sample gmat essay

GMAT Sample Essays

All GMAT students know the Argument essay comes first in the test, before we get to the more important Quantitative and Verbal sections, so it’s important not to exhaust ourselves in this first part of the exam. One way to stay fresh for the rest of the exam is to have a good idea of what a high-scoring essay looks like, so we have provided some GMAT sample essays to review. Below we look at a “6” and discuss why it would have likely received a perfect score, then we examine a “4” and discuss how it could have been strengthened. You can find more example essays in the GMAT Official Guide. Happy writing!

ESSAY QUESTION #1:

The following appeared in the editorial section of a national news magazine:

“The rating system for electronic games is similar to the movie rating system in that it provides consumers with a quick reference so that they can determine if the subject matter and contents are appropriate. This electronic game rating system is not working because it is self-regulated and the fines for violating the rating system are nominal. As a result an independent body should oversee the game industry and companies that knowingly violate the rating system should be prohibited from releasing a game for two years.”

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. Point out flaws in the argument’s logic and analyze the argument’s underlying assumptions. In addition, evaluate how supporting evidence is used and what evidence might counter the argument’s conclusion. You may also discuss what additional evidence could be used to strengthen the argument or what changes would make the argument more logically sound.

The author concludes that electronic game rating system is not working compared to the movie rating system. He gives reasoning for the argument by stating that electronic companies ability to self manage and regulate the rating system is part of the problem. Author also gives reason for what needs to be done in order for electronic rating system to work, but his reasons are weak. In the next few paragraphs, I will explain why the author’s reasons are weak and what could strengthen the argument.

First, the author mentions that by hiring an independent company to oversee the operation of the electronic rating system would solve the issue. This big assumption that author makes here is that he assumes independent company would do a better job in rating games than electronic game companies themselves. If the electronic gaming companies had a better understanding on how to improve, they might themselves do a better job than independent company to oversee the ratings.

Second, the author mentions that if an electronic company violates the rating system rule, then the penalty would be to prohibit that company from releasing any games for two years. This is another weak point the makes to support his argument because if the electronic company regular product-life cycle is to release each gave every two years, this penalty wouldn’t hurt the company at all. Also, there is not way of assessing how many year of prohibition would be adequate.

Author could have strengthen his argument, if he provided some data point such as from the movie industry to defend this stance that making independent company oversee and prohibition of movie release actually worked in the long-run. Perhaps, some research data that showed making these changes would actually work, would benefit the author’s overall argument stance.

Therefore, the author’s argument that electronic game rating system is not working is weak. Both of the points he made regarding independent company oversee and violation penalty are weak without data showing that it might work.

RECAP: The first thing that stands out in this essay is the organization. The paragraphs as clearly laid out and succinct, and each begin with a great transition word or phrase. The introductory paragraph, while unfortunately uses some unneeded self-reference, clearly demonstrates an understanding of the presented argument, which is mandatory of all “6” essays. Each flaw is then pointed out in a body paragraph, and the author then chooses to include a nice “how to strengthen” paragraph to demonstrate that he/she knows the argument at a more advanced level! The conclusion is clear, and reinforces the claims previously made. While no means perfect, the strong reasoning and clarity of organization definitely give this author a “6”!

ESSAY QUESTION #2:

Political organizations that advocate the use of violence to achieve their goals should be prohibited from operating within our country. Such groups are only interested in achieving short term goals which lead to more serious long term problems.

Political organizations that advocate the use of violence to achieve its goals can sometimes lead to destruction and devastation. However, that claim that such groups are detrimental to society does not follow the same line of reasoning. These groups might be of great help to certain sections of society. Also the claim that short term solutions can only lead to more serious long term problems is stated without any evidence. Hence the above argument is flawed.

Firstly, political organizations might be of great help to certain sections of society. Take for example the Indian National Congress party that helped tons of Indian’s voice their views to the British government during the British rule in india. Although this political organization advocated the use of violence, the organization was critical to India becoming a free of British rule in 1947.

Secondly, the argument assumes that short term solutions lead to more serious long term problems. Short term solutions are often very important in achieving long term goals, irrespective of whether the organizations advocate violence or not. The argument must also state clearly what constitutes violence. In a free country, such as the United States, to prohibit any political organization is to put a hold on their freedom. As long as the violence or aggressive behavior is not illegal, one can not prohibit a political organization from operating.

Thus although the argument seems to convey a valid point, that political organizations that advocate the use of violence should be prohibited from operating, it is worded to strongly and lacks evidence to support its claims that these groups are detrimental to society.

RECAP: The major difference between these two essays is length. More is not always better, but a student who can write 5-6 paragraphs within the given time frame definitely will stand out as a better planner, and as someone who already had a workable template. Furthermore, some minor grammar and spelling mistakes interfere with the essay’s clarity. The thesis, “Hence the above argument is flawed, “ is not as strongly worded as it could be, and doesn’t stand on its own as a powerful statement. The conclusion also seems to weaken the essay by admitting the argument conveys “a valid point.” This concession, without being more specific, weakens the overall thesis. The takeaway: length, specificity, and strength of argument will take this “4” to a “6.”

More AWA Resources: GMAT Essay Writing Guide

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GMAT Sample Questions

Want a preview of the question types you'll face on the GMAT? Try your hand at the GMAT practice questions below. Then, check your answers against our in-depth explanations to see how you did.

We pulled these GMAT sample questions from our book Cracking the GMAT and from our test prep course materials. For more GMAT practice, take a full-length practice test with us held under the same testing conditions as the real thing. Find out how you'd score, and get  a personalized score report from us that shows your strengths and weaknesses.

• GMAT Verbal Questions 
• GMAT Math Questions
• GMAT Integrated Reasoning Questions 
• Essay Prompt 

Below you'll find sample GMAT questions covering the three question types you'll encounter on the Verbal section: Sentence Correction , Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.

GMAT Sentence Correction Questions

1. In order to better differentiate its product from generic brands, the cereal company first hired a marketing firm that specializes in creating campaigns to build brand awareness and then retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal. (A) then retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal (B) retools its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal (C) then retooled its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal (D) then will retool its factory to produce a variety of different shapes of cereal (E) then produces a variety of different shapes of cereal through retooling its factory

Answer: (C) The actions of the cereal company are not in parallel form. First the company hired then it retools . Eliminate choice (A). Choice (B) still has the same error. Choice (D) changes the verb form incorrectly to the future tense. Choice (E) rewrites the sentence but retains the error.

[+] See the Answer

2. Believed to be one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world, Christine de Pizan's masterwork The Book of the City of the Ladies , was written in 1405 and is a history of the Western world from the woman's point-of-view. (A) Believed to be one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world (B) Written by one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world (C) One of the first widely read female authors of the Western world, as some believe (D) Written by what some believe as one of the first widely read female authors of the Western world (E) Believed by some as one of the first works by a widely read female author in the Western world

Answer: (B) As written, this sentence has a misplaced modifier error: the book, The Book of the City of the Ladies isn't believed by anyone to be an author— Christine de Pizan is. Choices (A) and (C) repeat that error and can be eliminated. Choices (B) and (D) both change the introductory phrase to clearly refer to a written work, but choice (D) uses the incorrect idiom believe as instead of the correct form, believe to be . Choice (E) repeats that idiom error.

GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions

1. One food writer wrote that reducing the amount of animal products in one's diet can contribute to better health and well-being. Based on this claim, some people are completely eliminating meat from their diets in order to be healthier. The argument above relies on which of the following assumptions?

Answer: (B) The argument states that some people are eliminating meat from their diets because reducing the amount of animal products in one's diet can lead to better health. Meat is only one type of animal product, however. The argument assumes that by eliminating meat, the people are reducing the total amount of animal products in their diets. Choice (A) addresses increasing the amount of vegetables and grains, but the argument just deals with animal products. Choice (B) correctly addresses the people who are eliminating meat and states that those people are not increasing their consumption of dairy, which is another instance of using animal products. Thus, these people are actually reducing the amount of animal products in their diets. Choice (C) addresses most food writers, who are irrelevant to this argument. Choice (D) addresses health lifestyles, which are irrelevant to this particular argument. Choice (E) addresses the reasons behind not eating animal products, which is irrelevant to the argument.

2. Studies reveal that a daily exercise regimen helps stroke survivors regain dexterity in their extremities. Being given an exercise routine and having a consultation with a doctor about the exercise routine have been shown to be effective mechanisms to get patients to exercise daily. From the above information, which of the following statements can be reasonably inferred? (A) A stroke survivor that is given a detailed exercise plan and consults her physician about the plan will regain full dexterity in her extremities. (B) If a stroke survivor is not given an exercise plan and does not consult with a doctor, she will not regain dexterity in her extremities. (C) Stroke survivors who are given an exercise routine and consult with a doctor about that routine will sometimes regain dexterity in their extremities. (D) Being given an exercise routine and having a consultation with a doctor about the routine is the best way to help a stroke survivor regain dexterity in their extremities. (E) Only being given an exercise routine is necessary to regenerate dexterity in the extremities of seniors who have suffered a stroke.

Answer: (C) This is an inference question, so evaluate the passage and then look for an answer choice that can be reasonably inferred from the information. The passage states that a daily exercise regimen helps stroke survivors regain dexterity in their extremities and that survivors who are given an exercise routine and who have a consultation with a doctor about the routine have been shown to be effective at getting patients to exercise daily . So it can be inferred that if a survivor is given a routine and consults with a doctor, they are more likely to exercise daily, which will help them regain dexterity. Choice (A) is an example of extreme language. The phrasing will regain full dexterity is not promised in the information in the passage, as the passage only states that a routine and consultations may help a survivor exercise more. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) is also an example of extreme language. There is no way to discern from the information provided that a strong survivor would not regain dexterity without an exercise routine and a consultation, so eliminate (B). Choice (C) is a reasonable inference to make from the information in the passage so keep (C). Choice (D) also contains the extreme language best way . The information does not compare this method with any other method so eliminate (D). Choice (E) is recycled language and does not address consulting with a doctor so eliminate (E). The correct answer is (C).

GMAT Reading Comprehension Questions

Although oft-maligned in modern culture, the pigeon once stood not only for speed and reliability but also for grace and beauty. Darwin himself became a pigeon fancier after beginning to work with the humble Columbia livia , discovering them to be more fascinating than he had formerly believed. During the Victorian age, in fact, raising show pigeons was a popular hobby, with new breeds continuously arising as amateur (and not-so-amateur) ornithologists crossed animals in the hopes of creating ever more fantastic creatures. One of the most sought-after varieties was known as the Almond Tumbler, a name presumably derived from the color of the birds combined with the distinctive flight style. Over the course of many generations, this bird was so manipulated as to have a beak so small as to prevent the adult birds from feeding their offspring. And yet, it was wildly popular, drawing high prices at auctions and high prizes at competitions. How then did an animal once so well-loved come to be so loathed? As recently as World War II, the military used pigeons to carry messages but today, many people would kick a pigeon before they would feed one. Perhaps it is just a problem of population density - a lack of esteem for that which is ubiquitous. Pigeons have become our constant urban companions and, as such, have been transformed from symbols of peace, plenty, and prosperity, to representatives of disease and decay.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to (A) convince the reader of the nobility of the pigeon, based on its history as a symbol of virtue (B) dissuade the reader from mistreating a once-majestic animal that has fallen from favor (C) rebut claims that the pigeon carries disease any more frequently than do other domestic animals (D) promote a renewal of pigeon fancying and a resurgence of breeds such as the Almond Tumbler (E) suggest that there might be more to the story of some urban wildlife than is commonly known

Answer: (E) The passage gives a brief description of the pigeon's place in recent human history and then goes on to contrast that with modern perspectives of the birds. Choice (A) goes too far—the author doesn't give any indication of believing the pigeon to be noble. Choice (B) focuses too specifically on a side comment in the second paragraph. Choice (C) also focuses too specifically on a side comments—the passage is not primarily about disease. Choice (D) is too strong—the passage isn't really promoting any specific action. Choice (E) remains neutral and informational, as does the passage.

2. The case of the Almond Tumbler is most analogous to which of the following? (A) a strain of wheat that can be grown in plentiful quantities but loses much of its nutritional value in the process (B) Arabian horses that are able to run at phenomenal speeds due to centuries of careful breeding designed to enhance those physical attributes (C) vitamins that were purported to provide all of the necessary nutrients but have since been found not to be very effective (D) the dachshund, a popular breed of dog that is nonetheless prone to severe back problems, due to weaknesses exacerbated by targeted breeding (E) the wild rock doves that are most commonly found nesting in the faces of cliffs far from human habitation

Answer: (D) The Almond Tumbler is described as a breed of pigeon that was very popular during the Victorian era. The passage also mentions that the selective breeding used to create that particular kind of bird also led to tiny beaks that kept parent birds from feeding their babies. Therefore, the best analogy would be another animal that is popular even though it has problems due to its design. Choice (A) is incorrect because it leaves out the aspect of popularity. Choice (B) is only positive and you need something that's also negative. Choice (C) is not about something that has been bred for a specific purpose, nor does it deal with popularity. Choice (D) correctly refers to a popular animal with a common health problem. Choice (E) does not refer to pigeons that have been bred by humans.

3. The passage suggests that (A) pigeons were once known for flying with celerity (B) the Almond Tumbler was the most beautiful breed of pigeon (C) Darwin was infatuated with his fancy pigeons (D) modern pigeons are dirtier than the fancy pigeons of yore (E) only scientists should breed new kinds of animals

Answer: (A) For a question this open-ended, it's usually best to check each of the answers against the passage. Choice (A) appears to match the opening line of the passage, which states that the pigeon once stood not only for speed and reliability. Choice (B) goes too far—although many Victorians seems to have loved the Tumbler, there's no evidence that it was definitively the most beautiful. Choice (C) also goes too far—the passage mentions that Darwin was fascinated by his pigeons, not that he was infatuated. Choice (D) draws an incorrect assumption—the passage comments that the common opinion has changed, not the pigeon itself. Choice (E) is not supported by the passage, which states that amateurs, as well as trained individuals, bred pigeons.

Below you'll find GMAT sample questions covering the two question types you'll encounter on the Quantitative section: Problem Solving and Data Sufficiency.

Problem Solving Questions

1. A certain company sells tea in loose leaf and bagged form, and in five flavors: Darjeeling, earl grey, chamomile, peppermint, and orange pekoe. The company packages the tea in boxes that contain either 8 ounces of tea of the same flavor and the same form, or 8 ounces of tea of 4 different flavors and the same form. If the order in which the flavors are packed does not matter, how many different types of packages are possible? (A) 12 (B) 15 (C) 20 (D) 25 (E) 30

Answer: (C) Begin by figuring out how many different ways you can package the tea in boxes that contains 8 ounces of tea, all of the same flavor. There are five flavors, each flavor can come in either loose leaf or bagged form, so 5 flavors x 2 forms = 10 different ways to package the tea in boxes that contain only one flavor each. Now find the number of different ways to package 4 different flavors of the same form per box. In this case, you must choose 4 of 5 possible flavors, and order does not matter, so the formula is 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 ⁄ 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 5 different ways to combine the 4 flavors. Each combination can come in either loose leaf for bagged form, so you have 2 different forms x 5 different combinations = 10 total possible ways to combine the 4 flavors in either bagged or loose-leaf form. Thus, the total number of combinations is 10 + 10 = 20 total combinations. The answer is choice (C).

2. Karen sold her house at a loss of 25 percent of the price that she originally paid for the house, and then bought another house at a price of 30 percent less than the price she originally paid for her first house. If she sold the first house for $225,000, what was her net gain, in dollars, for the two transactions? (A) $15,000 (B) $25,000 (C) $60,000 (D) $75,000 (E) $90,000

Answer: (A) If Karen sold her first house for $225,000 and at a loss of 25 percent, then 25 percent of the original price equals $225,000. 75 ⁄ 100 x = 225,000, so x, or the price she originally paid, equals $300,000. Thus, Karen lost $75,000 on the sale of her first house. If she bought a second house for a price of 30 percent less than $300,000, then the second house cost $210,000, so she gained $90,0000. $90,000 - $75,000 = $15,000, so the answer is choice (A).

