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GMATIn 1 Month

Companion Guide to Online Video Course

The GMAT Pill Study Method | www.gmatpill.com

Zeke Lee

How To Ace The

2012

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Chapter 1: Getting Into the Right Mindset for GMATHow To Prepare For GMAT In 1 Month 4

Syllabus: Detailed 5-day Plan For Each Section 5GMAT Test Dates And Registration 6Where Your $250 Fee Goes 7When To Take The GMAT And Why Earlier Is Usually Better 8The 1 GMAT Strategy You Need To Know 9GMAT Psychology And Timing Strategies 12Visualize Success 14How To Do GMAT Questions 16Getting Into A Top Business School 19GMAT: Management Consulting & Investment Banking 26GMAT VS SAT 29GMAT Gets Popular With European Schools 31

Chapter 2: Verbal: Sentence Correction 33Questions 34

Answer Key 42Sample Frameworks 43

Chapter 3: Verbal: Critical Reasoning 48Questions 49

Answer Key 56Chapter 4: Verbal: Reading Comprehension 58

I. Reading the Passage 59II How to Approach RC Questions. 60III. Standard Question Types 66IV Key Take Aways 72

Table of Contents

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Chapter 5: Official Guide 12th Edition 88Categorization of Quant Questions By type 89

Chapter 6: Quant Problem Solving 90Questions 91

Answer Key 104Formulas and Diagrams 105

Chapter 7: Data Sufficiency 125

Questions 126Answer Key 133

Back Cover 135

Table of Contents

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Day 1: Download the GMAT Prep Software fromMBA.com and take a test tobecome familiar with the directions/logistics and identifywhere you need help

most.

Days 2-6: Log in to GMAT Pill. Watch and absorb theefficient thought processesand concepts for your weakest section (e.g. SentenceCorrection). Spend at least3 solid straight hours on Day 2.

Days 7-12: Log in to GMAT Pill and go through your nextweakest section.

Days 12-15: Start your 3rd weakest area (e.g., DataSufficiency)

Days 16-19: Start your 4th weakest area while also doingpractice problems forother sections that already covered.Days 20-22: Retake the same exam that you took on Day 1with the mentalitythat you should get everything correct (after all, youve seenthe questionsbefore!

Days 20-22: Retake the same exam that you took on Day1 with the mentality that you should get everything correct(after all, youve seen the questions before!)

Days 23-24: Review any questions that you got wrong.

Day 25: Relax. Mentally prepare for the set of practiceexams on the Official Guide you are about to take. Review

videos in the GMAT Pill.

Days 26-31: Take practice exams in the Official Guide. Atleast one full day on a weekend should be dedicated tosimulating exam conditions. If your exam begins at 9am,make sure you practice waking up at 7am and goingthrough your pre-exam routine. Control your nerves and getpsyched.

Days 32-33: Exam Day

How To Prepare For GMAT In 1 Month

Getting Into the Right Mindset for GMAT
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We say 5-day Plan but realistically we know most of

you will not study 5 days in a row straight. So this is planmight span out over 7-10 days assuming you take a dayor two to rest during this time. These 5 days are the daysthat you dedicate to studying for SC.

Day 1 (Saturday) 10am: Dedicate 2 hours to focus onthe 10 Core Framework videos. Rewind and forwardaccording to how comfortable you are with the material.

Noon-1pm: Get Lunch

1:30pm 4:30: Dedicate 3 hours to 600 Level Questions.Pause each video and try to answer the questionyourself. Then hit the play button and see how yourthought process compares to mine.

Day 2 (Sunday): 11am-noon: browse through the 10Core Frameworks again, spending more time on thevideos you are less familiar with.1:30pm-3:30pm: Start looking at some practice questionsin the Official Guide. Mark the ones you get wrong on thefirst try. Review the explanations for the ones you getwrong3:30-4:30: Redo ALL of the practice questions you justwent through with the mentality that you SHOULD beable to get ALL of them correct. After all, the ones you

got wrong you already saw the explanation!

8:30-9:30pm: Redo ALL the 600 and 700 level questions inthe GMAT Pill, pausing each video. Again, you SHOULD beable to get ALL of these correct. After all, youve alreadyseen these questions before!

Day 3-6 (Monday-Wednesday) 10pm-11pm before yougo to bed: Go through at least 10 questions each day.This should take you 30 minutes. Additionally, Go throughthe set of 10 questions that you went through the previousdaywith the mentality that you should get all of themcorrect. This should take you

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When Do I Take the GMAT? When are the GMAT Test

Dates?Its not like the SATs where everybody takes the exam atone time. You sign up to take theexam INDIVIDUALLY, whenever you are free. Yes, thatsright. The only thing to consideris when the test center (whichever test center you wantto go, preferably close to where youlive) is open.

