GMAT Audio Crash Course™ Complete Test Prep and Review for the Graduate Management Admission Test
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Hello and welcome to the GMAT test prep guide. If you’re planning to enhance your knowledge – and further your skill set – by obtaining a business degree, then it is likely that the school, or schools, you are applying to will want to see your test scores from the Graduate Management Admissions Test. The GMAT is a long and highly comprehensive examination, and it covers quite a lot of ground as it pertains to different areas of business related knowledge. So, it can be extremely beneficial to take a course that will prepare you for this exam. Knowing what you can anticipate in terms of subject matter, as well as the test format and timing, can also help to boost your confidence and comfort level when the day of the test arrives. This is exactly what you will be learning in this course. Before we jump into the actual subject matter, let’s take a look at what this course covers, by going over the table of contents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: How to Properly Prepare for the GMAT ............................................................. 1 Course Overview ....................................................................................................................... 1 What Will Be Covered in This Guide ......................................................................................... 2 Section 1: What to Expect on the GMAT Exam......................................................................... 7 Why the GMAT Exam is Important ........................................................................................... 7 How the GMAT is Viewed by Business Schools ..................................................................... 8 How the GMAT is Viewed by Employers ............................................................................... 8 GMAT Stats – How Taking the GMAT Can Put You Ahead of Your Competition ................. 9 How the GMAT Exam is Scored ................................................................................................ 9 Registering for the GMAT Exam.............................................................................................. 11 Format of the GMAT Exam ..................................................................................................... 13 Timing for Each Section of the GMAT ..................................................................................... 14 What to Expect Before, During, and After the GMAT Exam ................................................... 16 Section One : Wrap Up ........................................................................................................... 18 Section One: Key Takeaways .................................................................................................. 19 Section One: Practice Quiz ...................................................................................................... 21 Section One: Practice Quiz Answers ....................................................................................... 24 Section 2: A Closer Look at Each Section of the GMAT Exam .................................................. 27 The GMAT Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) ............................................................................. 27 Ordering the GMAT Exam Sections ........................................................................................ 30 How to Proceed with the GMAT Exam Using Your Specific Strengths ............................... 30
Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section Overview ....................................................... 31 Integrated Reasoning Section Overview................................................................................. 32 Quantitative Section Overview ............................................................................................... 33 Verbal Section Overview ......................................................................................................... 34 Section Two Wrap Up ............................................................................................................. 35 Section Two Key Takeaways ................................................................................................... 36 Section Two Practice Quiz....................................................................................................... 38 Section Two Practice Quiz Answers ........................................................................................ 41 Section 3: Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section Strategies ..................................... 43 What to Expect in the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section ................................... 43 Argument Analysis .................................................................................................................. 46 Pacing Yourself in the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) Section of the GMAT Exam .................................................................................................................................. 47 How the Analytical Writing Assessment Section is Scored..................................................... 47 Tips for Taking the Analytical Writing Assessment Section of the GMAT Exam .................... 49 Section Three Wrap Up ........................................................................................................... 53 Section Three Key Takeaways ................................................................................................. 54 Section Three Practice Quiz .................................................................................................... 56 Section Three Practice Quiz Answers ..................................................................................... 58 Section 4: Integrated Reasoning Section Strategies ............................................................... 61 What to Expect in the Integrated Reasoning Section ............................................................. 61 Graphics Interpretation ....................................................................................................... 62 Multi-Source Reasoning ...................................................................................................... 64 Table Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 67 Two-Part Analysis ................................................................................................................ 69 Pacing Yourself in the Integrated Reasoning Section of the GMAT Exam.............................. 71 Example Questions for the Integrated Reasoning Section ..................................................... 72
Graphics Interpretation Example Questions ....................................................................... 72 Multi-Point Reasoning Example Questions ......................................................................... 74 Table Analysis Example Questions ...................................................................................... 80 Two-Part Analysis Example Questions ................................................................................ 85 How the Integrated Reasoning Section is Scored ................................................................... 87 Tips for Taking the Integrated Reasoning Section of the GMAT Exam................................... 88 Section Four Wrap Up ............................................................................................................. 89 Section Four: Key Takeaways .................................................................................................. 90 Section Four Practice Quiz ...................................................................................................... 92 Section Four Practice Quiz Answers ....................................................................................... 95 Section 5: Quantitative Section Strategies ............................................................................. 97 What to Expect in the Quantitative Section of the GMAT Exam........................................... 97 Problem Solving .................................................................................................................... 104 Data Sufficiency ................................................................................................................. 113 Algebra .............................................................................................................................. 