Every year around 2 lakhs of students appears for the GMAT exam which is why you need to score well. Finding the best books for GMAT is one aspect that takes you closer to your dream of achieving a seat at the top institutes for an MBA Program.
Here is an estimate of the overall scores of the GMAT aspirants so you have a better idea of choosing the best books for GMAT preparation.
GMAT Score
| Percentile | Total GMAT Score |
| Top 10% of all test takers | 710 |
| Top 25% of all test takers | 650 |
| Top 50% of all test takers | 580 |
| Below 50th percentile of all test takers | 570 |
The Criteria to Select if it is the Best Book for GMAT Preparation
Here are some checklists you need to tick before buying the best books for GMAT:
- Strategies: The book you buy should offer you a strategy to solve GMAT questions and not just haphazardly contain reasoning and answers. Also, the book should provide you with fundamentals so you can work your way back if you have difficulty understanding any concept. Thus, look for books that provide you with a detailed explanation.
- Quality: Make sure you are buying a book of good quality. Before making any purchase check for what others have to say about it. Check reviews and then place your order.
- Updated Practice questions: Do not buy an age old book. Look for good quality books and which provide you updated questions following the GMAT pattern.
- See what the book focuses on: Some books focus more on the Verbal section while others focus more on Quant. Therefore, select your books depending on your strategic requirements.
- Multiple Resource: Apart from focusing your main importance on books, try collecting an understanding of the concept from multiple resources. Consider other study tools such as online GMAT prep courses, Forums, flashcards, group studies, etc.
Why Use Best Book for GMAT Preparation?
According to Kaplan, the average student aspiring to clear the GMAT spends about 120 hours in preparation. The best books for GMAT Preparation helps them to strategically use their time and make good use of every minute to score a good rank in the GMAT exam.
The best GMAT prep books help students understand useful strategies that might prove to be a game-changer in the test day. It provides an outline of test-taking strategies, common question types they’ll encounter on the exam and best practices that allow them to make good use of their study time.
Students who plan to invest a considerable amount of time studying to raise their scores may find these best books for GMAT preparation particularly valuable. Knowing their strength and weak areas can help them select the right book to save time. This article covers all the list of books you need to get into according to your need to better prepare you for test day.
Here is a list of the best books for GMAT preparation to help you achieve the top GMAT score:
1. The GMAT Official Guide 2021 Bundle
The GMAT Official Guide is one of the best books you cannot do without.
This book contains real GMAT questions in the Official Guide to help you with building up your GMAT understanding and intuition. This book is your direct entry to the simulation of real questions in the GMAT exam.
It helps you go through questions to strengthen your conceptual understanding. From critical reasoning to reading comprehension, the book takes you through problems as well as detailed explanations of the solutions.
This GMAT prep book bundle helps students practise all aspects of the test and features almost 1,900 practice questions and answer explanations. You will learn the reasoning behind questions to build sound testing strategies and it can even help you track your progress over time.
2. The Critical Reasoning Bible (PowerScore)
PowerScore GMAT Critical Reasoning Bible, 2020
The PowerScore Critical Reasoning Bible is highly recommended if you want to work on your critical reasoning. This in-depth guide comes with theory and mini-drills to get your head around Critical Reasoning concepts.
It covers minutely detailed strategies you will require for the different Critical Reasoning question types and provides good explanations to solve questions.
Focused on the concepts behind various critical reasoning question types, this GMAT prep book helps students develop their expertise in understanding argumentation. In the process, readers learn to answer questions within a short span of time and maximize their scores. The concepts they master also serve them well with reading comprehension. The book comes with access to a website with further tips and guidance.
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3. The GMAT Sentence Correction Strategy Guide (Manhattan Prep)
The Sentence Correction Strategy Guide is the ultimate Sentence Correction guide. This book has all the English grammar concepts covered.
It is also relatively well laid out and easy to read.
4. Total GMAT Math (Jeff Sackmann)
Sackmann’s Total GMAC Math is a great resource to build up your maths knowledge.
It covers topics extensively but requires a good foundation on your part. If you are rusty with math, or you need to go over the basics, this book might leave you confused and intimidated rather than enlightened. You might need to take the help of other resources to clear your basic concepts and come back to this book.
5. GMAT Advanced Quant (Manhattan Prep)
Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Advanced Quant
GMAT Advanced Quant by Manhattan Prep is another great resource to boost your Quant score.
It covers advanced questions and strategies for test-takers who are apt with the quantitative section of the test. This book ensures that you are well prepared for your GMAT by offering some questions that can be of a higher level than many questions in the actual GMAT. Thus, selecting this book keeps you ahead in the race.
This guide features several of the best GMAT prep books available, including general guides and those focused on specific sections of the exam.