Sample Data Sufficiency Questions

1. In a certain company, at least 200 people own manual transmission vehicles. If 12 percent of the people who own manual transmission vehicles also own automatic transmission vehicles, do more people own automatic transmission vehicles than own manual transmission vehicles? (1) 5 percent of the people who own an automatic transmissions vehicle also own a manual transmission vehicle. (2) 15 people own both an automatic transmission vehicle and a manual transmission vehicle. (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient. (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient. (C) BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient. (D) EACH Statement ALONE is sufficient. (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data are needed.

Answer: (A) According to statement (1), 5 percent of the people who own an automatic transmission vehicle also own a manual transmission vehicle. The question also indicates that 12 percent of the people who own a manual transmission vehicle also own an automatic transmission vehicle. Both figures relate to the total number who own both, so that means that 5 percent of the automatic transmission owners = 12 percent of the manual transmission owners. The overlap in ownership makes up a smaller percent of those who own automatic transmission vehicles, so there must be more people who own automatic transmission vehicles. Statement (1) is sufficient, so you can eliminate choices (B), (C), and (E). Statement (2) indicates that 15 people own both an automatic transmission vehicle and a manual transmission vehicle, so you know that 12 percent of the people who own a manual transmission is equal to 15 people. 12 ⁄ 100 = 15, so x = 125. Thus, there are 125 people who own a manual transmission vehicle. However, you have no further information to allow you to calculate the number of people who own automatic transmission vehicles, so statement (2) is insufficient. The answer is choice (A).

2. What is the value of x ⁄ 2 ? (1) x is 1 ⁄ 5 less than 9 ⁄ 10 (2) x is between 2 ⁄ 5 and 4 ⁄ 5 (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient. (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient. (C) BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient. (D) EACH Statement ALONE is sufficient. (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data are needed.

Answer: (A) Statement (1) allows you to find the value of x, so you can answer the question. (If x is 1 ⁄ 5 less than 9 ⁄ 10 , then 9 ⁄ 10 - 1 ⁄ 5 = x. 1 ⁄ 5 = 2 ⁄ 10 , so x equals 9 ⁄ 10 - 2 ⁄ 10 = 7 ⁄ 10 . If x equals 7 ⁄ 10 , then x ⁄ 2 = 7 ⁄ 10 divided by 2, or 7 ⁄ 20 .) Statement (1) is sufficient, so eliminate choices (B), (C), and (E). According to statement (2), x is between 2 ⁄ 5 and 4 ⁄ 5 . That means that one possible value for x is 3 ⁄ 5 , but another possible value is 7 ⁄ 10 . Statement (2) is insufficient, so the answer is choice (A).

Below you'll find examples of how you'll be asked to use a chart, graph, or table to answer questions on the Integrated Reasoning section.

Sample Integrated Reasoning Questions

Item 1: Andre is buying gifts for his office staff. He wants to spend exactly $280 and he can buy either sweatshirts, which cost $22, or baseball caps, which cost $26. In the table below, choose the number of sweatshirts and the number of baseball caps that Andre should buy.

Answer: Sweatshirts, 8; Baseball caps 4 To solve this question, systematically test out the answer choices. The equation you need to solve is 22s + 26h = 280, in which both s and h are integers and s represents the number of sweatshirts and h represents the number of baseball caps. So, start with plugging in 4 for sweatshirts and see if the number of baseball caps is an integer. 22(4) +26h = 280 h = 7.38 Since the number of baseball caps is not an integer, Andre could not have bought 4 sweatshirts. Keep trying more sweatshirts one by one until you find an answer that will you an integer value for baseball caps. 8 sweatshirts will give you 4 baseball caps.

Question 2-1 The ratio of the U.S. population in 2000 to the U.S. population in 1900 is closest to __. (A) 1 to 4 (B) 2 to 7 (C) 2 to 1 (D) 3 to 1 (E) 11 to 3

Answer: (E, 11 to 3) According to the graph, the U.S. population in 2000 was a little bit more than 275 million, and the U.S. population in 1900 was a little over 75 million. Since the question asks what the ratio is "closest to," these numbers are good enough to approximate. 275 to 75 can be reduced by 5 to get 55 to 15, which can be reduced by 5 again to get 11 to 3. Alternatively, you could reduce 275 to 75 by 25 to get this same ratio.

Question 2-2 The U.S. population in 1950 was approximately __ of the U.S. population in 1850. (A) 800% (B) 600% (C) 200% (D) 85% (E) 15%

Answer: (B, 600%) The question asks what percent the U.S. population in 1950 is of the U.S. population in 1850. To get this you need to calculate population 1950 ⁄ population 1850 x 100. Since the U.S. population in 1950 is higher, you want something that is greater than 100%. Eliminate 85% and 15%. Since the sentence says "approximate" and also since the remaining answer choices are not close to each other, you can estimate the values. According to the chart, the population in 1950 was about 150 million and the population in 1850 was about 25 million. Therefore, you need to calculate 150 ⁄ 25 x 100 = 6 x 100 = 600%.

Question 2-3 The U.S. population increased by approximately __ from 1900 to 1950. (A) 25% (B) 33% (C) 50% (D) 100% (E) 200%

Answer: (D, 100%) To get percent increase, you need to use the formula difference ⁄ original x 100. The population in 1900 was about 75 million, and the population in 1950 was about 150 million. The difference between the two figures is 75 million. Therefore, the percent increase is 75 ⁄ 75 x 100 = 100%.

Below you'll find a sample Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) question. On the GMAT you'll have 30 minutes to write a critique of the argument.

Analysis of an Argument

The following appeared as part of a medical advertisement in a magazine.

A new medical test that allows the early detection of a particular disease will prevent the deaths of people all over the world who would otherwise die from the disease. The test has been extremely effective in allowing doctors to diagnose the disease six months to a year before it would have been spotted by conventional means.

Discuss how logically convincing you find this argument. In explaining your point of view, be sure to evaluate the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, it may be necessary to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what other explanations or counterexamples might weaken the arguments conclusion. You can also discuss what kind of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically persuasive, and what, if anything, would enable you to better evaluate its conclusion.

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GMAT AWA Topics – Sample Prompts

Before you start.

Remember that the AWA is testing your ability to effectively critique an argument being presented. There will be some common fallacies used in the prompts that you will need to address. Familiarize yourself with these flawed arguments so that you can quickly identify them as you write your essay:

Inappropriate Comparisons – comparing two things which are not necessarily similar, thus leading to a flawed conclusion. You will notice that in an inappropriate comparison, the argument will only note the similarities between two things with no explanation of why the differences do not change the outcome.

Example: "Dogs are highly motivated by food, which is a useful tool for training. Using this same method, you can help to encourage your children to repeat positive behaviors." This argument does not address early childhood development, nor does it address dog psychology – the person assumes that if a solution worked in one situation, it will work in the other.

Vague Language – using words such as "many", "few", "some", "more", or "less" without further qualification is often too vague to make a cogent point.

Example: "In Chicago, more people voted to add bike lanes than people did in Aurora, so it is clear that the citizens in Chicago are more pro-bike than the citizens in Aurora." This argument does not explain what 'more' means. Is it by percentage? Does it refer to raw number of votes, and if so, does it take into account the number of voters in Chicago vs. the number of voters in Aurora?

Correlation vs Causation – this common fallacy asserts that because something occurred, it must be a consequence of some specific variable observed before the result.

Example: "Students in Neighborhood A have higher test scores on average that students in Neighborhood B. Therefore, it is clear that the schools in Neighborhood A are better than the schools in Neighborhood B." This argument is flawed because it assumes the only meaningful variable in test scores was the school the children attend. This argument does not consider other various factors, such as poverty, school resources, home situations, and the parents' abilility to supplement educational opportunities, etc.

Sampling Issues – a case in which statistics are used inappropriately to compare unlike populations or to draw broad conclusions using a small sample.

Example: "56% of the reviews of Company A are negative, which shows that most customers are very unhappy with the service provided." The problem with this argument is that it does not address the percentage of overall customers who have written reviews. How do we know that this is representative of all customers vs. those who are upset about an issue and take the time to write a review?

Now that you have reviewed some common flawed arguments you may encounter, it is time to get started practicing!

Sample Prompt 1

The following appeared in the health section of a magazine on trends and lifestyles:

"People who use the artificial sweetener aspartame are better off consuming sugar, since aspartame can actually contribute to weight gain rather than weight loss. For example, high levels of aspartame have been shown to trigger a craving for food by depleting the brain of a chemical that registers satiety, or the sense of being full. Furthermore, studies suggest that sugars, if consumed after at least 45 minutes of continuous exercise, actually enhance the body’s ability to burn fat. Consequently, those who drink aspartame-sweetened juices after exercise will also lose this calorie-burning benefit. Thus, it appears that people consuming aspartame rather than sugar are unlikely to achieve their dietary goals."

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion, be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

Sample Prompt 2

The following appeared in the opinion column of a financial magazine:

"On average, middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services, while for younger consumers the average is only 25 percent. Since the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade, department stores can expect retail sales to increase significantly during that period. Furthermore, to take advantage of the trend, these stores should begin to replace some of those products intended to attract the younger consumer with products intended to attract the middle-aged consumer."

Sample Prompt 3

The following appeared as part of an editorial in an industry newsletter:

"While trucking companies that deliver goods pay only a portion of highway maintenance costs and no property tax on the highways they use, railways spend billions per year maintaining and upgrading their facilities. The government should lower the railroad companies’ property taxes, since sending goods by rail is clearly a more appropriate mode of ground transportation than highway shipping. For one thing, trains consume only a third of the fuel a truck would use to carry the same load, making them a more cost-effective and environmentally sound mode of transport. Furthermore, since rail lines already exist, increases in rail traffic would not require building new lines at the expense of taxpaying citizens."

Sample Prompt 4

The following was excerpted from the speech of a spokesperson for Synthetic Farm Products, Inc.:

"Many farmers who invested in the equipment needed to make the switch from synthetic to organic fertilizers and pesticides feel that it would be too expensive to resume synthetic farming at this point. But studies of farmers who switched to organic farming last year indicate that their current crop yields are lower. Hence their purchase of organic farming equipment, a relatively minor investment compared to the losses that would result from continued lower crop yields, cannot justify persisting on an unwise course. And the choice to farm organically is financially unwise, given that it was motivated by environmental rather than economic concerns."

Sample Prompt 5

The following is part of a business plan created by the management of the Megamart grocery store:

"Our total sales have increased this year by 20 percent since we added a pharmacy section to our grocery store. Clearly, the customer’s main concern is the convenience afforded by one-stop shopping. The surest way to increase our profits over the next couple of years, therefore, is to add a clothing department along with an automotive supplies and repair shop. We should also plan to continue adding new departments and services, such as a restaurant and a garden shop, in subsequent years. Being the only store in the area that offers such a range of services will give us a competitive advantage over other local stores."

The Best GMAT Prep Courses To Ace Your Exams

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If you’re getting ready to take the Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, you’re going to want to make sure that you’re fully prepared before jumping in. Prep courses are available both online and in-person, and courses can be customized to help meet your personal learning needs. Our recommendations for the best GMAT prep courses, like our top pick from Magoosh , are full of comprehensive resources and realistic practice tests, and altogether enhance your chances of getting the best score possible.

Studying for the GMAT? You need one of the best GMAT prep courses to help improve your score.

But Magoosh isn’t the only offering available for your study needs. If you want to study in-person and ask questions in real time, The Princeton Review offers a classroom option, so you can work alongside other testers. And of course, there are also budget-friendly options like the official GMAT Focus Prep Course and Prepscholar . No matter what you choose, here are the best GMAT prep courses to help you ace those tests.

• Best GMAT Prep Course Overall: Magoosh
• Best Customizable GMAT Prep Course: GMAT Focus Official Prep Course
• Best Budget GMAT Prep Course: Prepscholar
• Best Online GMAT Prep Course: Manhattan Prep
• Best In-Person GMAT Prep Course: The Princeton Review GMAT Prep Course
• (PAID PLACEMENT) You May Also Like: Target Test Prep GMAT Focus Course

Best GMAT Prep Course Overall

A prep course that works for most people.

Best for: Prepping across all GMAT sections at a reasonable cost.

• Free trial available
• Affordable yearlong subscription
• Training can be paused if needed
• Essays aren’t graded
• Limited full practice tests available

Magoosh offers the best overall package for those looking to get prepared for the GMAT. Not only does it have a relatively affordable annual subscription at $249, but it also offers an extensive library of study material, practice questions and more. The company is so confident in its study courses that it promises up to a 70-point score improvement guarantee—or it refunds you.

This package includes all four of the GMAT sections, which not all of them do for a single price. It has at least two practice tests (and you can take more for an additional fee), more than 1,300 practice questions and over 340 video lessons to help you understand the materials the best you can. There’s a built-in score predictor, which helps you gauge where you are and track your progress to make sure you stay on target for the score you want. If you don’t need access to all four sections, Magoosh also has some courses that are a bit more specialized, so be sure to check them all out and see which one best meets your needs.

Best Customizable GMAT Prep Course

A limited option that gets you started, gmat focus official prep course.

Best for: Customizing your needs, whether you’re looking to study a certain subject or just take a few practice tests.

• Pay for courses as you need them
• Easily accessible from anywhere using the mobile app
• Only the first two exams are free
• Can get expensive with the pay-as-you-go approach

It’s hard to beat a free option, and in this case, the official GMAT Focus Prep Course makes our list because the first two exams are free to access. While this won’t be sufficient enough to prepare you for the whole exam, it’s a great way to test the platform and see how its courses and teaching style work for you. Once you’ve taken those tests, you can customize your study prep to your needs. If you only need one study test, you can take that, or you can take two or buy the entire package. This customizability is great for a tester who may excel in one subject but wants to improve their stats in another area.

For those who have a longer timeline before the test, this is a great way to buy what you need and spread out the cost. You can also buy a verbal review prep, extra practice questions and more on their own. Besides the low, customizable cost, another standout feature is the mobile app. You can use it to access your study materials from anywhere, so you can prep while you’re on your subway commute home, as an example.

Best Budget GMAT Prep Course

Get prepared without spending a fortune.

PrepScholar

Prepscholar

Best for: Getting an all-in-one package without breaking the bank.

• Comes with a 5-day free trial
• Online experience isn’t as polished as others
• Course access time frame is not as long on cheaper plans

Preparing for the GMAT exam can be expensive, as some of these courses cost over $1,000. If you’re on a budget or just need to be a bit smarter with your money, Prepscholar is a great option. With packages starting at under $100, you can get 750 real practice questions, multiple GMAT strategy lessons and more—as long as you’re able to deal with a couple of quirks along the way (for one thing, the user interface isn’t quite as sophisticated to use as other options on this list).

There are different packages that you can pick from, and pricing goes up to $779 for the completely customized online GMAT prep course with eight hours of personalized tutoring included. A more affordable $260 package also includes four months of access to the prep materials and includes 100 hours of content, over 1,000 practice questions and a test exam. Prepscholar stands behind its product and offers a 60 point improvement guarantee.

Best Online GMAT Prep Course

A great option for those with busy lives, manhattan prep.

Best for: Digital nomads who want live test prep and online learning from anywhere.

• Six practice exams
• Online options for self-paced or live instruction
• Expensive compared to other options
• No score improvement guarantee

Live online learning isn’t for everyone, but if you’re able to stay motivated and dedicate the time, it can be great. The flexibility that it provides allows you to learn at your own pace, which is ideal for people who have schedules that pull them in lots of directions. Manhattan Prep is the best online-based GMAT prep for a few key reasons.

In addition to being able to learn at your own pace, you can attend live online classes to strategize, ask questions and more. You can mix and match the sessions throughout your learning time, so there’s no need to pick one option or the other, too. It offers six practice exams to help you monitor your progress along the course, though it’s important to note that the company doesn’t guarantee any score improvement.

