you can find to practice with. For each, I’ll tell you where to find it and discuss some of the positives and negatives of the resource.

Official GMAT Sample Tests

Taking official GMAT sample tests is one of the best things you can do for your prep. Official GMAT sample tests contain real, retired GMAT questions, so the questions are always accurate and the content breakdown is appropriate.

GMATPrep Software by GMAC

This free, downloadable software gives you access to two free practice tests that are built using actual, retired GMAT questions. If you’d like to purchase additional exam packs (each pack contains two extra CATs), you can do so for $50 from GMAC.

This software offers the best, most accurate GMAT sample tests you can get: these tests are almost indistinguishable from the real GMAT. Not only are the questions accurate, the interface and scoring algorithms are as well. If you’re only going to take one GMAT sample test, make it this one.

Unofficial GMAT Sample Tests

While sticking to official GMAT materials is the best way to make sure you’re taking an accurate GMAT sample test, there are a number of good unofficial resources out there that make solid sample tests as well.

Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep offers one free full-length GMAT practice test with explanations. You can take the full-length test with normal time, or you can add extra time. If you’d like, you can also purchase 6 more tests for $49.

Veritas Prep offers some of the best unofficial practice tests, with accurate GMAT-style questions and in-depth answer explanations that will help you decide what and how to study.

Manhattan Prep

Manhattan Prep offers access to one free full-length CAT, with the option of purchasing five additional CATs for $49. Alternatively, you can get access to all six CATs if you buy the bundle of Manhattan Prep guides.

Manhattan Prep’s tests have a good adaptive algorithm and solid, quality questions. However, the Manhattan Prep CATs are a bit harder than the actual test, so they’re not as helpful for students who are struggling or lack confidence.

GMAT CLUB

GMAT Club offers access to two free CATs, which include extensive analytics and detailed answer explanations to help you understand why you’re missing questions. You can also purchase a $79 subscription to access an additional 26 quant CATs and seven verbal CATs.

GMAT Club’ s questions are accurate but challenging, making them a helpful resource for those looking to really test their skills and practice with especially tricky problems. However, these tests are not full-length GMAT exams. None of GMAT Club’s CATs include the integrated reasoning or analytical writing assessment sections. Similarly, the tests are offered one section at a time, so you’ll take the verbal section and the quant section in isolation, not continuously.

Kaplan

Kaplan offers two types of free full-length online GMAT practice tests: self-proctored and instructor-proctored. For the self-proctored test, you’ll receive your scores and answer explanations to peruse at your leisure. For the instructor-proctored exam, you’ll get your scores, and then work with an instructor in real-time online to get answer explanations. Both the self-proctored and instructor-proctored exams are free, but you can purchase six additional CATs for $30.

Kaplan tests are generally fairly accurate, but they have some questions that are either a little different in format or content from the GMAT. For example, you may seem some questions that ask about math skills that aren’t tested on the real GMAT.

The Economist

The Economist offers one free full-length CAT if you sign up for a seven day free trial of the Economist’s GMAT tutoring.

This CAT has solid questions, accurate scoring, and adaptive questions. However, you can only access one CAT through the Economist, so you won’t be able to aggregate your test-taking data and analyze your improvement the way you can with many of the other options on this list.

How to Use GMAT Sample Tests to Further Your Prep

Now that you’ve learned where to take the best free GMAT sample tests, here are some tips for how to incorporate these practice tests into your studying.

#1: Take a Sample Test Before You Begin Studying

Taking a sample GMAT test before you start your prep will help you target the areas you need to work on and develop a baseline score from which you can grow. When you take your first sample test, you’ll see which kinds of questions you got wrong and which kinds of questions you got right. For instance, you may see that you do well on geometry questions, but struggle with algebra. Having a detailed analysis of your strengths and weaknesses will help you decide what to focus on when you start your prep.

#2: Schedule Sample Tests Into Your Prep

When creating your customized GMAT study plan, make time to schedule sample tests into your prep. You’ll want to take the tests regularly, but you don’t need to worry about taking them every single week. Depending on how long your study schedule is, you can take sample tests bi-weekly or monthly. Check out our GMAT study plan guide (coming soon) to learn more about how to build a study schedule.

#3: Mimic Test-Day Conditions

When you take a sample GMAT test, do your best to mimic test-day conditions. That means putting your phone away, finding a quiet place to work with no interruptions, and taking the test in one sitting, with only the scheduled breaks.

Mimicking test day conditions is important for a number of reasons. For one thing, it helps you feel prepared for test day. By working with no interruptions and taking the test in one sitting, you’ll be able to get a more accurate prediction of how you’ll do when you take the actual GMAT.

Taking the test in one sitting also helps you build your endurance. The GMAT is a long test, and you should practice paying attention and focusing for the duration of the exam, just the same way you would have practice long runs to build your strength before a marathon.

Finally, turning off your phone ensures that you’re not distracted and that you’re not tempted to look up tips or hints for anything that you’re struggling with. You won’t be able to look things up on test day, so don’t do so when you’re practicing.

#4: Supplement Practice Tests With Practice Question Sets and Drills

While taking practice tests is a great way to measure your skills, supplementing these practice tests with regular work on practice question sets and drills will help take your GMAT practice to the next level. By utilizing practice question sets and drills, you’ll be able to hone in on specific targeted practice areas that you can improve on.

#5: Familiarize Yourself With the GMAT’s Format

One of the best things about taking practice CATs is that you’ll be able to improve your familiarity with the GMAT. Make sure that you take time during and after each GMAT sample test to note different features on the test. What do you click to submit answers? Where can you find a calculator on the integrated reasoning section? What happens is you skip a question? Paying attention to these smaller details will help you feel prepared and comfortable on test day.

What’s Next?

Looking to make a killer GMAT study plan? Check out our in-depth guide to crafting your own GMAT study plan.

Want to learn more about the best online practice for the GMAT? Take a look at our review of the best online GMAT practice.

If you’re looking for more content review in your prep, check out our guide to the best GMAT books.

The post GMAT Sample Tests: The Best Way to Start Studying appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

The Manhattan GMAT books (or more properly, the Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides) are arguably the most well-known GMAT guides out there. But are they really worth the time and money? In this guide, I’ll examine the Manhattan GMAT prep resources in depth, discuss their pros and cons, and talk about how to figure out whether they’re right for you.

What Makes a Good GMAT Prep Book?

When considering what kind of GMAT prep to invest in, it’s important to think about the quality of the resource. A GMAT prep book with top-notch practice questions and easy-to-follow lessons will help you a lot more than a book that has shoddy strategies and questionable content. Here are some of the questions you should be asking yourself when evaluating the quality of your prep book.

#1: Does the Book Have High-Quality Practice Questions?

The GMAT writes questions in a very specific way. Good GMAT test books need to have high-quality practice questions that are similar to real GMAT test questions. This helps you familiarize yourself with the style of GMAT questions and practice the skill sets needed to do well on the test. It’s important to make sure you’re practicing the right types of questions.

Some books may include drills that help you build your skills by asking different kinds of questions, but, the majority of the practice questions in your book should be written in the GMAT’s style.

#2: Does the Book Have Full-Length Practice Tests?

Full-length practice tests are the best way to simulate test day conditions. You should do your best to take them in one sitting, with little interruption.

#3: Does the Book Have Clear, Effective Content Review?

Good GMAT prep books have clear review sections that help you build your skills in a concise and simple way. These books should offer in-depth answer explanations to help further your knowledge. The point of these books is to help you learn, after all!

#4: Does the Book Offer Studying and Practice Tips?

The best books also offer studying tips for setting your schedule and sticking to it so that you maximize your prep. Many books offer sample study schedules, as well as suggestions for when to take practice tests and how to carve out time to prepare.

What’s in the Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set?

This bundle provides a comprehensive overview of all topics seen on the GMAT. The ten books that make up this bundle are designed to provide a substantial learning impact for students by helping them develop the knowledge, skills, and strategic thinking they need to do well on the test. The total cost for the set is around $130 on Amazon.

The full Manhattan GMAT set includes a year-long subscription to web materials and practice tests and the following books:

• GMAT RoadMap
• Fractions, Decimals, and Percents; Algebra
• Word Problems; Geometry
• Number Properties
• Critical Reasoning
• Reading Comprehension
• Sentence Correction
• Integrated Reasoning and Essay.

Each book dives into a specific section of the test with detailed instruction tailored to that particular section. Manhattan GMAT Prep focuses on building content knowledge, so that you, as a test-taker, are not just learning test-taking strategy, but developing a deep understanding of the topics covered by the GMAT.

Pros of the Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set

There are many pros to the Manhattan GMAT prep set. Here’s a look at some of the biggest advantages:

• Each GMAT prep book provides in-depth instruction about one specific part of the exam. This format means that you’ll be building your foundational knowledge about the content that the GMAT covers. Every section will receive equal attention, so that you’re prepped across the full spectrum of content on the GMAT.

