GMAT is essentially your first step towards business school. If you are hoping to do an MBA or a related program, you will be asked to submit your GMAT scores with your application. I understand that taking the GMAT or any standardized test is not an easy task. You have to study relentlessly for months, solve thousands of practice questions and all the while coping with the surmounting stress.
However, thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way due to the many great study resources available to you. If you are a beginner and know nothing about GMAT or how to go about studying for it, you need prep guides that are easy to follow and concise.
Keeping that in mind, I have am sharing the 5 best GMAT books for beginners that offer a clear understanding of the various GMAT topics. If you are unsure about how to approach GMAT prep, get the number # 1 book in this list (GMAT Official Guide) plus the number # 2 book from this list (Manhattan GMAT guides). Once you are comfortable with them, you can dabble in the more advanced stuff that you can find here.
In this Article
5. Princeton Review GMAT Premium Prep
Princeton review’s GMAT Premium Prep is one of the best beginner books out there. It takes a no-nonsense approach to GMAT prep and clearly lays out key strategies and techniques to combat the more confusing questions.
This book is by no means a comprehensive guide, but I think that’s a good thing for a beginner. If you don’t want to attain a perfect score for an IVY school, this book will do just fine. It covers all the GMAT topics and includes hundreds of practice questions within a single book.
If you decide later on that you want a comprehensive guide like Manhattan or Kaplan, you can do that. However, for starters, this book has everything you will need to score decently. You get six full-length practice tests, 5 of which are online. Moreover, you will also receive a detailed breakdown of your practice test scores and a bunch of other tools on the website.
As for the contents of the book, I like the simple language used throughout. The lessons and answer explanations are easy to follow and not overwhelmingly detailed.
Key Features:
- Six full-length CAT practice exams online
- 180+ additional practice questions online
- Powerful tactics to avoid traps and help beat the GMAT
- Key strategies to help you work smarter, not harder
Get it from here.
4. GMAT For Dummies
GMAT for the dummies is an excellent guide for beginner students. One thing that stands out the most in this book is the beginner-friendly casual tone. As you read the book, you feel like a friend is teaching you. There is no pretentious language involved, and all the lessons and examples are easy to grasp.
Moreover, the book contains complete coverage of all four sections of the test. If math is not your strongest suit, you will start from the very basics and make your way up to the more difficult problems. The same is true for the verbal section.
As for the practice material, you get 7 full-length practice tests and hundreds of practice questions online. Upon purchasing the book, you will also receive additional goodies online, such as flashcards and other practice tools.
Key Features:
- Complete coverage of GMAT sections in plain English
- 7-full length practice tests
- Review of basic concepts
- Detailed answer explanations
Get it from here.
3. GMAT Prep Plus by Kaplan
Kaplan is known as one of the best test prep companies in the world. It has made hundreds of different guides for various tests over the years and is also well known for online courses. The GMAT Prep Plus is an excellent guide for beginners because it provides all the essential information in a palatable manner.
The book covers all aspects of GMAT and starts with introducing you to the test. Both the verbal and quant chapters do a great job of explaining the various concepts and testing your skills as you move forward. The practice questions are high quality, and so are the answer explanations.
Moreover, you get some 1200 practice questions and six full-length online practice questions. Kaplan’s online suite is one of the best in the industry, which is an added bonus. You will get to use plenty of useful tools such as customized quizzes when you make an account.
Key Features:
- 1,200+ practice questions cover all sections of the test
- Six full-length online practice tests in the same shorter format as the revised GMAT
- 200-question online Quiz Bank
- Questions have been reviewed, revised, and updated
Get it from here.
2. Manhattan Prep All the GMAT
If you are just starting but don’t mind getting your hands dirty, get this. Unlike the other listings here, this is not a single book but a set of three books. There is a separate verbal book, a separate quant, and a separate integrated reasoning and essay book.
I would recommend getting this if you are serious about GMAT prep and want more detailed coverage of each section. Since Manhattan has dedicated individual books to each section of the test, you will receive a far more comprehensive review than other books.
Moreover, Manhattan is known for its high-quality guides, and these books are no different. The language is easy to grasp, and the practice exercises are high quality with detailed answer explanations.
Furthermore, with the purchase of this book, you get access to Manhattan’s online service called the atlas. Atlas is an online learning platform that features tons of useful tools and multiple full-length tests.
Key Features:
- Six full-length GMAT computer adaptive tests (CATs)
- Additional practice problems, interactive video lessons online
- Two exclusive e-books covering harder quant and verbal content
- Full access to Manhattan Prep’s GMAT Navigator
Get it from here.
1. GMAT Official Guide
No one does it better than the people who made the actual test. This is the reason why official guides will always surpass third-party books in quality. Of course, many third-party companies make excellent guides. However, the one thing they cannot do is publish official practice questions and tests.
The GMAT Official Guide is a fantastic book that addresses all aspects of GMAT. The book starts out with a detailed introduction to GMAT and takes you through the different sections and question types. You also get to learn about the scoring system. Do note that this is a practice book rather than a concept book. I would suggest that you use this book alongside any other book from this list.
The most significant advantage of using this guide is getting access to hundreds of official practice questions and multiple full-length mock tests. Solving official practice material gives you an accurate idea of what to expect from the real test.
Key Features:
- 1000 official practice questions in the book plus 174 online
- A comprehensive review of all GMAT sections
- Create custom practice sets by difficulty level online
- Track your progress using performance metrics
Get it from here.