You May Also Like

A comprehensive offering for the gmat focus.

Target Test Prep

Target Test Prep GMAT Focus Course

If you’re looking for a course designed specifically for the GMAT Focus, this self-study option features over 1,400 instructor-led videos, 4,000 practice questions and 700 flashcards. The study plans are created by experts who have either taught the material for over 10,000 hours or scored in the 99th percentile on the exam themselves. For more customized instruction, you can opt for a LiveTeach course, which includes 40 hours of virtual classes, personalized homework to help you address your weaknesses and a Slack channel for instant feedback from instructors and classmates. Plus, the brand offers a score improvement guarantee of up to 130 points (depending on your prior GMAT Focus score) for both the self-study and LiveTeach options. Get 15% off all Target Test Prep GMAT Focus courses with code FORBES15 .

Best In-Person GMAT Prep Course

For those who want hands-on learning.

Princeton Review

The Princeton Review GMAT Prep Course

Best for: Studying in a classroom with other test-takers.

• Optional 700+ score guarantee available
• 10 practice tests and 60+ online drills
• Can get quite expensive, depending on your selection

Prefer to learn in person instead of online? The Princeton Review offers multiple in-person learning options, from classroom-style sessions to private tutoring. While significantly more expensive than others on this list, The Princeton Review offers some key features that make it worth paying the extra.

For those who start with a score of 620 or more, Princeton Review will guarantee that you will score a 700 or higher on the exam after going through its course. With more than 10 practice tests and 60 online drills, there’s a ton of great content available that you can also access online from anywhere when you aren’t at class. This exam prep course includes 47 hours of material, and also includes 27 hours of classroom instruction, 10 hours focused on GMAT questions and 10 hours of verbal and math explanation sessions.

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How We Chose The Best GMAT Prep Courses

To find the best GMAT prep courses we spent hours researching the top-rated courses, reading reviews, comparing features and seeing which ones those who’ve taken the courses preferred the most.

• Learning styles can vary, and so we looked for options that included both online and in-person options.
• We reviewed a variety of different factors, including pricing, ease of use and whether it was an online or in-person training.
• We also checked to see whether our picks provided extra services for those who were looking for more features for studying, including mobile apps.

What To Look For In The Best GMAT Prep Course

Pricing structure.

Each course handles its pricing a bit differently. Some of them require a monthly subscription fee for unlimited access, while others you pay for sections of it as you go along. Consider your goals and how quickly you plan to move through the materials . From there, you can figure out which of those options work best for you.

Online Vs. In-Person

Some courses are available as online-only while other courses you can attend in person. Online courses allow you the flexibility to move at your own pace and have access to the information from anywhere at any time, but not everyone learns and retains information the best in an online setting. In-person courses may be a bit more limiting, but they also allow for real-time questions and interaction with others who are on the same journey as you.

The courses will all move at different paces, so you need to ensure you pick one that matches your timeline of when you expect to take the actual test. If you have a tight deadline, an online option may be best, as you can move through the information quicker than you could doing an in-person class which has limited hours of teaching.

What Is The Best GMAT Prep Course?

Based on our research, the best GMAT prep course available is offered by Magoosh . It provides a superior overall experience for most people and includes a guarantee that your score will increase by 70 points from the last time you took the test. In comparison to most of the competition, it’s relatively affordable and gives you access to all the learning materials for a full year. There are two practice exams, over 300 video lessons, 1,000 practice questions and more.

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How to study for the GMAT with a full-time job [A detailed plan]

May 22, 2024

If you ask anyone who has been preparing for the GMAT along with a full-time job about their prep, then you probably know that it is not easy.

It is hard. Very hard! 🙂

Especially in today’s age, when everything around us – EVERYTHING – seems to be craving for our attention. Here are some examples:

• You promise yourself that you would start your GMAT prep , but the day starts late and in a rush to get to the office (why do Uber prices stay so high in the morning?!), you end up postponing your plans.
• You have a tough day at work, and your brain is fried. As you slump on your couch at night, binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix seems a lot easier than to study for the GMAT.
• Even when you sit down to study for the GMAT – the job isn’t easy. Your phone notification is continuously going off, requiring you to drop everything and pay attention to the cute puppy photo that your friend posted (and that you want to comment on – right now!) Get the drift?

If all of this resonates with you, then you have come to the right place!

What you lack is not the motivation but a proper system to get the GMAT prep done

In this blog, we will be exploring the “system” you consistently need to follow to study for the GMAT.

Why we are the experts at teaching you for your GMAT prep?

At CrackVerbal, we have been teaching the GMAT since 2006 through a variety of ways: classroom, online, and personal tutoring. We have gotten students of all types and of all possible skill levels. Trust me – we do!

Over the course of the last 14 years, we have learned a lot of neurochemistry (how our brains are wired to learn), and about metacognition (yes – that’s a word! It means: learning about learning).

In this article, we will look at all the typical challenges working professionals face when preparing for the GMAT. We will use our insights developed over many, many years – working with countless students – to tell you how you can stay focussed and prepare for the GMAT (along with your day job that honestly is killing you right now!)

We will be using principles from realms of productivity, human psychology and pedagogy to pick some actionable tips to help you stay focused while studying for the GMAT.

In summary, we have learned a lot from teaching 1000s of students! Not just WHAT to study on the GMAT (the easy bit) but also HOW to study for the GMAT (the hard part!).

In this article, we are going to share our gyaan in 4 sections:

Part A: Is it possible to study for the GMAT along with a full-time job? (& what does the data tell us?)

Part B: WHY is studying for the GMAT along with a full-time job tough? (& how to overcome it?)

Part C: HOW to study for the GMAT given that your needs are different? (as a busy working professional)

Part D: WHAT is the most optimized GMAT study strategy/plan? (for people with full-time jobs)

Get a cup of coffee so we can go through this whole thing and understand what game plan YOU need to have to crack the GMAT along with a demanding job.

This article should take you 20 minutes to read, so make sure you grab a paper and a pen to jot down the important points. We guarantee this would be the best 20 minutes you will spend on studying for the GMAT this week! 🙂

Grab your free copy of ‘Demystifying GMAT FE’

Grab your free copy of ‘demystifying gmat focus edition’.

We think it is important to get the more pressing things out of the way. You could be thinking: Do others with a busy work schedule find time to study for the GMAT? Let me get that straight out of the way. The answer is yes. Let us look at the average experience at top schools:

Think about it – most of the people who are applying with you this year would have been working full-time. They expect you to walk and chew gum at the same time! Now, if you consider the kind of places they went to, the list is equally impressive. Here are the top “feeder companies”* to Harvard Business School (HBS):

*Feeder companies are companies where people work BEFORE they joined HBS Just imagine – if you are applying with such illustrious peers, it will be hard to explain why you were unable to study for the GMAT. It will be hard to blame the daily commute that drains you. It will be hard to complain that it is your boss who keeps piling up the work. If you want to go to a top MBA program, then you need to learn the 1st rule of Business School: Quit giving excuses!! So let’s jump right to the next two questions plaguing you:

• Can you study for the GMAT while working full-time?

Of course! But, here is the catch: you need a different set of rules to study for the GMAT as a working professional. The last time you hit the books was perhaps when you were a student. The only job you had was to STUDY. But it is a different challenge now. We have to deal with work and other social pressures that come with having easy access to apps on our phone. Through our

online, classroom, and personal tutoring programs

we have helped 1000s of students crack the GMAT. And all our programs are based on a simple philosophy that teaching the GMAT is easier than getting the students to study for it. That’s why our GMAT program is designed specifically for busy working professionals.

• Should I quit my job to study for the GMAT preparation?

TL;DR: No! It is very tough to get into the top MBA programs because they look at not only your GMAT scores but also your work experience. They want to see if you have what it takes to hustle in order to get that coveted post-MBA job. The last thing you need is a gaping hole in your resume that suggests you are currently unemployed. It just makes it a lot tougher for you to justify your “employability”. In short – unless it is an extreme case – please don’t quit your job.

• What if I already quit my full-time job to study for the GMAT?

Alright – all is not lost! 🙂 If you have already quit your job (we’ve had a few students who have done this in the past), please make sure that the gap is not more than a few months. And don’t ever tell the MBA Admission Committee that you quit your job to prepare for the GMAT. You can always explain the gap by saying:

a. You were looking for a better role and that the search took some time . BSchools are okay with this as long as you were smart enough to land a new role at the time. b. You wanted to reskill/upskill yourself; so you took some course that demanded your time and effort (of course, you need to show them what you did).

We hope this clarifies the basics! Now, let us try to understand why it is so difficult to study for the GMAT.

Part B: WHY is studying for the GMAT along with a full-time job tough & 4 ways to overcome distractions

Okay, for that, we need to understand a few concepts that involve your brain (really – it is not about you but more about the way your mind thinks!)

Let’s keep this simple: unless you are studying to be a neurosurgeon, you probably need to know only a few things about how brains work.

From an evolutionary perspective, there is a part of the brain that was meant to keep you alert.

So every time you saw a lion while you were roaming around as a hunter-gatherer, your brain told you, “Drop everything and pay attention to the lion”.

Now, working in your cubicle, there is very little chance of you confronting a lion (a higher chance of you getting confronted by your boss!)

However, that part of our brain is pretty active and constantly looking out for things that could be a risk. Some of the things that the brain could flag as a “red alert”:

• Wow! What is that new email? Maybe it is a new onsite opportunity? Or what if you just got laid off? Open it! ASAP!!
• Hey! What about the new notification that you received on your phone? Is that someone who just wrote a nasty comment on your latest Instagram post? Check it out. Now!! You get the idea, I guess.

So, most of the time, your brain is trying to divert your ordinary course of action. The only thing is, we don’t need that part to work when we are studying for the GMAT!

This is the stuff most people don’t worry about before preparing for the GMAT, but it is exactly the stuff that can come back to bite you!

So here are the 4 things you need to do when you are sitting down to study for the GMAT:

1. Pick the same time of the day – routine helps you do things more efficiently

The best way to get away from the incessant chatter in your mind is to have a routine—something that tells your brain that, in the next hour or two, you will be focussing on just one thing: studying for the GMAT.

The best way for you to do such focussed work is by scheduling it at the same time every day. It just helps to tell your brain that this is something for it TO EXPECT.

Also, when you study for the GMAT at a time when there is nothing else to do (when everyone else is sleeping, for instance), it sends a signal to your brain that what you are doing is important.

If you are a morning person, pick a time early in the morning – say 5 am to 7 am.

If you are an evening person, then pick a time a little later in the day – say 11 pm to 1 am.

Try doing this for three days a week to begin with and then do this five days a week. You can take the weekend off – your brain needs a break; plus, you have the whole day to schedule your prep.

However, these timings are only if you don’t get disturbed. If your maid comes at 5:30 am, and you also need to worry about what to eat for breakfast, chances are—you are not going to FOCUS.

Similarly, if at 11 pm your roommate is binge-watching her favorite series on TV or you need to worry about doing some chores (laundry, for example), then again it might be a bad time as you won’t FOCUS.

So maybe the best time for you is at 8 am after everyone has left OR 6 pm before everyone returns.

What you need (if we haven’t said it earlier) is for you to pick the right time (and environment) to FOCUS 🙂

2. Try to ensure that there is nothing else on your mind while you are studying

So try to empty your mind before you sit down to study. The best way is to write things down.

Just take a piece of paper and write down everything else you need to get done. And put a time on it, so your brain realizes it will happen. Just not right now.

Your list could look like this:

You can guess what will happen when you sit down to study with all these pending tasks on your mind. Your brain doesn’t really differentiate between what is important and what is not.

You will constantly worry about small things that you need to do before you can focus on the GMAT.

So what you need to do is take that checklist and put some dates and times against it.

This way, when you are studying for the GMAT, you can put your mind to rest by telling it that you have got it all figured out and that you will get to do other things at the appropriate time.

Note: the best way to get your job done is to put it on your calendar. That way, you will know that a reminder will go off when it is time. The brain is not particularly good at remembering when to do stuff. It is good at panicking when you don’t do it! 🙂

3. Make sure you have all the necessary & the right resources with you before you start to study for the GMAT

There are plenty of resources for you to resolve your doubts, but (later in this article), we will pick the top ones that are guaranteed to help.

Here is why you should be worried about the quality of your study material:

There are plenty of resources out there! GBs worth of videos, thousands of discussion threads, and enough and more questions to solve till the next decade!

Here is a piece of advice (actually two):

First, stick to official material for solving!

Did you know that the GMAC spends close to $2000 to create a single GMAT official question?

No test prep company in the world can do anything close to that. None of the practice questions can replicate the elegance of the real GMAT questions; none of the mock GMAT tests available online can simulate the actual GMAT scoring algorithm.

Second, learn to use forums wisely!

A lot of students spend way too much time reading posts from other students who are equally clueless.

Or they spend a lot of time reading through endless discussions on ambiguous questions that are most certainly not official questions (another reason to stick to only official material!)

4. Ensure that you are not connected to the Internet while you are studying for the GMAT

A corollary to the above point is that the Internet itself can be a pretty terrible place for your GMAT preparation.

Preparing for the GMAT requires focus. The Internet is about distraction.

Preparing for the GMAT needs quality. The Internet is notorious for poor quality.

Preparing for the GMAT is unitasking. Browser tabs were invented for multitasking.

In short: the Internet can mess up your GMAT preparation.

Of course, we are not saying that you shun the internet altogether. You’ll soon see that there are a lot of resources that will certainly help you.

However, do not open ANY other tabs or windows while studying for the GMAT. It is hard enough to study for the GMAT; it is worse when Facebook is vying for your attention!

Also, it is best to keep your phone on silent (really nothing urgent will happen in those 60-120 minutes that you’ll be studying. So don’t check WhatsApp or Instagram to “take a break”.

If you want a break, drink a glass of water and stretch your legs!

Note: In general, it is a great productivity technique to turn off all notifications on your phone. They are designed to distract you. And I mean “designed”! At Stanford, they have a persuasion lab – a lab intended to invent ways to persuade you to do stuff!)

Part C: HOW to study for the GMAT given that your needs as a working person are different? (by understanding the 3 phases to prep!)

Now that we have covered ways in which you can focus, the crucial part is HOW! What you need to understand is that GMAT prep can be broadly divided into 3 phases:

Phase 1: Understanding the concepts

At this level, you try to understand the various concepts tested on the GMAT. The good news is that you don’t need any Math concepts beyond the 10th-grade level. And on Verbal too – there is very little, in terms of concepts, that gets tested on the GMAT. To know the list of concepts tested on the GMAT look up our resource here: GMAT Syllabus So essentially, on the GMAT, you need to know the following:

• Arithmetic concepts such as rate, %ages, ratio, and counting principles
• Algebra concepts such as equations, inequalities, and absolute values
• Geometry concepts such as lines, circles, and coordinate geometry

For Verbal:

• Basic grammar rules to solve sentence correction questions
• Structure of an argument to understand critical reasoning questions
• Ability to read and comprehend a passage to solve reading comprehension questions

Apart from these basics, you don’t really need much. Remember that the GMAT is not a test of knowledge or memorization. The total amount of concepts required for you to do very, very well on the GMAT is relatively finite. For example, the IAS exam in India is notoriously tough just because it requires you to remember a LOT of things. The GMAT doesn’t expect you to remember much. In fact, all the quant formulae needed on the GMAT can be summarized in a single sheet of paper. However, that is not going to help you much—you are not going to crack a perfect score in Quant by knowing all the theory. This is where a course such as the CrackVerbal GMAT Online course helps. We understand that working professionals need bite-sized “snackable” pieces of information. Our videos are typically around 6-10 minutes long and cover just one concept. You can always pick up a copy of our strategy guide if you want to stick to a paper-and-pen approach:

That is where the next phase comes into play.

