GMAT Prep Books for Sale

Hello GMAT-aspirants,

It has been a long time since I posted on GMAT Malaysia. I hope you are doing well and all geared up for your GMAT test and MBA applications.

For those who are looking for good pre-owned GMAT prep books, a reader of GMAT Malaysia would like to sell these books:

1. Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus 2019
2. Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook 8th Edition
3. GMAT Official Guide Collection 2020 Wiley (includes Extra Questions for Verbal and Quant)

All for a bundled price of MYR 100.00 (negotiable).

The access code to the practical questions have been used. Nonetheless, you still benefit from these books for your preparation. Please contact me at jimmy (dot) gmail (at) gmail (dot) com if you are interested.

Good luck!

Best regards,

Jimmy

GMAT Malaysia Poll

Judging from the questions we got, we are curious how did you prepare for GMAT. Please take the poll (see the Poll at the side bar). Poll ends 31st Dcember 2012.

Thank you for your participation.


Jimmy Low

Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition

The Official Guide for GMAT Review is now in its 13th edition. A necessary companion for any GMAT takers; this Guide has over 800 questions for the Verbal and Quant sections as well as AWA essays. Included in this edition is the online companion to help you prepare for the Integrated Reasoning section, which will be introduced from 1st June 2012.

According to mba.com, the Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition Online Integrated Reasoning Section features:

• 50 Integrated Reasoning practice questions and answer explanations
• Comprehensive details about what the Integrated Reasoning section measures and how to understand each question type
• Links to additional resources to prepare for the GMAT exam

The Online Integrated Reasoning Section is available separate from the Official Guide for GMAT Review, 13th Edition until 5 June 2012. After then, it will only be available as a part of the book.

So, what has changed in the 13th Edition? ManhattanGMAT provided a detailed analysis of the 13th Edition.

You can get a copy from Amazon, mba.com or Kinokuniya Kuala Lumpur (for those in Malaysia).

Good luck in your preparation, from all of us at GMAT Malaysia.


Jimmy Low

SMART TEST GMAT Prep

One of the frequent questions I received is where they (my readers) take GMAT prep in Malaysia. While in most cases GMAT takers self-studied or take online courses, there is now a prep centre in Petaling Jaya for those who need the extra face-to-face help. SMART TEST offers prep courses for GMAT, GRE, SAT and TOEFL English proficiency test as well as admissions counselling.

SMART TEST offers 30-hours GMAT group prep course or 18-hour GMAT private tutoring. Their fees include study materials.

SMART TEST also helps students to review their postgraduate admission essays.

So, if you need additional help to boost your GMAT score, why not check out SMART TEST at www.smarttest.com.my.


Jimmy Low

GMATPrep Software for Download

Would you like to know how ready you are for the real GMAT test? MBA.com offers a trial software for you to download and test your GMAT. This software is available only for Windows-based PC, simulates the actual test environment. Thus, treat this test as a real test.

Instructions:
1. Allocate 3 hours for this test
2. Sit in a quiet room (no handphone or disturbances)
3. Only 5 sheets of overhead transparencies and one non-permanent black felt pen (Fine) (Faber-Castell or Stabilo)
4. No handphone, watch or calculator!

Register at MBA.com and download the software here.

Good luck!


Jimmy Low

Knewton Back to School Giveaway Sweeptakes - Free GMAT Course

Prize Details

It’s back to school season! To celebrate, Knewton is giving out 3 FREE prep courses—your choice of GMAT, LSAT, or SAT!

This sweepstakes is open to all our fans, no strings attached. Just click the button on the left to enroll.

Enter for your chance to win full access to the prep course of your choice, featuring:

• Live and interactive web-based classes
• Individual attention from world-class instructors
• Personalized learning plan that addresses your unique needs
• Online practice tests with instant scoring
• Thousands of practice problems with full explanations
• Hundreds of concept videos
• Flexible 1-year membership

Enter today for your chance to win!

For a sneak peek into Knewton.com, you can also enroll in our free trial of GMAT Prep, LSAT Prep and SAT Prep

Knewton.
We know the score.

