Side by Side Comparison of: PB&J Labs vs Wiley

I scored competitively on the GMAT and I owe it all to this Kaplan book. If you really buy in to their strategy and plans, I have no doubt you will too.I'm not going to lie, there will be times where you will hate Kaplan and want to quit but that's honestly because of the GMAT test, not because of this book.They will break down strategies to tackle the difficult problems here such as the combined work questions. They will also provide tips on how to write a good essay.The accompanying practice exams are also very good. 6 practice exams plus the Qbank plus all the other practice exams you'll find from the GMAT site, Manhattan's website, Economist, etc. will set you up for success.

Got a 740, practice tests were all at 720, felt like these were generally tougher than the actual test. I supplements with the Manhattan GMAT advanced quant book, but this book is a fantastic starting point and if it had more practice tests and more quantity of advanced questions, it might be sufficient on its own.

This is a really great test prep book. It lays out the format of the test in an easy-to-understand way. I felt very prepared to take the test after reading this book. Obviously it's not perfect and no book can 100% prepare you for this test, but this book goes over things you should know when you take this test.

I used this text for self-study, and I think it is an excellent choice! I did well on the GMAT, simply by practicing the material in this book. I did not use all of the practice tests available online. I had given myself about four weekends to prep. If I had practiced a little more, I might have scored even higher. I recommend this product highly.

If you are going to take the GMAT and you have time to study then do yourself a favor and get this book. It's really all you need to score in the mid 600's and perhaps crack 700. I think if you want go get into the mid-700's you'll need something more - at least on the math side.I have been out of college for nearly 20 years but decided to go back for my MBA. I took a practice test online to gauge where I was at and learned that my math skills were sorely out of date. After using this book and the online resources that come with it I was able to increase my math score substantially. In addition, the book helped me fine tune my verbal section scores and gave me the tips I needed to get a top score on my essay (in fact as far as the essay was concerned I literally spent less than a hour reviewing the tips in this book and then used their 'formula' to write my essay and got a top score).This book helped me get into the mid 600's and thus get into my preferred MBA program.What it will NOT do:1) you must have time to study. I put in about 50 hours of study over 2 months. That included going through this book and online again and again. I made flashcards, etc. Because I had been so long out of school I needed the extra work.2) It will give you the basic math concepts and lots of chances to practice but there were some things I still needed help with. Some of the geometry was beyond me even after this book3) As good as the book is I think more help is needed with the math Data Sufficiency tips - you can know the correct answer but with Data Sufficiency questions still get it wrong. Even with their tips I would suggest you focus on this moreBOTTOM LINE - in spite of my beefs, this book exceeded my expectations (esp with the online materials). As I said it helped me get into my chosen MBA program. If you need to take the GMAT and want help you cant beat the value of the lessons you'll get from this book

I studied the 800 and Kaplan Premier book and was able to get a 730. They lay the problems out and go into great detail about the answers. Good luck on the GMAT!

l really love this product! I haven't been in school for a few years so this has been helping me to know the similarities of what might be on the test. This is a great study guide with questions to refresh your memory and on to greatness : ) I had another GMAT guide awhile back and it wasn't as good as these 3 books that's why I decided to try these. I definitely recommend this product for anyone.

Since I believe studying is what you make of it, this is a review of how the product was delivered only. I opted to purchase this product after google searching for the best bang for your buck review material. The books came in brand new condition, all tightly packaged together, and in flawless condition. I have started using them and they seem to be good so far but as I stated earlier, studying is what you make of it. Hopefully this bundle will at least help me.

This bundle has been extremely helpful to me! I'm preparing to take the GMAT as an entrance exam for business school and these official guides help me with reasoning skills, math, and verbal skills. The black book is also a review of past GMAT tests, question and answer keys, and tips on taking the test as well as studying and the preparation leading up to the exam. A must buy to help you earn a better score!

Ordered these books about a month before sitting for the GMAT. I'm an engineer by trade, so I didn't study all that hard, but the materials did a great job of allowing me to get comfortable with the formatting of the exam. I found the quantitative review to be a great quick hit guide on things I needed to freshen up on, while the reading comprehension sections allowed me to tighten up on where I was lacking there. The quality of the questions were very high, and certainly keyed me in on what to expect. I don't know how much these brought my score up, but at a 690 (86%) with 10 hours of study....I'm not complaining. I'd highly recommend.