Phase 2: Applying the concepts

You must understand the mechanics of what GMAT is trying to do here. GMAT knows that most test-takers know the basics, but it is trying to figure out how well you can apply those concepts in day-to-day decision making. Let’s say that you want to be a consultant post your MBA. Your job will require you to read copious amounts of data but not remember all of it. All you need to do is summarize it (“What is the main idea?”) so that you can answer any question thrown at you (“What can we infer from so-and-so statement?”). This is nothing but Reading Comprehension. But you are not going to get paid just to crunch all that stuff you’ve read. You get paid to draw your inferences, your conclusion, your conjecture from that data (“Would this new development strengthen or weaken our position?”). This is nothing but Critical Reasoning. Finally, you are expected to present your observations to the management using the English language. You are expected to convey the intended meaning clearly without ambiguity. And you need to do so in a crisp manner. This is nothing but Sentence Correction. Wait, you are also expected to understand how data functions (“What would be the minimum number of shipments needed?”). You guessed it right: this is Problem Solving. Sometimes, you are expected to understand the impact of the given data on the problem at hand (“Which additional data point would help us answer the question?”) This is Data Sufficiency. So, what you realize is that the GMAT is really testing you on real-world skills. Skills that you would have already built during your corporate experience. All you need to understand is how to approach each question type and what tactics you need to eliminate the wrong answer options. The best way to practice (as we said above) is to stick to only the official material for GMAT. You could use a set of Official Guides (these are the BEST set of questions to practice from). These contain actual questions that were tested on the GMAT (and since then retired). This gives you a very good sense of what the GMAT will test you on. GMAT has also released a book of Advanced Questions—questions that you would encounter once you are at the 650+ range on the GMAT.

There are about 400 questions in all these 4 books put together. That is a LOT of practice. And certainly, enough practice questions for you to understand how GMAT tests you on each concept in Verbal (Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension) and Quant (Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry). The reason we are suggesting you pick a physical book is so that you can sit and focus on solving questions.

Phase 3: Optimizing your performance

Okay, so there is one more part that you need to consider: you need to solve all of these questions in a LIMITED time to MAXIMIZE your scores. Let us focus on the two points in detail below:

1. Limited Time:

You have the following time constraints:

Now to solve a question with no time limit means that you need to focus on solving the question. The way in which you arrive at the right answer doesn’t really matter as long as you know how to get to the right answer. The problem while preparing for the GMAT is that it DOES matter what approach you take to solve a problem. An approach that can solve a question in under a minute is definitely preferred than an approach that is going to take you 2.5 minutes. So, while solving questions, it is important for us to ask the right question. Wrong question: Can I solve this question? Right question: Can I solve this question under 2 minutes?

2. Maximize your scores

Remember that the objective on the GMAT is not to answer all the questions correctly but to answer the maximum possible questions in the most efficient way. What is “efficient” you ask? Glad you asked! 🙂 So let us take 2 scenarios: On one section, John gets questions 5, 15, 22, 24, 28, and 30 wrong. On the same section, Jane gets questions 14,15,16, 28,29, and 30 wrong. Both have answered 6 questions incorrectly – would they get the same score? They won’t! The answer to that lies in the way the GMAT algorithm works.

. Both of these skills are developed by practicing through mock GMATs. This involves knowing which questions are worth your time and which questions need to be “guessed” intelligently. At this point, all you need to know is that we need to have a strategy that would allow us to guess at appropriate times to maximize our chances of a better score. To get better at managing your time and maximizing your score, you can practice with the 2 free official tests available at MBA.com. (You think 2 isn’t enough? You can purchase 4 more tests too!)

Remember that this is the only full-length adaptive practice exams created by the maker of the GMAT exam available anywhere online. You can also flex your GMAT muscle with the 5 mock tests that are available with CrackVerbal’s Online Course. You can head over to these three incredible resources, as well. Firstly, we have the solutions to many of the official GMAT problems. These explanations give you the solutions from a test taker’s perspective.

Secondly, we have a ton of GMAT strategy videos on our YouTube channel (these are hardcore GMAT strategies—not flimsy videos that waste your time!)

Thirdly, if you still have any questions to which you have not found the answers, you can head over to our special sub-forum on GMATClub where we help you with doubts you might have about specific questions (or general strategies):

Now that you have all the resources at your disposal, you can really focus on preparing for the test!

Now we need to understand how you can put all of this together and make a plan to study for the GMAT that best suits you?

Here are a few things to consider:

1. How many hours of GMAT preparation is needed if I am working full-time?

To be honest, your brain uses up a lot of energy to process the GMAT questions. This means it is easy to get exhausted quickly when you sit down to study. However, with practice, you will be able to improve your stamina on the GMAT.

To use a rule of thumb—around 2 hours per day is just about enough for you if you devote your time consistently , and study for the GMAT

Of course, if you have the whole day, then you can study for say 3-4 hours. That would be a couple of 2-hour stretches of prep.

But don’t overdo it because if you study for more than what you can absorb, you will end up:

• not understanding why you made a particular error. Your brain will focus only on “doing” and
• not on “understanding”. It is like chewing food but not digesting it properly. This means that you will not see any improvement in your test scores/performance.
• not reviewing your performance. Once you have reflected on your performance, you can make appropriate course corrections and apply the new knowledge on fresh questions. finding yourself exhausted. You will start with a few days of setting your alarm at 4 a.m. but quickly lose steam. You want your prep to be consistent!

2. What are some effective study strategies and tips if you are studying for the GMAT with a full-time job?

Firstly, it is important that you understand the importance of having a routine.

We know that you have a tough schedule, but the best way for you to study is to pick a time slot as we mentioned earlier and sit quietly with zero (or near zero) distractions.

However, having said that, we also understand that sometimes if you have access to the right content and a good Internet connection, you can even study while you are commuting to work or while you are the gym (just be careful: we don’t want you to be bench pressing 100kgs while learning sentence correction!)

Picking the right time and place will solve half the problems! You will have the right routine, and studying for the GMAT will become a habit.

Secondly, remember that it is not about QUANTITY but QUALITY.

Without analyzing where you went wrong, solving questions is of no use. Remember that none of the practice questions will be repeated on the GMAT. So, it is important to utilize your precious time wisely.

Remember to ask yourself the following 3 questions if you want to improve your GMAT score:

• Did I understand the underlying concept that’s tested?
• Was I able to eliminate the wrong options for a good reason?
• Could I identify and avoid the traps in the question?

3. What is the total time required for GMAT preparation along with my job?

Our advice is to give yourself anywhere between 2-3 months to prepare for the GMAT.

The difference in preparation time depends on a lot of things such as:

• The number of hours you can devote to preparation every day/week/month. Some weeks you could have a lot of work in the office. Sometimes, you might just fall sick. Some days you might have relatives visiting.
• Your starting base—some people get a 700 on their first diagnostic test while some get 300. The journey would change vastly based on the number of areas you need to fix. Some students start off very strong in Quant. Some start with a strong base in Verbal. And some start with none.
• Your competence—some students tend to pick up things very quickly. Some need a bit more time to understand the concepts. The speed of your journey doesn’t matter; what matters is your preparation and ability to get your dream score.

Here we are giving you a simple 3-month study plan

1 . What is the best way to kickstart your prep?

A big question that a lot of people have is: if there is so much prep material out there, why should we even consider professional help for the GMAT?

That is a great question and one that you need to answer for yourself.

Let us try tackling a few aspects:

2. Should I prepare by myself or take up GMAT coaching?

What good GMAT coaching does is that it gives you a couple of distinct advantages. For starters, you get to learn the concepts, techniques, and strategies needed for the GMAT. At CrackVerbal, we provide a 3-month study plan that is designed to keep you on the straight and narrow.

You can prepare by yourself too—the only catch is that if you listen to the wrong advice or end up picking the wrong technique, then you would not only get frustrated with the lack of progress but also waste your precious time (time really is your most important resource—even more than money).

3. Should I take classroom coaching or an online course or personal tutoring?

Classroom coaching has been around for many years now and is for people who don’t have a problem traveling to a coaching center. The main thing to consider would be the experience and quality of the instructor. At CrackVerbal, our instructors are carefully picked (typically less than 5% make the cut, and we are talking about MBAs from top schools such as ISB!)

Online coaching is great for you if you have the drive to maintain focus in front of your computer (as we mentioned earlier—also your biggest source of distraction!). The main thing is that the online program needs to have enough sticky-ness to ensure that you complete the program. The Crackverbal GMAT Online Course is designed with the working professional in mind—so you know it is tailored to meet your needs.

Personal tutoring is great if you want one-on-one help to fine-tune your approach and strategy on the GMAT. A GMAT coach would work with you to understand your strengths and weaknesses to ensure that you are on the optimal path towards success. The CrackVerbal GMAT Personal Tutoring program gives you access to top GMAT trainers in the country—each trainer with 100s of hours of teaching experience and a rock-solid GMAT score to boot!

That’s a wrap, folks!

Did you like this article? If so, do let us know in the comments below. Even better— why don’t you join our Free 4-part GMAT video micro course created to help the busy working professionals like you crack the GMAT and get an MBA in 2024.

If you think there were pieces you want to revisit later, then make sure you bookmark this page so you can consume it later.

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Homepage > GMAT Focus Edition > GMAT Focus Edition > Free GMAT Practice Test | Best Online GMAT Focus Mocks – 2024

Free GMAT Practice Test | Best Online GMAT Focus Mocks – 2024

Posted by Rajat Sadana | May 15, 2024 | GMAT Focus Edition , GMAT Preparation

The first step in your GMAT preparation is likely taking a free GMAT practice test. A good GMAT practice test offers a multitude of benefits to prospective test takers. Firstly, they provide a genuine taste of the GMAT exam’s structure and the types of questions you will encounter, helping you familiarize yourself with its unique challenges. Secondly, they allow you to assess your starting abilities, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. This initial evaluation is essential for tailoring your study plan to address areas needing improvement while reinforcing your strong points. Lastly, these practice tests are invaluable tools for gauging your readiness before you step into the actual exam, ensuring that you do so with confidence.

However, the landscape of GMAT preparation changed significantly with the introduction of the GMAT Focus Edition . Since its launch, the number of companies offering practice tests has dwindled, and the quality and effectiveness of these resources vary greatly. Not all mock tests are created equal, and choosing the right one can make a substantial difference in your final score.

We’re excited to introduce our GMAT Focus Edition mocks , designed to be fully adaptive and mirror the actual exam’s structure. Experience the GMAT Focus Edition firsthand for a realistic practice experience.

In this article, we will navigate through the myriad of options available for free GMAT practice tests. We will explore :

• How to access Free GMAT Practice Tests
• Identify the providers who offer GMAT Focus Edition practice tests,
• And conduct a comparative analysis of the available GMAT Focus practice tests.

Furthermore, we will delve into how you can effectively analyze your Enhanced Score Report (ESR) to maximize your study outcomes  and what constitutes a good GMAT practice test. By the end of this article, you will be well-equipped with the knowledge to select and utilize the best free GMAT practice tests available, setting the stage for success on your GMAT journey.

1) How to Access e-GMAT’s Free Sigma-X Mock

2) how to access gmat focus official practice tests on mba.com.

• 1) MBA.com Mocks: The Pinnacle of Authenticity
• 2) E-GMAT Mocks: The Synthesis of Algorithmic Precision and Pedagogical Expertise
• 3) GMAT Club Mocks: A Community-Driven Approach to Mastering the GMAT

4) Experts’ Global – GMAT Practice Tests

Comparing the tests of the four gmat focus mock providers, importance of esr analysis, what does a good gmat practice test do, how to access free gmat (focus edition) mocks:.

Securing access to high-quality GMAT practice tests can dramatically enhance your test preparation. Here, we outline the steps to access free mocks from two notable sources: e-GMAT and the official GMAT website – mba.com.

e-GMAT has invested thousands of hours in developing its GMAT Focus Test series, which includes a total of five tests, called the Sigma-X Mocks . Notably, the first of these tests is available for free on the e-GMAT platform.

The e-GMAT Mocks provide test-takers with several advantages:

• Fully Adaptive: Mimics the actual GMAT to provide realistic practice.
• Detailed Attention to Question Difficulty: Ensures that each question challenges the test-taker appropriately.
• Precision in Scoring: Delivers a score reflective of your potential performance on the actual exam.
• Detailed and Robust Enhanced Score Report: Offers comprehensive feedback that helps refine your study strategy.

To access all five tests, you’ll need to purchase an e-GMAT course, available in 1, 2, 4, or 6-month subscription plans. For those nearing their exam date and focusing primarily on mock tests and test readiness, e-GMAT offers a 1-month subscription for just $99. Please write to [email protected] for more information about the 1 month subscription.

MBA.com provides six official GMAT Practice Tests, with the first two offered free of charge. Importantly, you do not need register for the GMAT exam to access these free tests.

This video will provide a step-by-step walkthrough on how to successfully navigate and access the official free GMAT mocks:

High-level Overview of the Steps to navigate Free GMAT Focus Mocks

The list below provides a high-level overview of the steps.

• Sign up and log in: Create an account on mba.com and log in.
• Navigate to your dashboard: Once logged in, you should land on the “My Account” dashboard, or you can select it to get there.
• Find GMAT Focus Edition Prep: Look for and click on “GMAT Focus Edition Prep” in your dashboard.
• Go to Purchase Options: Click on “Purchase GMAT Focus Prep.”
• Select the GMAT Focus Official Starter Kit: You’ll see a list of available products. Find and click on “Learn More” next to the GMAT Focus Official Starter Kit + Practice Exams 1 & 2.
• Access the exams: Follow the link to a description page with options to access Practice Exams 1 and 2.
• Start your test: You will be redirected to a page where you can begin GMAT Focus Exam 1 or Exam 2 immediately.

If you have any further questions or need more guidance, please write to us at [email protected] .

Start your GMAT Focus journey with our free GMAT Focus mock test to gauge your baseline score, and then create a personalized study plan . Dive into our free trial for targeted prep. Trusted by thousands with 2700+ reviews on GMAT Club, E-GMAT is your partner in mastering the GMAT. Contact us at [email protected] for expert guidance.

Navigating Through GMAT Focus Edition Mock Test Provider

Selecting the right GMAT Focus Edition Mock Test provider is pivotal to gaining a clear insight into your abilities and preparedness for the actual test. There are four providers – MBA.com, e-GMAT, GMAT Club, and Experts Global – currently on the radar for their offering of GMAT Focus practice tests. Let’s delve deeper into the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of the mocks provided by each.

1) MBA.com Mocks : The Pinnacle of Authenticity

MBA.com offers a premier suite of six GMAT practice tests, with 2 available for free and the remaining  4 priced collectively at $107.99, providing an experience very close to the actual GMAT. These official mocks utilize retired questions from past exams, guaranteeing an authentic test atmosphere that accurately reflects the content, challenge, and format encountered on test day. Each question is meticulously crafted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), ensuring high fidelity to the GMAT’s standards and evaluating the same critical skills and knowledge areas.

The practice tests are built with a proprietary algorithm that replicates the GMAT’s adaptive question selection mechanism, adapting to each test-taker’s performance to provide a personalized and highly predictive score estimate. This dynamic adjustment offers a realistic test-taking experience, allowing candidates to gauge their readiness effectively and identify strengths and weaknesses across various topics and question formats.

However, while the MBA.com mocks excel in simulating the GMAT environment and providing detailed score insights, they lack advanced analytics and do not use AI to analyze test-taking strategies or behaviors. Additionally, some candidates familiar with GMAT Club might find these questions less beneficial if previously encountered, potentially reducing their diagnostic value. Despite this, the MBA.com GMAT Focus Edition mocks remain an essential resource for aspirants seeking an authentic and rigorous preparation experience.

2) E-GMAT Mocks : The Synthesis of Algorithmic Precision and Pedagogical Expertise

Entering the world of e-GMAT mocks , you’re stepping into a space crafted with precision, built on a solid foundation of GMAT expertise and real-world understanding. It’s not just a test – it’s a mirror reflecting your GMAT strengths and weaknesses with sharp accuracy.

