I have attempted using many tools to try to crack the GMAT...but I was never fully satisfied until I found the GMAT w/Prof Dave. I love the style it's written in and the easy to learn tools that are given. I was very lucky that I had people recommend this book to me, and I, like them urge anyone who is going to take the GMAT to get this book!

This was the first book I picked up. I didn't know what to expect but I had
heard of the author from friends. I was a little intimidated by the exam but
this book was just what I needed to ease me into a study mode. The style is friendly and inviting, but don't be fooled by the classroom style, levity, and graphics. The material is very challenging academic stuff.

The professor is friendly and polite, then challenges you with some very
difficult math problems. But he shows you how to categorize problems and several techniques to use. It really opened my eyes to math problem solving. I must have worked 300 problems. This was the most help. The math tutorials were excellent. There is a section in the book on new types of math problems that have appeared on the most recent exams. I'm not sure how they got this information but it shows they do their homework.

Be ready to work hard. There are four 7-8 hour classes in the book (plus
extensive homework) but it took me a lot longer than eight hours per class because I read every explanation carefully.

They rated every question in the book as to easy, medium, or difficult. I
didn't get this at first but later I realized recognizing harder questions
indicated I needed more time with these. This little tip made me aware of timing which has always been a problem for me. My pacing improved markedly.

The critical reasoning questions were abundant in the book, broken into
categories which made them easier to understand. Many of these questions were related to business (with some business terminology) that can be tough for Liberal Arts majors.

All in all, I strongly endorse this book and the Official Guide which is another great study guide, but without the pictures.

N. Luett, a student from Arizona



  

After many years in the workforce, I decided to pursue a graduate degree. The most significant hurdle was the GMAT. Writing and language are strengths for me, but for the past 18 years, I've let computers take care of quantitative issues. So, in short order I had to become reacquainted with math concepts long forgotten, and learn how to take a CAT exam and score reasonably well. All of my research led me to one conclusion: it takes more than one study guide to adequately prepare for the GMAT. The course I followed, with an evaluation of each guide, is outlined in the following paragraphs.

For my math review, I selected Peterson's Math Review for GRE, GMAT, and MCAT, 2nd edition. There have been some comments about errors in previous editions, but I found this guide quite helpful, and an excellent refresher on math topics I have not seen in years, but need to know for the GMAT. 4 out of 5.

The GMAT Advantage with Professor Dave was selected because of its readability and the questions. The material is challenging, and the more difficult questions in each category provide a good idea of the difficult questions faced on the GMAT. The verbal chapters are very strong and have excellent examples. The math problems are also very good, but the text assumes that the reader already is familiar with most math topics. This is why I recommend Peterson's Math Review to compliment this guide. Overall 4 out of 5, with a solid 5 for the verbal sections.

The Official Guide for GMAT is the best resource for practice questions. 1400 questions are in this guide, and the last 1/3 in each section represent some difficult concepts that will be tested. This book gets the reader prepared for the real questions that will be seen on the exam. In addition, the question writers provide excellent explanations for the solutions, and reveal some elegantly simple ways to solve math problems that at first appear to be very labor intensive. 4 out of 5. (Also, be sure to take the 2 free CAT tests available online from GMAC. These prepare the user well for the GMAT experience.)

Finally, I also used the Princeton Review Crash Course for GMAT. I used this as a final review and to gain some additional pointers and time savers. While brief, this book does provide excellent quick reference tips for all question types that will be seen on the test. The idiom list and formulas are worth the price alone. 4 out of 5.

I prepared over an 8 week period, with at least 1 hour of review per day, and more often it was 2 to 4 hours. Regular, consistent preparation, using different references that fit your style of learning will prepare you for this rigorous test. Prepare thoroughly with relentless repetition, and take the test. After 18 years out of school, I scored a 690.

Good luck.

This book is a disappointment. There is not an actual review of the subject but a bunch of exercises. If you do not remember or struggle with math, do not get this book.

If you've read my other reviews, you'll see that test preparation is a significant part of my life. After comparing nearly every GMAT book on the market, this relatively new entry is the unequivocal winner. The problems are the most GMAT-like of any available, and the explanations strike the perfect balance between traditional methods and state-of-the-art tricks specific to conquering the GMAT. The CD-ROM not only contains a very accurate computer adaptive exam, but also lessons and drills which reinforce the material presented in the book. We use this book in our Gorilla Test Prep GMAT course, and students and instructors alike have found it to excel in every way.