You’ve studied for weeks! You know your math formulas backwards and forwards! You can spot an idiom from miles away! You get all the way to the test center and it hits you… you’ve forgotten your valid photo ID.

Arriving at the test center on the day of your GMAT exam without something you need would certainly be a big bummer, but don’t worry! In this guide, I’ll walk you through what to bring to GMAT test day. First, I’ll go over the necessary items you have to bring to the test center. Next, I’ll talk about some things that would be nice to have at the test center. I’ll also give you a GMAT exam day checklist that you can use to make sure you’ve got all you need for test day. Finally, I’ll talk briefly about the items you shouldn’t bring to test day.

What to Bring to GMAT Test Day

GMAC has strict rules and regulations for test-takers, so it’s important to know what to bring to the GMAT test center so that you can take your test at your scheduled time. It’s also important to be prepared so you avoid any unnecessary fees from having to reschedule your exam or pay to send test scores later.

What to Bring to the GMAT: 4 Necessary Items

You don’t need to bring much to take the GMAT, but there are a number of items you must have in order to be allowed to take the test. You should make sure to bring each of the following items with you to your appointment.

#1: A Valid, GMAT Approved Photo ID

You must bring a valid, GMAT approved photo ID to be admitted your exam. If you forget to bring a photo ID, or if it doesn’t fit the qualifications discussed below, you won’t be allowed to take the GMAT. GMAC has strict rules and regulations about what constitutes a valid, approved photo ID. A valid photo ID must have:

• Your name using the Roman alphabet (an important note for test-takers in countries that don’t use the Roman alphabet) that is spelled exactly the same way you provided it when you registered.
• Date of birth that exactly matches the birth date you registered with.
• A recent, recognizable photograph.
• Your signature.

If your photo ID doesn’t have one of the above qualifications, you won’t be admitted to take the GMAT. If your photo ID has all of the above qualifications but is expired, you won’t be admitted to take the GMAT. Make sure your ID fulfills all the requirements well before test day, because it can often take a while to replace a driver’s license or passport.

Speaking of driver’s licenses and passports, they are two of the acceptable forms of photo identification. The four acceptable forms of ID for the GMAT are: international passport, government-issued driver’s license, government-issued national/state/province identity card, and military ID card. Note, you must bring a passport if you’re taking the GMAT in a country outside of your country of citizenship. So, if you’re from the United States and are taking the GMAT in India, you need to bring your US passport in order to take the GMAT.

Remember, you’ll be turned away at the door if you don’t have a valid photo ID!

#2: Names of the Five MBA Programs Where You Want to Send Your Scores

As part of your GMAT test day appointment, you’ll be able to select up to five programs to send your GMAT scores to. Your GMAT exam fee includes the cost of sending your scores to these five schools. You’ll only be able to send your free scores once, immediately before your exam. If you don’t select any schools to send your scores to, you can do it later, but it’ll cost $28 per school.

It’s a good idea to bring a list of the MBA programs you want to send your scores to your test so that you aren’t flustered with trying to make a decision on test day and so that you don’t spend unnecessary money sending your scores at a later date.

#3: Appointment Confirmation Letter or Email

Bring your appointment confirmation letter or email to your testing center in case there’s any discrepancy with your test date and time. By bringing your confirmation letter, you’ll be able to address any discrepancy (such as a confusion about your test date) and smooth out your check in process.

#4: Directions to the Test Center

Having printed directions to the test center or the address already pre-loaded onto your phone will save you time and stress as you’re driving to your appointment. Having printed directions can help if your phone unexpectedly dies or fails, while having the address pre-loaded onto your phone can help you search for alternate routes in case of traffic.

What to Bring to the GMAT: 3 Nice-to-Have Items

The GMAT is a long test and you’ll have the option of taking two breaks to refresh yourself during the exam. The following items aren’t required of test day, but may be nice to have if you’re concerned about being comfortable through the length of the exam.

#1: Water

Bringing water is a great way to refresh yourself during your break. You can’t bring it into the exam room, but you can retrieve it and drink it during the breaks. I’d recommend bringing water over soda or other sugary drinks, so you don’t experience a sugar crash.

#2: Snacks

Just like water, you can’t bring your snacks into the exam room, but you can get them during your breaks. A healthy snack like a piece of fruit, protein bar, or handful of trail mix can help boost your energy levels during the long test.

#3: Extra Layers

Sometimes, the test center you’re working in may be very cold or very hot. Bringing an extra layer, like a sweatshirt, or wearing layers that you can easily remove will help you be comfortable as you work in the test center for over three hours.

GMAT Exam Day Checklist

Worried that you’ll forget something important on your way to the GMAT? Don’t be! With our handy, downloadable GMAT exam day checklist, you’ll be able to remember exactly what to bring to GMAT test day.

Click here to download PrepScholar’s GMAT Exam Day Checklist.

3 Things Not to Bring to the GMAT

GMAC is very strict about what you can bring into the testing room. Leave these items at home or in your car on test day – you won’t be able to use them anyways.