To achieve this, e-GMAT leans into a rich algorithmic understanding (thanks to a co-founder with a storied background in algorithm design and 4 patents) and its team, decorated with top-rated experts on GMAT Club and a decade of deep GMAT experience.  While the official algorithm remains proprietary, e-GMAT, utilizing a sophisticated question adaptive engine, is confident of providing a reliable ability estimate.

Every question is much more than a hurdle to jump over. It’s a carefully constructed challenge , designed over 10 diligent hours, to ensure it taps into the same skills and difficulty levels as those you’ll face in the GMAT Focus Edition. Our experts, each one a seasoned creator of thousands of GMAT-like questions, ensure each problem you face evaluates a critical skill tested at your abiltiy level.

In an e-GMAT mock , you’re not just answering questions; you’re interacting with a carefully constructed, although not exact, replica of the GMAT’s own algorithm. This ensures your journey mirrors the GMAT’s challenges and reliefs as closely as possible.

But, we go a step further than just testing you. Our AI-driven system dissects your performance, spotlighting not just the mistakes but also the why behind them. Did you spend too long on a question? Rush a bit too much, perhaps? e-GMAT doesn’t just point out; it explains, ensuring every mock is a step forward in your preparation.

With e-GMAT, you’re not just practicing; you’re evolving, sharpening your skills with every GMAT practice test. And with five mocks ready, e-GMAT is more than a tool. It’s your ally in your GMAT journey, ensuring every step you take is sure, informed, and confident.

3) GMAT Club Mocks : A Community-Driven Approach to Mastering the GMAT

The GMAT Club mocks are known, perhaps most notably, for their Quant section. Revered in the GMAT-prep world for its challenging and thoughtful questions, this section is not just a test but a tough drill, ensuring your Quant skills are not just polished but battle-ready for the real GMAT.

These mocks adapt to your responses, mimicking the adaptive nature of the actual GMAT to provide a realistic test-taking experience, despite the algorithm not being an exact replica of the official GMAT’s , the adaptive nature ensures that your mock-taking experience is as close to the real deal as possible.

GMAT Club’s questions in Verbal and Data Insights might face some scrutiny, given the platform’s historic leaning towards Quant. The challenge for them is to ensure the same rigor, depth, and quality across all sections, providing you with a holistic, well-rounded practice. Note, their Verbal and DI questions are created by GMAT Club moderators, many of whom are neither GMAT Experts nor full-time content creators.

While GMAT Club offers valuable practice with 7 full-length adaptive tests—one free and six paid—it may lag slightly behind resources like MBA.com or e-GMAT in terms of offering detailed analytical insights or feedback. Despite this, GMAT Club mocks serve as a robust, community-driven tool for GMAT preparation, especially beneficial for those looking to strengthen their Quant skills. This community-backed approach provides a substantial amount of practice material and a supportive environment for test takers aiming to master the GMAT.

Experts’ Global offers a distinctive suite of GMAT practice tests designed to closely simulate the actual exam environment, although with a non-adaptive format . Each test consists of a fixed set of 64 questions that do not adjust in difficulty based on the test taker’s responses. This includes a predetermined mix of 7 easy, 31 medium, and 26 difficult questions, providing a consistent and varied practice experience across all levels of question complexity. Additionally, the user interface is crafted to mirror that of the official GMAT exams by GMAC, complete with the same instructions and the unique capability for test-takers to review and change answers up to three times from the review screen.

The Experts’ Global GMAT mocks allow for flexible section ordering before the test begins, similar to the official GMAT. The platform offers 1 free test per user, and 14 paid tests – a total of 15 tests. The result screen provides a detailed score report, offering scores and percentiles for all sections and subsections. Although they lack an adaptive testing engine, these mocks help familiarize test takers with the GMAT’s format and interface or to practice specific question types within a controlled environment.

According to GMAT Club reviews, e-GMAT has delivered 11 successes in the last 30 days ( FTM Apr’24) while Expert’s Global has reported no successes in the last 30 days (FTM Apr ’24).

The Enhanced Score Report (ESR) provides a granular view of your GMAT performance, identifying specific areas for improvement. Such insight is crucial for refining your study strategy. Therefore, knowing “how” to analyze your ESR is an essential skill every GMAT aspirant must possess – whether it is assessing your abilities across the Quant, Verbal, and Data Insights subsections to pinpoint weaknesses; leveraging tools like Excel to perform in-depth accuracy analyses; or understanding the cascading effects of performance in one area on other areas.

The ESR allows for the identification of skill-specific deficiencies, enabling you to home in on and improve those particular skills. Also, Timing impact assessment helps you learn how unanswered questions can significantly dent your scores and helps you develop strategies for better time management, especially in time-pressured sections like Verbal.

Watch the video below to see Rajat Sadana, Co-Founder of e-GMAT, in action as he draws striking inferences from an ESR:

Embarking on the journey towards GMAT mastery demands more than just preparation; it necessitates precise, insightful, and reflective practice. A robust mock test is not merely an emulation of the GMAT but a detailed, reliable, and diagnostic tool that refines your preparation and strategies. Let’s delve deeper into what a good GMAT practice test encapsulates.

• Provides a Trustworthy Score Estimate: A stellar GMAT mock test doesn’t just gauge; it predicts. It should proficiently offer a score that falls within a close approximation of your actual GMAT ability, specifically within a 30-point range. For instance, if your mock test touts a score of 705, a reliable test would place your actual GMAT score in the vicinity of 685 to 715. This score isn’t merely a metric but a snapshot of your current proficiency, offering a lucid perspective of where you stand in your GMAT journey.
• Illuminates Your Preparation Gaps: An efficient mock test shines a light not just on your weaknesses, but also carves out a path for refinement and enhancement. It meticulously identifies not only sections but also subsections where your ability might be waning, preventing you from achieving your target GMAT Focus score. Whether it’s a specific question type in Quant or a particular skill set in Verbal, the mock test should illuminate specific realms that need your focused attention, thereby ensuring that your preparation is incisively targeted and efficacious.
• Exposes Strategy Shortfalls: Even candidates fortified with knowledge can find their performance faltering due to strategic missteps. An exemplary mock test transcends mere content evaluation, leveraging analytical and AI capabilities to unveil both your underperformance and its underlying causes. Rather than merely pinpointing errors, it should decrypt your test-taking approach, exposing if time mismanagement or specific question formats are jeopardizing your score. By elucidating the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind every error, it ensures your strategies are as refined as your knowledge base.

In essence, a good GMAT Practice test stands as a triad of a predictive tool, a diagnostic instrument, and a strategic advisor, amalgamating accurate score estimation, detailed preparation gap analysis, and insightful strategy review to pave a sturdy path towards GMAT triumph. As we proceed, we will explore the intricacies and challenges behind crafting such a mock test, guiding you not only with actionable knowledge but also enabling you to wield it adeptly in your GMAT voyage.

Implications and Adjustments

While MBA.com , e-GMAT , GMAT Club and Experts Global maintain a consistent offering between the GMAT editions, the disappearance of additional providers from the Focus Edition landscape implies a shift in strategy for aspirants. Here, the reliance on a finite set of GMAT mock experiences mandates a careful, introspective approach to utilizing each practice test, ensuring that learnings are deeply internalized and applied progressively throughout the preparation journey.

Ready to tackle the GMAT Focus Edition? e-GMAT offers a Personalized Study Planner and top-notch Free GFE mock exam to help you prepare effectively. As the most reviewed GMAT prep company on GMAT Club with 2700+ reviews we’re here to support your GFE journey. Take advantage of our free trial with the best quality content. Start your path to success today !

About The Author

Rajat Sadana

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The GMAT Focus Score Chart: Understanding Your Score (2024)

If you’re applying to business school, a strong Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score is an important component of your application. Learn how to understand your score with our GMAT scoring scale chart breakdown for the new Focus Edition.

Posted May 22, 2024

Table of Contents

What is the gmat.

The GMAT is one of the standardized exams required for admission, along with the GRE, to most graduate business schools. More than 2,400 schools require either of these exams as part of their applications, including every top program. The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) previously offered two versions of the exam: the GMAT and the GMAT Focus Edition, but, starting in 2024, only the GMAT Focus Edition will be offered. In this article, we’ll break down the key updates to the exam, how the test is scored, and how to interpret your GMAT score.

Read: GMAT vs. GRE for Business School–Which Should You Take and How to Ace Both

GMAT Structure: Previous GMAT vs. GMAT Focus

The previous version of the GMAT exam was approximately three hours long and included four sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), and Integrated Reasoning. The total score range was 200 to 800 with 10-point intervals based on only the Quant and Verbal scores. The new GMAT Focus Edition is two hours and fifteen minutes long, with Verbal, Quantitative, and Data Insights sections. Each section’s score ranges from 60 to 90 and is weighted equally when calculating the overview score, which can now fall between 205 to 805 points in 10-point intervals. This helps distinguish the GMAT Focus Edition from the previous version of the GMAT exam.

The Quantitative section has 21 problems testing your knowledge and use of algebra, arithmetic, and logic; the Verbal section has 23 problems testing your critical thinking and reading comprehension abilities; and the new Data insights section has 20 questions measuring your ability to analyze, interpret, and apply data.

Your score on each section will depend on not only the number of questions answered correctly but also the difficulty level of those questions. The GMAT Focus Edition, like the previous version of the GMAT exam, is a computer-adaptive test at the question level, meaning the difficulty level of the questions will change depending on your performance on previous questions. If you answer questions correctly, you’ll be asked more difficult questions.

After completing the GMAT, you’ll receive an official score report listing your Quant and Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights section scores and your total score. This is an improved version of the score chart compared to what was previously provided to test-takers.

Key Highlights

• The GMAT Focus Edition is 2 hours 15 minutes, 45 minutes shorter than the old GMAT.
• The GMAT Focus has three sections (Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights), each 45 minutes.
• There is no longer a writing portion of the exam. Geometry and sentence correction questions have also been removed.
• The new composite score range is 205-805; section scores are 60-90.
• Test-takers are able to change up to three answers per section.
• An enhanced score report is now included for free.

What is a Good GMAT Score?

When interpreting your GMAT score or determining a target score while preparing for the GMAT exam, it’s important to understand three main principles. Firstly, with thousands of test-takers each year, admissions committees interpret your score by comparing it to the national average in the form of a percentile. The average national GMAT score from 2017 to 2022 was 546.01 with the average Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Data Insights scores at 78.99, 77.71, and 74.41, respectively.

Secondly, most MBA programs release the average GMAT score of each year’s entering class, so check the GMAT scores of your target schools to make sure your score is considered competitive. You want to at least hit the average score of the most recent entering class, though above the average is preferable.

Lastly, your GMAT score is only one part of the application. If you’re not the best test-taker, you can strengthen your application with strong essays, letters of recommendation, experience, etc. A strong GPA also helps balance out subpar GMAT scores. The GPA and GMAT play a similar role in the review of the application: whereas essays, letters of rec, and a resume explain who you are as a person, what you’ve done, and what you want to do, GMAT and GPA are the primary indicators to the AdCom that you are academically inclined and can handle the intensity of a competitive MBA program. If your GMAT score and/or GPA are below average, you’ll need to show academic/intellectual prowess elsewhere in the application. But, if you’re having trouble reaching your score, don’t give up! Get some help from a pro who can work with you on your specific areas of improvement.

Scaled Scores vs. Raw Scores

GMAT and other tests typically report two different kinds of scores: raw scores and scaled scores. Raw scores represent the number of questions answered correctly. Scaled scores adjust raw scores to account for question difficulty and other statistical factors. As mentioned, the GMAT Focus Edition provides a composite scaled score ranging from 205 to 805, reflecting performance across all three sections. The score scale distribution ensures a fair comparison across different test administrations.

Average GMAT Scores of Top MBA Programs

If you’re aiming for admission into the most prestigious MBA programs, you’ll need a great GMAT score. Applicants accepted to top-tier business schools usually reach a GMAT score of 700 or higher, with an average GMAT score range of around 720 to 740 for each year’s entering class, corresponding to percentile rankings of 99 to 100. For average GMAT scores of the top 25 business schools, check out this article ; here are the averages for the M7 programs:

• Stanford GSB: 738
• Harvard Business School*: 730
• University of Pennsylvania Wharton: 733
• Chicago Booth: 729
• Northwestern Kellogg: 729
• MIT Sloan: 730
• Columbia Business School: 729

*HBS reports the median GMAT score, while the rest of the schools report the average.

GMAT Percentiles: What They Are and How to Interpret Them

When comparing your GMAT score to the national average, you can utilize the percentile rankings of a GMAT score chart to see how your score compares to the scores of other test-takers. For example, if your ranking is in the 80th percentile, that means 80% of test-takers scored lower than or equal to you. If your ranking is in the 65th percentile, you scored better than 65% of test-takers.

Use the GMAT score chart below to find the corresponding percentile rankings for your GMAT score. If you haven’t taken the GMAT yet but would like to estimate your percentile ranking, try this online GMAT percentile ranking calculator .

GMAT Score Chart – Total Score

Gmat score chart – verbal, gmat score chart – quantitative, gmat score chart – data insights, our tips for a high gmat score.

• As you may have noticed, most GMAT test-takers tend to have a higher Verbal score and a lower Data Insights score and Quant score. As such, you may need to spend more time focusing on raising your Quant score and Data Insights score.
• When preparing for the exam, focus on what you, uniquely, need to improve on. There is so much curriculum to cover and trying to know every single thing is laudable, but difficult. For efficient prep, focus first on strengthening your areas of weakness for an outsized impact.
• The GMAC offers practice GMAT questions on its website, and you can also find other free resources for GMAT prep such as practice tests and study guides online.
• Don’t be afraid to retake the GMAT if you aren’t satisfied with your GMAT scores the first time around. Retaking the exam if you performed more poorly than expected is fairly common: about one-fifth of test-takers each year are sitting for a retake. The GMAC allows you to take the GMAT up to five times in one year and eight years in your lifetime as long as you wait at least 16 days between each retake.
• For more personalized GMAT prep, work with an expert tutor who can help you determine a target score, create a study plan, and tackle the most challenging portions of the GMAT.

For more resources to help you ace your GMAT and navigate the world of business school applications, check out these articles:

• The Do's and Don'ts of the GMAT: Demystifying the Exam
• GMAT vs. GRE for Business School—Which Should You Take (and How to Ace Both)
• Top 50+ Free Resources for GMAT & GRE Practice
• What to Expect on GMAT Test Day: A Detailed Guide

GMAT Score Chart FAQs

What is the GMAT Focus Edition total score range?

• The GMAT Focus Edition is scored from 205 to 805, encompassing the combined scores from the three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights.

How are scores calculated in the GMAT Focus Edition?

• Scores are based on the number of correct answers, the difficulty of the questions, and other statistical properties, ensuring a precise measurement of a test taker's abilities.

What sections are included in the GMAT Focus Edition?

• The GMAT Focus Edition includes three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Data Insights, each contributing to the overall score.

What are the different types of questions on the GMAT?

• The Verbal section includes Critical Reasoning (Analysis/Critique and Construction/Plan) and Reading Comprehension (Identify Stated Idea and Identify Inferred Idea) questions.
• The Quantitative section includes Problem Solving, Algebra, and Arithmetic questions.
• The Data Insights section includes Data Sufficiency, Graphs and Tables, Multi-Source Reasoning, Two-Part Analysis questions.

How does the GMAT Focus Edition differ from the traditional GMAT?

• The GMAT Focus Edition is shorter, has three sections instead of four, removes Geometry, Sentence Correction, and Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), and has a new scoring system.

Can you change answers during the GMAT Focus Edition?

• Yes, test takers can change up to three answers per section in the GMAT Focus Edition, providing more flexibility during the exam.

What is the duration of the GMAT Focus Edition?

• The GMAT Focus Edition lasts for 2 hours and 15 minutes, making it a shorter exam compared to the traditional GMAT.

Is the Enhanced Score Report included in the GMAT Focus Edition?

