If you are an MBA aspirant, your journey towards a good school starts with a stellar GMAT score. However, achieving that perfect score is no walk in the park, and your choice of prep material plays an important role. If you can afford an expensive online course, then go for it. However, most students rely on prep books to prepare for the test as online courses tend to cost quite a bit.
If you are one of those people, know that some books are better than others. Not every prep book covers GMAT in detail, and most importantly, they don’t have the same quality of practice questions. Anyone aiming for a 700+ score needs a comprehensive book that provides complete coverage of the GMAT topics and offers authentic GMAT practice questions.
You don’t want to spend your time on easy and low-quality practice material only to find that the real test Is vastly different. Keeping these things in mind, I am listing below the 5 best GMAT prep books that will fetch you a 700 and above.
In this Article
5. Veritas Prep Complete GMAT Course
Right off the bat, this book set is not for the faint of heart. You need to have some serious commitment to go through this. However, if you do earnestly study through the 12 books, you will have an excellent understanding of the test.
Veritas is only one of the two companies that provide such an extensive GMAT book set, the other being Manhattan. Since this set contains 12 separate books dedicated to individual topics, you don’t need to worry about coverage.
No matter if you are a beginner or seasoned test-taker, you will learn every concept from scratch. Veritas has some of the best explanations and lessons that break down the different factors one by one. The books contain numerous examples, illustrations and figures to help you grasp the concepts effectively.
As for the practice material, you get more than 1000 high-quality practice questions. These questions are carefully curated and are considered more challenging than competitors. Moreover, you will get access to a full-length practice test and additional practice questions online upon purchasing the book set.
Pros:
- The most comprehensive GMAT prep available
- 1000+ GMAT-like practice questions
- 12 dedicated books offer unprecedented coverage
Cons:
- Only one full-length practice test
- Expensive than other books
Get it from here.
4. PowerScore GMAT verbal trilogy
The Powerscore GMAT Verbal pack contains three books – Sentence correction, Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension. If you want to dedicate special attention to the verbal section, this is your best bet.
The three books provide an excellent review of all GMAT verbal concepts tested on the exam. The lessons and answer explanations are second to none, and you will feel confident after going through them.
One of the best features of these books is how detailed the concept explanations are. It takes questions and examples and puts them under a microscope. Moreover, you will also find the most common mistakes students make and how to avoid them.
Unfortunately, the biggest downside to these books is that they don’t offer any practice. No practice questions and no full-length tests. Hence, only get these if you want to improve your understanding of the various concepts and question types.
Pros:
- Detailed coverage of GMAT Verbal topics and questions
- Includes concept files and explanations
- Extensive discussion on what to avoid
Cons:
- No Practice questions
- No Full-length tests
Get it from here.
3. Kaplan GMAT Complete
If you want to talk value for money, this is it. Not only is this three-book set incredibly informative, but it also contains the most practice material. Kaplan has been making prep guides for decades now, and its GMAT and GRE books are highly regarded.
This set contains three books – A general all-in-one GMAT guide, a dedicated math workbook and a dedicated verbal workbook. In terms of quality, you can’t go wrong with Kaplan. It has some of the best practice material as well as answer explanations.
The writing is simple and to the point and covers more ground than other books of the same size. The concept explanations are easy to understand and provide examples and figures for a better grasp.
Moreover, the physical books are only half the story. When you buy Kaplan books, you get access to all manner of online goodies such as hundreds of additional practice questions, six full-length online tests and more.
Pros:
- 2000+ practice questions
- Comprehensive but not too time consuming
- Six full-length tests
Cons:
- Material not updated
Get it from here.
2. Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set
This is Manhattan Prep’s answer to Veritas GMAT prep. This is the only other GMAT pack that offers the same level of coverage as veritas. Manhattan Prep’s All the GMAT set is an updated and expanded version of the 10-book Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set (6th Ed). They have taken the 10 guides, consolidated them into three books, and expanded coverage of the content and strategies.
Each book is dedicated to a separate GMAT topic and contains extensive discussions and explanations of the various question types. Moreover, Manhattan Prep has some of the best strategies and techniques for the GMAT which can be found in these books.
Unfortunately, this pack does come at a price – 150 to 250 USD. Depending on where you get it from, it can run you as much as $250. However, the good news is there are plenty of places where you can find these used for much cheaper.
Pros:
- Most comprehensive GMAT prep guide
- Practice questions resemble actual GMAT
- Six full-length online practice tests
Cons:
- Not affordable
- Fewer practice questions than veritas
Get it from here.
1. GMAT Official Guide Bundle
If you want the most authentic learning experience, these official guides will do the trick. Created by GMAC, the makers of GMAT, this three-book pack contains everything you need to know for a firm grasp of GMAT topics.
These guides are incredibly beginner-friendly, and the lessons and explanations are effortless to follow. Every concept is approached from a beginner’s perspective and offers an in-depth understanding. The answer explanations are some of the best I have ever encountered, and all practice questions are ordered by difficulty.
Speaking of practice questions, this is the only guide that offers real official questions from past GMAT exams. You don’t need to worry about the authenticity of the questions as you are getting the very best.
The book set contains three books- a general guide, a dedicated verbal book and a dedicated math book. Between the three books, you are looking at 1700+ practice questions. If you want an even bigger challenge, consider getting the GMAT official advanced questions book along with the set.
The only downside to these books is that GMAC doesn’t address any test-taking strategies.
PROS:
- Over 1700 official practice questions
- Questions ordered by difficulty
- Access to online questions bank
CONS:
- Doesn’t contain any test-taking strategies.
- Need to purchase a separate book for more advanced questions
Get it from here.