Princeton Review GMAT Premium Prep, 2023: 6 Computer-Adaptive Practice Tests
Genres: Education & Teaching
Book Preface
Congratulations on your decision to attend business school, and welcome to GMAT Premium Prep, 2023 Edition! Preparing for the GMAT is an important part of the process, so let’s get started. This chapter will provide you with a strategic plan for acing the GMAT, as well as an overview of the test itself, including question formats and information on how the test is scored.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK: A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ACING THE GMAT
1. Learn the Famed Princeton Review Test-Taking Strategies
In the next few chapters, you’ll find the strategies that have given our GMAT students the edge for over 20 years.
2. Learn the Specific Math and Verbal Skills You’ll Need
Our courses include an extremely thorough review of the math and verbal skills our students need to ace the GMAT, and this book will give you that same review.
3. Practice Each Type of Question—at the Difficulty Level You Need to Master
Two of the GMAT’s sections, the Quantitative and Verbal sections, are computer adaptive. These sections quickly hone in on your ability level and then mostly give you questions at or just above that level. It makes sense for you to practice on the level of problem you will actually see during the test. GMAT Premium Prep is the only book out there with practice questions grouped by difficulty. Page after page of practice questions are arranged at the back of this book in difficulty “bins”—just like the questions on the real GMAT—so that you can concentrate on the question level you will have to answer on the actual test in order to get the score you need.
The Integrated Reasoning section of the GMAT is not computer adaptive. We’ve provided two complete Integrated Reasoning sections at the back of this book to help you prepare for this section of the test.
4. Periodically Take Simulated GMATs to Measure Your Progress
As you work through the book, you’ll want to take our online practice tests to see how you’re doing. These tests closely mimic the GMAT so you can become familiar with the test’s content and structure. Our tests include adaptive sections for the Quantitative and Verbal sections and a non-adaptive section for the Integrated Reasoning section. Our practice tests can be found at PrincetonReview.com. In addition, we actively encourage students to use The Official Guide for GMAT Review, which is published by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). It contains actual test questions from previous administrations of the GMAT. You should also take at least one of the real practice tests available through the GMAT website, www.mba.com.
5. Hone Your Skills
Using the detailed score reports from your practice exams and the diagnostic test, you’ll be able to zero in on problem areas and quickly achieve mastery through additional practice. And as your score rises on the adaptive sections, this book is ready with more difficult question bins to keep you on track for the score you need. You can use the two practice Integrated Reasoning sections in this book to help you prepare for your practice tests and your real GMAT.
6. Keep Track of the Application Process
Throughout the book, you will find informative sidebars explaining how and when to register for the test, how and when to apply to business school, the advantages and disadvantages of applying early, and much more. Plus, at PrincetonReview.com, you’ll be able to take advantage of our powerful web-based tools to match yourself with schools that meet your needs and preferences.
WHAT IS THE GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION TEST?
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a standardized test that business schools use as a tool to decide whom they are going to accept into their MBA programs.
Where Does the GMAT Come From?
The GMAT is published and administered by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a private company. We’ll tell you more about them later on in this book.
What Does the Test Look Like?
The GMAT is offered only on computer. The 3.5-hour test is administered at a secure computer terminal at an approved testing center. You enter your multiple-choice answers on the screen with a mouse; you must compose your essay for the Writing Assessment section on the computer as well.
- One 30-minute essay to be written on the computer with a generic word-processing program
- One 30-minute, 12-question, multiple-choice Integrated Reasoning section. Some Integrated Reasoning questions can have multiple parts. (optional break)
- A 62-minute, 31-question multiple-choice Quantitative section (optional break)
- A 65-minute, 36-question multiple-choice Verbal section
On average, this would give you two minutes for each quantitative question and a little less than two minutes for each verbal question—but you will find that our Princeton Review strategies will slightly revise these times. You must answer a question in order to get to the next question—which means that you can’t skip a question and come back to it. And while you are not required to finish any of the sections, your score will be adjusted downward to reflect questions you do not complete.
On each of the Quantitative and Verbal sections, approximately one-quarter of the questions you encounter will be experimental and will not count toward your score. These questions, which will be mixed in among the regular questions, are there so the test company can try out new questions for future tests. We’ll have much more to say about the experimental questions later.