#1: Electronics

You can’t bring a calculator to the GMAT, so don’t even bother packing it into your car on test day. You also won’t be able to use your phone, tablet, pager, laptop, watch, radio, or any other electronic item during the test, besides the computer station provided to you at the test center. You’ll be asked to lock up your electronics, so be prepared to put them into a locker or leave them in your car or at home during the test.

#2: Books and Other Print Aids

You can’t bring any books or print aids to the GMAT, including dictionaries, thesauruses, idiom dictionaries, math formula sheets, etc. Make sure you don’t accidentally have a sheet folded up in your pocket or on your person as you enter into the test center. Your test will be automatically voided if you’re found with any print aids in the testing room.

#3: Weapons

It should go without saying, but the only weapon you need to bring to the GMAT is your finely tuned brain that you’ve trained for weeks to conquer the test. Leave all weapons or items that could be considered a weapon (including pocket knives, nail clippers, and razors) at home.

Review: What to Bring to GMAT Test Day (and What Not To)

It’s important to know what to bring to the GMAT so you don’t have any trouble taking your test during your scheduled appointment. If you’re worried about forgetting something, print out our GMAT exam day checklist to make sure you’re all ready to go.

What’s Next

Wondering what to expect at your GMAT test center? A big part of feeling prepared for test day is knowing what you’ll encounter when you arrive to take your test. Check out our guide to GMAT test centers to make sure you’re well-prepared and ready to go.

If you’re concerned about sending your GMAT scores to schools, check out our complete guide to sending GMAT scores. The guide will help you learn how and when to send GMAT scores, as well as how to correctly time ordering score reports so your scores will arrive to admissions programs in time.

Searching for some last-minute GMAT tips? If your GMAT is just around the corner, our guide to last-minute GMAT tips will help you feel more prepared and ready for the exam, whether you just decided to take it recently or you’ve been studying for months.

The post GMAT Exam Day Checklist: What to Bring to the Test Center appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Are you taking the GMAT soon or have you recently taken it? If so, you might be wondering, how long does it take to get GMAT scores? It’s important to know when you’ll get your GMAT scores so that you can plan how early you’ll need to take the test in order to get your scores sent in time for school application deadlines.

In this guide, I’ll be explaining how long it will take to get your GMAT scores, when schools school receive your GMAT score reports, and how to use this information to plan for your GMAT test.

How Long Does It Take to Get GMAT Scores?

Your GMAT score consists of five parts: verbal, quantitative, total score, integrated reasoning, and analytical writing. You will receive your integrated reasoning, verbal, quantitative, and total scores on your unofficial score report. You will receive all five of your scores when you receive your official score report.

For more information about GMAT scores, check our our guide to the GMAT score range.

Unofficial GMAT Score Reporting

As soon as you finish the GMAT, you will receive your GMAT unofficial score. After you complete your test, the computer screen will show your unofficial verbal, unofficial quantitative, and unofficial integrated reasoning scores, as well as your unofficial total score. You will also see your unofficial percentile ranking for each section. Check out this sample unofficial score report from MBA.com.

Source: MBA.com

As you can see, on your unofficial score report, you receive your scaled scores for four sections, including the total score, which is scored according to your quantitative and verbal scores. Your analytical writing section will be scored by human graders, so it’s not included in your official score.

What is an unofficial score? Well, every student who takes the GMAT takes a slightly different version of the test, depending on where and when they take it. Your GMAT score and percentile for each section is compared with other students who are taking the same test. Sometimes, you may take a slightly more difficult or slightly easier version of the test. The unofficial score gives a snapshot of how you performed based to other test takers.

However, the unofficial score doesn’t take into account whether your version of the test was slightly easier or more difficult than a different version. Your official scores are double-checked against other test takers to ensure that every test is weighted according to its difficulty. It’s very rare, however, for there to be a difference between unofficial and official scores. If there’s any difference, it’s usually only a few points.

You have the option to cancel your GMAT score if you’re not happy with your performance. After viewing your unofficial score, you should decide whether or not you want to keep your scores. If you keep your scores, they will be sent to the schools you chose on your GMAT registration. If you decide to cancel, your scores will not be sent to any schools. Only you will know if you cancel your scores. You can cancel your score right after the exam at the test center for free, or within 72 hours of taking the exam (for $25).

Source: MBA.com

Official GMAT Score Reporting

Your official GMAT score report will be available within 20 days of taking your exam. Once your scores are available, you will receive an email from Pearson VUE with a unique link to view your scores. You can also view, download, and print your scores by visiting MBA.com.

Your official score report includes your final, official scores and percentile ranking for the verbal, quantitative and integrated reasoning sections. You will also see your final, official total score and your final, official analytical writing score. Remember, this is the first time you’ll be seeing your analytical writing score.

Source: MBA.com

How Long Does It Take Schools to Get GMAT Scores?

While you’re the only one who sees your unofficial scores, you’re not the only one who will get to see your GMAT official scores. You have the option of sending your official scores to schools before or after the exam.