I've been a GMAT tutor in NYC and online for over ten years and am the founder of Atlantic GMAT (100% GMAT 0%BS!). I've already reviewed all three of the 2016 Official Guides, so here are summaries along with new question breakdowns for each book (main reviews are on each book's page).The GMAT Official Guide 2016 bundle is an excellent deal. If you are near the start of your GMAT preparation this is pretty much a no brainer purchase. Keep in mind that this is essentially a question bank MEANT FOR PRACTICE and has VERY LIMITED TEACHING MATERIAL. That said, the questions in these books are absolutely the best thing to practice on. Avoid third party/non-official questions as they lack the nuances of the real deals (especially verbal questions). Even though there are small annoying issues with it, I'd buy the Kindle version to best approximate how the test will be. You can download the corrected Kindle answer key from my website.Here’s what we’re going to cover in the review:Official Guide 2016 vs Official 2017. Is it worth buying new Official Guide?Kindle vs. Paperback -Which version is better and why-What are the issues with the Kindle version. (The corrected Kindle answer key can be downloaded from my website).What other official GMAT resources should you consider buyingNew questions broken down by category*****************************************Official Guide 2016 vs Official 2017************************************The short answer is: if you can get it at a significant discount, buy the 2016 edition! The new guide (2017) has some unreleased questions but those questions aren’t necessarily any better than the questions that they are replacing in the older guide. Will doing that handful of newer questions actually impact your score? I seriously doubt it.Here’s the exception: Are you the type of person who will not rest easy knowing that there is the possibility of having the slightest, basically undetectable, only theoretical edge? Do you need the absolute best of the best, newest of the new? Are you fine with paying the surcharge? Rest easy. Buy the new edition!The point is: no harm will come from sticking with the 2016 bundle or from buying the new one. But, why wait and pay more for essentially the same thing?Will I be getting the new guide? Of course! I have an archive of every GMAT question from the last 10 years. But, I’m a GMAT tutor looking for every advantage possible for my students regardless of cost. And for me it isn’t 2016 vs 2017. I buy everything (except for AWA and IR materials).*********************************************Kindle vs. Paperback********************************************Kindle by a mile! You will be taking your GMAT staring at a computer screen so practice as you will play by staring at a computer screen while working on HW. This makes a difference. Beyond that, the kindle version is in the cloud so you can access it anywhere. No need to carry around a massive set of books. And: save some trees!THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE KINDLE VERSIONS. These issues are mostly related to the Kindle format, not the guide itself. Some of the math equations are small. That said, I have been using the kindle versions for years without an issue. Neither I nor any student has EVER been unable to read an equation.The other issue is that the answer key numbering is wrong. Well, not really wrong, but hard to read. It looks like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and then instead of “10” the key flips back to “0”. Then “11” isn’t “11” but “1”. So you can find the answers but it is annoying. But (drum roll please), I created a new CORRECTED ANSWER SHEET for Official Guide 2016. I can’t post links here but you can download it from the OG 2016 review on the Atlantic GMAT site.