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Best GMAT Prep Books
Our in-depth guide covers the best GMAT study books on the market to help you master the exam and get accepted into a top business school.
Preparing for the GMAT is no joke – there’s no question that you need the right resources with plenty of realistic practice problems, smart strategies, and actionable tips. But with a flood of review books on the market, how do you know which one will actually help boost your score? This list of our top five GMAT study books will show you which guides are worth your time so you can choose the one that best fits your budget and learning style.
Table of Contents:
Based on our expert team’s research and evaluation, we offer the following list of the best GMAT prep books available:
Touted as an all-in-one solution,The Princeton Review GMAT Focus Premium Prep includes a comprehensive guide, free online resources, detailed topic reviews, and computer-adaptive practice tests.
This comprehensive guide offers an in-depth review of all tested topics, including data insights, verbal, and math. You’ll also love the bulleted chapter summaries that serve as a quick reference GMAT guide.
Princeton Review provides three full-length online GMAT practice tests that feature detailed explanations for each practice question, plus a score report so you can review your progress.
You also get video tutorials from the experts to help with time management so you feel ready for the big day.
Get all the review you need with two diagnostic warm-ups and more than 140 additional GMAT practice questions that are sorted by difficulty. Each test section includes online drills covering every topic you’ll see on the test.
Make use of the step-by-step problem-solving study guides that help you navigate more difficult questions. This resource emphasizes strategies for working smarter, not harder. In my opinion, the premium online resources make this one of the best options available. Use the multi-week study guides to maximize your success.
The Manhattan Prep All the GMAT is an in-depth guide that has consolidated what used to be 10 volumes into three all-inclusive resources.
All the GMAT includes access to online bonus materials with a syllabus to help you map out your study plan and score higher on the GMAT. Especially helpful for me was the online syllabus, which tracked my progress so I could better manage my time.
This study guide includes an exclusive e-book that covers more difficult content.
You also get access to an online GMAT navigator, which includes a question navigator that features detailed solutions and explanations to each question. The 12-week study syllabus is super useful for organizing your schedule, and they pack in tons of helpful test strategies on top of the excellent content review.
This resource also separates the content areas with a quantitative guide, data insights, and a verbal guide. Bottom line, you’ll definitely feel prepared if you equip yourself with one of the best GMAT guides on the market.
#3 | GMAC GMAT Official Guide
Review at home or on the run with the GMAC GMAT Official Guide. This comprehensive guide includes access to online resources and a GMAT mobile app for additional practice.
GMAC’s offering includes 975 questions that cover all GMAT topics, such as data insights, math, and verbal. Each question includes detailed explanations to help you understand your mistakes.
All of the practice questions are organized by difficulty, so you can begin with the easy questions and work your way up to the more demanding questions. This was actually a confidence builder for me. I felt good about answering the easier GMAT questions correctly before moving on to questions with more difficulty. I also liked that it provided me with an overview of the format of the exam and test-taking strategies.
The online resources include digital flashcards to help you master key concepts. You also have the ability to create your own practice question sets, with performance metrics that make it easy to track your progress. Study on the go or on your own time with the helpful tools available with GMAC’s guide.
Learn all the secrets to scoring well with the Mometrix Test Preparation GMAT Prep Book. This premium guide includes a comprehensive review of all GMAT test sections, including verbal, data insights, and quantitative reasoning.
Mometrix offers critical advice and tips on time management, goal setting, and strategies for answering all types of test questions.
This study guide features vocabulary review, plus tips on test procedures and principles. There are step-by-step video tutorials with the online resources, as well as detailed explanations for each question.
I found these explanations to be particularly helpful, aiding in my understanding of what I did wrong, as well as providing opportunities for me to celebrate what I did right.
The data reasoning section reviews interrelated problems, logical organization, and synthesizing information from graphics. You will learn mathematical operations, equations, functions, polynomials, and probability in the quantitative section of this guide. The verbal section reviews cause and effect, author purpose, types of passages, and implications.
What makes this one of the best guides out there is the links to online review videos where experts break down the concepts. Review at your own pace with expert guidance built right in.
#5 | Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus
Kaplan’s GMAT Prep Plus is well-known for its thorough approach particularly tailored for students striving for top scores. It’s crafted to assist students in mastering the most difficult aspects of the GMAT, concentrating on advanced strategies and concepts essential for achieving exceptional scores.
Kaplan’s GMAT Prep Plus offers extensive coverage of advanced topics, surpassing fundamental concepts to explore the intricacies of each section, such as quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning. You can anticipate detailed explanations of intricate concepts, along with strategies for approaching the most challenging questions.
Additionally, Kaplan emphasizes practice. Their guide contains a wealth of realistic practice questions and six full-length practice tests that closely mirror the actual exam. By engaging with these questions, you can gain familiarity with the exam’s format and build the confidence you need to succeed.
The GMAT Focus Edition, which was updated in 2024, contains three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal, and Data Insights. The current exam no longer features the Integrated Reasoning or the Analytical Writing Assessment, which used to be on the Classic version of the test.
In order to do your best on the GMAT, it’s best to plan ahead. And part of that plan should include finding a solid prep book, especially if you plan to self-study without a course.
With this list of comprehensive GMAT study guides, you can get a head start on reviewing the concepts and actual questions you’ll find on the exam.
For maximum efficiency, identify concepts that you struggle with and focus on your personal areas of weakness. Create a detailed, realistic study schedule and stick to it. Take advantage of practice tests so that you are familiar with the testing format and question types.
Which GMAT books are best for Quant and Verbal? Manhattan Prep GMAT Quant and Verbal guides are highly rated. They provide detailed walkthroughs, strategies for tricky question types, and drills to strengthen weak areas.
What are some other good sources of GMAT support?
If you find that you need a little more support, note that there are some good GMAT prep courses and GMAT tutors out there. Our team has reviewed a number of commercial courses and ranked the best GMAT prep courses here.
It takes hard work and determination to master the concepts needed to gain entrance into an MBA program. When armed with the best study guides, you can learn more about test-taking strategies, content sections, time management and strategies to boost your confidence before you take the exam.
With the right study guides in hand, you’ll be well-positioned to achieve your target score and get into the MBA program you’re after.
Popular choices include Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus and Princeton Review GMAT Focus Premium Prep. Both provide strategies, drills, and practice tests. They are ideal for learners who want a structured approach alongside official exam questions.
Where to buy GMAT books?
Perhaps the best place to purchase a GMAT prep book is through an online retailer like Amazon, for example. Just be sure you select the most recent edition though when shopping.
Are the Official GMAT Guides worth it?
Yes. The Official GMAT Guides are written by the test makers and contain real past exam questions. They are the most reliable source of practice, although the explanations can feel brief.
What is the GMAT Focus prep book?
The GMAT Focus prep books cover the new version of the exam launched in 2024. They explain changes to timing, section structure, and question types, with practice sets designed for the Focus Edition.
What GMAT practice book should I start with?
Start with the Official GMAT Guide for authentic questions, then add a companion resource like the Princeton Review GMAT Focus Premium Prep or Manhattan Prep All the GMAT for practice.
Is there a GMAT review book?
Yes. GMAT review books summarize key strategies and provide condensed practice questions, which are helpful for final review in the weeks before the test.