How Do I Register for the GMAT?You must create an account withMBA.com, then proceed through the steps to choose atesting center and available time. Once you do that, youmake your $250 payment and youllhave officially registered for the GMAT exam.

But, BEFORE YOU REGISTER, you should browsearound the available test centers in your area and seegenerally when they would be free. Your GMAT Test Datewill be determined by when your closest test center isavailable and reserving that date. You should schedule atleast a month in advance to make sure that time slot isopen. Also, its good to know that most test

centers are not open on wkends, though you mayoccasionally find a Saturday here or there that could beopen.Browse the test center list before you actually register here.

How much does the GMAT cost? GRE Cost?$250 to register for the GMAT exam. $50 to reschedulebefore 7 days of exam.

Why should I take the GMAT now?Well, your GMAT test score is valid for 5 Years. Five years isa long time. So even if you are

just out of college, it might make sense to take the examnow while you are still in study mode.

Additionally, it is very stressful studying for the exam whileworking full time so the best way to avoid this is to take thetest when you have a break.

GMAT Test Dates And Registration

http://www.mba.com/testcenterlisthttp://www.mba.com/testcenterlisthttp://www.mba.com/testcenterlisthttp://www.mba.com/testcenterlisthttp://www.mba.com/testcenterlisthttp://www.mba.com/testcenterlist

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The entity you pay money to is the Graduate

Management Admission Council (GMAT), which is aninternational non-profit association of business schoolsthat do business with business schools and institutions.

Basically this is what happened. In 1953, a group off 9business schools got together and said they were gettingapplications from people so diverse it was difficult toassess which ones were quality and which ones werent.So they put together a standardized test that was initially

known as the Admission Test for Graduate Study inBusiness (ATGSB).

The ATGSB basically went around to business schoolsand academic institutions throughout the world and said:Heywe got this test called the ATGSB that we thinkwill help you assess MBA applicants. How about this..yougive us money and well test your students for you andsend you their scores. Well even give you lots of fancystatistics including mean, median, standard deviation,and everything else.

And so a (non-profit) partnership was formed. Prettyinteresting, huh.

So your fees go to this organization that makes up testquestions and develops a database to track all the

statistical characteristics of each question based on how

test takers answer them. The new questions they create arerandomly used as experimental questions that you see onyour test.

The ATGSB was later renamed the Graduate ManagementAdmission Test (GMAT) in 1976. At first only 2000 peopletook the test each year way back in 1953. But now about250,000 people take the test annually.So there you go. A quick history lesson on the GMAT.The GMAC recently released data on the different testtakers categorized by age group. Take a look where you fitin and who your competition is. Notice the growth rate of testtakers under the age of 24 is higher than that of the otherage groups.

Where Your $250 GMAT Fee Goes


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When is the GMAT?

There is no set date (like there is for the SAT) that youmust take the GMAT. So you have the liberty ofscheduling a date and time for your testing at the nearesttesting administration site.

Sounds good. Since I can choose when to take theexam, when is the best time to do so?

Perhaps the best time to take your GMAT is while you

are still in school, or shortly afterwards. Remember, asyou gain more real world experience, you lose the test-taking intuition that you used to have when you were inschool. Taking an intensive test like the GMAT 5 yearsafter your last rigorous exam can be quite challenging.Test-taking intricacies like operating in a time pressuredenvironment, reading through answer choices, markinganswers, and dealing with psychological issues aresecond nature to you when you are in school, but theybecome quite unfamiliar the longer you wait after college.You want to minimize this risk by taking the exam duringthe summer after graduation or the summer betweenyour junior and senior yearthis is the ideal time.Remember, the GMAT exam is valid for 5 years. If youhave any intention of applying for business schoolsometime in the next 5 years, you should take it at yourearliest convenience.

I am not in college anymore and I missed my chance totake the GMAT during this time. What do I do now? Dont worry. Thousands of people are in your shoes. Youmight not be used to the pressures of test taking so will needto pay extra attention to doing several practice examsmimicking exam-like conditions.

What do you mean by exam-like conditions?

I mean instead of just running through questions on apractice exam bit by bit, you should schedule an entiremorning or afternoon to take the exam with a timer.Especially with the Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) format ofthe exam, you should take these practice exams AS IF itwere the real thing, at least several days before your real

exam and preferably earlier.

What else should I take into account?