**********Besides OG2016, Official GMAT resources you should consider buying**********For most people, these four resources are essential:GMATPrep Question Pack 1 [Online Code] (big question bank that lets you sort questions by difficult and type. You can create mini-tests that are great for getting you close to competition mode).GMATPrep Exam Pack 1 [Online Code(Official GMAT Practice test with official questions and scoring algorithm. This is the same as a real GMAT).Exam Pack 2 (Same deal as Exam Pack 1. Two more Official Tests)Atlantic GMAT Practice Pad + 2 Markers (You should do all of your tests with the same GMAT scratch pad that you’ll use on test day)In addition, these last two are for students who want to eak out that last 1%:GMAT Focus Online Quantitative Diagnostic Tool: Bundle of 3 [Online Code] (These are computer adaptive Quant quizzes. Buy the bundle of three.)GMAT Paper Test Set 1 [Download] (Retired GMAT paper tests. The Quant is too easy but the verbal is helpful. Don’t do the reading comprehension as it overlaps with the GMAT Prep 1 and 2).Official GMAT resources are limited (especially practice tests). DO NOT WASTE THEM!!! Before you start blasting practice tests go ahead and make a study plan and consider at what point it would make sense to take tests. In general, take one test at the beginning of your studies to get a baseline score and to get a sense for the exam. Then, work on your fundamentals. Have a good strategy for most of the GMAT questions types. After you are in a good rhythm, start taking practice tests. Every case is different, but consider getting into practice test mode about 4 weeks before your GMAT.***********************************Official Guide 2016 Question Breakdown***********************************-201 brand new questions (I recognized a handful but couldn't quite place them - could be from tests I've taken, from some legacy product, or actually a new question that is a very close clone of an old one).-Problem solving questions mostly centered in medium difficulty (no new questions past #153)-Lots of substitutions in PS Geometry. Slight boost for combinatorics and overlapping sets.-New Reading Comprehension passages mostly long and difficult. Excellent additions.-Critical Reasoning Assumption based reasoning got a major facelift. Difficulty level increased a shade.-No big news on Sentence Correction or Data Sufficiency-Same very limited teaching material from the old edition. This is a book for practice not a book for learning.PROBLEM SOLVING - 57 New Questions/24.7%:1, 2, 3, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 25, 27, 30, 31, 33, 38, 39, 43, 44, 45, 55, 56, 57, 59, ,60, 61, 63, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 76, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 91, 97, 99, 107, 108, 111, 114, 117, 122, 125, 134, 136, 137, 139, 142, 153-Percents 1 (Percents), 11 (Percents), 55 (Percent/Word Problem), 30 (Percents/Arithmetic/Word Problem), 99 (Word Problem/Percent)-Work/Rate 59 (Work/Rate), 76 (Work/Rate),-Ratio/Proportions 19 (Ratio/Proportions), 134 (Proportions/Word Problem), 114 (Mixture)-Algebra/Arithmetic 2 (Arithmetic/Fractions), 3 (Algebraic Translation), 14 (Arithmetic), 21(Algebra/Arithmetic), 25 (Algebra/Multiple Equations), 61 (Inequalities), 66 (System of Equations)-Exponents 56 (Exponents/Word Problem), 57 (Exponents/Roots/Number Properties), 83 (Exponents), 85 (Exponents/Roots/Arithmetic), 67 (Arithmetic/Exponents), 68 (System of Equations/Exponents),-Number Properties 38 (Number Properties/Digits), 107 (Number Properties), 108 (Number Properties), 17 (Number -Properties/Absolute value/Exponents), 43 (Number Properties), 87 (Consecutive Integers)-Overlapping Sets 69 (Overlapping Sets/Percents/Word Problem),89 (overlapping sets), 91 (overlapping sets)-Combinatorics 117 (Combinatorics), 136 (Probability)-Statistics 137 (Average), 15 (Average), 88 (Average), 111 (Average)-Functions/Sequences/Formula 39 (sequence),63 (Functions/Exponents), 82 (Formula/Arithmetic), 97 (formula), 27 (Data Interpretation)-Geometry 13 (Geometry/Quadrilaterals/Word Problem), 18 (Geometry/Triangles), 31 (Geometry/Mixed Shapes), 33 (Geometry/Triangles), 44 (geometry/coordinate), 45 (Geometry/Quadrilaterals), 60 (Geometry/Coordinate), 70 (Geometry/Mixed Shapes), 73 (Geometry/Quadrilaterals), 86 (Geometry/3D Shapes), 122 (Geometry/Mixed Shapes), 125 (Geometry/Quadrilateral/Word Problem), 139 (Geometry/Quadrilateral/ratio), 142, 153 (Geometry/Coordinate),DATA SUFFICIENCY - 44 new questions / 25.2%7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 29, 34, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 49, 51, 54, 55, 60, 64, 67, 73, 77, 80, 83, 84, 86, 92, 94, 115, 121, 134, 135, 136, 137, 150-Combinatorics 7 (probability), 73 (Geometry/Combinatorics)-Exponents 20 (Exponents), 37 (Square Root/Match the Expression/Special Quadratic), 39 (special quadratics), 41 (Exponents/Inequalities)-Geometry 136 (Coordinate), 137 (Triangles), 26 (Mixed Shapes/Quadrilateral), 27 (Coordinate), 49 (Quadrilaterals), 51 (Quadrilaterals), 115 (Mixed Shapes), 86 (3d Shapes), 77 (Geometry/Number Line)-Work/Rate 134 (Threshold/Rate/Word Problem), 84 (Average Rate)-Counting Equations 10 (Translation), 21 (Interest/Word Problem), 23 (Word Problem), 64 (Word Problem), 67 (Word Problem)-Number Properties 16 (# properties/Inequalities), 94 (Number Properties/Digits), 54 (Exponents/# Properties), 60 (# Properties),-Overlapping Sets 150 (Overlapping Sets), 29 (Overlapping Sets), 19 (Overlapping Sets)-Statistics 135 (Statistics), 14 (Statistics), 15 (Statistics), 92 (Average)-Threshold 48 (Threshold/Work), 46 (Threshold/Word Problem), 34 (Threshold), 80 (Threshold)-Translation 40 (Percents), 55 (Ratio/Word Problems), 83 (Threshold), 18 (Algebra)-Formula/Function/Sequence 12 (Sequence), 38 (Formula), 121(Function/Number Properties/Exponents)OG 2016 READING COMPREHENSION- 6 new passages, 31 new Questions /22.3%Page 370 (Short)Questions 8-10Page 386 (Long)Questions 42-47Page 404 (Long)Questions 96-101Page 408 (Long)Questions 107-112Page 416 (Long)Questions 130-136Page 418 (Short)Questions 137-139OG 2016 CRITICAL REASONING - 34 new questions / 27.4%1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 21, 30, 37, 39, 41, 43, 48, 49, 53, 55, 57, 58, 60, 63, 65, 67, 70, 76, 77, 79, 81, 84, 94, 97, 100, 106, 109, 121, 124Strengthen/Weaken: 2, 3, 4, 21, 30, 37, 39 (oddball), 48, 55, 57, 60, 63, 65, 67 (oddball), 76, 77, 79, 94, 97, 106, 121, 124Assumption: 8, 37, 41, 49, 70, 84, 109Evaluate: 100Inference: 1, 53Paradox: 58Boldface: 81Fill in the Blank: 43Assumption Based: 29-Strengthen/Weaken - 21-Assumption - 7-Evaluate - 1Content Based: 5-Paradox - 1-Boldface - 1-Inference - 2-Fill in the Blank - 1OG 2016 SENTENCE CORRECTION - 35 new questions / 25%2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 18, 21, 23, 27, 28, 31, 35, 37, 