• The bundle comes with access to six full-length, computer adaptive practice tests that simulate test-day conditions. Taking full-length CATs is a great way to make sure that you’re familiar with the structure and format of the test before test day.

• The books are written by 99th-percentile scorers at Manhattan Prep, so quality and rigor are high, because the authors are very familiar with the test. The books mirror the curriculum taught in the in-person Manhattan Prep courses, which are consistently highly rated.

• The GMAT Roadmap provides great wisdom for test-takers who are looking to develop their knowledge about the test, as well as strategies for scheduling their practice.

Cons of the Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set

While the Manhattan GMAT Strategy Guide Set has many pros, it has cons as well. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the cons of a resource so that you can make an informed decision of whether or not its right for you.

• Beyond the six practice tests, there aren’t very many online features included. Since the GMAT is a computer-based test, it’s a good idea to build in online practice before you take the test. You’ll likely need to supplement the guide with other online GMAT practice resources.

• You need to renew your online subscription every year, so it’s not cost effective if you’ll be studying over a longer period of time.

• While the guides do build a deep foundation of content, they don’t go over many test-taking strategies, so you won’t find a lot of tips for how to quickly discount incorrect answers.

• The GMAT Roadmap can be redundant if you’re already good at setting your test strategy.

• There are a few typos in the verbal practice problems which may make the questions hard to understand, particularly for non-native English speakers.

Is the Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set Right for Me?

If you’re considering purchasing the Manhattan GMAT books, consider the following questions.

#1: What Kind of Score Are You Aiming for?

The Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set is best for scorers in the middle ranges, while not as useful for scorers that are looking to do extremely well or who have huge foundational gaps to make up. Test-takers that are looking for high percentages of hard questions should supplement this strategy guide set with other books, such as Advanced GMAT Quant by Manhattan Prep.

#2: How Much Time Do You Have?

This strategy set requires a large time commitment in order for you to get your money’s worth. Each book is hefty and contains plenty of material that you’ll really need to dig into. If you have a significant amount of time to practice, these are the books for you. If you only have a month before you take the GMAT, you’ll probably need a different resource, because you can’t possibly cover all of the material in these books.

#3: Are You Looking to Learn Test-Taking Strategies?

The Manhattan GMAT prep books are definitely better for learning content and practicing, rather than learning test-taking strategies. While the GMAT Roadmap does cover some larger, over-arching strategies for the test and for how to structure your practice, you’ll need to look elsewhere for a greater focus on strategies.

#4: Do You Want to Review Online or in Print?

If you’re looking to do more online prep, you’ll probably need to pursue additional practice materials. Aside from the six CATs, the complete Manhattan GMAT set doesn’t offer a lot of online options.

#5: Is Money a Concern?

The Manhattan GMAT books are undeniably pricey, but they’re also extremely comprehensive, covering every section and question type in depth. Whether they offer good value depends on what your GMAT prep needs are.

How Can I Get the Most Out of the Manhattan GMAT Books?

If you’ve decided to buy the Manhattan Prep Complete Strategy Guide set, here are some tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of your purchase.

Use the Strategy Guide Set in Conjunction With the Official GMAT Guide

Together, you will have a comprehensive set of realistic practice questions (from the GMAT Official Guide) along with a comprehensive review strategy (from the Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set). The GMAT Official Guide will give you access to 900 official practice questions, while the Manhattan Prep GMAT set will give you the content knowledge you need to succeed. Between the two, you’ll have access to as many as 12 online CATs, as well.

Make Time to Take All Six CATs

Taking CATs is a great way to prepare for the GMAT. You’ll be able to simulate test day, build endurance, and familiarize yourself with the format of the exam. Make sure that you build time into your practice schedule to sit down and take these tests in full.

Buy the Guides Secondhand If You’re Looking to Save Money

If you’re looking to get a deal on the cost, you can buy the Manhattan GMAT prep books used on Amazon. You can also find them on GMAT Forums like GMAT Club or Beat the GMAT. Note that the online subscriptions for resale guides may be close to running out, so you may have to pay to renew the subscription associated with the set.

Only Buy Some of the Guides

If price is a concern, you could also get away with only purchasing 5 or 6 of the guides in conjunction with the Official GMAT Guide. I recommend purchasing the Number Properties, Word Problems, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension guides. These five guides cover 90% of the content covered on the GMAT, meaning that you’ll get comprehensive preparation while saving money (and shelf space).

Supplement Your Practice with Advanced Prep Books

If you’re looking to score above 700, you’ll likely want to supplement your practice with books like Advanced GMAT Quant, so you have access to a greater percentage of difficult questions.

What’s Next?

Looking to compare more options for GMAT studying? Check out our guide to the best GMAT prep books.

If online prep is more your style, check out our guide to the best online GMAT prep.

If you want to learn more about the GMAT Official Guide, check out our guide on how to get the most out of it.

The post Expert Review: Manhattan GMAT Books appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

The quantitative section is probably the most notorious and daunting section of the GMAT exam. It can feel like you need to be a genius to get a good score, but really all you need is practice!

In this guide, I’ll explain what you need to prepare for the GMAT quant section and list the best resources for GMAT math practice. Last but not least, you’ll see my best study tips for the math section to help you achieve your goal score.

What’s Tested on the GMAT Quant Section?

Simply put, the GMAT Quant section tests your ability to analyze data and draw conclusions using reasoning skills. There are two types of questions on the GMAT quant: data sufficiency and problem solving.

The quant section tests your content and analytical knowledge of basic math concepts, such as arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Contrary to popular belief, the GMAT quant section doesn’t test on advanced math concepts. Instead, you’ll be tested on how you apply your knowledge of basic math concepts.

What Do I Need to Prepare for GMAT Quant?

When you’re studying for GMAT quant, you’ll need a mix of practice and study materials, including GMAT-style practice questions, math content review, and full-length practice tests.

It’s also vital that you use high-quality GMAT math practice resources so you don’t waste precious studying time. Below, I’ve listed the qualities to look for in your study materials for GMAT quant.

#1: Use the Same Format as the Real GMAT

The GMAT is an unique test with often confusing question formats. The more time you spend answering questions that test the same content and look the same as the real test, the more comfortable you’ll be on test day. You won’t have to waste any time wondering “Where do I submit my answer?” or “Where are the directions for this question?”

#2: Test the Same Content as the Real GMAT

The GMAT quant section tests on the following concepts: algebraic equations and inequalities, arithmetic, decimals, percentages, ratios, exponents and square roots, geometry and coordinate geometry, integers, factors, multiples, number lines, and variable operations. You need to make sure that you’re practicing all of the content included on the GMAT quant, without adding in anything extraneous or missing any areas.

#3: Be Computerized, If Possible

The GMAT is a computer adaptive test (CAT). Practicing with online questions will help you be more comfortable reading and answering questions on a computer before test day.

#4: Cover a Variety of Content Areas and Difficulty Levels

The GMAT is an adaptive test, meaning that it gets harder or easier depending on how well you’re doing. You should practice easy, medium, and hard questions so that you’re prepared for whichever levels of questions you may face.

Your GMAT quant practice question sets should include questions organized by topic, so that you can drill specific skills (e.g., coordinate geometry) that you need to work on. Drilling specific skills helps you target your practice and focus on one skill per practice section, so that you can truly master it before moving on to the next skill.

Official GMAT Quant Practice Materials

Official GMAT practice questions are written by GMAC, the same company that writes the GMAT, and are often real questions that have been retired from the actual test. Practicing with official GMAT Quant practice questions is almost always the best option, since you know they’ll be accurate representations of what you’ll see on test day.

The Official Guide for GMAT Quant Review 2017

Price: $12.53

This guide, written by GMAC, provides official GMAT prep focused on the quant portion of the exam. It includes sections that review the fundamentals of the math section of the GMAT, including algebra, geometry, and arithmetic concepts, as well as word problems. The guide includes over 300 practice questions with full answers and explanations to test your understanding, as well as full-length practice CATs.

This guide is a great resource for official practice questions, especially since the online companion lets you build personalized practice sets to hone in on specific skills. However, it doesn’t go into that much depth in its review of skills and isn’t suitable for test-takers who need substantial quant review. It’s also insufficient for students who are looking to test themselves at higher skill levels, since it includes a limited number of hard questions.

GMATPrep

Price: Free!

This online software gives you access to two full-length practice CATs, with the option of purchasing more. The software also gives you access to 45 GMAT quant practice questions and lets you sort the questions into the sets so that you can practice specific skills. You can also purchase extra question packs for an added fee from MBA.com.

Like the official quant review book, this program is a solid resource for official practice questions. It also has the very useful “Exam Mode” which will familiarize you with the exact format of the CAT. Unfortunately, the basic software doesn’t have a wide range of questions, and some of the answer explanations can be convoluted and confusing.