Your GMAT exam fee includes sending your official GMAT score report to up to five schools. You need to select these schools at the test center before you start your exam. It’s a good idea to have a list of schools in mind that you want to send your scores to so that you can take advantage of this reporting on the date of your test. You don’t have to send any scores when you take the test, but it won’t be free if you send your scores at a later date. It costs $28 to send additional score reports.

Remember, if you cancel your scores, the schools you select won’t receive your score report.

The schools you select at the test center will receive your official score report within 20 calendar days of your exam (the same as you). It’s important to consider application deadlines when planning when to take your exam. Since it takes about three weeks to send your scores, you want to make sure you schedule your exam with plenty of time for your scores to arrive before the deadline.

If you choose to send additional schools your scores, or to send your score reports at a later time, a $28 fee per school will apply. You can’t do this until after you receive your official scores, so you’ll need to wait at least 20 days to send additional score reports.

Additional score reports will be sent about five business days after you place an order.

Your GMAT score is valid for five years and you can pay to send additional score reports for as long as your scores are valid. If you cancel your scores at the test center, but wish to reinstate them at a later date, a $50 fee applies. After it’s reinstated, your official score report will be sent to the school you selected at the test center for no additional fees. All additional score reports will still cost $28 per report.

GMAT Score Reporting: What Does It Mean For You?

It’s important to know when and how schools will receive your official score report. This will help you decide when to take the GMAT so that you meet all your application deadlines. For instance, if you want to apply to a school that has a deadline of December 1, you’ll want to take the GMAT at least 20 days before this so that the school will receive your scores on time.

If you’re unhappy with your scores or decide to cancel them, know that you have to wait at least 16 days to take the GMAT again. However, you’ll likely need more time to study if you want to improve your score so seriously consider whether you have enough time to fit in a test retake before your application deadline.

If you do decide to retake the exam, check out PrepScholar GMAT’s comprehensive online course. It’s the only online course that offers a 60 point score improvement guarantee!

Summary: How Long Does It Take to Get GMAT Scores?

You’ll get your unofficial verbal, quantitative, integrated reasoning, and total scores immediately after finishing the GMAT. You can decided whether you want to keep or cancel these scores.

Your official GMAT score report will be available within 20 calendar days after you take the test. The schools you chose at the test center will also receive your scores at this time. You can order additional score reports after you receive your official scores.

What’s Next?

Wondering how long you should study for the GMAT? Check out our step-by-step guide to planning your GMAT prep.

Still not sure when to take the exam? Learn more about choosing the best GMAT test date for you.

Trying to figure out how important the GMAT total score is? Learn all about it in our GMAT total score guide.

The post How Long Does It Take to Get GMAT Scores? 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.

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t thought about remainders in over ten years, when you first learned about long division in elementary school. Remember those lessons on what we call the number that’s left over in a division problem? Yeah, that number’s called a remainder.

And guess what? Remainders show up a lot on the GMAT. Of course, the remainder problems you’ll encounter on the GMAT are much different than the ones you worked on when you were ten years old. GMAT remainder questions can often be quite tricky, but don’t worry! In this guide, I’ll give you a comprehensive overview of GMAT remainder problems so that you feel ready to solve them when you see them on test day.

First, I’ll walk you through a brief refresher course on remainders. Next, I’ll offer some tips for solving GMAT remainder questions. Finally, I’ll provide some sample GMAT remainder problems and explanations for you to study.

What Is A Remainder?

If you’re a bit fuzzy on what a remainder actually is, don’t sweat it. Many GMAT test takers haven’t worked with remainders in many years. Let’s start by going over the basics of what a remainder is and how you’ll see them tested on the GMAT.

Think back to that fourth grade math class you took a long time ago. Let’s review the specific terminology we use to talk about division:

• When you divide $x$ by $y$, it’s the same as the fraction “$x/y$.”
• If we were dividing 6 by 3 (or, $6/3$), 6, the term we’re dividing by something else, would be the “dividend.”
• 3, the number that’s doing the dividing, is the “divisor.”
• In the case of the simple division problem $6/3$, 2 is our answer, or our “quotient.”

But, as I’m sure you know, not all division problems are as nice and neat as $6/3$. That’s where remainders come in.

Simply put, the remainder is the fraction part (or what “remains”) when you divide two numbers that don’t result in a whole number quotient.

For instance, when you divide $8/3$, the remainder is 2. When you divide 8 by 3, you have two sets of 3, with 2 leftover.

An easy way to think about remainders is to think about them as mixed numbers. For instance, the fraction $8/3$ is the same thing as the mixed number $2 2/3$. $2/3$ represents our remainder. We express it as $2/3$ because we have 2 parts left out of the 3 parts we need to make a whole number. The denominator will always be the same as the divisor.