If you are considering the GMAT, chances are you have abusy life. When applying to business school, you will need todedicate time not only to your job, but also anyextracurricular activities or initiatives you are pursuing. Partof an organization that holds ambitious yearly events? Put

some time and effort and participate on the board in aleadership position. Itching for a promotion at your job soyou can mention it in your Bschool application? Youll needto put in the time and effort. Youll also need to budget timefor researching/visiting schools and writing those dreadedessays. And of course, you want a social life and time withyour family. The GMAT is the LAST thing you want to worryabout when juggling all these things. Thats why it is best toget it out of the way.

When To Take The GMAT And Why Earlier Is UsuallyBetter


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Should I study first and then schedule the exam orschedule the exam and then study?This is a personal preference. I would recommend you toschedule the exam a few months in advance when youintend to take it. Pay the $250 (yes, not cheap) it costs to

take the exam so that you are invested into the examforcing you to study. Otherwise, if you casually study forthe exam, you may never progress anywhere.

Many GMAT students mistakenly believe that focusing

their study on math is the best strategy to raising theirGMAT score.

Sure, if you have a known weakness in math youll need tobrush up on your math skills and logic. And yes, the GMATmath is significantly more difficult than the SAT math (moreemphais on logic and structuring the problem rather than onpure calculation).

But at the end of the day, doing well on the VERBAL sectionis more important to your overall score than if you didequally well on the MATH sectionthis is ESPECIALLY truein the 700+ range. If you are targeting this score range, youMUST polish up your verbal section.Dont believe me? Lets look at some data focusing on thehighest levels of scoring: 700+ range

If you score 99th percentile in Verbal (49V), and yourQuant score is

39M = 57th percentile = Total (730, 96th percentile)41M = 63th percentile = Total (730, 96th percentile)43M = 70th percentile = Total (740, 97th percentile)

Notice it does not matter how many extra points this studentcan get on quant. In the end, her score is around the same

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Let me say that again:

Doing well in Quant is good, but not as good asdoing well in Verbal!

This is almost ridiculous! A high quant score and averageverbal score yields a LOWER score than a high verbalscore and an average quant score!

Indeed, the GMAT is biased towards success on theverbal section!!

Why would the GMAT creators do this?

My best guess is one of supply and demand (ah yes,how relevant to an exam for business school). The influxof non-native English speakers from internationalcountries who are strong in quant but weak in verbal and

just the plain fact there are more people that are great atquant (where there is always a correct answer) than thenumer of people who are familiar with the idiomaticintricacies of the English language and inductive

reasoning.

But whatever the TRUE reason is, it does NOT matter.What does matter is what this bias in the GMAT meansto you. If your verbal abilities are not strong, then youMUST improve them.

score of 730 whether her math score is 39 or 43. Doing

well in Verbal pays off!

Now is the opposite true? What if a student scoresoutrageously well in Quant but average in Verbal?

If you score 99th percentile in Math (51V), and yourVerbal score is

30V = 57th percentile = Total (670, 85th percentile)

32V = 65th percentile = Total (690, 88th percentile)34V = 70th percentile = Total (710, 92nd percentile)

Notice doing extremely well in quant does not guaranteeyou a good score. In fact, an average score in the 57thpercentile for verbal and a perfect quant score only giveyou a (670, 85th percentile). Doing well in Quant is good,but not as good as doing well in Verbal!


G i I h Ri h Mi d f GMAT

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OK, I believe you. I need to improve my verbal score.But will studying necessarily improve my score?

Yes and no. Depends on how you study. There arepeople who spend 6 months studying and do not see anyimprovements on their score. And then there are those

(including me but also many others, Im sure) who scoredin the 70th percentile and then studied for 2 weeks andscored in the 98th percentile on the real thing.You need to target your studying. There are 3 sections tothe verbal:

1) Sentence Correction2) Critical Reasoning3) Reading Comprehension

By far, the easiest way to boost your score quickly isto ACE the Sentence Correction part of the exam. Itseasier than you think. While the GMAT test makers haveunlimited imagination in making questions for criticalreasoning and reading comprehension, they can onlytest you on sentence correction in so many ways. If youmaster all possible TYPES of questions on the sentence

correction AND VARIATIONS on those concepts, thenyou can go into the test with CONFIDENCE that you willace the entire sentence correction part of the exam.You need to take a different mindset when preparing forcritical reasoning and reading comprehension. Yes, thereare some tips and tricks you can use to help guide youthrough these sections, but it is much more difficult for

any prep program or service to teach you reasoning.I strongly believe that ANYBODY can master the sentencecorrection section, but NOT anybody can master the readingcomprehension or critical reasoning.


