GMAT For Dummies 2020

Lisa Zimmer Hatch, MA, and Scott A. Hatch, JD, have been helping students succeed on standardized tests since 1987. They have written curricula and numerous test-prep guides and have taught internationally through their online forums, live lectures, DVDs, and study programs.

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with the GMAT 5 Chapter 1: The Lowdown on the GMAT 7 Knowing Why the GMAT is Important 7 Timing It Perfectly: When to Take the GMAT (And What to Bring) 8 When to register for and take the GMAT 8 Things to take to the GMAT (and things to leave at home) 10 Forming First Impressions: The Format of the GMAT 10 Getting familiar with what the GMAT tests 10 Understanding the computerized format 11 Honing your computer skills for the GMAT 12 Knowing Where You Stand: Scoring Considerations 13 How the GMAT testers figure your score 13 How the GMAT testers report your score 13 Why you should (almost) never cancel your GMAT score 14 Repeating the Process: Retaking the GMAT 15 Chapter 2: Maximizing Your Score on the GMAT 17 Discovering Strategies for Successful Guessing 17 Forcing yourself to guess so you can move on 18 Understanding the importance of completing each section 18 Winning the Race against the Clock 19 Giving each question equal treatment 19 Making time for the last ten questions 19 Keeping track of your pace 20 Getting Rid of Wrong Answers 20 Keeping track of eliminated answer choices for the computer test format 20 Recognizing wrong answers 21 Playing It Smart: A Few Things You Shouldn't Do When Taking the Test 25 Don't lose your focus 25 Don't read questions at lightning speed 25 Don't waste all your time on the hardest questions 25 Don't cheat 26 Tackling a Case of Nerves with Relaxation Techniques 26 Devising a Plan of Attack 27 Chapter 3: Mastering Business School Admissions 29 Choosing a Business School 29 Lining Up Your Ducks - Applying to Business Schools 31 When to apply 32 What to submit 32 Crafting Effective Business School Essays 33 Part 2: Vanquishing the Verbal Section 35 Chapter 4: Applying What You Learned (We Hope) in Grammar Class: Sentence Correction 37 Building a Solid Foundation: Grammar Basics 38 Getting wordy: The parts of speech 38 Pulling together: The parts of a sentence 40 Pointing Out Mistakes: Common Sentence Correction Errors 42 Can't we all just get along? Errors in subject-verb and noun-pronoun agreement 43 Building code violations: Faulty construction 45 Follow the idiom: Correct use of standard expressions 48 Implementing an Approach to Sentence Correction Questions 51 Spotting the error 51 Eliminating answers that don't correct errors 52 Eliminating choices that create new errors 52 Rereading the sentence 53 Reviewing the process and guessing on sentence corrections 53 Sentence Correction Practice Problems with Answer Explanations 53 Practice problems 54 Answer explanations 56 Chapter 5: Not as Enticing as a Bestseller: Reading Comprehension 59 Judging by Appearances: What Reading Comprehension Questions Look Like 59 Approaching Reading Passages 60 Mastering the message: The main point 60 Absorbing the ambiance: Author's tone 61 Finding the framework: The passage's outline 61 Sticking to the Subject: Types of Passages 62 Experimenting with natural science passages 62 Gathering in social circles: Social science passages 62 Getting down to business passages 63 Approaching Reading Comprehension Questions 63 Identifying the question type 63 Eliminating answer choices 66 Dealing with exception questions 67 Reading Comprehension Practice Questions with Answer Explanations 70 Reading comprehension practice questions 70 Answer explanations 74 Chapter 6: Thinking This through Logically: Critical Reasoning 79 Focusing on "Critical" Concepts: An Overview 79 Understanding the structure of the questions 80 Figuring out how to answer the questions 80 Making a Case: Essentials of Informal Logic 81 Fighting fair: The elements of an argument 81 Getting from Point A to Point B: Types of