Unofficial GMAT Quant Books

In addition to the Official Guide for GMAT Quant Review, there are tons of unofficial prep books out there. These tend to have more extensive content review, but lower quality practice questions. Here are a few books that are worth looking into for their overviews of the quant section.

Manhattan GMAT Math Guides

These single-focus guides, which range in price from $14 – $26 on Amazon, will help you take deep-dives into the specific content areas that you’re struggling with. For instance, you can be a guide that focuses specifically on fractions, decimals, and percents, or on algebra strategy. Each guide also comes with access to six online CATs and additional online question banks that focus on the specific skill you’re working on.

Manhattan Prep guides are great because they provide in-depth instruction, so you’re really mastering the content knowledge required to solve each of the questions. However, they don’t contain as many practice questions as most competitors’ books (you’ll only get access to 25 online questions per skill), so they’re most useful when used in conjunction with the GMAT official practice materials and questions.

Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook

This book, which costs $13.38, offers comprehensive review for every part of the GMAT quant section, building up your skills as you work through it. It’s mostly focused on building your knowledge, and includes a lot of skill drills, rather than GMAT-style questions. This book is a nice option if you want to buy one resource that’ll take you through the basics of GMAT math.

However, this book doesn’t include many difficult questions and skips a few important math topics, so it’s not a good choice for people who are looking for a high score.

Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Advanced Quant

This book, which costs $15.49, is great if you need more advanced GMAT math practice to help you knock your quant score out of the park. This guide reviews more advanced concepts and offers you the opportunity to work on mainly hard questions. I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners or people who need more foundational review.

Unofficial GMAT Math Practice Tests

Practice tests are an important way to measure your progress and build your stamina on all four sections, including the quant. Here are some full-length, free CATs that you can take to develop your skills. Lots of practice tests also offer answer explanations which will help you diagnose mistakes that you made and hone your GMAT math practice.

Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep offers one free GMAT practice test with explanations. If you’d like, you can purchase 6 more tests for $49. Veritas Prep tests have solid practice questions that are reflective of the actual GMAT and offer the option to take the test with the standard time constraints or with 50% or 100% extra time.

Manhattan Prep

Manhattan Prep offers free access to one full-length GMAT online, which includes rigorous and accurate GMAT-style questions. However, this practice test doesn’t come with answer explanations, which severely limits its utility.

Kaplan

Kaplan offers two types of free online GMAT practice tests: self-proctored and instructor-proctored. For the self-proctored test, you’ll receive your scores and answer explanations to peruse at your leisure. For the instructor-proctored exam, you’ll get your scores, and then work with an instructor in real-time online to get answer explanations.

Despite extensive answer explanation, this practice test isn’t a great option for most students. Kaplan practice questions are OK, but you’ll notice that some are either a little different in format or a little off from GMAT core content. This resource can be helpful if you’d really like someone to walk you through a few questions and you aren’t planning to hire a tutor, but otherwise you should focus on other resources.

Unofficial GMAT Math Practice Question Banks

The GMAT quant section is notoriously tricky, so there are a ton of question banks out there with hundreds of GMAT math practice questions.

Nova’s GMAT Prep Course

This book, which costs $39.95, isn’t a question bank, strictly speaking, but it might as well be. This book is simply a collection of math problems with clear answer explanations. It’s a great resource if you’re looking for more GMAT quantitative practice questions, especially at harder difficulty levels. However, it does include a fair number of typos and misprints, which can be frustrating.

Tagged Question Banks in GMAT Forums

Beat the GMAT and GMAT Club are great resources for GMAT knowledge and, if you need it, emotional support as you go through the business school application process. Many users have uploaded question banks that they used to practice during their own GMAT prep, and can often help explain tricky questions.

You can search for tags in the forums like “quant questions” to find downloadable materials. Check out this list of question banks to get started.

Other GMAT Quantitative Practice Question Resources

In addition to the books and software listed above, there are a number of other resources that you can use to boost your GMAT quantitative practice.

Flashcards

Flashcards are a quick and easy way to build your fluency with formulas and rules you’ll see on the test. They can help you drill important skills at any time, in any place!

Magoosh GMAT Flashcards

Magoosh offers free online flashcards to help you practice GMAT math topics. You can download these flashcards online or as an app for iPhone or Android. They aren’t full-length GMAT questions, but rather drills that can help build your foundational knowledge.

GMAT Club Flashcards

GMAT Club flashcards are great for honing in on specific topics for each of the parts of the GMAT quant section. You’ll cover all of the math concepts tested on the GMAT in concise and easy-to-use cards.

Apps

Like flashcards, GMAT apps are helpful for studying on the go, though they’re no substitute for full-length practice tests or drilling with official GMAT questions.

Veritas Prep GMAT Question Bank

This app by Veritas Prep lets you practice hundreds of realistic GMAT math practice questions and is 100% free. You can customize and create your own GMAT quizzes to work on skills that you’re struggling with. However, some users have complained about the confusing layout and frequency of crashes.

Prep4GMAT

Prep4GMAT (or Ready4 GMAT) is a free app that has over 1,000 verbal and quantitative questions and explanations, as well as hundreds of flashcards and practice tests. It’s great for traveling, because you can download it on your phone. The app can be a bit buggy and some users report that it crashes frequently.

Economist GMAT Tutor App

The Economist’s free app covers every section of the GMAT with lessons and practice questions, and offers the Ask-a-Tutor feature, which helps put you in touch with live GMAT coaches. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t let you customize your prep, so you have to follow the prescribed lessons and question sets in order.

4 Key GMAT Math Study Tips to Help You Prep

Although having high-quality GMAT math practice practice resources is an important place to start, you also need to know how to use them effectively for high-impact prep. Check out our top study tips below:

#1: Practice Without a Calculator

You don’t get a calculator on the GMAT quant section, meaning you’ll have to do all of the arithmetic in your head. You absolutely must get practice doing these calculations by hand, so you should never use a calculator for your GMAT math practice. I know it can be frustrating, especially at first, but it’s vital that you get comfortable without a calculator or you’ll really struggle on test day.

#2: Analyze Your Practice Test Results to Target Your Prep

You can be much more efficient with your prep is use your practice tests to inform your studying. Practice tests will tell you the areas you’re doing well on and the areas that need work. For example, you might look at a practice test and realize you missed half of the exponent questions but only one geometry question. In that case, you probably need to spend more time studying exponents that geometry!

You can (and should) use your analysis to figure out which areas you need to spend the most time on, but don’t forget to review every section of the test. Getting all of the algebra questions on one practice test right doesn’t guarantee you’ll have the same success on the test itself.

#3: Familiarize Yourself With the Format of GMAT Quant Questions

The GMAT quant section only has two types of questions: problem solving and data sufficiency. Both, but especially data sufficiency, have their own unique style and quirks that you need to be comfortable navigating if you want to excel on the exam.

To that end, it’s vital you spend time familiarizing yourself with the format, features, and directions for these sections. Learn exactly what to expect and how questions will be phrased. The more familiar you are with the style of the questions, the more quickly and easily you’ll be able to answer questions.

#4: Drill the Basics

Contrary to many myths surrounding the GMAT, the quant section only tests basic math concepts that you’ll have covered in high school: pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry. What makes the GMAT math section challenging is the tricky ways it test you on these relatively basic concepts.

As such, you really have to have the foundational skills mastered to ensure you can tackle harder questions. Even if you consider yourself good at math, take the time to drill basic GMAT math skills until you’re able to quickly, easily, and accurately identify and execute the math you need to answer questions correctly.

What’s Next?

Looking to make a study plan to get you ready for test day? Read our GMAT study plan to find out where to start.

Struggling with the Verbal section? Check out our guide to the GMAT Verbal section to brush up on your skills.

Want to learn more about the GMAT total score? Take a look at our guide breaking down what it is and what it means.

The post The Best GMAT Math Practice: 500+ Questions and Tests appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

When it comes to GMAT verbal practice materials, what should you look for? What official and unofficial GMAT prep materials are out there, and which ones will best fit your needs?

In this article, I’ll go over a list of the many GMAT verbal practice tests, questions, and workbooks that are available, how to know which materials will work for you, and tips for making the most of your preparation time for the GMAT verbal section.

GMAT Verbal Preparation: What Should You Look For?

Prep time is precious, so you don’t want to waste any of your GMAT verbal prep hours with subpar practice materials or ones that don’t fit your needs. Instead, you should learn to identify high-quality GMAT study resources and focus on using those.

Let’s go over the characteristics of ideal GMAT verbal practice questions.

Same Question Types and Format As the Real GMAT

The GMAT verbal section includes three types of questions: reading comprehension, sentence correction, and critical reasoning. Each of these question types should be included in your practice materials. Worthwhile GMAT verbal practice questions will also be written in the same style (in terms of length, content, topic, and structure) as those on the real GMAT. (I’ll go over which practice materials do the best job with this in the guide below).

