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	P R E P A R E Y O U R S E L F GMAT Book Reviews and Store
	HERE YOU'LL FIND detailed MBA-admission book information and book recommendations. Pick the ones that best fit your GMAT study plan. On this page are three lists of book-length publications: Peterson's Guides for GMAT Prep and B-school Admission Official GMAT-prep Publications (from the testing service) Other Picks for B-School Admission You can order any of these products from Amazon.com via this page. .
	Peterson's Guides for GMAT Prep and B-school Admission (Most published under the ARCO imprint)
	.Master the GMAT CAT 2008 ......(Book with CD-ROM) ......(Peterson's, ARCO Imprint) ORDER the Book/CD-ROM NOW ........ (directly from Amazon.com) Specs: $US cover price of $35.99 (book/CD-ROM), 700 pages Recommended for: Study Plan C (2 weeks) and Study Plan D (4 weeks) *Number of Practice Tests:* 9 (see Features below) *Basis for recommendation:* This book/CD-ROM package has it all: lesson materials, skill-building exercises ("mini-tests"), ample full-length practice tests; the CD-ROM's computer-adaptive testing interface looks and feels just like the real test. *Description/Features:* 6 full-length practice tests in the printed book Skill-building exercises for every question type Lesson materials for every exam area Additional 3 full-length tests on CD-ROM Top .GRE-GMAT Math Review (6th Edition) ......(Peterson's, ARCO Imprint) ORDER this Book NOW ........ (directly from Amazon.com) Specs: $23.00 cover price ($US); 450 pages Recommended for: Study Plan C (2 weeks) and Study Plan D (4 weeks) *Basis for my recommendation:* This book provides the most complete GMAT math prep of any book: lesson materials, skill-building exercises, GMAT-style questions (but see Critique below). Because the book is now in its 6th Edition you'll find very few (if any) errors. *Critique:* The book contains very few GMAT-style Data Sufficiency questions, but more GMAT test-takers desire additional practice in this format than in the Problem Solving format. (If you want lots of practice with Data Sufficiency questions, you're better off buying The Official Guide for GMAT Review.) *Description/Features:* Skill-building exercises for every question type Lesson materials for every Quantitative area covered on the GMAT NOTE: Portions of the book contain GRE-only material. Top
	.GMAT CAT—Answers to the Real ......Essay Questions (3rd Edition) ......(Peterson's, ARCO imprint) Sample (model) responses to 230 official GMAT essay questions · organizational templates · checklists of DO's and DON'Ts · strategies for composing GMAT essays More information about this book. Special features of the book · Table of Contents · all the "specs" (price, page length, ISBN, etc.) .... ORDER this Book NOW .............(directly from Amazon.com).
	.Writing Skills for the GRE and GMAT Tests ......(Peterson's Guides) Intensive skill-building for the Analytical Writing sections of either exam · Reinforcement exercises for both essay types · Sample (model) responses to 40 official GMAT essay questions More information about this book. Special features of the book · Table of Contents · all the "specs" (price, page length, ISBN, etc.) .... ORDER this Book NOW .............(directly from Amazon.com).
	Top .Perfect Personal Statements— ......Law, Business, Medical, Graduate School ......(Peterson's, ARCO imprint) A guide to writing application essays for B-school admission (and for other graduate programs) · in-depth interviews with admission officials at six top-ranked B-schools · 30 real essays written by successful applicants (great for inspiration and brainstorming) More information about this book. Special features of the book · Table of Contents · all the "specs" (price, page length, ISBN, etc.) .... ORDER this Book NOW .............(directly from Amazon.com).