Now that we’ve reviewed the basics, let’s move on to some more complicated, GMAT-style remainder math. Let’s say that we’re dividing our dividend $a$ by our divisor $b$ to yield our whole number quotient $c$ and our remainder $d$. That translates into the following equation:

$$a/b=c+d/b$$

For instance, in the simple problem we worked through before:

• $a$: 8 (dividend)
• $b$: 3 (divisor)
• $c$: 2 (quotient)
• $d$: 2 (remainder)

It’s worth memorizing this basic remainder equation – it’ll come up fairly often on the GMAT.

Remember, remainders can also be expressed as decimals. For instance, the remainder $2/3$ could be represented as .66 (repeating). That’s what you’ll likely see when you’re using a calculator (e.g., $8/3=2.66666$).

GMAT remainder problems are obviously more complex than what we’ve gone over in this section. For the GMAT, you’ll be asked to apply your knowledge of the basic relationship between dividend, divisor, quotient, and remainder to solve moderate to advanced algebraic equations.

As with all GMAT quant questions, we’ll have to rely on more than just our basic remainders knowledge to get the right answer. In the next section, I’ll give you some tips on solving GMAT remainder questions and then walk you through solving four sample questions.

Tips for Solving GMAT Remainder Questions

While GMAT remainder problems can be quite complicated, there are some things you can to do to more easily solve the problems you encounter. Keep in mind these tips as you’re working on GMAT remainder problems.

#1: Memorize the Remainder Relationship Formula

In the previous section, I gave you the formula for finding the remainder of a division equation:

$a/b=c+d/b$, where $a$ = dividend; $b$ = divisor, $c$ = quotient, and $d$ = remainder.

Knowing this equation is the key to answering remainder questions on the GMAT. You should also be comfortable moving around the variables in the equation, so that you understand the other relationships this equation yields such as:

$$a=cb+d$$

Being able to quickly recall the remainder equation and manipulate it in different ways by moving the variables on either side of the equal sign will really help you on the GMAT. You’ll be able to correctly plug-in the different numbers and formulas the GMAT throws at you so that you can figure out exactly what you need to solve.

#2: Plug-In Numbers for Variables

A great way to work out tricky remainder questions is to plug-in numbers for variables into your GMAT remainders equation. While this strategy won’t work all the time, plugging in numbers can be helpful if you’re stuck and unsure how to get to an answer. Let’s look at a sample question to see how this works:

What is the remainder when $x$ is divided by $3$, if the sum of the digits of $x$ is 5?

E. 6

That means we can plug in a number for $x$ that has digits that add together to equal five. For instance, we can use the number 14, because $1 + 4 = 5$. If we divide $14/3$, we find out that the remainder is 2. Let’s keep testing this theory. If we plug in the number 50 for $x$ (because $5 + 0 = 5$), we get the equation $50/3$, which equals 16 remainder 2. We can test this one more time with $23$ ($2 + 3 = 5$). If we divide $23/3$, we get 7 remainder 2. That tells us that the answer is A: 2.

Plugging in numbers doesn’t always work, particularly if you’ve got a number of different unknown variables. However, if you’ve got a relatively small set of potential numbers (e.g., numbers whose digits add up to five), you can plug in numbers to test for the correct answer.

#3: Learn Remainder Shortcuts

There are several nifty remainder “shortcuts” that you should keep in mind when you’re working on GMAT remainder questions. These shortcuts will save you time so you don’t have to completely write out calculations.

The possible remainders when a number is divided by a divisor $b$ can range from 0 to one less than $b$. For example, if $b$ = 5, the possible remainders are then from 0 – 4 (which is one less than 5). If $b$ = 10, the possible remainders range from 0 – 9 (which is one less than 10).

If a number is divided by 10, its remainder is the last digit of that number. If you divide it by 100, its remainder is the last two digits of that number, and so on. For, example 49 divided by 10 equals 4 with a remainder of 9.

You can take the decimal portion of the quotient and multiply it by the divisor to get the remainder. For example, if we know $9/5=1.8$ we can multiply .8 by the divisor 5, which gives us the remainder, 4. Keep in mind that you won’t have a calculator on the GMAT, though, so this tip may or may not save you time.

GMAT Remainder Problem Examples

Now that we’ve learned some tips for solving remainder questions, let’s see them in action. In these GMAT remainder problems, I’ll walk you through how to solve each question using the equations, tips, and tricks we’ve discussed earlier in the article.

Problem Solving Remainder Sample Question

Let’s start with this question by plugging what we know into our remainder equation. In this case, we know the following:

$x$/$y$ = $q$ + 9, where $q$ is the quotient (which is unknown), $x$ is the dividend (unknown), and $y$ is the divisor (also unknown).

From the question, we also know that $x/y = 96.12$. Remember how we talked about decimals earlier? When we’re giving an answer to a division problem that has a decimal in it, the whole number (in this case, 96) is the quotient and the decimal is the remainder. So, in this case, we express our answer as 96 + 0.12, with 96 as the quotient and 0.12 is the remainder.