Computerized Adaptive Format

The GMAT is always administered on a computer, and it’s an adaptive test, which means it uses an algorithm to determine your score and the difficulty of the questions you receive as you go along. Using practice tests that are administered in a computerized adaptive format will help you get accustomed to and feel more comfortable with the unique circumstances you’ll face on the day of the exam. It will also help you get a better idea of what your score might be on the real GMAT and how you’re progressing in your preparation.

Range of Difficulties Reflective of the Actual GMAT

If you’re finding all of your GMAT verbal practice questions to be wildly difficult or shockingly easy, the issue may not be you, but your practice materials. Your practice tests should include a range of easy, medium, and difficult questions, because that’s what you’ll see on the test itself.

There’s one key exception to this rule: if you’re looking for a top score (700+) on the exam, you’ll need to practice more with especially difficult hard questions, and should look for resources with a larger proportion of difficult questions.

Organized by Concept and/or Difficulty

When you start practicing, you’ll likely notice that you tend to make the same kinds of errors over and over. For instance, you may have trouble recognizing subject-verb agreement errors in sentence correction questions, which means you might need a review of grammar concepts you may have forgotten, like parts of speech and sentence structure.

The best GMAT verbal practice materials will classify each question by its relevant parts, which will help you start to identify your weaknesses and choose skill-specific drills to work into your prep.

Fit Your Budget

Some quality GMAT verbal prep materials are free or low-cost, but many others aren’t. You’ll have to decide, based on your target score, your needs, and your budget, what you’re willing to pay.

Fit Your Learning Style

Are you more of a visual or audio learner? Bonus materials that accompany some verbal practice tests, like video explanations of answers, might be up your alley and reinforce the skills you’re building, as well as give you more bang for your buck.

Official GMAT Verbal Prep Materials

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) provides a variety of official resources with verbal practice questions and tests. For each one, I’ll go over what’s included and the pros and cons.

GMATPrep Software

The GMATPrep Software is the gold standard for GMAT verbal prep. It contains two full-length simulated computerized adaptive tests that are virtually identical to what you’ll see on exam day.

You can tailor your sets of practice questions to include 1-15 questions of each type (critical reasoning, sentence correction, and reading comprehension, for verbal) and difficulty (easy, medium, or difficult). In addition to the questions on the two practice tests, there are 90 additional practice questions available on the software.

The Good:

• It’s free for registered users of mba.com.
• Answer explanations are step-by-step and in-depth, and you can go back and review or drill questions you previously got wrong as many times as you like.
• Detailed performance reviews break down what you’re getting wrong so you can hone in on your weak spots.

The Bad:

• Not much! There aren’t many resources that can beat official questions under simulated testing conditions, and it’s free.
• However, while the GMATPrep Software includes an in-depth review of math skills you’ll need for the quant section, it doesn’t have a review of grammar or reasoning skills for the verbal section.

GMATPrep Question Pack 1

An official addition to the GMATPrep Software, the GMATPrep Question Pack contains 404 additional official questions, including 180 verbal practice questions.

You can create your own sets of practice questions based on your strengths and weaknesses. Each set of questions can be completed in either ‘exam mode’ (timed, under simulated test conditions) or ‘study mode.’

The Question Pack will cost you $29.99 to download.

The Good:

• This resource contains a wealth of verbal practice questions that aren’t available in any other official prep materials.
• Your performance reviews for these practice questions will be integrated into your overall progress reports in the GMATPrep Software, allowing you to get an even more accurate picture of what your needs are in terms of prep.

The Bad:

• There aren’t quite as many verbal practice questions in the Question Pack as there are quant questions.

The GMAT Official Guide Verbal Review 2018

The GMAT Official Guide 2018 Verbal Review is a comprehensive resource for GMAT verbal prep. Included in your purchase ($19.95) are 300 official practice questions from retired GMATs, access to an accompanying site where you can customize sets of practice questions, reviews of grammar and reading comprehension fundamentals, and online videos with tips and strategies specific to the verbal section.

The Good:

• Answer explanations are detailed and in-depth, and the discussions of grammar fundamentals are thorough enough to be helpful for non-native English speakers.
• Practice questions are organized in order of difficulty, which makes it easy for you to gauge your progress.

The Bad:

• Only 15% of the content is brand new. If you own a previous version and are on a tight budget, it might not be worth the purchase.
• The verbal practice questions tend towards the slightly easier side, though there are some difficult questions included. If you’re shooting for an especially high score (700+), you will want to supplement with other resources.

GMATPrep Exam Packs 1 and 2

These are official additions to the GMATPrep Software. You can only get them once you’ve downloaded the original software.

Each Exam Pack contains 90 additional practice questions (30 quantitative, 45 verbal, and 15 integrated reasoning), as well as two full-length computerized adaptive GMATs.

Each Exam Pack costs $49.99.

The Good:

• In-depth diagnostics will let you know how you’re doing in comparison to your peers on every subsection of the test, as well as how your pacing could improve on each question type.

The Bad:

• Not much (official GMAC questions are always helpful), except that they’re a bit expensive.

GMAT Paper Tests Set I, II, and III

These are real retired GMAT tests, written by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). Each set (I, II, and III) contains three official GMAT tests, answer sheets, and a guide for converting your raw score into a scaled score. They’re available in downloadable PDF form.

Each set costs $29.99.

The Good:

• Over half of the questions in these tests aren’t available in any of the other official GMAT practice tests or resources.
• You may want to order these if 1) you’ve exhausted all the other options for official verbal practice questions and you want a LOT of practice, or 2) if you’re a test-taker with a disability that may require an accommodation and using paper tests at home is easier for you during prep time.

The Bad:

• It’s on paper! You’ll have to score it yourself using the answer sheet, and it’s not computerized (obviously) or adaptive, so it doesn’t simulate any of the testing conditions.
• There is some overlap with questions in the GMAT Focus Quantitative Diagnostic Tool.
• No answer explanations are included, just the answers themselves.

Unofficial GMAT Practice Tests

There are many resources for unofficial GMAT verbal practice tests. Let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the major ones.

Veritas Prep

You’ll need to register with your name, email, and password to take the free Veritas Prep practice GMAT, which is a computerized adaptive test. At the end of the practice exam, you’ll get an in-depth analysis of your score, including your average time on questions you answered correctly vs. your average time on questions you answered incorrectly.

The verbal questions here are on the tougher side, which is great if you’re looking for a challenge. But like all other unofficial resources, Veritas doesn’t perfectly simulate GMAT test conditions. The visuals are very different from what you’ll see on the actual test, and the reading comprehension passages are a bit different in content (less science-based and more literary) than those on the real GMAT.

You can also purchase six more practice tests for $49.

Kaplan

You’ll have to register and create an account to access this free GMAT (the ‘self-proctored’ option), which is computerized and adaptive.The Kaplan test also allows you to choose 50% additional time or 100% extra time if you’ll be receiving accommodations during the exam. The instructor-proctored version includes a live mini lesson with an instructor and a live chat box where you can ask questions.

The Kaplan verbal questions are realistic in terms of both content and visuals. When you’re finished, you’ll get an in-depth analysis of your score, including Kaplan strategies and detailed answer explanations. You’ll only get in-depth expert video explanations of up to 13 questions, however.

You can also purchase a question bank (Qbank) with over 1,500 practice questions for $99, or a Practice Pack with access to the same practice questions and four full-length CAT GMATs for $149.

Manhattan Prep

All you need to do is create an account to take the free Manhattan Prep GMAT; You can manually time yourself as you take the Manhattan Prep practice tests, which you won’t be able to do on the actual GMAT.

The verbal questions here are realistic, but the visuals and conditions are not. You can set a time limit for each question during your practice, which can help if you want to work on your pacing. However, every verbal question type takes a different amount of time (reading comprehension questions generally take about two minutes, for example, while sentence correction questions should only take one), so you shouldn’t get into the habit of spending the same amount of time on each one.

If you’d like, you can purchase a set of six more Manhattan Prep practice GMATs for $49.

Princeton Review

Creating an account at Princeton Review will give you access to a free self-proctored online GMAT. If you sign up for an in-person practice GMAT event at a local university instead, there will be some advertising for Princeton Review programs and events, but you will get a very realistic simulated GMAT experience.

Princeton Review verbal practice questions are high quality, but they do tend towards the easier side. The software can also be a bit temperamental: before taking the exam, make sure you have the right version of Java and that your pop-up blocking software is turned off.

800 Score Test

All you need to access the free GMAT practice test at 800 Score Test is a username and password (no initial registration required).  The 800 Score verbal practice test is timed, computerized, and adaptive, and even allows for extended time options of 50% and 100%, making this test especially helpful for students who will require extended time as an accommodation on the actual exam.

It also keeps track of how long you spend on each question and gives you an in-depth diagnostic analysis of your performance when you’re finished, much like the GMATPrep software.

The verbal questions on this test don’t look exactly like they do on the GMAT, but they are otherwise realistic. The reading comprehension questions in particular are quite similar in style and content to the official GMAT reading passages.