118 Math and Numbers ........................................................................................................... 123 Statistics ............................................................................................................................ 129 Geometry........................................................................................................................... 136 Coordinate Geometry........................................................................................................ 145 Pacing Yourself in the Quantitative Section of the GMAT Exam ......................................... 148 How the Quantitative Section is Scored ............................................................................... 150 Tips for Taking the Quantitative Section of the GMAT Exam .............................................. 151 Section Five Wrap Up............................................................................................................ 157 Section 5 Key Takeaways ...................................................................................................... 158 Section Five Practice Quiz ..................................................................................................... 165 Section Five Practice Quiz Answers ...................................................................................... 168
Section 6: Verbal Section Strategies .................................................................................... 171 What to Expect in the Verbal Section of the GMAT Exam .................................................. 171 Pacing Yourself in the Verbal Section of the GMAT Exam................................................... 183 How the Verbal Section is Scored ......................................................................................... 184 Tips for Taking the Verbal Section of the GMAT Exam ........................................................ 185 Section Six Wrap Up .............................................................................................................. 204 Section Six Key Takeaways .................................................................................................... 205 Section Six Practice Quiz ....................................................................................................... 208 Section Six Practice Quiz Answers ........................................................................................ 211 Section 7: Helpful Checklists ............................................................................................... 213 GMAT Exam Preparation Checklist ....................................................................................... 213 On the Day of the GMAT Exam ............................................................................................. 222 After the GMAT Exam ........................................................................................................... 230 Should You Retake the GMAT Exam? ................................................................................... 235 Section 7 Wrap Up ................................................................................................................ 237 Section 7 Key Takeaways ...................................................................................................... 238 Section 8: GMAT Resources and Additional Information ..................................................... 241 GMAT Resources and Research ............................................................................................ 241 Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)......................................................... 241 Section 8 Wrap Up ................................................................................................................ 249 Section 9: Conclusion........................................................................................................... 251 Reviewing What You Have Learned ...................................................................................... 251 Putting Theory Into Practice ................................................................................................. 253 Where to Go From Here ....................................................................................................... 256 Section Nine and Course Wrap Up ....................................................................................... 261
PRACTICE FINAL EXAMINATION Section 10: 100 Question Practice Final Exam ...................................................................... 265 GMAT Course Practice Exam ................................................................................................ 266 Practice Exam Answer Key .................................................................................................... 291 FIGURES Figures ................................................................................................................................. 329 Section 1 Figures ................................................................................................................... 329 Section 2 Figures ................................................................................................................... 331 Section 3 Figures ................................................................................................................... 332 Section 4 Figures ................................................................................................................... 335 Section 5 Figures ................................................................................................................... 346 Section 7 Figures ................................................................................................................... 356 Section 9 Figures ................................................................................................................... 364
INTRODUCTION: HOW TO PROPERLY PREPARE FOR THE GMAT Welcome again to the Graduate Management Admissions Test – or GMAT -- preparation course. Preparing for this examination is an important part of the overall business school admissions process. Studying for the GMAT can seem a bit daunting, though. There is a lot of information to cover – and admittedly, there are a number of various resources that are available to you. So, it might not be exactly clear where you should begin. The good news is that you’re in the right place now. This course will help to break down all of the information that you need, one step at a time. That way, just like with any long journey, taking things step by step will make it seem much more manageable for you.
COURSE OVERVIEW The Graduate Management Admission Test – which is also commonly referred to simply as the GMAT – is a key component of the business school application process. This test is a multiple choice, computer based, and computer adaptive standardized exam that is typically required for admission to graduate school business programs. There are four primary sections that you can expect to find on the GMAT exam. These include: A. An Analytical Writing Assessment section, B. An Integrated Reasoning section, C. A Quantitative Section, and a D. Verbal Section.
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We will go into much more detail regarding each of these sections – as well as how you can best go about studying for them – throughout this GMAT prep course. There will also be practice tests along the way – following each of the key sections -- so that you can gauge how well you are retaining the material from each section, and so that you know where you may need to go back and do more review. As a side note, you also have the option of taking the section practice quizzes in your followalong PDF manual. Because the correct answer will be provided to you within a few seconds in the audio version of the course, using the PDF will instead allow you to move through each of the quizzes – as well as the one-hundred question final practice exam – in their entirety. So, why is it so important that you use a GMAT exam prep study guide? There are actually several good reasons for doing so. First, just like with any other exam you would prepare for, it can be beneficial to study and review the information that may be included on the GMAT so that you are familiar with what may be asked. Doing so will not just help you with preparing mentally for the GMAT examination, but it can also help you to be more confident and relaxed physically when you are in the process of completing the test. And, that is just exactly what this study material will allow you to do.