• Yes, the Enhanced Score Report is included for free in the GMAT Focus Edition, providing detailed insights into performance.

What are the benefits of the GMAT Focus Edition's new scoring system?

• The new scoring system offers a more comprehensive evaluation of a candidate's abilities and allows for better comparison across different test takers.

How do I interpret my GMAT scores?

• Scores are interpreted by comparing them against percentiles and benchmarks provided by GMAT, which indicate your performance relative to other test takers.

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GMAT Model Questions

No matter if you have been prepping for a while or are just beginning your GMAT Focus studying, you know that the Quantitative Reasoning section is a challenging component of the GMAT. While the math tested on the GMAT may seem overwhelming, the good news is that it is very learnable, especially with the GMAT model questions we’ll present you in this article. If you study smart and work hard, you can master GMAT Quant!

In this article, we will focus on GMAT Quant, concentrating on GMAT model questions that will anchor you to a variety of core topics that are commonly tested on the exam.

Here are the topics we’ll cover:

• What Are the GMAT Quant Topics?

An Example of Topical Studying

Topical practice reinforces what you have learned, model question 1: linear equations.

• Model Question 2: Number Properties

Model Question 3: Exponents 

Model question 4: inequalities, model question 5: functions, model question 6: coordinate geometry, model question 7: counting principle, model question 8: percents, model question 9: probability, model question 10: word problems, what’s next.

To get started, let’s review the basics of GMAT Quant.

What Are the GMAT Quant Topics? 

The GMAT has one Quantitative Reasoning section. In this section, you’ll have 45 minutes to answer 21 problem-solving (PS) questions. These PS questions are all multiple-choice with 5 answer choices.

There are 23 major topics that will be tested in the 21 Quant questions when you see on your GMAT. Notably missing from this list are Geometry and Data Analysis/Data Interpretation. Geometry is no longer tested on the GMAT, and Data Analysis/Data Interpretation is now tested in the Data Insights section of the GMAT.

• Linear Equations
• Quadratic Equations
• Number Properties and Theory

Inequalities

• Absolute Value
• General Word Problems
• Work Problems
• Unit Conversions
• Overlapping Sets
• Combinations
• Permutations

Probability

Coordinate geometry, considerations.

If you do some quick math, you see that with 23 topics and 21 questions, you can expect to see roughly one question for each Quant topic on the GMAT or on official practice tests. Unfortunately, however, the question distribution is not quite that simple! Part of what makes the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GMAT so challenging is that you do not know which topics and how many GMAT math questions from each topic you’ll see on any given exam .

For example, on one test, you may see four function questions and two exponent questions, and on another, you may see one function question and four exponent questions. Similar variance in the number of questions you could see applies to the other topics as well.

Do not expect to see the same number of questions from each topic on every GMAT test or practice test you take.

So, this begs the question, what is the best way to prepare for GMAT Quant? Let’s discuss that now.

Optimal GMAT Quant Preparation

While we have discussed several ways to prepare for the GMAT in other articles, we can review some of the key points here.

Here are two crucial facts that should guide us in how we prepare:

• The number of questions we see on any Quant topic is unpredictable.
• There are 23 major Quant topics but just 21 Quant questions on the GMAT.

With these two facts in mind, to nail GMAT Quant, you must be prepared for anything that might be presented . To accomplish that goal, your studying must be organized, and one great way to organize your studying is to employ topical learning. Simply put, topical learning means learning just one topic at a time and then practicing only that topic until you have achieved mastery. So, you can see how topical learning keeps your studying from being haphazard and random.

Topical learning will keep you focused on learning the huge number of GMAT topics you must master to be successful on test day.

Let’s review a specific example of topical studying from the Target Test Prep GMAT Prep course . We can look at the chapter on Statistics.

The TTP study plan is set up so that students focus on one major topic at a time and then answer practice questions on just that topic.

The TTP Statistics chapter contains the following topics:

• The Average
• Evenly-Spaced Sets
• Counting the Multiples of Integer A or B in a Set of Consecutive Integers
• Weighted Averages
• Standard Deviation
• When the Standard Deviation of a Set is Zero

As you can see, there are many subtopics just about Statistics! And Statistics is just one of 19 chapters in the course. So, you can see how important it is to focus on just one topic at a time.

Our chapters present two or three questions after each concept taught to solidify that concept. At the end of each chapter, we then provide 100+ GMAT sample questions with solutions to build and reinforce mastery of the math topics in that chapter.

To keep your GMAT Quant learning organized, focused, and on track, you must engage in topical learning.

So, you have successfully learned a Quant topic (such as Statistics). You diligently immersed yourself in the content, reading the material, taking notes, and creating your own GMAT math flashcards. You’re at the end of the chapter. What to do next?

Now you need to practice what you have just learned. In an ideal situation, you will practice at least 50 questions on each topic. For example, in the TTP study plan for work questions, students complete 11 easy, medium, and hard tests totaling 165 questions. After completing so many questions, it’s easy to identify your strengths and your weaknesses.

After engaging in topical learning, be sure to complete at least 50 questions on the topic you just learned.

Problem-Solving (PS) Quant Model Questions

All 21 Quant questions on the GMAT Quant section are problem-solving (PS) multiple-choice questions with 5 answer choices. However, there is an additional Quant question type that you will encounter in the Data Insights section of the GMAT: the Data Sufficiency (DS) question. Our article about GMAT Data Sufficiency (DS) questions will answer your questions and give you lots of practice with this question type that is unique to the GMAT Data Insights section.

Linear Equations 

Linear equations are the heart and soul of algebra and calculus, so it’s no wonder that your ability to recognize, manipulate, and solve them is a critical skill. This model question asks you to manipulate, substitute, and solve for a variable.

Solving linear equations is one of the most important skills needed for GMAT Quant success.

If 6q = 12x + 24 and 3r = 3x – 12, what is q in terms of r?

We simplify the first equation by dividing by 6, giving us:

q = 2x + 4   (eq.1)

Next, we divide the second equation by 3 and isolate x, giving us:

r = x – 4

x = r + 4   (eq. 2)

We can substitute r + 4 from eq. 2 for x in eq. 1, giving us:

q = 2(r + 4) + 4

q = 2r + 8 + 4

q = 2r + 12

Number Properties 

The patterns of units digits of numbers raised to positive integer powers is a recurring type of problem asked on the GMAT. To master questions of this type, pay special attention to the Number Properties topic during your test preparation.

Knowing the patterns of units digits raised to positive integer powers will hold you in good stead for solving GMAT questions about number properties.

Model Question 2: Number Properties 

Which of the following is the units digit of 3^22?

Let’s look at the pattern that is created by raising the base 3 to consecutive positive integer powers:

3^5 = 24 3 (We can ignore this result, as it indicates that the pattern starts repeating with 3^5.)

We see that the pattern of units digits is 3, 9, 7, 1.

Now, let’s note that the units digit of 3^4, 3^8, 3^12 and 3 raised to any power that is a multiple of 4 will yield a units digit of 1.

So, using that observation, we see that the units digit of 3^20 is 1. Now, if we follow the pattern of 3, 9, 7, 1, 3, 9, 7, 1, …, we see that 3^21 will have a units digit of 3, and 3^22 will have a units digit of 9.

Exponents 

During your prep, It is critical that you memorize and practice the rules of exponents. The basic rules are the following:

(x^a)(x^b) = x^(a + b)   Multiplication Rule

(x^a)^b = x^(ab)     Power to a Power Rule

Our model question below uses the concept of equating exponents when we have the same base.

Two important rules of exponents are the multiplication rule and the power-to-a-power rule.

If 3^12 + 3^15 = 28 * 27^5x, then x is equal to which of the following?

First, we factor out 3^12 from the two terms on the left-hand side of the equation, giving us:

3^12(1 + 3^3) = 28 * 27^5x

3^12(1 + 27) = 28 * 27^5x

3^12(28) = 28 * 27^5x

3^12 = 27^5x

Next, we must get the same base for the quantities on each side of the equation. Since 27 = 3^3, we have:

3^12 = (3^3)^5x

3^12 = 3^15x

We have the same base, so we can equate the exponents:

12/15 = 4/5 = x

Inequalities and equations are solved in similar ways. However, there are a few differences to keep in mind when you’re solving inequalities:

• If you multiply or divide an inequality by a negative number, you must reverse the inequality sign.
• If you want to divide an inequality by a variable, you may not perform the division if you can’t determine the sign of the variable.

If you multiply or divide an inequality by a negative number, reverse the inequality sign.

(-7x + 5) / 3 + 1 < 12

Which of the following could be the value of x?

• I and II only
• II and III only

Let’s solve for x, remembering that if we multiply or divide by a negative number, we reverse the sign of the inequality.

We can start by subtracting 1 from both sides:

Next, let’s multiply both sides by 3:

(-7x + 5) / 3 < 11

We can now subtract 5 from both sides:

-7x + 5 < 33

Finally, let’s divide both sides by -7, remembering to flip the inequality sign:

-7x < 28

A function is a rule that assigns each input exactly one output. We use function notation to show this relationship. For example, if we have a quadratic function f(x) = x^2 + 4x, then if we input 3 for x, we have f(3) = 3^2 + 4(3) = 21.

Another important function concept is the compound (or composite) function, in which the output of one function is the input of the same or another function. For example, if f(x) = 4x and g(x) = x^2 – 8, then the value of f(g(3)) is the notation of the compound function, where we first use 3 as the input of the g(x) function and then use the result to plug into the f(x) function, as follows:

g(3) = 3^2 – 8 = 9 – 8 = 1

Since g(3) = 1, we substitute 1 for x into the f(x) function:

f(g(3)) = f(1) = 4(1) = 4

Let’s now look at a similar example.

A function uses an input to create exactly one output.

If f(x) = 4x + 3 and f(f(m)) = 13, what is the value of m?

Using the given function, we know that f(m) = 4m + 3. Working from the inside out, we see that:

f(m) = 4m + 3

f(f(m)) = f(4m + 3)

f(4m + 3) = 4(4m + 3) + 3

f(4m + 3) = 16m + 12 + 3

f(4m + 3) = 16m + 15

Therefore, f(f(m)) = f(4m + 3)  = 16m + 15, and since f(f(m)) = 13, we have:

16m + 5 = 13

m = 8/16 = 1/2

Even though Geometry is no longer tested on the GMAT, the topic of Coordinate Geometry is still on the list. Coordinate Geometry deals with graphing geometric figures in the coordinate plane. The most common coordinate geometry topic is the line, with slope-intercept form of y = mx + b, where m is the slope of the line and b is the y-intercept.

Even though Geometry is no longer tested on the GMAT, Coordinate Geometry is.

If the equation of line Q in standard form is 12x + 3y = 11, what is the slope of line Q?

Let’s rearrange the terms to change the equation from standard form to slope-intercept form, y = mx + b:

12x + 3y = 11

3y = -12x + 11

y = -4x + 11/3

We see that the slope of the line is -4.

The Fundamental Counting Principle

Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics that quantifies the number of ways to choose, list, or order items or tasks. Combinatorics includes the topics of combinations, permutations, and the fundamental counting principle.

The fundamental counting principle states that if there are n items of one type and m items of another type, then there are n x m ways to choose one of each item. This concept is extended to multiple types of items and is used in the following model question.

You’ll encounter questions on GMAT Quant that require the use of the fundamental counting principle.

If Marvella’s Sandwich Shop offers 4 types of bread, 3 types of cheese, and 5 types of meat, how many different sandwiches could be chosen, if a sandwich must contain 1 type of bread, 1 cheese, and 1 meat?

There are 4 ways to choose the bread, 3 ways to choose the cheese, and 5 ways to choose the meat.

Using the fundamental counting principle, we see that there are 4 x 3 x 5 = 60 different ways to choose a sandwich.

A solid knowledge of percents and the types of word problems that involve percents is important for getting a high GMAT Quant score. Be sure to review the following types of percent calculations during your GMAT prep:

• Percent greater than
• Percent less than
• What percent
• Percent change

Familiarize yourself with the various percent question types that are included in the GMAT Quant section.

On Tuesday, Clarice answered 38 algebra homework problems, and on Wednesday she answered 28 algebra homework problems. What is the approximate percent change in the number of homework problems she answered from Tuesday to Wednesday?

• 10% decrease
• 26.3% decrease
• 26.3% increase
• 35.7% decrease
• 35.7% increase

The “old” value is 38, and the “new” value is 28. We use the percent change formula:

(New – Old) / Old x 100%

(28 – 38) / 38 x 100%

-10/38 x 100%

-0.263 x 100%

A negative value for a percent change means that it is a percent decrease. Thus, the number of homework problems she answered from Tuesday to Wednesday decreased by about 26.3%

Two common probability questions involve (1) the probability of either of two events happening or (2) the probability that both events happen.

• P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)      (If A and B are mutually exclusive events)
• P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A and B)
• P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B)      (If A and B are independent events)
• P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B|A)

It’s important to know the conditions under which each of these formulas is used.

Know the probability rules and when to use each of them.

In the algebra class, there are 6 boys and 11 girls. In the calculus class, there are 7 boys and 5 girls. If one student is selected at random, what is the probability that the student is either a girl or from the calculus class?

Let’s summarize what we know. First, we know that the total number of students is 6 + 11 + 7 + 5 = 29. There are 11 + 5 = 16 girls, and there are 7 + 5 = 12 students in Calculus class.

The key word in the question is “or.” It indicates that one of the addition rules of probability will be used. Because the randomly chosen student can be both a girl and from Calculus class, we know that those two events are NOT mutually exclusive. Thus, we will use the second addition rule of probability.

P(Girl or Calculus) = P(Girl) + P(Calculus) – P(Girl and Calculus)

P(Girl or Calculus) = 16/29 + 12/29 – 5/29

P(Girl or Calculus) = 23/29

Note that we double-counted the 5 girls in Calculus class, so we subtract out those 5 girls once from our calculation. The addition rule we used does that for us.

Word Problems

The GMAT asks a variety of word problems, including traditional age, length, and money problems you may recall from algebra class. Additionally, you’ll encounter business questions such as price per item, profit/loss, and salary questions. They all require one common skill: the ability to translate words into equations. The model question presented here gives you practice at doing just that.

The GMAT Quant section can include word problems covering a variety of topics, such as age, length, money, price, profit/loss, and salary. Know how to solve questions of each type.

June is three times as old as Agnes. Four years ago, June was five times as old as Agnes. What is the sum of their current ages?

First, let’s define their present ages:

A = Agnes’s age today and J = June’s age today.

We are told that June is three times as old as Agnes, so we have:

J = 3A   (equation 1)

This means that four years ago, Agnes was (A – 4) and June was (J – 4).

Since 4 years ago, June’s age was five times Agnes’ age, we create a second equation:

J – 4 = 5(A – 4)

J – 4 = 5A – 20

J = 5A – 16   (equation 2)

Equation 1 tells us that J = 3A, so we can substitute 3A for J in equation 2:

3A = 5A – 16

Thus, Agnes’ current age is 8, and June’s current age is (3)(8) = 24. The sum of their current ages is 8 + 24 = 32.

The GMAT Focus Edition presents one Quantitative section with 21 questions, all of which are multiple-choice questions with 5 answer choices. There are 23 major topics covered in these questions, and you cannot predict exactly which topics will be tested. Therefore, the best way to study the material tested on the GMAT is topically. You learn and practice one topic at a time until you have mastered it.

In this article, we presented 10 GMAT question examples representing a variety of topics. It is important to be familiar and comfortable with all the topics you may encounter when you take the GMAT.

If this article has been helpful in providing you with a variety of GMAT Quant questions to practice, you might consider another one that provides the top 10 tips for earning a great GMAT score .

Remember, the more you properly practice, the better prepared you’ll be on test day.

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About The Author

Jeffrey Miller is the head GMAT instructor for Target Test Prep. Jeff has more than fourteen years of experience in the business of helping students with low GMAT scores hurdle the seemingly impossible and achieve the scores they need to get into the top 20 business school programs in the world, including HBS, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia. Jeff has cultivated many successful business school graduates through his GMAT instruction, and will be a pivotal resource for many more to follow.