You can also purchase five full-length CATs for $24.95.

Babson, or London Business School, Practice Test

Create an account and you’ll have access to free, timed quantitative and verbal practice tests (both schools offer the same practice resources). You can also take a micro test (a 20-minute test with an analysis of your mistakes) and a mini test (100 minutes with a score estimate).

The Babson and LBS verbal practice questions are realistic, and the score analysis you’ll get after your test is top-notch. However, be careful about the timing on the LBS test: It gives you a 10-minute break between sections, while you actually only get eight-minute breaks on the GMAT, so try not to get used to the longer breaks. The mini and micro tests also obviously don’t have as many questions as the real GMAT.

GMAT Club Test Practice

GMAT Club has two free full-length GMAT sections available (one quantitative and one verbal). GMAT Club tests aren’t adaptive, but they do contain a similar combination of questions—in terms of question type and difficulty—as the real exam.

Also included on GMAT Club are some helpful verbal-specific drills and practice tests: a 30-question critical reasoning set, a 13-question reading comprehension set, a 21-question sentence correction set, and a 31-question idioms quiz.

You can also purchase three-month access to a 1,572-question bank for $79.95 or six-month access for $99.95.

McGraw-Hill Test

McGraw Hill Education has six free GMAT tests available. On the McGraw Hill tests, you can save your progress at any time, and the exams can be taken timed or untimed, making them ideal for extra practice. However, the score report will only tell you the percentage of questions you got right or wrong, so this isn’t a good resource for estimating your GMAT score.

The McGraw-Hill tests include all sections of the GMAT except the analytical writing assessment, and the verbal practice questions in particular (especially critical reasoning) are very close to what you’ll see on the exam.

Useful GMAT Verbal Prep Materials

Some GMAT verbal prep materials include practice questions as well as skill-specific lessons, drills, quizzes, and tips. Let’s go over a few of the best ones. For each resource, I’ll explain what’s included, the pros and cons, and who would benefit most from using it.

Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook

The Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook contains about 220 unofficial GMAT verbal questions, with nearly 100 of those questions devoted to sentence correction.

The workbook also details specific, three-to-four-step strategies for each question type in the verbal section. There’s also a section on the analytical writing assessment that includes strategies and practice essay questions.

The workbook is available for $12 on Amazon.

The Good:

• Bonus materials include a style and usage guide that reviews basic grammar concepts and a list of common idioms that appear on the GMAT. They’re great for a quick reference if you’re completing other practice questions and need to look up a rule or idiom.
• The “Reading the GMAT Way” chapter is a particularly effective guide to breaking down reading comprehension passages, what to look for, and what to disregard.
• Plenty of questions! Kaplan includes many more verbal practice questions than comparable books, in addition to strategies, so it’s a good deal.

The Bad:

• Since the grammar review is a bit thin, and the answer explanations aren’t particularly in-depth, the Kaplan Verbal Workbook wouldn’t be the best option for non-native English speakers.
• As with all unofficial resources, Kaplan questions aren’t exactly identical to official GMAT ones. This is especially evident in the critical reasoning questions.
• The questions aren’t organized in order of difficulty, so it’s nearly impossible to isolate difficult questions if you’re a 700+ scorer looking to target trickier questions.

Who Would Benefit?

• Students who are somewhat lacking in prep time would benefit from the Kaplan Verbal Workbook. It’s less in-depth than a more targeted guide (like the PowerScore question-specific Bibles), but still offers a comprehensive overview of the GMAT verbal section with plenty of quality answer explanations.
• Students who want a one-stop GMAT verbal shop should consider Kaplan: practice questions and strategies for both the verbal section and the analytical writing assessment are all right here.

Princeton Review Verbal Workout for the GMAT

The Princeton Review Verbal Workout includes a chapter each on content and strategy review for reading comprehension, sentence correction, critical reasoning, the analytical writing assessment, and integrated reasoning. There’s also a full practice verbal section and an answer key with detailed answer explanations.

Other chapters include general verbal test-taking tips and three appendixes: a glossary of grammar terms, a list of common GMAT idioms, and grammar ‘odds and ends’ (common grammar errors you’ll find on the GMAT).

The Verbal Workout is $14 on Kindle.

The Good:

• Answer explanations are high-quality, breaking down each question in a concise but comprehensive way.
• The grammar review here is heftier than in other GMAT verbal resources, such as Kaplan (though it’s still not enough for a non-native English speaker).

The Bad:

• A common complaint about Princeton Review materials is that they’re a bit easier than others: the Verbal Workout is no exception. While it offers a solid overview, in-depth analysis of very difficult questions won’t be found here.
• There aren’t quite as many practice questions in this text as in the Kaplan workbook.
• Princeton Review resources have a habit of overemphasizing ‘tricks’ rather than skill-building. While the strategies may work for you, it might be better to focus on truly understanding the concepts behind the questions rather than jumping right to strategy.

Who Would Benefit?

• Test-takers who like specific, actionable strategies tend to go for Princeton Review resources.
• Time management is also covered effectively, so if you have trouble with pacing, the Verbal Workout is a good go-to guide.

The PowerScore GMAT Bibles: Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Verbal Bible Workbook

The PowerScore Bibles offer detailed explanations of each of the GMAT verbal question types.

The Sentence Correction Bible includes 140 sentence correction questions, all labeled by error type. Each chapter is devoted to a kind of error you’ll see on the exam (sentence construction, verbs, pronouns, nouns, and modifiers, for example) and contains both practice questions and skill-specific drills.

The Critical Reasoning Bible is a comprehensive guide to critical reasoning questions, including a chapter on each subsection of question types (‘weaken the argument,’ ‘strengthen the argument,’ ‘paradox questions,’ etc.) as well as specific strategies for how to tackle each one. The authors break down the fundamental skills you’ll need to develop to answer critical reasoning questions, including identifying premises, counter-premises, assumptions, and conclusions. Each skill you learn is accompanied by mini-drills that reinforce that skill.

The Reading Comprehension Bible contains chapters on deconstructing passages and finding their main ideas, strategies for identifying and approaching different reading comprehension question types, and common traps to avoid when answering reading comprehension questions on the GMAT. Like the other PowerScore Bibles, it includes a variety of drills and exercises to reinforce the skills presented, as well as GMAT-style practice questions.

The GMAT Verbal Bible Workbook is designed to offer extra practice and to be used in conjunction with the trilogy of question-specific Verbal Bibles (Sentence Correction, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Reasoning). Each section contains drills and exercises that reinforces the skills gleaned from each of the Bibles in the trilogy.

Each PowerScore GMAT Bible costs $24.99, but you can get the full trilogy of section-specific Verbal Bibles for $69.99.

The Good:

• The PowerScore Bibles offer highly in-depth breakdowns of GMAT verbal questions. Skill building and concept analysis are highlighted. They’ll also help you learn to identify question stems (the phrasing used in a particular question type) on sight, which helps you know how to approach a given question.
• Though they’re detailed, the books aren’t overly dense or tough to get through. They’re great resources for students with limited time to prep.

The Bad:

• There’s a lot of content overlap between the Bibles, but the GMAT Verbal Bible doesn’t include nearly as many practice questions as the other books. It’s particularly thin in the reading comprehension department (only two passages with four questions each). If you’re on a very tight budget, it might be best to select the question type-specific Bible that addresses your weakest area.
• In general, the PowerScore Bibles have fewer practice questions than other GMAT prep materials, averaging about 125-140 verbal practice questions per text. They focus more on skills, mini-drills, and strategy. So if you’re just looking to get more verbal practice questions under your belt, they’re not your best bet.

Who Would Benefit?

• The Sentence Correction Bible would be especially helpful for non-native English speakers, as it goes over the basic fundamentals of English grammar before going more in depth on each topic. In fact, all the PowerScore Bibles are some of the best GMAT verbal resources for non-native English speakers, as they address each topic in a lot of detail.
• Don’t be afraid to buy an entire book devoted to your particular weak spot (assuming you have one)! These are some of the most in-depth guides out there to specific verbal question types; no other resources delve this deeply into strategies for each subsection of questions.

Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides: Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction, and Reading Comprehension

Each Manhattan Prep Strategy Guide is around 140 pages and contains a detailed guide to a particular question type. The Reading Comprehension Strategy Guide, for example, includes a detailed breakdown of how to approach a GMAT reading comprehension passage, the different question stems that one might encounter, and what to look for or avoid in answer choices, as well as broader strategies for both prep time and exam day. The last chapter of each strategy guide includes practice questions that allow you to reinforce what you’ve just learned (four passages in the Reading Comprehension guide, for example).

Purchasing a Manhattan Prep Strategy Guide (or a set of them) and setting up a student account gets you access to a companion website with online question banks (about 25 questions per guide), six Manhattan Prep computerized adaptive tests, and five online interactive GMAT Interact lessons.

Strategy Guides are $26 each or $32 in eBook form. Package deals are regularly available, depending on which you want to combine.

