Top 3 GMAT Prep Books

If you want to attend business school, you will need to take the GMAT. Your GMAT score is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not you will be admitted into a top business school.

There are many wonderful prep books and study guides that are currently available to help you prepare for the GMAT.

To assist you in making a decision, your About Guide to Business Majors has compiled a list of the top three prep books on the market.
1. Kaplan GMAT 800
Written by Kaplan, a recognized leader in college test prep and admissions services, this book is an advanced guide for ambitious students who dream of high GMAT scores. The hundreds of very difficult practice questions (with detailed answers) cover math tactics, critical reasoning, and data sufficiency problems.
2. Cracking the GMAT

Written by the Princeton Review, this book is all about strategies and techniques that will help you score higher on the exam. It also contains 200 practice questions (with answers and explanations) and a CD-Rom with four full-length practice tests.
3. Master the GMAT


Written by GMAT test-preparation instructors and experts, McGraw-Hill's GMAT offers topic reviews, GMAT test strategies, practice tests, and more. The guide makes an excellent foundation for exam preparation.

GMAT Questions

To better understand the GMAT, you must better understand the questions that are on the test.

Computer-Adaptive GMAT Questions

Most standardized tests begin with easy questions and then get progressively harder. Computer-adaptive tests are different. The computer-adaptive GMAT always begins by giving you a question that is of medium difficulty. If you get it right, you’ll get a harder question. If you get it wrong, you’ll get an easier question. This pattern continues throughout the test. It might sound unfair, but because the computer will evaluate your exact level of ability right away, you will end up answering fewer GMAT questions overall.

Experimental GMAT Questions

The makers of the GMAT include experimental questions on the test. These questions do not count towards your score. They are only there to help test writers decide upon future GMAT questions. Unfortunately, there is no real way to tell if you are answering a real GMAT question or an experimental GMAT question.

Answering GMAT Questions

The computer-adaptive GMAT tallies your score as you take the test. The score calculation is based on the number of questions that you get right and their level of difficulty. If you leave GMAT questions blank, it will lower your score. Also, it is very important for you to do your best early on. Early GMAT questions count more than later questions.

GRE Registration Process

Prometric, the company that administers the GRE, works hard to ensure you can take the test at a time that's convenient for you. Unlike the SAT, ACT or MCAT, there are no standardized national testing dates set in stone. The testing times vary from city to city and country to country, so completing your GRE registration is a little more complicated.

These GRE registration details are standard, though, so make sure you read and understand what you have to do:

    You can register for the computer based GRE online, by phone (call 1-800-GRE-CALL) or by mail.
    You can register for the paper-based GRE by mail or online.
    The GRE testing appointments are 4 hours long – plan accordingly.
    You can't register online if you need a fee reduction, testing accommodations, Monday testing or standby testing.
    You can search by country, state, and city to find a testing location nearest to you.
    You can also search within a three-month time frame to find a testing appointment time that would work for you, and there are many options both during the week and on the weekends.
    When you complete your GRE registration online, you'll receive immediate confirmation as well as an email confirmation.