We can also express our remainder as $\remainder/\divisor$, which gives us the equation:

$$x/y = q + 9/y$$

Since we now have two values for $x/y$, we can set them equal to each other, which yields:

$$96 + 9/y = 96.12$$

We can solve this equation through by subtracting 96 from the left side of the equation so we get:

$$9/y = .12$$

That leaves us with $9/y = 0.12$, or $y = 75$.

Data Sufficiency Remainder Sample Question

When we approach data sufficiency questions, we always want to solve each statement alone before looking at them together. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at statement (1) first.

Remember, we’re trying to figure out if we can determine the tens digit of a positive integer.

Statement (1) tells us that, when our positive integer $x$ is divided by 100, it has a remainder of 30.

This statement is a good example of something that you can plug a number into. For this, I’m going to try dividing different numbers by 100. I’ll start with 100. When you divide 100 by 100, you don’t get a remainder. When you divide 110 by 100, you get a remainder of 10. When you divide 120 by 100, you get a remainder of 20. When you divide 130 by 100, you get a remainder of 30.

You can also use the remainder shortcut that, if any number is divided by 100, its remainder is the last two digits of that number. That tells us that tens digit of our number has to be 3. This statement is sufficient.

Now let’s try statement (2). Remember, we want to look at each statement by itself first.

We can try plugging in numbers for statement (2). Using the same method of plugging in every number from 100 to 300 counting by tens, I find that if I divide 140 by 110, my quotient is 1 remainder 30. However, if I divide 250 by 110, I get a quotient of 2 remainder 30.

In this case, I have two different numbers that both yield me a remainder of 30. That means statement (2) is not sufficient.

I can’t use statement (1) and statement (2) together because they are mutually exclusive. Therefore, my answer is A.

Review: GMAT Remainders

While remainders may seem like elementary math you haven’t touched in years and don’t need to remember, remainder questions will often appear on the GMAT.

The most important step in solving GMAT remainder problems is to memorize the remainders relationships equations. However, plugging-in numbers and recognizing patterns can also help you solve these tricky questions.

What’s Next?

Are you confident in solving remainders questions now? Looking to move onto a new GMAT quant challenge? We have in-depth guides on many of the math concepts you’ll see on the GMAT. Check out our guides to GMAT geometry and GMAT rate problems to boost your knowledge on two other commonly tested GMAT concepts.

If you’re looking for a more generalized overview of the GMAT quant section, our GMAT quant guide will give you a solid overview of the content of the GMAT quant section, while our GMAT quant practice guide will help you better understand how and what to practice to ace the quant section.

Looking to completely change it up? If you want to focus on verbal instead, our in-depth guide to the GMAT verbal section will give you a great overview of the GMAT verbal section, while also suggesting resources you can use to practice.

The post GMAT Remainder Problems: 3 Key Tips 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.

The GMAT quantitative section is probably the most notorious and daunting section of the exam. There are many myths surrounding the quant section of the GMAT, such as that it tests extremely advanced math concepts or that it’s impossible to achieve a perfect score. However, by building your understanding of the quant section through careful preparation, it’s more than possible to do well on this challenging part of the GMAT.

In this complete GMAT quantitative review, I’ll be giving you an in-depth look into the format of the section and what skills are tested on it. I’ll also take you through a detailed look at the two types of GMAT quant questions (data sufficiency and problem solving). Finally, I’ll give you tips that’ll help you achieve success in your test preparation and on test day.

GMAT Quantitative Overview

The GMAT quant section tests your ability to analyze data and draw conclusions using reasoning skills.  There are 31 multiple choice questions on this section that test your abilities in these areas, and you’ll have 62 minutes to complete the section. The quant section is the third section of the test, after the analytical writing assessment and integrated reasoning sections.

Like the two previous sections on the GMAT, you’ll take the quant section on a computer. However, unlike the integrated reasoning and analytical writing assessment, the quant section is adaptive. What that means is that the difficulty of the questions you get will be adjusted as you get questions right or wrong. If you’re struggling, you’ll receive easier questions. If you’re doing well, you’ll receive more difficult questions. Your score on the quant section is determined by three things: the number of questions you answer, the number of questions you answer correctly, and the difficulty of the questions you answer.

Quant scores technically range from 0 to 60, but the range in which people actually score is 6 to 51. Your quant score also contributes to your GMAT total score, which ranges from 200 to 800.

What’s Tested on the GMAT Quantitative Section?

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. In fact, you only need to know high-school-level math for the GMAT quant section. You’ll see the following concepts on the test:

• algebraic equations and inequalities
• arithmetic
• decimals
• percentages
• ratios
• exponents and square roots
• geometry and coordinate geometry
• integers
• factors
• multiples
• number lines
• variable operations

Rather than testing your knowledge of complex mathematical concepts, the GMAT wants to see how you apply your knowledge of basic math concepts on two types of questions: data sufficiency and problem solving. While both question types will require you to do the same kinds of math, they’re testing very different skills. The problem solving questions test how well you can figure out the answers to different kinds of numerical problems, such as knowing how much commission to give on the sale of a good. The data sufficiency questions test your ability to determine whether information is adequate enough to solve problems. We’ll talk more about these two types of questions in the next section.