The Good:

• Manhattan Prep guides focus on a methodical approach to each question type and skill set, such as unpacking an argument into its components or finding the main idea of a passage. Magic tricks aren’t the focus here, which means you’ll build more effective and reliable skills that you can count on during the exam.

The Bad:

• Some of the answer explanations assume prior knowledge and are not detailed enough for non-native English speakers.
• The Manhattan Prep guides focus more on strategy building than practice questions, so if you’re looking for extensive question sets, they might not be your best option.

Who Would Benefit?

• The Manhattan Prep strategy guides, unlike some of the other GMAT verbal practice materials, help students learn what to expect visually on the exam (what you’ll see on the screen for each question type and how to interpret it). This is especially helpful for students who might feel uncomfortable with the computerized adaptive format or uncertain in unfamiliar test-taking circumstances.
• The Manhattan Prep guides also offer specific note-taking strategies for different verbal question types, which can help students with testing anxiety or who tend to lose focus while reading lengthy passages.

4 Top Tips for GMAT Verbal Practice

Of course, there are ways to prepare for the GMAT verbal section beyond completing practice tests or drills. Here are a few verbal prep strategies that go beyond the practice materials listed above:

Start Reading Early

GMAT reading comprehension and critical reasoning questions will require you to be able to read and synthesize high-level material. Sentence correction questions will require you to be familiar with a variety of frequently used English idioms (common phrases or sayings). Regularly reading newspapers and magazines that use fairly sophisticated language, like The New York Times, The Economist, and The New Yorker, will help you absorb the idioms and vocabulary that are sure to crop up in the GMAT verbal section. You’ll also get practice comprehending sophisticated arguments and absorbing information.

Review Grammar Concepts and Terms

Sentence correction questions on the GMAT verbal section will require you to understand grammar concepts that you may not know or have forgotten, like dangling modifiers, subject-verb agreement, and correct pronoun usage. Carve out some study time to review these concepts and make sure you fully understand the grammar rules you’ll see tested on the GMAT.

The PowerScore Verbal Bibles are the best sources for GMAT-specific grammar information. If you need a more in-depth review of the grammar basics, the Princeton Review’s Grammar Smart is an excellent resource. TOEFL books like Timothy Dickeson’s TOEFL Grammar Guide are also effective.

Focus on Your Weaknesses

When you review your GMAT verbal practice tests, identify the kinds of questions you tend to get wrong. Then drill those concepts in your focused study sessions. For example, if you find you’re missing a lot of sentence correction questions, you’ll want to spend extra time studying and practicing that question type. If you use a resource like the GMATPrep software that allows you to customize your practice question sets or quizzes, you can easily highlight the question types you struggle most with.

Moreover, the more specific you can be in your analysis, the better. It’s helpful to know that you’re struggling with sentence corrections, but you’ll be able to target your prep more carefully if you can determine which sentence corrections concepts are tripping you up: are you missing mostly questions on concision or pronoun agreement? The more exactly you can break down what types of questions you’re missing, the more focused and effective your prep will be.

Use Practice Tests to Improve Your Stamina and Time Management

You have 65 minutes to complete 36 verbal questions on the GMAT. On average, you have about a minute and a half per question, though some question types (reading comprehension) take longer than others (sentence correction). That’s not a ton of time, so pacing is key to getting through all of the questions. 

When you complete sets of practice questions, challenge yourself to spend a little less time on each question, without sacrificing accuracy. Then, when you review practice tests, think about where you took more time and where you took less. Resources like the GMATPrep software can help, since they’ll tell you how long you spent on each question.

What’s Next?

Looking for more in-depth explanations of the different GMAT verbal question types? Check out our top tips for sentence corrections, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning.

For a similar guide to prep resources for the quant section, check out our GMAT quant practice article.

Need an overall guide to all the best free GMAT prep materials? Look no further than our list of the best free GMAT practice tests.

The post The Best GMAT Verbal Practice: 500+ Questions and Tests appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

With all of the options for GMAT prep, which ones are the most effective? Which GMAT study material will help you master the test and achieve your target score?

To help you prepare for this important exam, we’ve compiled all of the best GMAT study materials in one guide. You’ll find official and unofficial resources, prep books and online programs, free GMAT study materials and ones you can purchase.

Before diving into the full list, let’s go over what you should look for in the best GMAT study material.

What Makes for Excellent GMAT Study Material? 5 Features

There are a lot of GMAT prep resources out there, but not all of them are up to scratch. Not only should you stick to the highest quality materials, but you should also choose the ones that best match your learning style. For instance, you might prefer to self-study with books than to take a full prep course, or vice versa.

Whatever you choose, you should make sure your GMAT study materials include at least some of the following five components.

#1: Thorough Content Review

You don’t need to memorize a lot of facts and figures to do well on the GMAT, but you do need to have a certain amount of core knowledge. You must be able to interpret various types of graphs and to apply properties of geometry to solve problems, to give a couple of examples.

Many people taking the GMAT haven’t worked with the concepts it tests in years, maybe even since they left high school. If you haven’t calculated the area of a right triangle in a while, don’t worry – you’re not alone. To help you brush up on rusty skills, your study materials should go over all of the concepts that will come into play on GMAT problems.

#2: Effective Test-Taking Strategies

Doing well on the GMAT isn’t just about having great math, verbal, and reasoning skills. It’s also about being a strategic test-taker. You need to learn strategies to manage time and approach specific question types. The best study materials will offer various strategies to boost your performance.

You should try these strategies out as you study to figure out which ones work best for you. Even with a solid foundation in math concepts and verbal skills, you need to develop an effective approach to challenges like managing your time and knowing when to guess on a question.

#3: Realistic Practice Questions

As you review key concepts, you should drill skills into your memory by answering lots of practice questions. GMAT questions are tricky and challenging, and you need plenty of practice with them before the real test. 

The best GMAT study materials generally come from the test makers themselves, and you’ll see below that GMAC offers a good amount of free material, along with additional questions and tests available for purchase. Unfortunately, unofficial practice questions are less reliable: some prep companies rush to put out material and offer shoddy practice problems that don’t resemble real GMAT questions. Unrealistic practice questions aren’t going to help you on test day.

At the start of your prep, you should work with official practice questions, so that you can gain a clear sense of what GMAT questions look like. Once you’ve become familiar with the format, you’ll be able to spot and avoid low-quality imitators. Regardless, if you stick to the study resources on this list, you’ll ensure that you’re working with realistic practice questions.

#4: Computer-Adaptive Practice Tests

The Quantitative and Verbal sections of the GMAT are adaptive, meaning that the selection of questions changes as you go along to match your ability and get an accurate measure of your skills.

To gain practice with this adaptive format and get insight into your scoring level, you should use materials with realistic, computer-adaptive practice tests. They should also be timed in the same way as the GMAT and offer a testing experience as close as possible to the real thing.

#5: Clear Answer Explanations

Finally, your practice materials should give clear, thorough answer explanations that help you understand your mistakes. They should walk you through problems step by step so you know how to solve them and how to approach a similar question next time.

The least helpful study materials only give the answer and offer no explanation. Some are even filled with errors! Make sure that your study materials offer extensive answer explanations so you can learn from your mistakes.

You may not find that a single study material contains every single one of these components, but you should make sure that your materials, on the whole, include them. You might rely on one source for content review and another for practice tests and sample questions. Altogether, your materials should cover all of these important parts of effective GMAT prep.

Now let’s take a look at the best GMAT prep materials, starting with official materials that come directly from the test makers themselves.

Official GMAT Prep Materials From the Test Makers

There’s one free GMAT study material that should be part of everybody’s study plan. That’s the free GMATPrep software offered by the Graduate Management Admission Council, or GMAC.

Beyond this free software, GMAC also sells practice tests, sample questions, prep books, and online study tools. Let’s take a look at the official free GMAT study material, followed by the ones that you can purchase.

Free GMAT Prep Software

You can download GMAT Prep Software for free at MBA.com. This prep software includes two realistic, computer-adaptive, full-length practice tests, as well as 90 sample questions — 30 Quantitative, 45 Verbal, and 15 Integrated Reasoning.

The software also contains a guide explaining how to get ready for the GMAT, as well as a useful review of all of the algebra, geometry, and arithmetic concepts and word problem types that will appear on the Quantitative section.

The tests have thorough answer explanations, and they will give you an accurate sense of your scoring level, as they use the official GMAT scoring algorithm. You can actually take each test more than once, but you may see a few repeat questions after the first time.

The free GMAT Prep Software is a great way to start your GMAT prep, and it’s most useful for realistic practice tests and sample questions. It’s not as useful for a comprehensive review of content beyond the Quantitative section, nor will it tell you much about time management or other test-taking strategies.

Official GMAT Prep Books You Can Buy

GMAC offers three books for the GMAT. One is a comprehensive guide, while the other two are section-specific and help you prepare for the math and verbal sections. Read on to learn about the details of each book, along with the pros and cons of preparing for the GMAT from these books.