Sweepstakes Starts

August 05, 2010 @ 02:14 pm (EDT)

Sweepstakes Ends

September 10, 2010 @ 02:14 pm (EDT)

For more details, visit http://www.facebook.com/Knewton?v=app_28134323652


Jimmy Low

Magoosh GMAT Prep

Magoosh, a play on the old Persian word "magush" which means "one who is highly learned, wise and generous", is founded by four current Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley MBA students. I had a chance to review their portal and materials.

I like the way Magoosh presents their GMAT practice questions. Once you signed in, you can go to the Dashboard which then takes you to Practice or Results section. In the Practice section, you can customise your "practice" session.

There are over 500 questions for you to attempt; and more are added each day.

The best thing is you can start and stop anytime, unlike some practices which require you to complete the whole set. Once you completed, you can review your questions. The Results dashboard presents a summary of the questions attempted and how you fare vis-a-viz with an "average taker". I am waiting for a reply from Magoosh on the "average user" profile/definition. Nonetheless, this "average user" benchmark allows me to determine how well I do in terms of pacing (speed), accuracy (correct) and the difficult of the question (score).

In my review, I tried one question to get a feel how the dashboard works.

The question was on a Venn diagram, solving the no. of students who took both Spanish and French. It took me 45sec. In the Results dashboard (above), 86% of the takers (who are these takers?) got the correct answer and "they" took an average of 63sec. Great, I could get it right in less than the time taken by an "average taker". As you attempt more questions, each question (with an ID) will display your results and that of an average user. Use this to gauge your performance. I use "Avg Correct" to gauge the difficulty of the question.

Now, comes the best part of Magoosh. The video and/text explanation is found for each question. Just click on the question ID.

Magoosh offers basic 6 months access for free with 80 questions and for US$79, you get all the questions (and they add from time to time)

Overall, I think the Magoosh team came up with an excellent service for a reasonable price. If you are looking for GMAT practices, give Magoosh a try.

Jimmy Low

Aunty Agony Is Back ....

My, my .... it's questions season again. I know you all are excited to do your MBA and want to get in and out as soon as possible. But, my child, there's no easy way to success.

I got a couple of questions for you lots. Here are some of them:

Q: Can I take GMAT in 2 months? I want to apply for next intake.
A: Yes, you can if YOU have an excellent study strategy AND study everyday. And, I mean FULL-TIME study. No work, no play, no disturbances.

Realistically, 2 months will be a stretch for many of you. Mind you, this period is Round 2 for many business schools. The closing date is typically around end Dec/early Jan (check with the school(s) you're planning to apply to). You will miss this submission round if you have not started GMAT or ready to take GMAT anytime soon. And, to score well above 650 requires at least 6 months of hardcore, dedicated preparation, I kid you not. So, give yourself ample time to prepare for GMAT as well as good well-rounded essays.

You can't learn to fly a plane in two months, can you?

Q: I like to apply to the top schools, AND only the top schools. What are my chances?
A: Good chance if you have an excellent GMAT score, great story about yourself - both personal as well as professional achievements and leadership qualities that will make the Admissions Committee says, I WANT YOU.

I am not putting you down. You may have a chance but remember, you are competing with the world's bests. So, who are the world's bests? Take a look at the top schools' class profiles. Read some of the current students' and alumnis' achievements and background. Benchmark yourself against them. If you're within an arms length, you could stand a chance.

But, for many of you, always be realistic. I would like to get into top schools but I only got as far as the kitchen top.

If you aim to apply to top schools, go ahead and do your best. But, do try the second tier schools that you feel you will also qualify to enter. These second tier schools should be those that you feel you can learn and contribute to; schools that you will always do well and gain significantly.

Always have options. Not every day is rosy and when this does not meet your expectations, do not be despaired.

Q: How many applications should I send?
A: I never believe in quantity except money (and British Sterling Pound, please). Submit one application to the school that you truly want to get into and you have 80% confidence of getting in. Else, pick max 3. Why 3? Well, 3 represents manageable number. Here are the reasons:

1. 3 applications for different tiers of school - top 10 and next 10. You can have all 3 applications for top 10, 1 for top 10 and 2 for next 10, etc. You decide on the combinations.

2. Each application requires you to submit online application form, 4-6 essays and an interview. Multiply this by 3, you have a lot to do and each process can really drain your energy.