The 2 Types of GMAT Quant Questions

There are two types of GMAT quantitative questions: data sufficiency and problem solving. In this section, I’ll go into more detail about the format of each question type and give you an example problem and solution for each.

If you’d like to get more in-depth information about strategies for either of these sections, check out our detailed data sufficiency and problem solving guides (coming soon).

Data Sufficiency

Data sufficiency questions are multiple choice questions that come with two statements of data. Your job is to figure out whether or not the statements provide sufficient data to answer the question. Then, you’ll have to decide whether one or both statements, by themselves or together, give you enough information to answer the problem. You’ll have the same five answer choices for every data sufficiency question:

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
3. Both statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
4. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Let’s look at what a data sufficiency question looks like in practice.

Data Sufficiency Sample Question

Here’s an example of a data sufficiency sample question that’s retired from an actual GMAT.

First, let’s look at the features of this data sufficiency question. Notice how the question comes first (“Is the average (arithmetic mean) of x and y greater than 20?”). After that, the two statements are listed. Your job is to figure out whether each of those statements is enough to solve the question, either by themselves or together. Let’s look at the solution for that problem.

Data Sufficiency Sample Question Explanation

The first step for any question on the quant section is to understand what the question is asking you to find. This question is asking you to determine the mean of x and y. The mean (or average) can be expressed as the sum of both numbers divided by 2. So, you can express the mean of x and y in either of these equations:

(x + y)/2 > 20

x + y > 40

Now, you’ll want to turn your attention to each statement. Let’s look at statement 1 first. For this statement, you’ll need to express the statement as an equation and then simplify to solve for x + y. First, let’s figure out your equation. The statement says that the average of 2x and 2y is 48. That information yields this equation:

(2x + 2y)/2 = 48

Next, you can simplify to isolate x and y.

2x/2 + 2y/2 = 48

x + y = 48

Think back to the first inequalities. We said that we can express the mean of x and y as either (x + y)/2 > 20 or x + y > 40. In the math we just did for statement 1, we simplified the equation to show that x + y = 48. 48 is greater than 40, which satisfies the requirement that x + y > 40. That means that the information is sufficient.

Now, let’s look at our second statement. Whenever you’re solving a data sufficiency question, you want to first solve the statements by themselves before considering them together. We solved statement 1 by itself, now we’re solving statement 2 by itself.

Statement 2 says that x = 3y. That means that we can substitute for x in our original inequality.

x + y > 40

3y + y > 40

Remember, x = 3y. So, in my second equation I substituted in 3y for x. Now, I can combine like terms.

4y > 40

y > 10

So, solving this inequality shows us that y is greater than 10. But let’s think back to what the question is asking us. The question is asking us if x + y > 40. From solving this inequality, we don’t have enough information about y or about x to see if x + y > 40.

You can also solve statement 2 by substituting values for x and y that satisfy the condition x = 3y. For instance:

If y = 7 and x = 21 then (x + y)/2 = 14, which is NOT greater than 20.

If y = 40 and x = 120, then (x + y)/2 = 80, which IS greater than 20.

Because there’s the possibility to get an answer greater than OR less than 20 for statement 2, we’ll need more information to solve the problem.

The correct answer to this sample question is, then, is A: Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.

Problem Solving

Problem solving questions are multiple-choice questions that test high school math skills. These questions are much more traditional and straight-forward than data sufficiency questions. For these questions, you’ll need to use basic math concepts from topics like arithmetic, algebra, and geometry to solve math problems. Let’s take a look at a problem solving sample equation.

Problem Solving Sample Question

Here’s an example of a problem solving sample question that’s retired from an actual GMAT.

Notice how the problem solving sample question looks much more like a question that you would see in your math class or on another standardized test. All problem solving questions have five multiple choice answers.

Problem Solving Sample Question Explanation

The first step to solving this problem is to figure out what it’s asking you and what it requires that you know. You’re trying to figure out the total cost of food for 7 adults on a 5-day trip. In order to do that, you need to figure out the cost of food per day for each adult. You can find that by looking at the costs of the 3-day trip.

In order to determine the food costs per person per day, divide the total food cost ($60) by the total number of adults (4), and then divide that by the number of days (3). Your equation should be: (60/4)/3 = x, when x is the food cost per person per day.

(60/4)/3 = x

(15)/3 = x

5 = x

The food cost per person per day is $5. Let’s plug that into an equation to determine the cost of food on the 7-day trip: $5 (food cost per person per day) * 7 (number of adults) * 5 (number of days) = y (total cost of food on a 7-day trip)

5 * 7 * 5 = y

5 * 7 * 5 = 175

Total food cost per day on a 7-day trip is $175. So the correct answer is B.

10 Tips for Mastering the GMAT Quantitative Section

In this section, I’ll give you some tips that’ll help you as you practice and get ready to take the GMAT and some tips that’ll help you succeed on test day.