Note that all of the prices below come from the official GMAC site, but you should be able to find the books much cheaper on Amazon.

The Official Guide for GMAT Review, $45.95  

• 900 practice questions with answers and explanations
• Diagnostic practice test
• Six months’ access to 50 online Integrated Reasoning questions
• Comprehensive math review for the Quantitative section
• Grammar review for the Verbal section
• Chapter with details on Integrated Reasoning
• Study tips to help you get ready

The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review, $19.95

• 300 math questions from past GMAT tests
• Questions organized in order of difficulty
• Access to an online question bank where you can create your own question sets
• Access to videos from test takers and GMAC staff who share tips on GMAT prep

The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, $19.95

• 300 verbal questions from past GMAT tests
• Questions organized in order of difficulty
• Access to an online question bank where you can make your own question sets
• Access to videos from real test takers and GMAC staff with tips on GMAT prep

All three books together cost $85.85 on MBA.com, or you can order them for a total of $49.21 on Amazon.

Pros and Cons of Official GMAT Prep Books

Should you study for the GMAT from books and their accompanying online study tools? As with any study material, there are pros and cons to these books.

Pros

• Most realistic practice questions and practice tests available
• Diagnostic test will give the most accurate measure of your scoring level
• Excellent Integrated Reasoning practice questions accompany official study guide
• Comprehensive math and verbal review

Cons

• Not a ton of concept review apart from math and grammar rules
• Not useful for test taking strategies
• Only one additional practice test
• Books may not be as convenient as online resources, plus you’re solely responsible for sticking to your study plan and recording your progress.

The official GMAT prep books are excellent for practice questions and practice tests, and they offer great math and grammar review. For a more thorough content review and test-taking strategies, though, you’d benefit from supplementing these books with other materials.

Now that you have a sense of the official GMAT prep books, let’s take a look at the online study tools that GMAC offers.

Official Online Study Tools From GMAC

Each of the following study tools integrates with the free GMAT Prep Software. Basically, they add practice tests or practice questions to the software you already have.

We’ll break down each option, and then list out the packages that offer various combos of these resources.

GMAT Prep Exam Pack 1, $49.99

• 2 full-length computer adaptive practice tests with answer explanations
• 90 additional practice questions
• Enhanced score reporting. You’ll see your math and verbal results by question type, and your IR report will tell you about your time management. You’ll get enhanced score reports on both the exam pack practice tests and the free ones already on the GMAT Prep Software.

GMAT Prep Exam Pack 2, $49.99

• Two more full length computer adaptive practice tests with answers (no answer explanations)
• Enhanced score reporting as in Exam Pack 1 for included practice tests and the free tests that come with the GMAT Prep Software.

GMAT Prep Question Pack 1, $29.99

• 404 GMAT questions and answer explanations — 200 Quantitative, 180 Verbal, and 24 Integrated Reasoning
• Integrates with the GMAT Prep software, so you can create your own question sets and answer questions individually or as part of a full-length practice test

GMAT Focus Online Quantitative Diagnostic Tool, $29.99 – $79.99

• Can be purchased as individual exam or set of three exams
• Quantitative exam with a detailed, diagnostic score report and comprehensive answer explanations
• Can purchase the Focus exam more than once, but after the fourth time will start to see repeat questions

Integrated Reasoning Prep Tool, $19.99

• 48 Integrated Reasoning questions and answer explanations
• Create your own question sets by type or difficulty level
• Score your results and track your time management

GMAT Write, $29.99

• Writing tool for the AWA section
• Up to four practice essays scored in real time using the same automated essay-scoring engine used by the official GMAT exam
• You’ll get a score, suggestions for improvement, and detailed feedback on your analysis, supporting examples, essay structure, and use of language.

Combo Packs

The resources above are the main online study tools offered by GMAC, and all of them integrate with the free GMAT Prep Software. In addition to buying them individually, you can also purchase them in two combinations at a slightly reduced price. Below are the two combo packages from GMAC.

The Premium GMAT Study Collection, $405.77

• Includes the following books, online tools, and paper-based GMAT tests:
• The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 2017
• The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review, 2017
• The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review, 2017
• GMATPrep Exam Pack 1
• GMATPrep Exam Pack 2
• GMATPrep Question Pack 1
• GMAT Paper Tests Set I, II, and III (9 past, paper-based GMAT exams with an answer sheet and instructions for calculating your score)
• GMAT Focus Online Quantitative Diagnostic Tool, set of 3
• IR Prep Tool

The On Demand GMAT Study Collection, $319.92

• GMAT Paper Tests I, II, and III
• GMAT Focus Online Quantitative Diagnostic Tool
• IR Prep Tool
• GMAT Prep Question Pack 1
• GMAT Prep Exam Pack I
• GMAT Prep Exam Pack 2
• Including both the paper-based and online practice tests, this package includes 13 complete GMAT exams and more than 1,100 practice questions

As you saw, both combos include GMAT paper tests, which you can download as a pdf separately for $29.99. You’ll get nine full-length tests, but all of them are paper-based, so they don’t offer a very realistic experience of the exam.

Given all of these options, how can you decide which, if any, are most useful to you?

Which Official GMAT Prep Materials Are Best for You?

At this point, you may be feeling overwhelmed by all of the options — and these are just the official GMAT study materials from GMAC! Given all of these choices, which one should you buy? Should you splurge on a combo? Should you stick to the free software and forget about the add-ons?

Everyone’s needs are a little different, but for most students I recommend the exam packs and question packs over any of the other online tools. These official practice tests and questions are the best ones out there, since they come from the test makers themselves. Plus, they get scored by the official GMAT scoring algorithm, so they’ll give you the most realistic assessment of your score.

Many people take a practice test every two to three weeks to measure their progress. If this practice is part of your study plan, then you should probably buy one or both of the exam packs. If the price is too steep, then you can find other free or inexpensive practice tests online, but they won’t be as realistic as these official ones.

The other study tools could be useful if you have a specific weakness you need to shore up, but most people should buy an exam pack and/or question pack and not worry about the rest. While official GMAT materials are excellent for practice tests and practice questions, they’re somewhat lacking in content review (the books prioritize math and grammar concepts) and won’t tell you much in the way of test-taking strategy.

Third-party prep materials and programs are more helpful for strategy and content review. Let’s take a look at the best unofficial GMAT study materials.

Best Unofficial GMAT Study Materials

Below you’ll find the best GMAT study materials produced by third-party test prep companies, not by the Graduate Management Admission Council. As we did above, let’s start with the best books and then look at the best online resources.

Best GMAT Prep Books

These books rise to the top for GMAT prep books, both because of their comprehensive review of content and their accompanying online components with practice tests and practice questions.

Read on to learn more about each book or set of books.

Manhattan Prep Strategy Guide Set, $133.64

Manhattan Prep offers a bundle of 10 GMAT guides full of strategy and content review. Along with the books, you’ll get access to six full-length, computer-adaptive practice tests and over 200 additional practice questions. The questions come with detailed answer explanations.

The Manhattan Prep books do an excellent job of teaching strategy and subject material, plus they have thorough question sets to help you drill skills and improve as a test taker. They are geared toward highly motivated students looking to score in top percentiles.

Each guide delves into a specific area or question type, like algebra, word problems, number properties, sentence corrections, and reading comprehension. You can buy the guides individually for between $15 and $20 each.

The main downside is the hefty cost of the books, plus the sheer amount of material means you’ll need to work hard to get through it all. Some students also feel that the Quantitative questions are more difficult than the actual GMAT, meaning that the questions are not as realistic as they could be.

Kaplan GMAT Premier, $25.86

Kaplan’s prep book is a popular one among students getting ready to take the GMAT. It offers extensive review for all sections of the test, plus five computer-adaptive tests online and an additional paper-based one in the book. Beyond the practice tests, you can answer 200 questions online, and those looking for an extra math challenge can try 40 advanced math questions with detailed answer explanations.

Unfortunately, because access to online tests and questions expires after a year, you should probably buy a new, rather than used, copy of the Kaplan book. You’ll also be able to watch video lessons recorded by Kaplan faculty.

The main downside of this book is that it lacks the specialization of books like the Manhattan Prep strategy guides. While its 600+ pages contain thorough review, they don’t break down each concept and question type in the same level of detail as a more specialized guide.That being said, Kaplan does offer math and verbal-specific workbooks for just about $13 apiece.

Some students also say that the Kaplan guide is not the best resource for breaking into the 700s. While it will improve your score, it’s not the best book for scoring in the very top percentiles.

PowerScore Verbal Guides, $24.99 each

PowerScore offers four guides for the Verbal section: the PowerScore Reading Comprehension Bible, the PowerScore Sentence Correction Bible, the PowerScore Critical Reasoning Bible, and the PowerScore GMAT Verbal Workbook. Each guide costs $24.99 on Powerscore.com, but you can purchase the three bibles all together for $69.99. (Unfortunately, PowerScore doesn’t yet offer guides for the Quantitative sections.)

