While GMAT (or GRE) preparation is not EssaySnark’s primary expertise — we are EssaySnark not GMATSnark, after all — we obviously want to help you be successful in this important part of your application as well.
There are a wide range of test prep providers that you can research. However, just like with the market for admissions consultants, we don’t offer opinions on GMAT companies — there’s some good, some bad, and some ugly. You’ll need to do your own research. One tip though: When you ask your friends which test prep company is good, try to figure out if your friend’s personality and study style are similar to yours. If your girlfriend who landed a 3.8 in chemistry at Princeton says Company X is good, well, that might not be so relevant if you are an art history major!
The other advice we can offer is that if you’re trying for a top MBA program, you should probably take the GMAT rather than the GRE. We go into the reasons why in a variety of posts on the blahg; here’s a slightly more recent one from 2017.
Here’s some additional GMAT-related articles:
- ($) Is a 710 GMAT enough to get in?
- ($) If you took the GMAT while you were in college and now X years later you’re applying for an MBA
- The shame of a low GMAT score
- ($) Canceling your GMAT score is a bad idea (plus, how many schools should you apply to?)
- ($) To Round 3 or not to Round 3?
- ($) Updating the admissions office on changes to your profile post-submit: GMAT/GRE/classes
- ($) Just In Time MBA App Prep: What if you JUST decided to apply to bschool? Like, NOW?
- ($) The submit-then-retest strategy for your GMAT or GRE
- ($) How to get off the waitlist
- ($) What if a high GMAT score is a liability?
- ($) How MBA admissions works at lower-ranked bschools (aka, the advantages of a higher GMAT score)
- ($) Why you can’t really rely on class profile data in understanding your own chances
- ($) Can you take the GMAT or GRE too many times?
- ($) Do the schools look at all your scores?
- ($) Is it possible to take the GMAT or GRE too many times?
We’ve also published a few articles on other sites:
- 3 Truths about the GMAT on BusinessBecause (May 2013)
- How GMAT Prep Sets You Up for Success in Your MBA Essays on the Magoosh GMAT blog (April 2013) (which is not to say you can’t nail the test just fine with self-study!)
And some recommendations from BSers who’ve gone before:
- qshdz recommended the McKinsey Problem-Solving Test to study for Integrated Reasoning
- bschool2013 recommended GMATHacks , a free site with study tips
If you have free resources that have worked for you, please pass them along!