3. Nothing is free. Some schools charges US$200-250 per application before they even consider you; others free application. Then, there is time factor in preparing your applications, resume, essays, and other documentations such as undergraduate transcripts, mock interviews, etc. coupled with GMAT preparation and actual tests. Unless you're cash rich (which I recommend you to buy some of my cookies), manage your resources and energy well.

Okay, that's all for now. Time for baking ......

Work Backwards or Forward - Determine Your Realistic MBA Intake

This is a common question the team leaders and I are always asked around this time of the year - can I complete my GMAT if I want to take my MBA next year?

MBA is an investment unlike your undergraduate study. For those of us who are working and/or with family to support, we have to think both financial as well as time sacrifices being away from our income earning period. While your earning potential should be higher post-MBA, in the interim, you are basically funding your own study; unless you are one of the lucky few to get full or partial scholarship.

Now, back to that common question. It usually takes 6 to 12 months to complete your GMAT. Some could take as little as 2 to 3 months but majority requires more help and time. Furthermore, some of us take 2 or 3 sittings to get the score we want. It takes a lot of discipline and sacrifices during this period. So, be prepared when you want to do GMAT or any graduate tests.

Most US and UK MBA programs start in August/September (Fall intake). Some programs have 2 intakes a year such as INSEAD. Please check the program admission calendar. For the Fall intake, admission application rounds are, usually, September/October (known as Round 1 or Early Round), December/January (Round 2), March/April (Round 3) and for some programs, May (Round 4). Most, if not all, admission offices will advise prospective students to apply as early as possible especially for international students. This means Round 1 and 2.

If you are submitting your application in September or December round, take away 2 months as the last month you must complete your GMAT. This means GMAT must be completed by July or October respectively. If you are just starting GMAT revision, please revise your MBA plan. 2010 intake is NOT for you. Now is the time for you to start your GMAT, think about your MBA and essays and prepare for 2011 intake.

Besides GMAT, you need to consider the essays and other documentations. These take time to prepare especially your essays.

I hope this advice is useful. I wish you all the best in your GMAT and MBA quest.



Jimmy Low

ManhattanGMAT Strategy Guides on 4th Edition

GMAT Malaysia is pleased to introduce the 4th Edition of ManhattanGMAT GMAT Prep strategy guides. The 4th edition comes in 8 individual books - Number Properties, Fractions, Decimals, & Percents, Word Translations, Equations, Inequalities, & VIC’s, and Geometry (Quantitative Series) and Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension (Verbal Series).

The 4th Edition has in-depth coverage on Verbal topics (Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension); which many of us struggle with.

For those with the 3rd Edition and thinking whether to buy the 4th, here is a review of the Guides to assist you.

GMAT Malaysia uses ManhattanGMAT guides for our study groups.


Good luck!



Jimmy Low

Head-To-Head Analysis: Veritas Prep versus Manhattan GMAT

Head-To-Head Analysis: Veritas Prep versus Manhattan GMAT
For people looking at which GMAT courses to take, many seem to debate between Veritas Prep or Manhattan GMAT. Both programs seem to have great offerings on their websites and both contend that the only way to really decide which program has the advantage is to take both courses and decide for themselves.

Continue reading http://tmmycgmat.blogspot.com/2008/04/head-to-head-analysis-veritas-prep.html

Confirmation: GMAT Malaysia Open Day is ON!

Dear GMAT and MBA Aspirants,

I am pleased to inform that we have a sizeable group for the GMAT Malaysia Open Day and perhaps to start 3 study groups. Chua Soon Chern, Lai Jin Keat and I will be happy to meet you and discuss GMAT and MBA with you.

The objectives of this Open Day are:

• To share our GMAT experiences and help you prepare for this test
• Gauge the interest of this group to organise weekly study sessions
• Assigning each aspirant a mentor whom you can keep in touch and seek GMAT, MBA or career advice.

To facilitate our discussion that day, you have been divided into 3 group with each of us leading the discussion as well as being the mentor for your group. During the 1 hour breakup session, you will hold discussion with your assigned mentor.

Please bring along any study materials you have and your business card for exchange.

