Word Problems GMAT Strategy Guide, 5th Edition [Paperback]

This book does a very god job of covering Rate x Time=Distance problems, work problems, probability problems, and overlapping sets problems. It is also a major improvement over the previous edition in all areas.

The "word translation" problems in the real GMAT, however, make up for the largest portion of the Quant section of the GMAT. This book covers approximately maybe 80% of the question types.

The difficulty of the questions are geared toward the middle level test takers. The book does not cover some of the hardest questions GMAT gives you. But it will provide a very good foundation for the GMAT.

I recommend this book for those who are preparing for the GMAT.

I love most of the MGMAT books but this one just does not feel right. The book is realistically 95 pages and covers all important concepts: from lines to coordinate geometry. Does not go over the top and gives enough material, seems like the writers covered all the bases. However, I have an issue with it - it is not laid out very well. I am a visual learner and felt it would have been a better book if it was spread out more, included more illustrations, and did not have so much verbiage everywhere. Even larger all-in-one books dedicate close to 100 pages for Geometry.

Another issue is that all of the problems in the book are in a non-gmat format (meaning you only get a question, not the 5 answer choices). That is OK for some sections, but not having a single gmat-like question in the entire book is a "no-no". GMAT is heavily about basics and good framework, but there are other ways to solve questions such as backsolving, picking numbers, etc and those skills are honed only when questions are in the GMAT format. Important to point out that the book comes with access to the Geometry quiz bank online, which does have GMAT-style questions, so there is hope.

The big redeeming factors are 6 online tests that are included with every MGMAT book ($39 value), additional online practice materials, and coverage of Coordinate Geometry (a harder topic often omitted in larger textbooks).

***Bottom line: this is a solid geometry book that was crammed in 95 pages but is still a worthy buy for the sake of tests and the coordinate geometry section.

Questions about the book? Post them here - i will respond.
BB, Founder of GMAT Club Community.

P.S. The only other books that cover Coordinate Geometry are: Kaplan GMAT Math Foundations and MGMAT Foundations of GMAT Math, both of which are on the easier side of things but recommended if you need help with math. You can find my reviews for both of them.

The World Translations book, like all of Manhattan GMAT's review books, is excellent. It covers all of the basics, which is great if you need a refresher, as well as the advanced concepts, which is perfect if you're shooting for a 700+ score.

In particular, World Translation problems are some of the hardest ones on the GMAT, but with the help of the review guide, I was able to tackle even the most challenging problems. I'm sure many people struggle at first with World Translation problems (they can definitely be tricky), but the book does a good job of taking you through concepts step-by-step so that you really understand what each question is asking, and what the best approach to take is.

I highly recommend this guide, as well as all of Manhattan GMAT's guides, if you are serious about doing well on the GMATs. I actually took Manhattan GMAT's review course (the books come free when you take the course), which I would also highly recommend.