Overall GMAT Quant Study Tips

In your GMAT quantitative review, keep in mind these overall tips that’ll help you build your speed, accuracy, and confidence in solving data sufficiency and problem solving questions.

Master the Fundamentals

The GMAT quant section only tests high school math concepts. That means that you’ll have likely seen every skill you need to master the test. The key, then, lies in mastering these fundamentals. You won’t be able to use a calculator on the GMAT, so you’ll have to be fast with your basic calculations. Practice multiplying and dividing decimals and fractions. Memorize the exponent rules. Memorize common roots and higher powers. These simple tips will build your confidence and save you time on test day.

Use What You Know

GMAT quant questions are designed to look very complex and intimidating. However, no matter how difficult the question may look, remember that you’ll only need to use high school level math to answer it. Start small on these questions by using what you know. If you break the problem down into small steps, beginning with what you know, you’ll be able to work towards an answer.

Plug-in Smart Numbers

Plugging-in numbers is a useful strategy for solving questions. If a question gives you only variables and doesn’t ask you to solve for a number, you can pick values for the variables to make them easier to work with or to test statements.

However, you want to make sure you’re using smart numbers. -1, 1, and 2 are good numbers to plug in if you don’t have any confines, because they’re easy and manageable. If the question asks you to use a specific type of number (e.g., a multiple of 3), make sure you’re using one that’ll be easy to do basic calculations with (e.g., use 6 instead of 54).

Data Sufficiency Tips

The data sufficiency section is different than any other math test section you’ve seen before. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you’re preparing for and taking the GMAT.

Evaluate the Statements Individually First

Evaluating each statement individually will help you answer data sufficiency questions quickly and more easily. Evaluate statement 1 first, then evaluate statement 2 by itself. When you do evaluate statement 2, you’ll need to forget everything you did for statement 1. Pretend that they’re two different questions. Once you’ve determined whether each statement is sufficient on its own, you’ll be able to put them together. This strategy will also save you time. For instance, if neither statement is sufficient on its own, you’ll be able to eliminate answers A, B, and E. If both statements are sufficient on their own, you’ll be able to eliminate A, B, C, and E right away.

Memorize the Five Answer Choices

Every single data sufficiency questions has the same 5 possible answers:

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
3. Both statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
4. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

The 12TEN mnemonic can help you remember those answers and save you time:

• 1: only statement 1
• 2: only statement 2
• T: both statements together
• E: either statement
• N: neither statement

Know the Two Types of Questions

There are two basic kinds of data sufficiency questions: value questions and yes/no questions. By learning to identify which type a given question is, you can be sure you understand what it’s asking and how to answer it.

Value questions ask you to find a numerical value (e.g., what’s the value of 5x?). For value questions, if you’re able to find a specific value using the information in either statement, then that statement is sufficient.

Yes/no questions ask you whether or not something is true (e.g., is y an even number?). For yes/no questions, a definitive yes or a definitive no answer are both considered sufficient. An answer that is sometimes yes or sometimes no is not sufficient.

Remember: a definitive answer is always sufficient. An answer that may or may not be correct is not sufficient.

GMAT Quantitative Test Day Tips

Here are some tips that’ll help you ace the quant section on test day.

Spend time reviewing the information in graphs, charts, and tables

There will be a number of questions on the GMAT quant section that require you to interpret charts, graphs, and tables. Try to spend at least 30 seconds reviewing the information on these. It’s extremely important that you read the axis labels, the key, and the units of measurement so that you’re correctly interpreting the information contained in the graph, chart, or table and using the right information to make your calculations.

Read questions carefully

One of the most common mistakes you can make on the GMAT is to answer the wrong question. The people who write the GMAT will purposefully include questions that ask things like “Which of the following may not be true?” which can be commonly misread or misunderstood as “Which of the following may be true?” Make sure that you read every question carefully so you’re finding the correct answer to the correct question.

use your scrap paper

Even though the GMAT quant section test on high school math skills, use your scrap paper as much as possible. Writing down your calculations will help you see any mistakes and force you to make sure you’re thinking through every step of the question, especially since you can’t use a calculator on the GMAT quant section.

work backwards

If you’re not sure where to start on a question that asks you to solve for a specific value, remember that the test has already given you the right number — you just have to find it among the wrong ones. You can work backwards by plugging in the possible answers until you find one that works.

Moreover, the GMAT normally arranges answer choices in the ascending numerical value, so you can save time by starting with the middle answer. Then you can determine whether you need to go higher or lower with your answer and eliminate multiple incorrect answers at once.

GMAT Quantitative Review: What You Need to Know

The GMAT quant section can be daunting, but with careful preparation and attention-to-detail on test day, you’ll be able to master it. Spend time during your practice developing a deep familiarity with the two types of questions on the quant section (data sufficiency and problem solving) and mastering the basic math fundamentals tested on this section and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goal score.

What’s Next?

If you think you’ve gotten a good handle on the quant section, check out our guide on mastering the three questions of the GMAT verbal section.