42, 46, 52, 63, 66, 73, 80, 86, 90, 97, 101, 111, 116, 120, 124, 126, 128, 132, 133, 136, 137, 138******QUANTITATIVE REVIEW 2016 DETAILS******-Noticeable shift to tougher questions-Still easier than OG 2016, Question Pack 1, GMAT Focus, and GMAT Prep-Good skill builder with a few genuinely tricky questions not represented in OG 2016.PROBLEM SOLVING (Total 44/175)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 33, 40, 48, 63, 68, 70, 79, 80, 82, 86, 87, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 116, 119, 125, 126, 127, 142, 143, 144, 145, 152, 157, 158, 160, 161-Number Properties 34 (odd/even), 87 (+/-, absolute value), 94 (digits), 96 (divisibility), 125 (remainder), 142 (oddball), 160 (function/exponents/digits)-Arithmetic 1, 3. 5 (word problem), 7(fractions/decimals), 10 (+/-)-Exponents 2, 33, 119, 161-Ratio/Proportions 9-Work/Rate 63, 68, 86-Algebra/Translation 15, 19, 48, 95 (inequalities), 97 (absolute value/inequalities)-Percents 4, 21, 22, 70, 82, 127-Statistics 99-Overlapping Sets 98-Combinatorics 157, 158-Geometry 20 (quadrilaterals), 116 (coordinate), 145 (hexagon), 152 (pyramid/puzzle)-Sequence/Function/Formula 13, 79, 80, 134, 143, 144DATA SUFFICIENCY (31/124)1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 63, 110, 120, 121,123, 124-Number Properties 9 (+/-), 32 (absolute value, +/-), 37 (remainder), 40 (consecutive integers/parity)-Arithmetic 1 (fractions/decimals), 3 (rounding), 43-Exponents 7, 29-Ration/Proportions 20-Work/Rate 123-Algebra/Translation 4, 8, 13, 16 (inequalities), 31-Statistics 41, 42, 63-Overlapping Sets 19-Combinatorics 121-Geometry 2 (quadrilaterals), 10 (triangles), 24, 26 (cube), 120 (coordinate), 124 (parabola)-Sequence/Function/Formula 15, 25-Threshold 5(rate), 110-Counting Equations 6, 33******VERBAL REVIEW 2016 DETAILS******-Reading Comprehension passages are mostly easy and not long.-Sentence Correction update focuses more on easy questions as well. For content, parallelism is still dominant.-Critical Reasoning got an excellent update adding a worthwhile amount of tougher questions.-Not an amazing update but the Verbal Review 2016 improves upon and already worthwhile skill builder especially in the Critical Reasoning.VERBAL REVIEW READING COMPREHENSION26 new questions/24.7%Page 22/23 (short)-Questions 1-4Page 26/27 (medium)-Questions 11-17Page 30/31 (short)-Questions 23-26Page 38/39 (long)-Questions 39-42Page 58/59 (medium)-Questions 99-105VERBAL REVIEW CRITICAL REASONING25 new questions / 30.1%3, 7, 16, 21, 25, 28, 33, 35, 38, 43, 46, 50, 52, 53, 55, 60, 62, 64, 67, 68, 71, 72, 75, 78, 83ASSUMPTION - 18Strengthen 7, 38, 67, 78Weaken 21, 25 (best criticism), 68, 72, 83Assumption 75Flaw 62Evaluate 46 (wordy prompt), 52Fill in the Blank/Strengthen 3, 28, 43, 50, 71CONTENT - 7Boldface 60, 64 (long)Inference 16, 53 (two person)Paradox 33 (wordy prompt), 35, 55VERBAL REVIEW SENTENCE CORRECTION25 new questions / 22.1%2, 3, 8, 11, 14, 19, 23, 26, 30, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43, 47, 48, 50, 55, 63, 65, 73, 80, 92, 99, 103-Agreement/Verbs/Pronouns 11, 19 (past perfect), 30 (tenses), 43, 48, 80 (tense), 103 (tense)-Parallelism 2, 23 (list), 33 (list), 38 (comparison), 55 (comparison), 65 (list), 92 (comparison, modifier)-Modifier 3 (like vs as), 8, 14, 37 (list), 47, 50, 63 (comparison), 73 (comparison), 99-Other 26, 42I hope this is helpful! If you are looking for more GMAT Study Strategies, Study guides, GMAT Question of the day, or just some inspiration have a look at the Atlantic GMAT site. Comment with any questions!