G tti I t th Ri ht Mi d t f GMAT

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The GMAT tests basic concepts like the distance-rate-time formula, triangles, circles, angles, factoring,exponents, subject-verb agreement, basic Englishgrammar that you see everydaythese are all topics youcovered in high school or earlier.

Theres nothing to be intimidated about. The GMAT is

not a test of how well you understand economics or ifyou have what it takes to start a business. It does notmeasure your business savvy, EQ, IQ, or future success.Theres a lot of material on the exam but you alreadyknow most of it. You just need to review the conceptsand learn the sneaky ways the GMAT guys try to trickyou on the exam. You definitely need to think but its notrocket science.

So why, then, do people find the GMAT so tough?Because the test is largely psychological. Athletes whocondition themselves forlong marathons, intense tennismatches, or any activity that requires strong mentaltoughness know what Im talking about. Heck, preparing forthe exam itself is rigorous. Do you have the determination

and discipline to follow a study plan that will help you get theresults you want? Do you have the right attitude towardslearning that will help you absorb as much material in aslittle time as possible?

The exam itself is definitely like an intense marathon. Youplow through question after question. The adaptive nature ofthe exam messes with your mind even further as you mightwonder how you just did on the previous question when youare all of a sudden given a very easy question.Did I mention logistics? Did you clear out your bladderbefore the exam? Do you tend to get nervous right beforethe exam and mentally freeze up? Do you have quick lunchplans in mind that wont force you to rush to the bathroom?

Are you accustomed to waking up early in the morning withan alert mind by the time of your exam so you can process amarathon of questions?

Are you able to budget the last few days before theexam so you do not have to go to work and deal withthe stress there? Are you fully focused as you go into theexam??assuming no girlfriend/boyfriend issues, employerissues or family issues that might interfere with your mentalstate.

GMAT Psychology and Timing Strategies

At first glance, the GMATis a test of academiccontent. But when youdive deeper you realizethe GMAT is really a testofhow you handlepressure, how youhandle time, and howyou handle youremotions.


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Too many people underestimate the psychologicalaspects of the GMAT exam. You should pay particularattention to these psychological aspects during the lastweek before the exam.

Perfectionists and overachievers like myself often

have trouble with the GMAT. Why?

Because we are so determined to get every question thatcomes our way correct that we sacrifice time andultimately are forced to guess the last several questions.

The GMAT is designed to push you to your limits.

The CAT format is much harder from a psychologicalstandpoint than a paper-based test on the samecontent. The reason is that by its very nature thecomputer-adaptive format is designed to push youto your failure point - and for us perfectionists thats aVERY uncomfortable place to be.

The computer adaptive format means you get a harderquestion when you get the current question correct. What

ends up happening to perfectionists is we get eachquestion correct and in turn the GMAT throws us evenharder questions. We perfectionists then spend moreand more time on these harder questions doublechecking our math or re-reading portions of each answerchoice over and over with the determination to get eachquestion correct. Meanwhile, we sacrifice time and getheavily penalized for not finishing the exam.

In fact, part of the reason I did so poorly on my first practiceexam was because I did not finish the exam in time. I wastoo focused on getting the question correct that I lost senseof the big picturethat I really needed to be strategic with mytime.

If you are pressed for time and have 4 questions left butreally have time only for 2, my suggestion is instead ofanswering questions 34 and 35 and then guessing 36 and37 for Quant is to answer 34, guess 35, answer 36, andguess 37. This allows you to stay at a relatively same level(or higher if you guess one right) than potentially droppingbelow the level you were at question 33 by getting multiplequestions wrong in a row.

Since the GMAT penalizes you heavily for getting manyconsecutive answers incorrect you should make sure youdo not end up in a position where you need to guess the last10 questions because you spent too much time on eachquestion in the beginning. In general, you are better offguessing 10 random questions than guessing 10consecutive questionsso make sure you time yourselfproperly.

You should be aiming, on average, to answer eachquestion in less than two minutes. With practice youshould be able to sense when you are at around the 3minute mark that you are spending too much time on thisquestion. Around this time you should make a strategicguess and move on. With easy-type questions you shoulddefinitely not reach the 3 minute mark.



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Imagine: Its test daythereal deal. Not a practiceexam. Youve walked by

or driven by your testcenter a few days earlierso you know what it lookslike. You imagine yourselfwalking into the testcenter. You know your testis in front of a computer atone of those testingcenters. Visualizeyourself going throughthe directions on thecomputer.