These guides offer great, in-depth reviews and practice for those looking to improve their Verbal performance and boost their time management skills. They break down each question type, teaches specific strategies, and shows you how to avoid common pitfalls and errors. If you find yourself repeating the same mistakes in the Verbal section, then the PowerScore Verbal Trilogy could be an excellent resource for breaking through and making real improvement.

These guides are best for drilling skills, answering practice questions, and learning strategies. However, they don’t go over the fundamentals. You’ll need a solid foundation in Verbal concepts before studying from these books. 

Beyond paper books, prep companies also offer some helpful online resources. Below are the best unofficial online materials.

Best Online GMAT Study Materials

These are the best online GMAT practice resources. The free GMAT study materials aren’t always very reliable, but most of the options below include at least one free practice test, plus additional practice tests available for purchase. Some also offer online GMAT prep courses or other study materials.

Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep offers realistic, excellent GMAT practice tests, one for free and six additional for $48. The tests are computer-adaptive and look very similar to the real GMAT.

If you need accommodations, you can adjust time settings to get 50% or 100% extra time. At the end of the test, you’ll be able to review your performance and read over detailed answer explanations.

These practice tests are great for supplementing your other GMAT study materials and getting extra test-taking practice.

Manhattan Prep  

Manhattan Prep offers one free computer-adaptive practice test online and six more for $49. You can follow the typical time limits or set a time limit per question to give yourself an efficiency boost. The questions look like the real thing, but the visuals of the exam don’t match what you’ll see on test day.

These tests are a decent option for getting additional test taking practice and answering all the GMAT question types at various difficulty levels. Just remember that the actual GMAT will look different from the Manhattan Prep tests in terms of visuals and formatting.

Kaplan

Kaplan offers high-quality, computer adaptive practice tests that include every question type on the GMAT. Each question comes with both written and video answer explanations. You can take one practice test for free, buy four more for $149, or eight more for $199. The questions accurately resemble real GMAT questions, as do the visuals of the tests.

The main downside of Kaplan’s practice tests is the high price point. However, the price includes access to over 1,500 practice questions and the Kaplan GMAT prep app that lets you study from anywhere on your phone.

While practice tests, question banks, and prep books are your main options for GMAT study materials, you may also be interested in supplemental study tools, like apps and flashcards. Let’s look at a few supplemental GMAT study materials that can help you get ready for the test.

Supplemental GMAT Study Materials

There are some supplemental GMAT study materials that help you insert a little bit of prep into your daily routine. Check out the best apps and other supplemental GMAT study tools.

The Official Guide for GMAT Review 2015 Mobile App, $4.99

This app links with the GMAT Prep Software to track your progress, plus it includes 50 practice questions of all types. You can create question sets and answer them casually or under time limits.

The app also comes with a six-month subscription to the above-mentioned Integrated Reasoning tool. If you’re looking for extra GMAT practice through your phone, then the official app has the best practice questions.

Prep4GMAT, Free

This app has about 1,000 practice questions and 100 flash cards to help you get ready. A scoring tool tells you what you got right and wrong and whether or not you need to improve your speed.

This free tool is a useful way to insert a little extra prep into your day, but by no means should it be your only source of GMAT prep. Note that users have noticed a few spelling errors in the questions.

Magoosh GMAT Math Flashcards, Free

Anyone looking to brush up on math formulas and concepts may appreciate the Magoosh app, which contains 425 flashcards testing a range of GMAT math concepts. The app has an easy to use interface and is good for people who want extra math practice on the go.

While this app won’t give you thorough math lessons, it’s a good way to remind yourself of key math formulas while you’re on your lunch break or taking the subway to and from work.

GMAT Question of the Day, Free

GMAT Question of the Day is a great free study tool offered by a variety of GMAT prep companies. You can find them online or sign up for a daily email.

As the name indicates, GMAT Question of the Day is a study tool that simply gives you one GMAT question to answer every day. Some study tools actually provide two questions, one math and one quantitative.

These study tools don’t tend to include AWA or Integrated Reasoning, instead sticking to math and verbal (usually critical reasoning or sentence correction questions, not reading comprehension) problems.

The top Question of the Day tools come from Kaplan, Ready 4 GMAT, Beat the GMAT, Atlantic GMAT, and GMAT Club. You can read more about the pros and cons of each one in this full guide. (coming soon)

Again, these supplemental study tools are a good way to insert a little extra GMAT prep into your day, particularly those days when you don’t have time for more comprehensive study. They’re not sufficient as your only GMAT study materials, but they will help you learn, uncover weak spots, and stay engaged with the exam on a daily basis.

Once you’ve decided on and collected all your GMAT study materials, how can you use them in an effective way? Consider these five tips for designing your GMAT study plan.

How to Create Your GMAT Study Plan: 5 Key Tips

There’s no one-size-fits-all GMAT study plan, as the most effective study plans are customized to your unique profile as a test taker. You need to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and put effort toward the areas where you can improve the most.

A person with excellent verbal skills will likely need to focus more on prepping for the Quantitative section, while someone who uses math and graphs in their daily life may want to hone in on Verbal prep. The step no one should skip is writing down a clear study plan with specific steps to meet their goals.

As you design your study plan, consider these five tips.

#1: Make Studying a Routine

It’s tough to make time for studying, especially if you’re simultaneously working a full-time job or juggling other professional and personal commitments. To meet your studying goals, try to make a routine of studying.

Rather than trying to squeeze in studying time at random, set aside a specific time on the same days each week. Then, stick to your plan! By turning studying into a routine, you’ll optimize your ability to develop skills while ensuring that you don’t fall short of your goals.

#2: Take a Diagnostic Practice Test

Before you get going with studying, you should set aside three and a half hours to take a GMAT practice test. Nothing will get you familiar with the exam like taking an entire practice test.

You’ll learn about the test and realize questions about it you didn’t know you had. Beyond familiarizing yourself with the test, you’ll get a sense of your initial scoring level.

Don’t have high expectations for this first test. Rather, you’re using it to identify your weaknesses and all of the areas where you can improve. Then, you can use your results to inform your plan going forward.

#3: Target Your Weak Areas

Don’t waste valuable study time going over and over question types and concepts that you already know. Instead, you’ll see the most progress if you focus your efforts on your weak areas.

Find out where you’re lacking and what confuses you, and work extensively there. By targeting your weak areas, you’ll see the biggest score improvements.

Your diagnostic practice test will help you identify these areas of confusion so that you can direct your attention toward them.

#4: Take a Practice Test Every Few Weeks

As mentioned earlier, many students take a practice test every few weeks to become better test takers and to gauge their progress. You can see whether your scores are getting better and reassess your strengths and weaknesses.

Doing well on the GMAT doesn’t have much to do with memorizing facts and figures. Instead, you need to be a skilled test taker. Taking practice tests will help you develop your test taking skills, as well as learn how to answer certain question types, practice managing your time, and try out different strategies.

#5: Don’t Be Afraid to Make Changes

While you should write out a specific study plan before you start, you shouldn’t be afraid to make changes to it. Consider the study plan a living document that you can revise as you go along.

If you find your progress has stalled, you should reflect on what you’ve been doing and what you need to alter. By taking practice tests as you go along, you can measure your improvement, or lack thereof, and use these reports to amend your approach.

In closing, let’s go over what you need to remember about the best GMAT prep materials and how to use them to get ready for this important exam.

Best GMAT Study Materials: Final Thoughts

Before you can start studying for the GMAT, you need to collect GMAT prep materials.

Official materials will always contain the best practice questions and offer the most accurate assessment of your scoring level, so everyone’s first step should be downloading the free GMATPrep Software from MBA.com. This excellent resource features two full-length practice tests, 90 practice questions, and a full math review. Because the software is made by the test makers, it has the most realistic practice questions, plus it uses the official scoring algorithm.

While official materials should definitely be a part of your GMAT arsenal, you may also supplement with unofficial books and practice tests. Third parties like Veritas Prep, Manhattan Prep, and Kaplan offer excellent resources. Beyond practice tests, they give thorough content review and test-taking strategies. But remember that as tempting as those free GMAT study materials you find online might be, you should make sure that they are really worth using, with practice questions of various difficulty levels, computer-adaptive practice tests, and a realistic experience of the test.

By taking time to study in the months leading up to your test date, you’ll be able to tackle all of the material and make significant progress toward your target GMAT scores.

What’s Next?

Did you know that you can find a lot of GMAT material online for free? Check out this full list of free GMAT practice tests available around the web.

Once you’ve collected your GMAT study materials, what do you do next? This guide has 23 key tips for preparing for the GMAT.

The GMAT is a scary test, but how hard is it, really? Check out this guide to learn just how difficult the GMAT is and how you can tackle the challenge.

The post GMAT Study Material: 20 Best Prep Resources to Raise Your Score appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.