This would be a good practice book once you have done your basics of gmat. Some say that the Q here are tougher than the actual GMAT. I don't know about that but I want to emphasize that you should work on this book after getting a grip on the basics. Albeit, for the verbal part, this book should be okay.

Got a 720 using this book. So, not too bad. One thing I did have an issue with this book is that on the new GMAT there is a section for analytical analysis. This section of the test doesn't count towards your score, so this book maybe spent 10 pages on it. Even though it doesn't count towards your score, having to see a new section on GMAT on test day totally messes with your testing mentality.

Great book with included digital tests and guidance material. However, would not recommend as "only" study material as Kaplan has its own approach (and perspective), which may not jive with every student. I'd probably say the same about all material.

The official Guide really sucks comparing to this book. This one provides plenty of details to improve my skill. However, I didn't find the digital copy downloading link for this book after register online.

Easy to use. The explanations for each answer are easy to follow and then relate to other questions. I haven't taken the test yet, so I don't know how much it's helped my score. But I am learning the content well.

If you are new to the GMAT, Kaplan Premier is a good book to start with - it provides a good intro to the test (explains the mechanics, basic principles, gets you familiar with the test structure, etc), has solid strategies that you can use regardless of your level, and finally, comes with 5 Adaptive tests. Think of it a starter camera/computer/car/etc - you don't want to start with anything expensive before you know what you are looking for. On the flip side, this book will last you for 2-4 weeks and most likely will only boost your score by 50-100 points. If you want a greater increase (and have 3 months to study, look below or you want to skip this book at all in favor of some bigger caliber packages from Manhattan GMAT or Veritas Prep).~~~ THE GOOD: ~~~* Quite a few practice questions* Solid material with proven Math and Verbal strategies as well as formulas/etc background* 49 pages covering Integrated Reasoning* 6 Full GMAT Tests (5 are in adaptive CAT format on the online and 1 is in a paper format in the book)* Online practice with additional exercises and quizzes - 18 online drills* Much of general info on gmat has been moved into online video format, called Fast Fact Videos; that helps with learning when you have had too much reading for the day* Great value for the money with 6 Full GMAT tests, practice questions, and many online Quizzes* Good amount of coverage for the INTEGRATED REASONING.~~~ THE BAD: ~~~* Errors - I have spotted a few typos and issues with explanations; I suspect there may be quite a few more* Access to the online components expires after 6 months. This is the only reason to buy a new book vs used* NO CD/DVD - online content only for Tests* Does not have the depth and width a 700+ score requires* 1,100 Pages and 6 LBS! - not a travel size book~~~ OTHER STUDY OPTIONS & BOOKS ~~~Many applicants, bypass Kaplan Premier completely and head straight for the more specialized books such as the Manhattan GMAT Set of 8 Strategy Guides, Fourth Edition OR Complete GMAT Course Set - 15 Book. These book sets come with 8-15 books that are targeting specific Math and Verbal areas. You have a much better chance getting a 700+ with those book sets (not guaranteed) but they also do require at least 2.5-3 months to cover them. The MGMAT Books come with 6 adaptive online tests. Veritas Prep books come with tests as well BUT only if you purchase from their website (Ugh) Finally, a book you should also now about is the The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition (more on that is below)~~~ SOME OTHER THOUGHTS: ~~~* What is a good study plan using Kaplan Premier?My recommendation would be to start with this book, finish it in about a month or so (by this time you will learn all the basics about the test, how it works, what is tested, and general strategies for answering questions). Then, you an figure out what's the best use of your time - you may have reached your target score and can stop or perhaps you are really lacking in Quant or Verbal and need a lot more serious practice.* Will this book give me 700+ score?For the majority of applicants, No. It is not deep enough for most people out of college to refresh the math and verbal fundamentals. You will most likely need other books to help you get there.* How do I get 700 then?There are several options:1. Review each section separately using the Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook and Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook2. Thorough/Methodical review of each area - If you have a bit more time, grab the Manhattan GMAT Set of 8 Strategy Guides, Fifth Edition OR Complete GMAT Course Set by Veritas - 15 Book. These books are excellent and are actually used in the classroom setting for their classes, so you are definitely get the top books. If you dont need/want the entire collection, see my review for what stand-alone books to get. This plan is likely to get you a higher score with this section but it will also take up more time (about a month more). Decide on the approach based on your starting position, target score, time you have, and willingness to study math and grammar for months without a break.* Any other books I need to know about?YES. There is one - The Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition. This book is published by the creators of GMAT and contains real GMAT questions. You should also download the Official GMAT Prep software from GMAC's website (it's free).* What if I have trouble getting through this book? Where can I find help?There are several books that can help you get up to speed with quant and grammar:1. For Quantitative section: Manhattan GMAT Foundations of GMAT Math2. For Verbal Section: Foundations of GMAT Verbal by Manhattan GMATLet me know if you have any questions about the book - I reply to comments!Good Luck,BB, GMAT 750 (q49, v42)

I returned these after deciding that grad school is overpriced.I'm sure they're great though. Good luck with your journey.I'm going to open a business selling GMAT books instead.

they are easier than the real exam

Used by my son. He said it helped him a lot. NOT a slow read though and definitely for the serious business student.