But Wait, There’s More
One of the first options you’ll encounter when taking the GMAT is the option to choose from one of three possible orders for the exam sections. You pick your preferred section order on the day of the test.
Here are the possible section orders:
| Order #1 (Classic Order) | Order #2 (Verbal First) | Order #3 (Quantitative First) |
| Analytic Writing Assessment | Verbal | Quantitative |
| Integrated Reasoning | ||
|
Optional 8 minute break |
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| Quantitative | Quantitative | Verbal |
|
Optional 8 minute break |
||
| Verbal | Integrated Reasoning | Integrated Reasoning |
| Analytical Writing Assessment | Analytical Writing Assessment | |
How Do You Know What Order to Pick?
The answer to that depends on your goals for the test and your level of comfort with the different sections. Are you looking to get a high Quantitative score, but you don’t care so much about the Verbal? Has your school told you they never consider the essay and Integrated Reasoning section? Are you good at Verbal but not so good at Quantitative?
The answer to these questions and other questions like them help to inform your section order choice.
How Does This Impact Your Studying?
We recommend that you take your first two tests using the classic order. A major goal of your first practice test is to simply get acquainted with the sections, question types, content, and timing of the GMAT. A major goal of your second practice test is to start putting into use some of the basic approaches for important question types.
Taking your first two tests using the classic section order provides a baseline score. Having established a baseline score, you can then try out different section orders for the remaining tests. Compare the results of the tests with different section orders to the results of the tests with the classic section order and see if there are any improvements.
In addition to looking for score improvements, you should also pay attention to a handful of other factors about your preferences in test taking.
For instance, do you like to ease into a test or hit the ground running? If you like to ease into a test, you may want to stick with the classic section order. While all parts of your GMAT score are important, most schools do attach less importance to your AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment) and Integrated Reasoning scores than your Quantitative and Verbal scores. Remember, as well, that only the Quantitative and Verbal scores are used in calculating the overall score.
Do you like to do the section you’re most worried about first? Some test-takers like to get the section that they are most worried about out of the way. If that’s you, you’ll probably want to pick either the Verbal First or Quantitative First orders, depending on which section you are most worried about.
Are you worried about fatigue? Most test-takers find the GMAT both fast-paced and tiring. Fatigue can be a very real issue. If you are worried about fatigue, you probably want to do either the Verbal First or Quantitative First orders as they place the two least consequential sections at the end of the test.
What Information Is Tested on the GMAT?
You will find several different types of multiple-choice questions on the GMAT.
Quantitative (31 questions total)
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Problem Solving—approximately 16 questions
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Data Sufficiency (a strange type of problem that exists on no other test in the world)—approximately 15 questions
Verbal (36 questions total)
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Reading Comprehension (tests your ability to answer questions about a passage)—approximately 12 questions
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Sentence Correction (a grammar-related question type)—approximately 14 questions
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Critical Reasoning (a logic-based question type recycled from the LSAT)—approximately 10 questions
Integrated Reasoning (12 questions total)
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Table Analysis—data is presented in a sortable table (like an Excel spreadsheet); each question usually has three parts.
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Graphics Interpretation—a chart or graph is used to display data; each question usually has two parts; answers are selected from drop-down boxes.
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Multi-Source Reasoning—information (a combination of charts, text, and tables) is presented on two or three tabs; each set of tabbed information is usually accompanied by three questions.
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Two-Part Analysis—each question usually has five or six options of which you need to pick two.
How Is the GMAT Scored?
As soon as you’ve finished taking the GMAT, your computer will calculate and display your unofficial results, not including your Writing Assessment score. You can print a copy of your unofficial results to take with you. Within 20 days, you will receive your score report online; a written report will be available only by request.
Most people think of the GMAT score as a single number, but in fact there are five separate numbers:
1. Quantitative score (reported on a scale that runs from 6 to 51 in one-point increments)
2. Verbal score (reported on a scale that runs from 6 to 51 in one-point increments)
3. Total score (reported on a scale that runs from 200 to 800 and is based only on the results of Quantitative and Verbal sections)
4. Analytic Writing Assessment score (reported on a scale of 0 to 6, in half-point increments; 6 is the highest score)
5. Integrated Reasoning score (reported on a scale from 1 to 8 in one-point increments)
The report will look something like this:
| Download Ebook | Read Now | File Type | Upload Date |
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Read Now | Epub | July 23, 2022 |
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