Call anyone of us if you can't find the direction. There are 2 Starbucks in Damansara Uptown. Ours is next to HSBC.

See you this Saturday. For those who have not signed up, please email me so that I can put you in one of the groups.


Jimmy Low
P/S: BYO event. We could smuggle some snacks though.

Deciphering GMAT

GMAT is an interesting yet complex test. It tests your academic ability in quantitative, verbal (not exactly verbal as this means speech) and writing skills. When it tests your ability, it adapts to your ability too. Difficulty or easy is a perception but the test will score you accordingly.

As you should know by now, GMAT starts with 2 Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) essays of 30mins each, 75mins Quantitative and 75mins Verbal. Between each major components, an optional 10-min break.

The 3 Components of GMAT

(Color scheme corresponds to color of the Official Guide book, except for AWA)

The above sub-components are self-explanatory and the respective books will elaborate more.

Many of you wonder how the components fit together. As far as Quant and Verbal as concerned, you are tested on different abilities. However, for Verbal and AWA, there is a relationship. This diagram explains the inter-relationship.

See the connections? As you prepare for Verbal (Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning), take note of what you are learning, how each of the sub-topics relates and how you will apply them in AWA and Reading Comprehension. The above inter-relationship is just a guidance. Look into past questions in the Official Guide - Verbal or GMAT Review and observe the common themes and angle of questioning.

While AWA does not affect your Total Score, AWA is still important and should not be taken lightly. How you write and score in AWA tells about the other aspects of you not measured by Quant and Verbal tests. Adcomms can request for your AWA essays and compare with your application essays. Thus, your writing style is revealed and matched.

Jimmy Low

JK's GMAT Debrief

I registered for the GMAT exam on 1st of October. I created my account on MBA.com, picked the center in PJ and selected a date. You can take the GMAT 6 days a week and there are options for morning appointments (between 8-9am) and afternoon appointments (1pm onwards). The GMAT is a 4 hour exam and you only have two 10 minute breaks in between so make sure you pick the time you think your brain works best. I picked a Monday morning because I was hoping for an empty test center and I know I will feel sleepy in the afternoon right after lunch. Besides, I get fidgety if I have too much time early in the day while waiting for an important exam to start. Once you've set up an appointment, it's time to whip out your credit card and pay for the US$250 exam. Any rescheduling 7 days before the exam will incur an additional US$50 while rescheduling within the 7 days will cost you an additional US$250 so pick wisely!

Now this is probably where I erred... while I started studying for the GMAT in June I did not maintain a disciplined regime. I will hit the books on some weekends, polishing up my rusty maths skills and doing the exercises. Only after I registered for the exam did I really start to study hard for the GMAT and boy did it hurt. This is not a glorified IQ exam. The GMAT is TOUGH! In hindsight, my advice is to take a timed GMAT CAT before you schedule (and pay) for the exam. Manhattan offers a free CAT and its the closest (with the exception of GMATPrep) to the real thing.

You've probably heard this before but I'll say this again. The OG is the BEST example of the type of questions that you will encounter on the GMAT. No other study guides come close to the OG in terms of question prose and difficulty. The other thing I found out is that attempting a timed GMAT exam is completely different from answering questions without the pressure of a timer. Use the GMATPrep software that comes with the MBA.com registration. Do not skip the AWA in your mock exams. Remember the GMAT is both a test of your intellectual capability, focus and stamina. Trust me, in the real test, you will be tired in the verbal section. I did 2 mock exams on the GMATPrep, one from Manhattan (it's free) and one from Kaplan. If you tried the Kaplan CAT exams, dont' worry about the skewed low scores. I reserved one GMATPrep CAT exam for the day before the exam. I got 650 and 690 on the GMATPrep tests. Not stellar but within the 80th percentile range.

