GMAT Prep Course - About This Book

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

GMAT prep materials presented in an organized course format, emphasizing learnable test mastery rather than shortcuts. The opening guidance encourages active study through writing, annotation, and repeated engagement over a structured period. It explains why trick-based tactics fail and outlines the focus on analytical techniques and understanding how questions are constructed. The contents map both quantitative and verbal sections, including math strategy, verbal reasoning, sentence correction, and analytical writing assessment, supported by diagnostic and review components.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages614

Reading Time25 h 47 min

AccessFree to download

Orientation

What does the GMAT measure?

Format of the GMAT

The CAT and the paper & pencil test

Pacing

Scoring the GMAT

Guessing

Order of difficulty

The "2 out of 5" rule

Computer screen options

Test day

How to use this book

Shortened study plan

Questions and answers

Part One: Math

Part Two: Verbal

Standard Math

Other Educational Products from Nova Press: GRE Prep Course (624 pages) Master the LSAT (560 pages, includes an official LSAT exam!) The MCAT Biology Book (416 pages) SAT Prep Course (624 pages) Law School Basics: A Preview of Law School and Legal Reasoning (224 pages) Vocabulary 4000: The 4000 Words Essential for an Educated Vocabulary (160 pages) Copyright © 2004 by Nova Press Previous editions: 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1994 All rights reserved. Duplication, distribution, or data base storage of any part of this work is prohibited without prior written approval from the publisher. ISBN 1–889057–27–4 GMAT is a service mark of Educational Testing Service, which does not endorse this book. Nova Press 11659 Mayfield Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90049 Phone: 1-800-949-6175 E-mail: [info@novapress.net](info@novapress.net) [Website: www.novapress.net](Website: www.novapress.net) iii ABOUT THIS BOOK If you don’t have a pencil in your hand, get one now! Don’t just read this book—write on it, study it, scrutinize it! In short, for the next six weeks, this book should be a part of your life. When you have finished the book, it should be marked-up, dog-eared, tattered and torn. Although the GMAT is a difficult test, it is a very learnable test. This is not to say that the GMAT is “beatable.” There is no bag of tricks that will show you how to master it overnight. You probably have already realized this. Some books, nevertheless, offer "inside stuff" or "tricks"which they claim will enable you to beat the test. These include declaring that answer-choices B, C, or D are more likely to be correct than choices A or E. This tactic, like most of its type, does not work. It is offered to give the student the feeling that he or she is getting the scoop on the test. The GMAT cannot be “beaten.” But it can be mastered—through hard work, analytical thought, and by training yourself to think like a test writer. This book will introduce you to numerous analytic techniques that will help you immensely, not only on the GMAT but in business school as well. For this reason, studying for the GMAT can be a rewarding and satisfying experience. Although the quick-fix method is not offered in this book, about 15% of the material is dedicated to studying how the questions are constructed. Knowing how the problems are written and how the test writers think will give you useful insight into the problems and make them less mysterious. Moreover, familiarity with the GMAT’s structure will help reduce your anxiety. The more you know about this test, the less anxious you will be the day you take it. v ACKNOWLEDGMENT Behind any successful test-prep book, there is more than just the author’s efforts. I would like to thank Scott Thornburg for his meticulous editing of the manuscript and for his continued support and inspiration. I would also like to thank Kathleen Pierce for contributing the Writing Assessment section. This book is dedicated to my parents David and Mary Kolby To whom I owe more than words can express. Reading passages were drawn from the following sources: The Two Faces of Eastern Europe, © 1990 Adam Michnik. Deschooling Society, © 1971 Harper & Row, by Ivan Illich. The Cult of Multiculturalism, © 1991 Fred Siegel. Ways of Seeing, © 1972 Penguin Books Limited, by John Berger. Placebo Cures for the Incurable, Journal of Irreproducible Results, © 1985 Thomas G. Kyle. Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things, © George Lakoff. Screening Immigrants and International Travelers for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, © 1990 New England Journal of Medicine. The Perry Scheme and the Teaching of Writing, © 1986 Christopher Burnham. Man Bites Shark, © 1990 Scientific American. Hemingway: The Writer as Artist, © 1952 Carlos Baker. The Stars in Their Courses, © 1931 James Jeans. CONTENTS ORIENTATION 9 Part One: MATH Standard Math 19 Substitution 23 Math Notes 27 De

FAQs

What mindset does the book promote for mastering the GMAT?

The book rejects shortcut or “beatable” strategies and emphasizes mastery through hard work, analytical thinking, and learning to think like a test writer.

How does the book suggest using the material during study?

It urges students to actively engage by writing on the book, studying, and marking it up—treating it as part of life during the next six weeks.

What main sections are covered in the course?

The table of contents organizes the material into Part One: Math and Part Two: Verbal, including math topics, reading comprehension, logic, sentence correction, and analytical writing assessment.

Sep 22, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

GMAT Prep Course - About This Book_Page 1

Open in WPS to view all 614 pages