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Best GMAT Flash...

Best GMAT Flashcards and How to Use Them

GMAT is the global entrance test for MBA admissions. It assesses your mastery of various concepts across verbal and quantitative sections . It’s unique question types and time constraints, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. However, there is a simple yet powerful tool that can help you conquer the GMAT: flashcards. Yes, you heard it right, it’s Flashcards!

Flashcards may seem like a memory from your school days, but they are useful GMAT preparation aids. While flashcards may seem like a simple tool, they can be a game-changer for your  GMAT preparation . By breaking down complex concepts into manageable chunks, actively engaging your brain, and allowing for customization, flashcards can help you master the GMAT and achieve your desired score.

Need help to prepare for the GMAT and apply to the right university? Fear not! Yocket Premium will help you understand the intricacies of the GMAT. Not only that, Yocket will assist you right from applying to your dream university to getting a visa, and everything in between. Having assisted dozens of aspirants in securing admission into their dream universities in 2024, we can help you realize your educational objectives!  Become A Premium Yocketer Today!

Why Studying With GMAT Flashcards Is Valuable?

Flashcards are a valuable tool for GMAT preparation , as they help build fluency in formulas and concepts in the quant section and improve mastery of idiomatic language and grammar skills in the verbal section.

Flashcards are an incredibly effective way to prepare for both the GMAT quant and verbal sections. You can use GMAT quant flashcards to build your fluency with the formulas and concepts you’ll see on the GMAT quant section. Verbal flashcards, on the other hand, are a great way to improve your mastery of the idiomatic language and grammar skills.

The three main reasons why flashcards are a valuable tool for GMAT preparation are:

1. Flashcards Help You Confront the Material

Flashcards require you to understand the GMAT content. For example, instead of memorizing a list of the formulas you'll need in the quant part, you'll work with each individually. You'll have to question yourself whether you truly understand how to employ the formula in a quick, and concise manner.

2. Flashcards Are An Effective Study Tool

Flashcards are one of the most effective techniques for mastering material. You use a flash card every time, you teach your brain to retain information fast and accurately. As you practice using flashcards, you can improve your knowledge and memory.

3. Flashcards Help You Master Quant Fundamentals

Questions in the GMAT quant section frequently require you to employ multiple skills to obtain the correct answer. In contrast, flashcards require you to employ only one ability. This might be a disadvantage sometimes, but studying each skill separately will help you understand the principles to excel on the GMAT quantitative. When presented with a challenging question, you can confidently use these skills.

GMAT Exam Registration: Step by Step Process

What Can You Study With GMAT Flashcards?

Flashcards are valuable tools for studying the GMAT but are not designed to answer long, GMAT-style questions. Instead, they provide bite-sized chunks of information, such as idioms or math equations, to build fluency in fundamental concepts. Most GMAT quant flashcards focus on simple math concepts like polygons or equations, preparing students for more complex questions in the quant section. 

In contrast, GMAT verbal flashcards focus on idioms or grammar terms, explaining the meaning of common idioms and addressing grammar concepts in sentence correction questions. These flashcards aim to build the fundamental skills needed to answer GMAT-style questions, rather than focusing on GMAT-style questions.

How to Study With GMAT Flashcards?

The waterfall method is the most effective way to study GMAT flashcards. It involves working through smaller subsets of flashcards as you learn different topics, then working back up through them once you've learned them all. This method maximizes your studying time and helps you focus on the most important issues.

The six steps below will help you understand how to prepare with GMAT Flashcards.

Step 1: Take your pile of flashcards

Step 2: To complete the flashcards first go through each card individually. Place the "Know it" card on the left for easy answers, and the "Struggled" card on the right for those you struggle with.

Step 3: After reviewing all flashcards, pick the "Struggled" pile and go through it. Place cards that you know answers in a separate "Know it" pile, not combined with the first pile.

Step 4: Make a second "Struggled" pile adjacent to the first "Struggled" pile, but do not merge it. Repeat this process until your "Struggled" pile contains only 4-5 cards. This method creates your "waterfall".

Step 5: Once all flashcards are completed, repeat the process of working through the "waterfall" pile, starting with the last "Struggled" pile, until all questions are answered.

Step 6: Add the most current (and rightmost) "Know it" pile. Go through these cards until you've got all of the answers correct. If you miss any cards, shuffle the deck and begin over. Continue this method for each stack of cards as you return up the waterfall. Continue until you can answer each card correctly.

The waterfall method is effective as it helps you identify and study the concepts you struggle with most frequently, it allows you to focus on understanding the less understood cards more than mastering the more mastered ones.

All GMAT Maths Formula You Need in 2024

Can You Make Your GMAT Flashcards?

There are tons of free GMAT flash cards out there. Is it worthwhile to make your own?

Yes. The best flashcards are the flashcards you make yourself. Making your own GMAT flashcards is a valuable learning tool, it helps you to focus on the content you struggle with and improve your mastery. By creating flashcards with two sides, you can provide an example of a skill and give the correct answer. For example, you might want to write: “How to find the area of the trapezium?” On the second side, you’ll have to give the correct answer. This approach can be useful for those who struggle with certain topics, such as probability rules or idioms.

Ideally, you should create flashcards on notecards to use the waterfall method when studying. You can purchase notecard decks or rings at any office supply store, use an app to make flashcards or create them in a program like Microsoft Word. Keep the flashcards short and sweet, as they should only test one specific skill at a time. This allows you to have a targeted focus on each card and easily identify which skills you are struggling with.

Creating your flashcards is a valuable learning tool that can help you identify and improve your skills in GMAT preparation.

Best GMAT Flashcards Available

Some of the best GMAT flashcards available online and offline are Beat the GMAT, GMAT Club, Magoosh, Kaplan, Ready4 GMAT, and Prep4 GMAT. Let us discuss each of them in detail.

Beat the GMAT

Beat the GMAT offers free downloadable flashcards that cover all major topics tested on the GMAT and strategies for verbal and quant sections. These flashcards come in PDF or app formats, making them suitable for the waterfall method or those with limited space. GMAT Club offers an extensive array of flashcards covering almost every concept on the GMAT, from statistics to subject-verb agreement.

Cost: Free with login

Format: PDF or app

Magoosh's online flashcards are easy to use and can be downloaded without a login or app. They break down flashcards by concept and offer mixed concept reviews. However, they may not be suitable for clear, quick answers as their explanations can be wordy.

Format: Online or in-app

Kaplan's GMAT flashcards are better for building knowledge of the GMAT than testing the actual content on the test. They focus more on the GMAT, asking questions about different test sections or how much time you have for each section. The breakdown of the flashcards is 260 for the quant section, 190 for the verbal section, and 50 for the test format itself.

Cost: USD 12.70 (INR 1060)

Format: Paper flashcards

Ready4 GMAT

Ready4 GMAT (formerly Prep4 GMAT) is a great app with features such as practice questions, in-depth answer explanations, personalized coaching, and hundreds of flashcards that review important GMAT skills. To gain access to all the features, a subscription is required at a one-time fee of $19.99 (not including tutoring).

Cost: Free with in-app purchases

Format: iOS/Android app

GMAT Club offers a comprehensive set of flashcards for the GMAT, covering various concepts like statistics and subject-verb agreement. These flashcards are available for free with login and are presented in easily digestible chunks, making them ideal for targeted practice and mastering fundamentals. However, the PDF has four flashcards on one page, requiring scissors preparation.

Format: PDF

Guide on GMAT Exam Pattern

Flashcards are an important tool for GMAT study, allowing you to break down difficult concepts into manageable chunks while actively engaging with the content. Whether you use pre-made flashcard sets or make custom decks, constant practice with flashcards will help reinforce your understanding of quant and verbal concepts, enhancing your confidence and performance on exam day. Understand the power of flashcards and use them in your GMAT study schedule for a winning edge.

Are you curious about which business schools, based on your profile, will be the most suitable for you? If yes, then get in touch with Yocket Professionals to receive a thorough profile evaluation. Moreover, with 15+ years of experience, they can assist you in shortlisting universities and applications for visas and scholarships! Schedule A FREE Video Consultation Call Today!

FAQ's on GMAT Flashcards and How to Use Them

Can flashcards alone be enough for GMAT preparation?

Flashcards alone are not enough resources for GMAT preparation. While they are extremely helpful in building a strong foundation and mastering fundamental concepts, you will also need to practice with full-length mock tests, study guides, and other resources to develop your test-taking strategies and time management skills.

Should I create my flashcards or use pre-made ones?

Both options can be beneficial. Creating your flashcards is a valuable learning experience. You can focus on your weak areas and engage actively with the material. However, pre-made flashcard sets from reputable sources can save you time and ensure that you cover all the important concepts thoroughly.

How often should I review my GMAT flashcards?

Consistent practice is key. Aim to review your flashcards daily or at least a few times a week. Spaced repetition, where you revisit the cards at increasing intervals, can help reinforce the information in your long-term memory.

Are physical flashcards better than digital ones?

Both physical and digital flashcards can be effective, depending on your preferences and study habits. Physical flashcards allow for a more tactile experience and can be easier to shuffle and organize, while digital flashcards offer portability and the ability to study on the go. Ultimately, choose the format that works best for your learning style.

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GMAT Prep Online Guides and Tips

2000+ gmat sample questions: practice every question type.

Practice questions are an essential part of any GMAT prep. But how do you find the best GMAT sample questions?

In this article, I’ll address what to look for in GMAT practice questions, the pros and cons of both official and unofficial GMAT test questions, and tips on creating an effective GMAT study plan using these resources.

What to Look for in GMAT Sample Questions

There are a wide variety of GMAT sample questions out there. How do you know if you’re using quality practice ones? These are a few of the characteristics of good GMAT practice questions, whether they’re official or unofficial.

#1: Same Format and Question Types as the Real GMAT

Once you start taking GMAT practice tests, you’ll get a feel for how GMAT questions should look: how long they are, what they look like on the screen, the topics they tend to cover, and the style in which they’re written, for example. In every section, there will also be a mix of question types: the quant section always includes both data sufficiency and problem-solving questions, while the verbal section always includes a mix of sentence correction, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning questions.

The GMAT example questions you choose as you prepare for the test should be as similar as possible to real questions written by the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC). The closer you can get to simulating real testing conditions, including everything from visuals to question content, the more comfortable you’ll feel on the day of the test. Also, answering GMAT practice questions that are similar to those you’ll encounter on exam day will help you gauge your progress and potential GMAT score range accurately.

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#2: Computerized (and Hopefully Adaptive)

The GMAT is a computerized adaptive test (CAT), which means it adapts to the test taker’s skill level in real time to determine both their score and the mix of questions they’re given. Ideally, GMAT sample questions should follow this format, so you can be best prepared for what you’ll see and experience on test day. Practice resources in CAT format will usually advertise that fact prominently. If they don’t, they’re likely not in the format of the official GMAT.

Obviously not every resource you use will be in CAT format—for example, if you’re using a book to do drills on specific question types. But a sizable portion of your prep should be done using practice questions in CAT format.

#3: Accurate Difficulty Levels

The GMAT always includes a mix of easy, medium and difficult questions. How many you receive of each will depend partly on the computerized adaptive test: You’ll start with ‘medium’ questions, and if you answer those correctly, you’ll be given more difficult questions on average; if you answer them incorrectly, you’ll get easier questions on average. However, every test taker will receive some questions at all three difficulty levels.

Your selection of practice GMAT questions should be at the same difficulty level as the real GMAT test questions. As you prepare, you’ll be able to tell if your sample GMAT questions seem too easy or too difficult on average. Practicing with either too-difficult or too-easy questions might give you an inaccurate picture of your probable ultimate GMAT score, and could also leave you underprepared for the real GMAT.

#4: Organized by Skill and/or Difficulty

You should target your weaknesses when completing GMAT practice questions. You may struggle more with data sufficiency questions than with problem-solving questions on the quant section, for example, or you may do well on most geometry questions but wrestle more with trigonometry and algebra. Alternatively, you may have mastered easy questions across the board and might need to focus on medium and/or difficult questions instead.

Resources that offer customizable sets (based on question type, skills tested, and difficulty level) of GMAT practice questions, or that separate the questions according to those categories, will help you study more effectively and in a more organized fashion than ones that aren’t labeled according to type or that are randomly compiled. The more specifically each question is categorized, the more effectively you will be able to form a study plan that hones in on your specific problem areas.

Official GMAT Practice Questions

The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) releases a variety of practice resources that use official GMAT sample questions, either written by the test makers themselves or adopted from retired exams. For each resource, I’ll go over what’s included, its strengths and weaknesses, and the best way to make use of it in your prep.

#1: GMATPrep Software

The official GMATPrep Software is the best resource for GMAT practice questions available. It contains two full-length simulated computerized adaptive tests . Everything is written by GMAC, so you know you’re getting the real thing. You can take the two practice tests as many times as you like, but you’ll likely repeat some of the same questions if you take each one more than once.

You can customize your sets of practice questions, choosing 1-15 questions of each type (critical reasoning, sentence correction, and reading comprehension, for verbal) and difficulty (easy, medium, or difficult). In addition to the questions on the two practice tests, there are 90 additional practice questions available on the software.

The software also includes a detailed breakdown of GMAT question types and strategies, as well as a review of skills you’ll need for the quant section.

• It’s free for registered users of mba.com. Just create an account.
• The practice questions are identical in length, format, style, content, and visuals to what you’ll see on the GMAT.
• Answer explanations are step-by-step and in-depth, and you can go back and review or drill questions you previously got wrong as many times as you like.
• Detailed performance reviews break down what you’re getting wrong so you can hone in on your weak spots, including specific question types and skill sets
• Not much! The GMATPrep exams are great GMAT example tests. There aren’t many resources that can beat official questions under simulated testing conditions, and it’s free.
• However, there are only two full-length practice tests, so you’ll likely need to supplement these practice questions with other resources.
• Also, while the quant review is great, there isn’t a similar resource available on the software for the verbal section.

How to Use It:

• It’s best to start off your GMAT prep by taking one of the two full-length simulated tests on the GMATPrep software. Since the practice questions and score report are so realistic, the results will serve as a good barometer of your starting point.
• After you complete the rest of your prep with other practice questions, you should take the second GMATPrep practice test a few weeks before you take the GMAT. This will give you a good idea of where you stand before exam day.

#2: GMATPrep Question Pack 1

An official addition to the GMATPrep Software, the GMATPrep Question Pack contains 404 additional official questions.

You can create custom sets of practice questions of any length based on your needs. Each set of questions can be completed in either ‘exam mode’ (timed, under simulated test conditions) or ‘study mode’ (untimed). The Question Pack will cost you $29.99 to download.

• This resource contains practice questions that aren’t available in any other official prep materials.
• Your performance reviews for these practice questions will be integrated into your overall progress reports in the GMATPrep Software , allowing you to get an even more accurate picture of what your needs are in terms of prep.
• There isn’t much of a downside to official questions as a supplement to your overall prep.
• Once you’ve taken a few practice tests and figured out your weaknesses, create custom practice question sets that target your difficult spots (particular sections, question types, or question difficulty levels). These will serve as drills to beef up your skills in those areas.

#3: The GMATPrep Exam Collection

These are official additions to the GMATPrep Software. You can only get them once you’ve downloaded the original free software.

Each Exam Pack contains 90 additional practice questions (30 quantitative, 45 verbal, and 15 integrated reasoning), as well as two full-length computerized adaptive GMATs. Each Exam Pack costs $49.99.

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• In-depth diagnostics will let you know how you’re doing in comparison to your peers on every subsection of the test , as well as how your pacing could improve on each question type.
• Answer explanations offer step-by-step, detailed analyses of all practice questions.
• Not much (official GMAC questions are always helpful), except that they’re a bit pricey.
• These practice questions are a great first step after you take an initial diagnostic practice test, particularly if you’re still unsure of what exactly your weak spots are.
• You can use the two full-length CAT GMATs to gauge your progress throughout your prep. Alongside the official GMATPrep Software, you’ll have four full-length tests, so you can space them out to regularly check up on how your score is improving.