Fast foward to test day. I arrived early at Phileo Damansara I, the test location, and parked in the basement. My advice is to park in Eastin because it cost me 11 bucks in Phileo. I think Eastin operates a 5 bucks per entry system. The test centre is quite pleasant and comfortable. Nice open spaces and bright red sofas. I passed my passport to them and they checked the details againts my record in PearsonVue's database. Your DOB and your name must match exactly. I was then asked to sign on an electronic pad (similar to those credit card machines), pose for a picture, and then place my index finger on the fingerprint reader. I was a little disappointed that the new palm vein recognition sensor was not utilised. It's a really cool technology that scans the distinct vein patterns in an individuals hand and it's faster than the fingerprint reader. (OK I'm a geek)

There were 2 other candidates who will take the GMAT with me (so much for the deserted Monday morning theory...). We were asked to read the terms and conditions and then we were required to place everything (keys, handphone and even coins!) in the locker. You will not be allowed to take anything into the test centre. The test administrator will then give you a laminated writing pad, a marker and some ear plugs. TEST THE MARKER as one of us had a dried up marker. The ear plugs are optional but I had to use it, which leads me to my next point. The test centre doubles up as a learning centre for a host of other courses. I was unlucky enough to have my test scheduled with an ongoing lecture. While the test rooms were quiet and separated from the rest of the office, it is right next to the lounge area and you will have people moving around outside the frosted glass doors.

The test room itself is really small and there are four cubicles. Each with a PC. Above the tables are three CCTV cameras so the entire test is recorded. Room temperature was pleasant. The test administrator will login and start up the GMAT CAT. Before the exam starts, you will go through the introduction cum tutorial screens similar to GMATPrep and you will then be asked to pick 5 schools to which your official GMAT scores will be sent. You do not need to know the institution's GMAT code as the school list is exhaustive. If you do not pick the schools on test day, you will be required to pay US$25 for the official scores to be sent to the MBA schools.

Now to the test itself.. the AWA went pretty ok. It's a good way to warm up before the Quant and Verbal section. I took the 10 minute break after the AWA to freshen up. In the quant section, I struggled a bit. I was hit with loads of DS and number theory problems (more than my prep tests). These were my weak points but I knew I had to soldier on and take the questions one at a time. I paced myself pretty well. The formula I used was to attempt 11-12 questions for Quant and about 13-15 questions every 25 minutes. It's better to break down the test to 3 sections than to limit yourself to 1.5-2 minutes per question. After the quant section, you are given another 10 minute break. Took the break, rested my eyes, freshened myself up again and got myself ready for the Verbal section. Remember to allocate some time for checking in and checking out of the test room. To check in and check out, the test administrator will need to take your finger print. It's pretty quick and painless but 10 minutes is really short so give yourself some allowance for the check in procedure.

The verbal section was quite tough. I was pretty confident about my CR and RC before sitting for the GMAT but the questions I got this time were really tricky and I had to guess for quite a number of the CR and RC questions. SC was pretty much similar to those you'd find in the GMATPrep and OG. By this stage of the test, I was pretty tired and it was difficult to focus on the questions. I will read the questions but I found that I needed to read it 3-4 times to digest it. Many times I had to verbalise the questions just to force myself to stay focus. I finally reached the last question with 2 minutes on the clock. I took as much time as possible and then clicked 'Next'. The ordeal was over :)

I filled up some questionnaires and finally the most important section, the score report. If you were expecting a 700 pointer GMAT debrief, this ain't it. I got a 630. I was quite disappointed frankly as I was hoping for something around 650. I've thought about retaking but upon reflecting, the schools I'm aiming for aren't the typical 700 pointer schools. The GMAT is important but it's not the only criteria. It's going to be a competitive year for business school admit but do not strike out a 'dream school' just because you tanked in the GMAT. Some elite schools have large GMAT spread but other elements of your admission package will need to be superb. Re-taking is another option but be realistic. Two 'low' GMAT exams will only reinforce the fact that the scores are not an anomaly. In the end its up to you.

Ok that's all from me.

JK

Quiet Study Period

Dear MBA aspirants,

Thanks for your emails on GMAT in general and the study group in particular. The group is presently taking a quiet study period for our own examination preparation.

In the meantime, you may write to me if you need clarifications. Please check this blog for future plans.


Jimmy Low

Next GMAT Study Session - 8th March

For those who are interested to join the next study session, we will begin on 8th March at our usual venue - Starbucks HSBC Uptown at 2pm. See my first blog for the location map.