This GMAT prep book focuses on helping students who want to put forth their best effort to achieve a perfect 51 quantitative score. The guide features more than 250 of the most difficult problems on the exam. Readers who have already scored at least 47 on the quant section may find this book especially beneficial.
6. Manhattan Prep’s All the GMAT Bundle
This bundle is a compact creation of the 10-book “Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set” into just three books. These books offer students a variety of strategies to help them ace the test day with confidence, along with hundreds of practice questions covering the quantitative and verbal sections. These GMAT prep books also contain scheduling tips, interactive video lessons, and six computer-adaptive GMAT practice tests.
7. Kaplan’s GMAT Complete, 2021 Bundle
Kaplan’s GMAT Complete Bundle is an effective solution for students who want to learn and practice proven test-taking strategies. this GMAT prep book bundle features questions and concepts carefully prepared by experts. Readers can take six online practice tests and customize their preparation in specific areas through an online quiz bank.
8. The Princeton Review’s GMAT Premium Prep, 2021
The Princeton Review’s GMAT Premium prep book works well for students who already have the concepts covered on the exam and simply need practice reps. Readers can access six practice tests and a comprehensive overview of the skills they need in math, integrated reasoning, writing, and verbal reasoning. Accompanying online resources include video tutorials from expert GMAT teachers.
9. Mometrix’s GMAT Prep Book, 2020 & 2021
Mometrix’s GMAT prep book helps students understand the concepts, vocabulary, and principles behind analytical writing, logical organization, mathematical operations, and verbal portions of the exam. Students gain access to full practice tests, including explanations for each answer. There is also a provision for viewing online videos in which experts break down various elements of the GMAT.
10. GMAT for Dummies, 2021
GMAT for Dummies offers a solid introduction to the different types of GMAT questions. The book includes seven practise tests, 100 flashcards, and a series of strategies that you can use on the test day. Readers learn how to implement a study plan, write the best essays possible, and quickly comprehend reading passages and math questions.
11. Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Foundations of Math
Students aiming to maximize their GMAT math performance can find guidance and instruction from experts who personally achieved scores in the 99th percentile. Readers learn the foundational concepts behind exam questions and how to apply them efficiently on test day. This guide includes hundreds of practice problems and access to video tutorials.
12. Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Foundations of Verbal
Manhattan Prep’s guide outlines foundational verbal concepts found on the GMAT. This guide is greatly beneficial for new English speakers. Readers benefit from online practice tests and interactive tutorials. Students learn the basics of reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and sentence correction.
Reasons you should consider GMAT online prep courses in addition to your preparation with books:
- Less time to consume
If you have less time in your hand, you can switch to online prep courses to ace your learning. Studying from a book would take you more time.
- Easier to focus
Audio-visual content offered in prep courses along with practice drills makes it more interactive and hence effective. It is easier to focus and would reduce the number of revisions to reach a higher competency level. You get to learn more in less time.
- Online content is constantly updated
With online prep courses, you get updated with every news and change in the GMAT exam which might not be the case with your book once purchased. Online content keeps you updated according to changes and trends. Books get updated only when reprinted.
- GMAT is an online test
Since GMAT is an online test, a prep curse teaches you to be adaptive with the medium. The transition from books to online tests in an exam can consume some of your valuable time during the test day. In turn, you can use this time to work on your GMAT Ability and Time Management.
- GMAT is a computer adaptive test
A computer adaptive test adapts itself according to the test taker’s performance. GMAT will throw different difficulty level questions at you during the test. The difficulty level will depend on how well you are doing during the test.
When you prepare using books, you miss this vital part: preparing yourself for the adaptive nature of the GMAT.
GMAT Forums
The online forums you can look upon to ace your GMAT exam along with the best books for GMAT preparation are: GMATClub, Beat The GMAT, Pagalguy. These forums offer a massive amount of free study material. You also get a chance to interact with like-minded people and GMAT experts to help you solve the problem.
You can use forums to post your queries or doubts and get responses quickly online.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is GMAT Official Guide enough for GMAT Preparation?
Along with the GMAT official guide, you can opt for other resources to strengthen your preparation.
What is the GMAT Syllabus?
The GMAT Syllabus is divided into four sections:
- Verbal
- Quant
- Integrated Reasoning
- Analytical Qriting Assessment
Critical reasoning, sentence correction, and reading comprehension are included in the Verbal section, and data sufficiency and problem-solving in the Quant section.
What is the cost of the GMAT?
The registration fee for the GMAT test is $250 in most countries. However, the GMAT cost is subject to change from country to country.
What is the duration of the GMAT Exam?
The GMAT exam is 3.5 hours which includes your breaks and Test instructions.
Is there any online forum available to ace GMAT preparation?
There are forums like GMATClub, Beat The GMAT, Pagalguy that can help you ace your GMAT preparation. Another option is to join an online prep course to strategically prepare for the GMAT exam.
Also, read related articles to have everything about the GMAT exam prepared.