Best Books for GMAT Preparation - Practice with the Best
Updated on 21 January, 2022
Mrinal Mandal
Study Abroad Expert
GMAT exam structure- exam format, questions, and score breakdown
The GMAT is divided in four sections-
- Verbal Skills
- Analytical Writing Assessment
- Integrated Reasoning
- Quantitative
| Sections | Questions | Time |
| Verbal Skills | 36 | 65 minutes |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 1 | 30 minutes |
| Integrated Reasoning | 12 | 30 minutes |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 31 | 62 minutes |
GMAT Score Structure
| Section | GMAT Score |
| Integrated Reasoning | 1-8 |
| Verbal Skills | 6-51 scaled score |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | 0-6 half point increments |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 6-51 scaled score |
GMAT Exam Pattern
Verbal Skills
This section of GMAT gauges a candidate’s comprehension and grammatical skills. The questions are related to critical reasoning, sentence correction and reading comprehension.
| Verbal Section | 1 |
| Total Questions | 36 |
| Duration | 65 minutes |
| Score range | 6-51 |
Quantitative Reasoning
The quantitative section of the GMAT measures a candidate’s mathematical skills. It analyzes problem-solving skills, questions related to algebra, interpreting graphic data, reasoning ability and more.
| Quantitative section | 1 |
| Total Questions | 37 |
| Duration | 75 minutes |
| Score range | 6-51 |
Analytical Writing Assessment
This section helps to gauge the candidate’s writing skills. The candidate must write an essay within a fixed time limit. The essay is mostly related to economy or business as the test is for enrolling in business schools. Make sure to follow the guidelines while attempting the essay.
| Total Questions | 1 |
| Duration | 30 |
| Score range | 0-6 half point increments |
Integrated Reasoning
The integrated Reasoning section checks the candidate’s ability to develop different strategies, scrutinize information received by several resources and then reach a decision.
| Total Questions | 12 |
| Duration | 30 |
| Score range | 1-8 |
Best Books to prepare for GMAT
Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guides
The set of books contains all the information and preparation material relevant to the GMAT exam. The ten guides in Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT series range cover all the GMAT segments. From integrated reasoning to writing assessment, you can quickly strengthen your skills and score high. You can buy the books individually or in a bundle and gain access to one year of web study material along with practice tests. If you want to build your reasoning foundations, get a Manhattan guide, and start preparing.
GMAT Official Guide
GMAT is one of the most detailed books that will help in understanding the basic concepts. The guide consists of more than 950 questions, including verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and more. The books are updated as per the syllabus and pattern, so you will not miss any new changes. Along with the GMAT official guide, you will access online learning material consisting of additional essay questions to practice, advice, and tips from previous candidates in video format.
Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus series
Rated as the best book for GMAT quantitative section, the books include the exam content only, excluding unnecessary concepts and questions. The math and verbal guide will help you strengthen your basics fundamentally. The quantitative section is quite strong and easily explained in this book. Overall, the Kaplan GMAT book is the most sought after and highly reviewed book by all the previous test-takers.
GMAT for Dummies
As the name suggests, GMAT is one of the best GMAT books for self-study of every test-taker interested in knowing every GMAT exam detail. The books put forth extra focus on the strategies and tips on eliminating wrong options and tackling the questions without losing any score. The set includes online practice sheets and flashcards. The GMAT for Dummies book is the best pick for referencing and starting your practice from the scratch.
Veritas Prep Complete GMAT Course Set
Veritas is a household name among GMAT test-takers. The book explains each section and questions in utmost detail. The practice questions are complex and provide a fair idea of the questions asked in the exam. With Veritas Prep Book, you will get access to practice tests, 1000+ practice questions, and an in-depth guide to different business schools around the world.