We are using Manhattan GMAT Prep booklets for our revision (We do not endorse any prep materials. If you wish to use other prep materials, by all means, go ahead.)

Week 1 (15 Mar) - Number Properties
Week 2 (22 Mar) - Fractions, Decimals & Percents
Week 3 (29 Mar) - Equations, Inequalities & VICs
Week 4 (5 Apr) - Word Translations
Week 5 (12 Apr) - Geometry
Week 6 (19 Apr) - Sentence Correction
Week 7 (26 Apr) - Critical Reasoning
Week 8 (3 May) - Reading Comprehension
Week 9 (10 May) - Analytical Written Assessment

For those who are using other prep books, please read up according to the above topic to synchronise with the rest of us. You will gain the most if you come prepared with your questions.


Jimmy Low

Now, Where Should I Start?

Well, as a first timer like myself, naturally you will want to know what GMAT is. Wiki explains it all. If you want something more official, then go to the "horse-mouth": The Graduate Management Admission Council.

One website that you should not miss is the MBA.com. This is your one-stop centre for anything related to MBA including registering for GMAT in your country.

What books do you need and where to get them in Malaysia? Let's start with the books.

a. The Official Guide for GMAT Review 11th Edition (or the latest) aka OG aka Orange book, in short.

This book is a MUST have. Hey, this book is from the creator of GMAT. How can you not have a copy of over 800+ past years questions? This is your GMAT bible. Make sure you pray to it each night. However, I find that the Math review - refresher on the mathematical concepts and English grammar rather "weak" (my personal opinion). The book did state that it is not mean to be a textbook. So, this means you need other books to supplement your studies.

GMAC also produces the Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review (green book) and the Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review (purple book). For me, the Orange book is suffice.

b. What other supplementary books do you need? There are plenty in the market - Kaplan, Princeton Review, McGraw-Hill, Manhattan, Barron's to name a few. Go to the bookstore and check them out. Compare them and find out which will help you in your revision. Each of us has our own personal preference.

c. GMATPrep Test-Preparation software. This is a simulation of the real GMAT. Download the 26MB file from MBA.com.

Where to get these books? Head for Kinokuniya Bookstore at KLCC. They have a good selection of GMAT materials. The OG books (orange, purple and green) each costs about RM120-RM140. The other supplementary materials are about the same price too.

So, can you afford to buy many books? Maybe not. GMAT is a "costly" affair. Each test will cost you US$250 (or RM825 at exchange rate of RM3.30 to US$). Books and other herbal supplements will easily cost you another RM600-800.

d. Download a stopwatch at http://www.online-stopwatch.com/.

This is a timed exam. During your preparation, you want to pace yourself as you progress and adopt and adapt to the "right" speed of answering questions. Typically, many people will advise you to spend 2 minutes for each quant question and 1 3/4 minutes for each verbal question. I have tested this method and it did not work in my favour. In fact, it created more stress than necessary.

Medium and easy questions can be answered in less than 1 minute while tougher ones will take more. As I progressed, I found that I could complete a set of 31 quant questions within 30-50 mins out of an allocated 62 minutes, while a set of 31 verbal questions can be completed within 35-45 mins out of an allocated 57 mins. The no. of errors I made for each set of questions, on average, are less than 3. Thus, I have found my pace and the stopwatch helps me get into that rhythm. Bear in mind, you have a stopwatch during the real exam. Wall clock or watch does not help.

Now, that you know what you are getting into, be prepared.

Jimmy Low

GMATPrep Installation

We all know how important the GMATPrep is. After all, it's the only official question prep from the GMAC. Unfortunately, you can only take the test twice - that is, until you reset the program. And how do you do that? Easily apparently. This information was taken from GMATClub.com.

Original post

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I've actually found a much easier way to get past the GMAT install issue.

All you have to do is go to: C:\Program Files\GMATPrep\exams

make a folder in there called old_exams_set1

Copy in:
practice test1.log
practice test1.xact
practice test2.log
practice test2.xact

These files only exist if you took the exams... put them in old_exams_set1

Then just go back to C:\Program Files\GMATPrep\exams and delete

practice test1.log
practice test1.xact
practice test2.log
practice test2.xact

Now the software is "reset" and doesnt know you've taken the exams.

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