#4: GMAT Write

GMAT Write is a fairly new tool released by the makers of the GMAT, meant to help you with the analytical writing assessment. It includes two unique sample prompts for the analytical writing assessment section.

GMAT Write will time your essays (30 minutes each, just like on the real exam) and score them in real time according to the GMAC rubric. It costs $29.99 to download.

• The visuals and experience of writing the essay are highly realistic.
• The sample questions are written by GMAC, so you know they’re reliable.
• GMAT Write scores your essays according to the same criteria used on the real GMAT— ‘analyzes the issue,’ ‘supports ideas,’ ‘organizes a coherent idea,’ and ‘language control’ — in real time. It’s the only official GMAC tool that will score your sample essays.
• There are only two unique exam prompts included, which isn’t necessarily a lot of practice for $29.99.
• You won’t get any detailed feedback , just scores in each of the four categories used to assess GMAT essays.
• Use it alongside other practice tests. Many other resources only have integrated reasoning, verbal and quantitative practice questions, so adding a prompt from GMAT Write to your practice test will help you more closely simulated the experience of the actual GMAT.

#5: The  GMAT Official Guide 2018

The GMAT Official Guide 2018  is a comprehensive resource for GMAT prep. Included in your purchase ($19.95) is access (both online and in print) to over 900 official practice questions, access to an accompanying site where you can customize sets of practice questions, and online videos with plenty of GMAT tips and strategies.

• The questions are written by GMAC, so they’re high quality.  The online practice questions mimic the visuals of the real GMAT.
• The practice questions are organized in order of difficulty.
• The answer explanations and introduction sections (where key GMAT concepts get broken down) are too complex for non-advanced students. This is especially true for the quant and sentence correction questions.
• The online question bank only allows you to save ten practice sessions at a time, so if you plan on doing more, you’ll need to delete them before starting a new session.
• The online question bank is great for regular practice sessions. The question sets are customizable, and you can review them at any time.
• The book itself is a good resource to start your practice with after using the GMATPrep software as an initial diagnostic tool.

#6: IR Prep Tool

The Integrated Reasoning (IR) Prep Tool was introduced in 2014 to aid students specifically in the integrated reasoning section.

The tool includes 48 integrated reasoning questions total: 10 graphics interpretation questions, 15 multi-source reasoning questions, 15 two-part analysis questions, and eight table analysis questions.

You can create customized practice question sets, focusing on all question types or just one. You can also set the difficulty level for each practice question set. Once downloaded, you have unlimited use of the prep tool for six months. The IR Prep Tool can be downloaded for $19.99.

• A detailed ‘help’ section breaks down each integrated reasoning question type for you and gives tips on how to approach it.
• A time management tool tracks your average time on each question type and difficulty level, allowing you to work specifically on your pacing.
• The IR Prep Tool doesn’t give you a specific score estimation. Your official IR score will be between 1 and 8, but the IR Prep Tool gives you a score between 0 and 100 based on your performance and time management.
• There aren’t many resources out there specifically aimed at the integrated reasoning section, a frequent problem area for students, so this is a goldmine for students who have trouble with it.
• Use it to target and break down the integrated reasoning section into manageable chunks, particularly if you get overwhelmed by the fact that each question has multiple components.

#7: GMAT Focus Quantitative Diagnostic Tool

The GMAT Focus Quantitative Diagnostic Tool consists of a 24-question quantitative test (12 data sufficiency questions and 12 problem-solving questions ) that uses real questions from retired exams. It’s computer adaptive and follows the style and format of the actual GMAT quant section.

You can start and stop the test manually, but you have 45 minutes total to complete the practice questions.

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When you complete the test, the Focus Tool provides detailed answer explanations and an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses in terms of quant concepts.

Four unique tests are available. One test costs $29.99, and a three-test package costs $79.99.

• The GMAT Paper Tests are the only other GMAT practice resources that use real retired GMAT questions, making the Focus Tool the only computerized adaptive resource to do so. So you get the best of both worlds with this one: real practice questions from previous GMATs and simulated testing conditions.
• The detailed assessment of your performance, including a possible score range (more accurate than an exact score, since no one practice test will give you a perfect prediction of your ultimate GMAT score) and a breakdown of your performance by question difficulty, will tell you exactly which quant skills you need to work on before the GMAT.
• It’s a bit pricey for just 24 questions each.
• It’s not tied into the other GMAT prep resources, so your results won’t be integrated into your GMATPrep performance reports.
• After you complete one of the GMATPrep exams, this tool will help you hone in on the quant section . You’ll get an overall idea of your strengths and weaknesses in quant from the GMATPrep Software, but this tool will help you get much more specific about which skills to target in your quant prep.

#8: GMAT Paper Tests

The GMAT Paper Tests are real retired GMAT tests , written by GMAC. Each set (I, II, and III) contains three official GMAT tests, answer sheets, and a guide for converting your raw score into a scaled score. They’re available in downloadable PDF form. Each set costs $29.99.

• Most of the questions in these tests aren’t available in any of the other official GMAT practice tests or resources, so they’re especially good if you want some extra practice. This is a big plus: It’s somewhat difficult to find GMAC-authored questions that don’t overlap with other resources.
• Official questions are always a big positive in terms of GMAT prep!
• They’re on paper! You’ll have to score them yourself using the answer sheet, and it’s not computerized (obviously) or adaptive, so it doesn’t simulate any of the testing conditions.
• No answer explanations are included, just the answers themselves.
• You may want to order these if you’re a test-taker with a disability that may require an accommodation and using paper tests at home is easier for you during prep time.
• The GMAT Paper Tests might also serve you well if you’ve used all the other official sample GMAT questions and you want some additional prep. However, don’t rely on them to give you much info on your likely final GMAT score, since they aren’t in the official GMAT format. Use them to work through practice questions in your prep sessions instead.

Best Unofficial GMAT Practice Questions

Official GMAT questions are great, but they aren’t the only GMAT prep materials out there. There are also a variety of free and paid resources that offer quality GMAT practice questions. Here, I’ve included practice tests, books, and online question banks. For each unofficial resource, I’ll address how you can access it, its pros and cons, and the best way to incorporate it into your GMAT prep.

#1: Veritas Prep

You’ll need to create an account to access Veritas Prep’s GMAT Question Bank, but once you do, it’s completely free.

The Question Bank offers hundreds of realistic sample GMAT questions: quant, verbal, and integrated reasoning. It includes example questions of every type within those categories. Before you start your practice session, you can choose which kinds of questions you want to see. With one account, you’ll only see each practice question once.

Veritas Prep doesn’t give you an official estimated score, but it does give you an overall percentile , which measures how you did on a particular question set compared to other students who answered the same practice questions.

The Veritas Prep Question Bank is ideal for regular practice throughout your prep, particularly if you have varying amounts of time (you can do a short or lengthy session) and want to drill certain skill sets or question types . The questions from the bank aren’t in CAT format, but you can access one free computerized adaptive test through Veritas and six paid ones. Veritas Prep questions are some of the closest you’ll find to official GMAC-authored GMAT example questions.

Kaplan has a wide variety of GMAT resources, including in-person and online prep courses, but its GMAT Premier 2018  is its flagship GMAT prep tool. Your purchase includes access to over 1,000 GMAT practice questions, six full-length practice tests (one is in the book, and five are computerized adaptive tests available online), video tutorials, an online question bank with 200 GMAT sample questions and customizable quizzes, and a mobile app that allows you to study on the go.

GMAT Premier also includes a special section of forty advanced quant practice questions and in-depth answer explanations, which can help if you’re looking for a challenge in the quant department. The Kaplan practice questions are a bit harder than the ones in Princeton Review, but the verbal questions in particular still leave something to be desired in terms of difficulty level. The sentence correction questions in particular are easier than real GMAT questions. The Kaplan quant questions fare a bit better in terms of GMAT comparability.

Like Princeton Review, Kaplan is a good resource if you’re looking for a fairly solid overview and breakdown of the exam to start your prep (after you take your first diagnostic GMATPrep test). It’s not going to be as helpful if you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to the GMAT or a massive boost in your score.

#3: Manhattan Prep

With an account, you can take one full-length computerized adaptive Manhattan Prep test for free. Six additional ones are available for $49.99, which gives you one year of unlimited access.

You can take the Manhattan Prep practice GMATs timed or untimed, and you can take complete or partial practice exams depending on your time limit during prep. After you take all six, you can reset the questions to take more. Each test includes an in-depth assessment of your performance that analyzes your strengths, weaknesses, timing, and the difficulty levels you’ve mastered.

Manhattan Prep questions are mostly quite realistic in content and difficulty level. Though the visuals aren’t perfect, they are not too far from what you’ll see on the real exam.

I’d also like to point out one of Manhattan Prep’s best resources for students looking to challenge themselves in the quant section: Their GMAT Advanced Quant book includes strategies for tackling the trickiest quant questions and over 150 realistic practice questions. This is a great resource if you’re already doing well in the quant section and looking to bump yourself up to the next level.

#4: PowerScore

PowerScore’s main claim to fame is its trilogy of GMAT Verbal Bibles: Critical Reasoning, Sentence Correction, and Reading Comprehension, along with the PowerScore Verbal Bible , which covers the entire section. The books are available for $24.99 each or $69.99 as a trilogy.

PowerScore does an excellent job of breaking down each question type within the verbal section (a great resource for non-native English speakers and anyone who struggles with verbal questions), and the sample GMAT questions included in each book are consistent with the length, difficulty, and content of those on the GMAT. Though of course the practice questions here aren’t computerized or adaptive, each book does include access to a companion website that includes extra drills and practice questions.

The main downside to PowerScore is that, while the books offer great strategies and explanations of various question types, there aren’t a substantial number of actual practice questions . The Verbal Bible , for example, contains 31 critical reasoning questions, 77 sentence correction questions, and only eight reading comprehension questions. So while these resources are great reads for test-takers who are looking for in-depth answer explanations, they’re not fantastic for substantial extra practice or regular prep sessions.

#5: 800 Score Test

Providing a username and password will get you one full-length test on 800 Score Test for free. You can download five more for $39.95, which includes a comprehensive quant and verbal review, ten sample essay questions, access to online help, and in-depth video explanations of practice questions.

The visuals at 800 Score Test aren’t much like what you’ll see on the GMAT, but the practice questions themselves are high quality, particularly in the quant section. The verbal practice questions veer a little ‘off’ and aren’t as close to the real GMAT verbal section as the quant questions are, so if you’re especially looking to focus on verbal practice questions, this might not be your best bet.

The 800 Score tests are in CAT format, though, so even though the visuals are a bit lacking, they’re not the worst resource if you only want practice questions that simulate real testing conditions. Their Test Pacer tool lets you know what question you should be on to finish in time, which is very helpful for students who have trouble with consistent pacing.

#6: Princeton Review

Princeton Review’s Cracking the GMAT, available for $21.99 on Kindle, offers a breakdown of all GMAT sections (including integrated reasoning and the analytical writing assessment), along with six full-length computerized adaptive practice exams, over 180 practice questions organized by difficulty level, and drills for each test section. Cracking the GMAT Premier is $7 more and comes with more online resources, like extra practice tests, study strategies, and video tutorials.

Princeton Review offers a decent overview of each of the GMAT sections, though it only offers the grammar and math fundamentals, not anything in the way of more advanced concepts. Indeed, where it misses the mark is mainly in the difficulty of the practice questions: Nearly none of them are as difficult as actual GMAT questions. This is especially true in the critical reasoning and reading comprehension sections. So while Cracking the GMAT may help beginners who aren’t familiar with GMAT basics (especially to start off, since it’s not an intimidating text), it’s not enough for test-takers looking to break 700 or even 650.

#7: GMAT Club

Beyond its helpful GMAT forums, GMAT Club offers a variety of useful GMAT practice materials, including practice tests and question banks.

A few practice tests and question banks are free (no account required), but access to all of their customizable quizzes, bonus questions (over 1,572) and full-length tests will run you at least $79.99 for three months of use.

GMAT Club tests aren’t exactly in CAT format, as they don’t adapt to your performance as you go along, but they do follow CAT ‘logic’ and include a mixture of difficulty levels and question types that is consistent with what you’ll usually encounter in a computerized adaptive test. The quality of the visuals and practice question content is high, with practice questions closely resembling GMAC ones.

Difficult quant questions are one of GMAT Club’s specialties, which is important as many of the other top practice resources (Princeton Review and Kaplan, for example) trend a little easier: They claim that hundreds of their quant questions are at the 700+ scoring level. So if you’re looking to wow your prospective schools with your quant score, this might be a great resource.

#8: Manhattan Review

You have several options for free practice questions and other GMAT prep materials with Manhattan Review. With an account, you can access a fairly high-quality quantitative question bank in PDF ebook form, along with a vocabulary list (good for non-native English speakers) and another free ebook, GMAT in a Nutshell , that serves as an overall guide to the test and top strategies.

The Sentence Correction Guide, downloadable for free, boasts a solid grammar review of the concepts that are more often tested in sentence correction questions, but the sentence correction practice questions themselves aren’t all quite as difficult or complex as the real ones on the GMAT.

Manhattan Review also offers a full-length free practice test, which you can access with an account. It’s a computerized adaptive test. The questions here are good for extra practice, but the difficulty levels and visuals aren’t always consistent with the actual GMAT.

3 Top Tips for Creating a GMAT Study Plan

Once you’ve selected some practice GMAT questions, it’s time to set up a study plan. It’s important not just to find the best prep materials for you, but to use them to your advantage. Here are a few tips for using your prep materials as effectively as possible:

#1: Use the Two Official GMAC Tests on the GMATPrep Software First and Last

You should start your prep with one of the two full-length GMATPrep Software tests. Since they’re computerized adaptive tests with accurate visuals and questions written by GMAC, they’re the best possible indicator of your ultimate GMAT score. The first practice test will give you a good idea of where you stand and how to begin your prep. Unless you purchase more official GMAC practice tests, take the second free test from the software a few weeks before your exam date. This will give you a good idea of your score at the end of it all, and will let you know what to brush up on last-minute before the big day.

#2: Use Different Materials to Build Different Skills

Tailor the practice GMAT materials you select to your particular needs. For example, if you’re strong in quant but weaker in verbal (or a non-native English speaker), you might use Manhattan Prep, the GMAT Focus Quantitative Diagnostic Tool, or GMAT Club practice questions for your quant prep, since they all feature more advanced quant questions. You might start out more slowly in verbal, completing grammar reviews and drills from one of the PowerScore Bibles before delving more into practice questions. Mix and match resources according to your personal GMAT goals.

#3: Note Differences Between the Conditions of Your Practice and the Conditions of the Real GMAT

Not all of your GMAT practice questions need to be (or should be) in computerized adaptive form. Sometimes you’ll need to take your time to work through a particular question, complete a drill, or review concepts. But when you do take a full-length GMAT practice test, stick to the real testing conditions as much as you can: Use double-sided scratch paper, don’t use a calculator on the quant section, take the right amount of time for each section, and take eight-minute breaks between the integrated reasoning and quant sections and before the verbal section.

Some GMAT practice materials allow you to manually time yourself, take longer or unlimited breaks, or stop and start the test. Be mindful of these differences so you don’t learn to rely on conditions (such as a longer break) that won’t exist on the day of your exam.

What’s Next?

Looking for free full-length practice tests in addition to the best practice questions? You can find a list in our guide to the best free GMAT practice tests .

Our complete collection of GMAT practice tests provides a more comprehensive overview, in addition to reviews, of all available GMAT practice tests.

Finally our guide to how long to study for the GMAT will help you set up a time-effective study plan.

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Author: Laura Dorwart

Laura Dorwart is a Ph.D. student at UC San Diego. She has taught and tutored hundreds of students in standardized testing, literature, and writing. View all posts by Laura Dorwart

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