	Top .30 Days to the GMAT CAT ......(Peterson's, ARCO imprint) Complete GMAT prep in 30 one-a-day lessons · includes seven mini-tests and one full-length practice exam More information about this book. Special features of the book · Table of Contents · all the "specs" (price, page length, ISBN, etc.) .... ORDER the Book NOW .............(directly from Amazon.com) Top
	Official GMAT-Prep Publications (from the Testing Service)
	.The Official Guide for GMAT Review (11th Edition) ......(Published by Educational Testing Service) ORDER this Book NOW ........ (directly from Amazon.com) Specs: $36.95 cover price ($US); 832 pages Recommended for: Study Plan C (2 weeks) and Study Plan D (4 weeks) *Number of Practice Tests:* N/A (see Features below) *Basis for my recommendation:* With this book you know you're working with real previously-administered GMAT questions (but you won't find these identical questions on the real GMAT CAT anymore); a great resource for intensive practice in any of the Quantitative or Verbal areas. *Critique:* The average difficulty level of the questions is skewed toward the easy end (see the Customer Comments at Amazon.com by clicking through to order). The book contains no grammar review (for Sentence Correction) and no Critical Reasoning lesson (for Critical Reasoning questions). The 40-page math review does not incorporate GMAT-style questions (which would help reinforce math concepts); so if you're weak in math, don't rely on this book. The GMAT essay material and test-taking strategies is the same material that you can download free of charge from the ETS Website. In short, buy this book for building confidence with the practice questions, not for the pedagogy. *Description/Features:* Large bank of practice questions (and explanations), organized by question type (rather than in test format); here's how many questions you get (NOTE: ETS has "retired" all the multiple-choice questions in the book, so you won't see any of them when you take the real GMAT CAT): Problem Solving (252 questions) Data Sufficiency (155 questions) Reading Comprehension (167 questions; 27 sets) Critical Reasoning (124 questions) Sentence Correction (169 questions) Analytical Writing Assessment (all 115 official Issue questions and 115 official Argument questions) Includes many of the "screens" you'll see during the computer tutorial and during the test (but the screens don't look quite like the real test) A very succinct 40-page math review (see Critique above) 37 pages of GMAT essay material, which includes (1) the complete GMAT essay test bank, (2) scoring criteria, (3) numerous sample essays (to demonstrate scoring benchmarks) for one Issue question and one Argument question, along with graders' comments (see Critique above) Top .Computer-Adaptive GMAT PowerPrep Software ......(Published by Educational Testing Service) ORDER this Product NOW ........ (used copies are available at Amazon.com) Suggested retail price ($US): $59.95 (used prices are less than half of the cover price) Recommended for: Study Plan C (2 weeks) and Study Plan D (4 weeks) *Number of Practice Tests:* 2 (see Features below) *Basis for my recommendation:* If you want to simulate the GMAT testing experience without going to an official testing center, this software affords you a great way to do it. You'll know you're dealing with the real CAT computer interface and with the genuine computer algorithm—which moves you up and down the ladder of difficulty depending on your responses to earlier questions (but see Critique below). *Critique:* The average difficulty level of the questions is skewed toward the easy end, and score reports distort performance levels upward in comparison to the actual GMAT CAT (see the Customer Comments at Amazon.com by clicking through to order the software) No teaching materials (other than the explanations that accompany the practice questions) The test-taking tips, math review, and all the questions also appear in The Official Guide for GMAT Review (keep this in mind if you're thinking of buying both) Windows version only (no Mac version) *Description/Features:* 2 full-length GMAT CAT practice exams, to simulate the real test-taking experience Scaled score reports for the two tests and percentile rankings (comparing your scores to those of other GMAT test takers) 900 additional practice questions, with explanations (grouped by question type, as in The Official Guide for GMAT Review) Test-taking strategies, a math review, and the same computer tutorial you'll encounter at the testing center before you begin the real test NOTE: ETS has "retired" all the multiple-choice questions included in this software program, so you won't see any of them when you take the real GMAT CAT. Top
	Other Picks for B-School Admission (B-school information, application strategies, etc.)
	.Business Week Guide to the Best Business Schools (7th Edition) ......(Published by McGraw-Hill) ORDER this Book NOW ........ (directly from Amazon.com) Specs: $16.95 cover price ($US); 370 pages *Basis for my recommendation:* The book's content is drawn from in-depth surveys of 14,000 graduates and the recruiters who have hired them, not on propaganda provided by the schools themselves. *Critique:* In-depth look at only the top 50 schools; so if your GPA and GMAT scores lock you out of these schools you'll find it frustrating to read all about the great B-schools you won't be attending! (But see Features below.) *Description/Features:* The book's in-depth look at the top 50 B-schools compares these schools in several respects, including curriculum, starting salaries for graduates, school environment, and quality of instruction. Includes a look at "up-and-coming" schools that will be at the top of everyone's list in a few years Includes advice about GMAT test-taking, application essays, how to obtain financial aid Includes a timetable that guides the reader through the application process Includes rankings of GMAT prep courses as well as B-school application software Top .Barron's Guide to Graduate Business Schools (12th Edition) ......(Published by Barron's Educational Series) ORDER this Book NOW ........ (directly from Amazon.com) Specs: $18.99 cover price ($US); 832 pages *Basis for recommendation:* I'm always surprised this book isn't more popular; in my opinion this is a must-have reference book for every B-school applicant--but especially for applicants who need to look further down the rankings than the top 20 schools. *Critique:* The content is drawn from data and other information supplied by the schools themselves, so you won't get the unbiased perspective of students or alumni. *Description/Features:* Barron's updates this guide annually. It contains profiles of more than 650 business schools, with details on admission requirements, academic programs, fields of specialization, tuition and fees, career placement services, and other pertinent details. Leading Canadian schools are also profiled. Additional features include advice on choosing the school that best fits the reader's circumstances and career goals. Top .How to Get into the Top MBA Programs ......(Published by Prentice Hall) ORDER this Book NOW ........ (directly from Amazon.com) Specs: $30.00 cover price ($US); 453 pages *Basis for my recommendation:* This book is the most complete and most useful "all in one" guide to getting into MBA programs. *Critique:* The section on personal interview includes largely stock advice; it could be more insightful and more detailed; the book tries to provide GMAT prep as well, but falls far short of the dedicated GMAT books I've recommended. *Description/Features:* This guide provides a detailed overview of the top MBA programs with sure-fire strategies for getting into the school of one's choice. The book tells what business schools are looking for in their students and shows how applicants can improve their chances with grades, GMAT scores, and work experience.
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