WHAT WILL BE COVERED IN THIS GUIDE So, what exactly will be covered in this GMAT test preparation guide? This course will provide you with in-depth information on all of the primary components that are included on the GMAT exam. This will encompass details about the test itself, along with details on how to study and prepare for the exam. Let’s take a look at each of the sections of this course individually, starting with Section One. In Section One, we will be going into more in-depth details about what you can expect on the GMAT test itself. Oftentimes, just simply knowing what to anticipate can be very beneficial. It
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can also help you to pace yourself, given the amount of time that you will have to complete each of the sections of the test. This can be key, because on the GMAT exam, you will not get credit for any of the questions that you have skipped. With that in mind, keeping a good pace is essential to your success on this exam. In the first section of this course, you will start out by learning why the GMAT exam is such an important part of your entry to business school. Plus, because taking the GMAT exam is also viewed highly by many employers, the benefits that this test will provide you in the future will also be discussed. Another key component of the GMAT is the scoring. With that in mind, Section One of this GMAT test prep guide will provide you with information on the high and low score range, as well as with information regarding what is considered to be an average GMAT score. The format of the GMAT exam will also be discussed here, as this can give you a road map of sorts to follow on the day that you sit down to take the test. And, in wrapping up Section One, various tips will be provided regarding what you can typically expect before, during, and after taking the GMAT exam. In Section Two of this course, we will be discussing an overview of each section of the GMAT exam. Again, based on the key areas of the GMAT exam, these sections include: A. An Analytical Writing Assessment section, B. An Integrated Reasoning section, C. A Quantitative Section, and a D. Verbal Section. It is important to note here that, at the beginning of the GMAT exam, you will be given the option of which order you would like to complete these sections. In other words, there is not just one set order in which you have to take the exam. Rather, you can choose which of the
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sections you want to take first, and so on. This, in turn, provides you with the ability to take a particular section of the test when you are still “fresh,” and vice versa. Going forward with the set up of this particular test prep course, Sections Three, Four, Five and Six will all present you with much more in-depth details regarding each of the four areas of the GMAT exam. So, in Section Three, titled Analytical Writing Assessment Section Strategies, you will learn what to expect on this section of the exam. You will also learn some important strategies about how to pace yourself during this section of the exam. Likewise, Section Four -- Integrated Reasoning Strategies, Section Five -- Quantitative Section Strategies, and Section Six – Verbal Section Strategies, will all provide you with the details that you need so that you know what to expect, as well as how to pace yourself on the day of the actual test. In Section Seven, which is titled Helpful Checklists, you will be provided with a GMAT exam preparation checklist, as well as a business school admission checklist. Because it can be easy to become somewhat overwhelmed when applying for graduate business school, these checklists can help to keep you on track, and to ensure that you don’t miss anything. In order to assist you with obtaining additional GMAT exam resources, Section Eight of this course offers you even more information about the GMAT exam, as well as where you can find helpful tips and resources – both online and off. In Section Nine, we will wrap up what we have learned throughout the course. This section will also guide you with regard to putting theory into practice, as well as provide you with information on where to go from here. Each of the sections in this course contain short practice quizzes. The questions on these quizzes will help you to determine how much of the information you have retained. In addition, these multiple choice tests will also assist you in becoming better prepared for test-taking in general, and in narrowing down which of the possible answers that are provided is correct. 4
You have a couple of different options when taking the end-of-section quizzes, as well as the one-hundred question practice final exam. For instance, you can choose to go through these tests using the audio portion of the course. In this case, each question will be asked. Then, after just a few seconds of pause, the correct answer will be provided. Alternatively, if you would prefer to go through each of the end-of-section quizzes and / or the practice final exam in their entirety – but without hearing the correct answer – you can do so by using your follow-along PDF manual. Certainly, neither option is considered to be better than the other. At the end of this course, in Section Ten, there is a one hundred question final practice exam. Here, you will also be able to determine your retention of the information. In addition, you can get a better gauge of how long it may take you to answer one hundred questions so that you can match that against the three-and-one-half hours that you will be given for the actual GMAT examination. So, let's move forward now into Section One, What to Expect on the GMAT Exam.
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