GMAT Reviewers: Princeton, Kaplan and the OG

Now that I've finished the GMAT, I can honestly give feedback on the prep books I've used. I only went through 3 review guides: Princeton, Kaplan and the OG.

The OG is the hands-down, must-have reviewer. I had copies of the OG11 and the OG12, and I noticed that some questions on the GMATPrep software available this year were taken from the OG11. There is practically no material for review on the OG; most of it is for practice. And, you need lots of it -- practice, practice, practice. The good thing about the OG, and the free GMATPrep software, is that it doesn't torture you with overly difficult questions nor boost your ego with easy peasy questions. The full-length tests on the GMATPrep should also be taken as other online forums and blogs advise: one test before your review, and one test a week or two before the actual exam.

Kaplan Premiere is the go-to prep book for all those who want to start with the meaty basics. The Quant and Verbal sections are clear enough to understand, with handy tips and pointers. I can't say as much for its section on the AWA though. As for the practice tests, they're needlessly hard. I was nearly reduced to tears (ok, I'm exaggerating) for barely scoring 600 on a Kaplan full-length exam. The Reading Comprehension passages were way too long, and the Data Sufficiency questions are unlike any you've ever seen. That said, the Kaplan drills are good practice. Don't take the drills the week before the GMAT, like I did. Take them 3-4 weeks before the actual exam, so that you have time to recover and motivate yourself with the practice tests from the OG.

I've already made a review on the Princeton prep book. It IS a very easy read, and I highly recommend its section on the AWA. I owe my AWA score to the Princeton guide (no, really, I was dreading the essays before G-Day). Come to think of it, I'd recommend its Verbal section too, because it clearly pointed out the types of questions on Critical Reasoning and Sentence Correction. Knowing what you're going to deal with on the GMAT is a must if you want to defeat it. Princeton's Quant section is for those who want baby basics -- no kidding. I didn't bother checking Princeton's CD because I was too much in a rush to go through the other prep material. Can't say I missed out on a lot, though, given how easy the drills in the book were. If you don't want to send your brain into shock for studying, then the Princeton reviewer would definitely help in the transition.

-------------
So, yeah, I'm finished with the GMAT. If you want copies of my reviewers, just say so. I still think it's a shame that the Kaplan Premiere is difficult to find locally. Paging Fully Booked, National Book Store and Power Books -- you should stock this book in your shelves ALL YEAR.