These books are very helpful just make sure you have enough time to go through them. I was unable to get through all of them before my test since I had studied the Princeton Review books for most of the time. However I think these may better prepare you for whats on the test, just make sure to dedicate some time to studying.

The succinct view from a professional tutor:The explanations are often terrible, but if you want real, official GMAT questions there's really no question that these books are a must-own.

The product enhanced the way I study for my GMAT. My score went from 600 to 650 within 2 weeks of studying.

This book is good if you're just starting out to study for the GMAT. Most of the full practice tests are found online and the one that is found in the book is not a continuous test. It is spread out. This book does have a lot of practice questions, however, this book is also filled with a lot of repetitive explanations which is not necessary. I would of gave this book 4 stars if they trimmed down on the long explanations. The DVD is garbage because it's like sitting in a lecture hall with a professor that speaks REALLY SLOW. If you're the type of person that will learn more by doing, then I would suggest getting a book that only have practice problems.

My copy has page numbering issues - (1) it's missing pages 431-478, (2) and the pages 383-430 are duplicated, hence is why I subtracted 2 stars. Otherwise, it's a good book with great content!

I specifically purchased this book for the online practice tests and the website is almost impossible to use. You can't access any online practice tests and it's hell to even register the book online. I am completely disappointed with that aspect. The book itself is decent, but I was not at all happy with the online portion or the Kaplan customer service who I e-mailed about the problems I was having.Update: I was finally able to sign up for the online practice tests. If you're having trouble, I recommend calling the customer support line. Do not try email.

Still studying for the GMAT exam...

I'm in my first week of studies and so far the material and tips the book gives are pretty useful and well thought out. I've taken a DAT Kaplan course and their strategies for approaching these kinds of tests is very systematic and helps you take the test in a systematic way. This way, on actual test day you take the test as if you were studying and or taking a practice exam which ultimately helps you get over anxiety and perform well.The ONLY problem I have with this book is that my 6 free practice tests are not available... I even contacted customer service but they are of no help right now and have only offered me unhelpful solutions...Other than that this book is pretty useful if you have the time to invest in studying!

The delivery and GMAT book came in great condition. However, for some odd reason I am missing 50 pages in the book. It doesn't look like they were torn out because I checked the spine of the book and I didn't see any tear marks. Other than that, I did not have any problem with the purchase.

Great books, I used these and finally got a great GMAT score, however I don't like that after the new book edition is released they discontinue the online portion of these books. Also note when they discontinue the online portion no information is given, just you go to the website and it's now a broken like. This is especially important if your buying used, or what to do the IR(Integrated Reasoning) section, IR is only online therefore now these books will not help you with any online content.

There are no actual "Exclusive online videos" with this set. In fact the front of the book says that these videos will give you tips and test taking strategies when in fact they do not exist. The explanations of the verbal section are arguable, and unless you just want a test bank of questions then this book is for you.

Good practice but should not be main source of study. I've taken Kaplan Online Prep and that raised my score by 80 points from my 1st to 2nd attempt. I am using this, in addition to Kaplan & Veritas Prep as practice for my last and final attempt.The differences between the resources are actually large. In these books, sections only include the main ones without subsections (ex: Data Sufficiency, Problem Solving, IR, Sentence Correction, etc) and with the levels of Easy, Medium, and Hard. HOWEVER for Kaplan's online tools (not the Kaplan Premier basic) offered with the live-online class, they offer on-demand videos, large quiz bank WITH sub sections (ex: flaws, assumptions, number properties, properties of sets) in addition to the medium, hard, easy level options.If you're a good test taker, non-procrastinator, fast learner, and not aiming for 600+ scores, you may get by with just these materials.

I started preparing for GMAT in 2013 using the 2013 official guide, took a break and resumed this year so purchased 2016 official guide. To my disappointment the diagnostic test is exactly the same, and regarding practice questions as it reads on the cover 25% new questions only. The quantitative and verbal reviews are helpful but the additional question bank online, which you can access using the code provided on the back cover, has the same questions as in the book! How is that helpful? It creates an online test with timer and automatic scoring but that it not really an added advantage, I can time myself with a timer and score the test sheet. I purchased an opened unused copy for less and thus am not that disappointed. I guess buying an older used guide might prove to be equally helpful.