Still confused by data sufficiency? Check out our in-depth guide to learn more about this unique test question type.

Find out more about what makes up your GMAT total score and how business schools weight it against your quant score.

The post GMAT Quantitative: 10 Tips to Master the Math Section appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Sometimes, as your GMAT test day quickly approaches, you may have to make the difficult decision to cancel your GMAT appointment. Maybe you’re sick and don’t feel well enough to take the test, or you’ve had a family emergency come up. Maybe you’ve decided you’re not prepared enough to do well. Maybe you’ve already gotten into business school and don’t need to take the GMAT again!

No matter what your reason for canceling a GMAT appointment, it’s important to understand the process for canceling so that you don’t lose a lot of money or get saddled with other unforeseen consequences. In this guide, I’ll talk about what cancelling your GMAT really means. I’ll discuss the GMAT cancellation policy, how to cancel a GMAT appointment, and how to decide whether or not you should cancel your GMAT appointment.

What Are My Options to Cancel GMAT Appointments?

GMAC has a strict GMAT cancellation policy. However, you do have several options if you need to cancel a GMAT appointment.

First, you can cancel your exam any time up to seven days before your test date to receive an $80 refund. When you cancel a GMAT appointment, you lose your test date and will have to pay the entire $250 registration fee if you decide to register for a different test date.

You can also cancel your exam between one to seven days before your GMAT appointment. If you cancel between one to seven days before your GMAT appointment, you won’t receive a refund.

You cannot cancel GMAT appointments within 24 hours of your test date. If you don’t show up to your scheduled GMAT appointment, and haven’t cancelled within 24 hours of your test date, your account history with GMAC will display a no-show. Your no-show status shows up on your own test history on your GMAC dashboard online. However, you won’t ever have a no-show appear on a score report, so don’t worry about your no-show status getting sent to business schools.

What Is the GMAT Cancellation Fee?

GMAC has a pretty harsh GMAT cancellation fee structure.

If you cancel your exam seven or more days before your GMAT appointment, you’ll receive an $80 refund. That means you’ll lose the rest of your $250 registration fee.

You can also reschedule your exam seven or more days for your GMAT appointment. Rescheduling a GMAT appointment costs $50, so it’s definitely a better financial decision if you still want to take the GMAT.

If you’re within seven calendar days of your test date, you’ll lose your entire $250 registration fee if you cancel a GMAT appointment. You’ll also have to pay the full $250 registration fee if you decide to register for a different test date.

What Happens If I Have an Emergency?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to recoup your full registration fee, even if you have an emergency. If you cancel more than seven days in advance, you can get the standard $80 refund. If it’s within seven calendar days of your test date, you’ll still have to pay the full $250 GMAT cancellation fee to register for a different GMAT date.

How Can I Decide Whether or Not to Cancel GMAT Appointments?

Because GMAC has such a strict GMAT cancellation policy, if you have to cancel a GMAT appointment, you stand to lose a lot of money. You should only completely cancel a GMAT appointment if you don’t want to take the GMAT at all, or at least not for many months. Otherwise, it’s better to reschedule your appointment.

If you’ve had an unforeseen emergency come up, such as a severe illness or family crisis, try to reschedule your GMAT for another time. Remember, you can reschedule your GMAT up to seven days before your test date. So, if you’re feeling under the weather as your test date approaches and are worried that you won’t be well before the test, you can decide to reschedule so you don’t have to worry about losing your registration fee. However, if an emergency pops up closer to test day, know that you’ll have to pay the $250 GMAT registration fee again if you decide to take the test at a later date.

If you’re worried about how you’ll score, rescheduling your test for a later date might make sense. Scheduling your test for a later date means that you’ll have time to study more and feel more prepared. However, you need to keep in mind the amount of time it takes to send and receive GMAT scores. Pushing your test date back might mean that you don’t have enough time to send your GMAT scores to MBA programs before their application deadlines. If you’ve decided that you have enough time to push back your GMAT appointment, make sure you reschedule at least seven days before your current GMAT appointment, so that you only have to pay $50 instead of the full $250 registration fee.

If you’ve already gotten into business school or have decided not to apply, canceling your GMAT makes sense. If you can cancel seven days or more before your exam, you’ll at least get $80 of your GMAT registration fee back.

What’s Next?

Choosing a GMAT test date that works for you will go a long way in making sure you don’t have to cancel your exam and lose a lot of money. If you’re looking for more information about how to choose a correct GMAT test date, our complete guide to choosing a GMAT test date will help you make the best decision that works for your schedule.

Picking a GMAT test center that’s convenient to your location is also an important part of your registration process. Find out more about what to expect at a GMAT test center and how to choose the right one for you in our guide to GMAT test centers.

It’s important to send your GMAT scores well before your application deadlines. In our guide to sending GMAT scores, you’ll learn when schools receive them, how to send them, and what to do if you need to send extra GMAT scores.

The post Can You Cancel GMAT Appointments? Should You? appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.