The question bank is very helpful, but the actual review of the concepts some areas is lacking. If you're not already familiar with everything, you may have some trouble understanding some of the most difficult questions even though the explanations are thorough.

All practice questions are worked out in the book by the previous owner, rendering them useless for me. I don't think this was advertised before purchasing.

The online practice tests are no longer included with the 2015 edition

Clearly used. Writing is in the book and it is difficult to redo problems since they have already been solved. Very disappointed on this order.

What the heck Kaplan, the DVD doesn't work

couldn't access the 6 free practice tests...that's the only reason i bought this.

I have been studying for the GMAT with these books for over two months now and recently took the test, reaching a decent score of 700 even being a non-native English speaker. I agree with others that thought these books are useless for strategy and not recommended for learning. I found, though, they EXTREMELY helpful for practicing. To the point that I decided to take the test again to try to improve my quant score. Unfortunately, though, I am already done with the paper tests and went to the online resources (there are so many tests there that it is almost impossible to complete all of them, at least for one round of preparation).This is the problem and the reason for my poor evaluation: with three weeks before I take the test again, the online resources are no longer working because they have launched the GMAT 2017 update and something messed up the functionality of these resources, even for prior versions of the book as it is my case. First, I do not find it reasonable because the online resources are within the main reasons for people to buy the product. Second, I have been unsuccessfully trying to access the online features for over a week now and no alerts in their website mentioned the issue. I sent an e-mail to customer care and got no response. Only today, after accessing a web chat with customer care I got to know what is going on. And the response was: "sorry, we do not have an estimate for when the online resources will be fixed". It is really frustrating to have your final preparation harmed this way, so I could not recommend this content provider - better staying with the traditional Kaplan or Manhattan Prep.

Good if you pair it with another study guide. Will get you used to question format but not really a good strategy guide. Use the Kaplan guide first then pair it with these questions.

The spines of these "new" books were wrinkled and torn. Could have saved money and bought used if I had known that my new books would arrive damaged.

Dvd and codes are missing

Difficult to work through. The actual test is computer based. Suggest a computer based study program

This book didn't help me at all when it came to the GMAT. I studied countless hours everyday and barely passed it. I would recommend going a different way if your looking for a GMAT study tool.

The Activation code for the online training was not valid. Waste of money

No online assess code!!! So regretted it!!!!!

This isn't a review on the material content of the book (which is great and really helpful in my studying). I'm writing this because as I was going through my book, I realized I'm missing pages 431-478...is this a printing error that other people encountered as well??

Did not do much for me. Using a website called Magoosh, so far I have improved my score by 130 points. I'm shooting for at least 20 more points.

Integrated Reasoning and Question Bank no longer available online due to 2017 update. Customer representative said that the only option is to wait until IT fixes it, the time frame for which is indefinite. I bought this book apparently right before the 2017 update. I can't afford to wait indefinitely as my test is in a few weeks. Should have bought Manhattan.

Not very useful. Content is sub-par, which makes sense since they have a vested interest to make sure they retain a bell-curve performance. If everyone did well on the GMAT, their exam would lose whatever relevancy it has left. It also makes sense sine they have no competition, they have no reason to improve (they are the only ones who administer the exam, so they are the only "official" guide out there)Website is terrible. Very slow (even clicking a radio button has a 3 second lag). Also website design is terrible. If you take a test, it shows your results. You click on a question to get more info. But then you click back in the browser to go back to the summary. But this for some dumb reason EXITS THE TEST. And you lose your results forever! So basically, practice test time down the drain since you then can't see how you did or what to work on.Diagnostic test is not diagnostic at all. It's just a practice test. It's then up to you to figure out what to do - no guidance or anything.Save yourself the time - just use a commercial 3rd party source where it is in their best interest to make sure you do well. Yay capitalism! Funny how that is the problem presented to everyone going into an MBA program....