Neurophysiologist researchers at Stanford University (myalma mater) and University of Chicago evaluated theefficacy of visualization. They compared two sets ofbasketball players. The first group practiced playing whereasthe second group only imagined practicing. The players whodidnt physically practice, but visualized peak performance,

improved 23 -30 percent in their actual basket-shootingability, whereas the students who physically practiced sawlittle improvement. (source)Cognition: Think extreme positivity and confidence.

In a way, this is a chicken and egg problem. You need todo well on GMAT questions in order to be confident. And youneed confidence in order to get the tough GMAT questionscorrect. But you should develop a little of each and havethem grow upon each other.

Visualize Success

Spend at least five minutes at a time imagining differentdetails about taking the test. Visualize yourself spottingsentence structures based on keywords or commas.Visualize yourself checking for X & Y consistency for

SC questions or recognizing a Data Sufficiency Percentvs. Actual Number question. You know what to look forand where the pitfalls are (multiple % data pointswithout any actual number data points are useless ifthey ask you a how many question).Your visualization scene doesnt need to be the sameeach time, but you need to tap into a sense ofaccomplishment, calm, and confidence. Do this everymorning and before bedtime.

Bad thoughts:

1) I suck at math.2) Theres no way Ill finish the exam.3) English is not my first language, I cant do it.

Good thoughts:1)Math is not my strong point, but this math isnt rocketscience. Sure, I get some wrong, but looking back at themthe


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questions are actually pretty easy. I just need tobecome familiar with the different ways that the GMATcan test me on these relatively simple concepts that Ilearned in high school. I can do that! No problem!

2) GMAT is a timed test. Ive had tons of timed testsbefore. I just need to come in with the right thoughtprocess and get enough practice that I have theconfidence to know when I am positively sure about aGMAT question. By being super confident in an answerin as little time as possible, I know know Ill be able tonail the super easy ones in less than one minute and theharder ones in less than 2-3 minutes. Confidence = less

double checking/rereading = less time.

3) Although idioms are a part of the GMAT, a lot of thequestions actually dont test the idioms. A lot of timesthere are other concepts tested alongside the idiomsand as long as I focus on that portion of the question,understand the key frameworks, and recognize howthose concepts can show up in test questions, Ill be fine.

Extreme positivity:

Im going to kickass on the GMAT. Sure, Ive been tocollege and failed tons of exams. But the GMAT is somuch easierits high school material repackaged infancy, awkward questions. I just need to get used to it.My goal is to follow a study plan. Ill stick to it and keeppushing myself. Heck, Ill even visualize the questions

that I got wrong and see myself think through itcorrectly as if I were sitting in for the real exam.My strategy will be to first get as many correct GMATpractice questions as I can. Then Ill try to get thosequestions correct in as little time as possible. Any

question the GMAT throws at me will be answeredcorrectly and tossed away as I wait for the next one.Bring it!



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OK, so youve registered for the GMAT and got a holdof the Official Guide to the GMAT.Youre gonna do a bunch of practice questions

and then youll be prepared for the GMAT. Right? Wrong!

Sure, its a good idea to do GMAT questions, but Iwould say 95% of people dont have the rightMINDSET when it comes to doing questions.Obviously, I should have some reason for making aclaim like that. I mean, who the heck am I to say that

How to Do GMAT Questions Lessons From AMaster Cellist

most people dont do questions the right way? Thatimplies that I do questions the right way.Well, let me answer that for you.

First, let me say that I am NOT naturally smart. Unlikesome people who naturally get itI usually have to

work at it.

Second, even though Im not naturally smart, Ivedeveloped a mental strategy that helps me get to where Ineed to be.

You see, I used to be a nationally ranked cellist andpianist(I admit I was overshadowed by my arch-nemesis,Yo-Yo Mapictured here at the Nobel Peace Prizeceremonyso I never quite made it on the internationalscene..haha ).

Going through the painstaking process of learning andmemorizing hours of musical literature and performingthem under pressure taught me a few things thatare surprisingly relevant to GMAT studying.

You:What??!! Learning cello is related toGMATstudying??Me: Uh-huh

Think about it. Doing GMAT questions is like practicingnew music. At first its completely new to you. But youhave to process the new material in your head until youtotally understand it. You can explain it. You can recite it.You understand it.



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So how do you get from A to B?So how do you get from this is completely new

to me to I know this ????

DO GMAT Questions Like a MusicianWell, in learning new music you dont memorize thewhole thing at first glance! You first take a smallchunk, like the one below:

But of course you need to subdivide this chunk. Sofocus on the first measure first:

Focus on the left side.Figure it out note by note.Identify where the beats are.

Identify the sentence structure and any commasyou might see at first glance.And find the correct way to play this and arrive at thecorrect answer.When youre ready, play this first measure all the waythrough without stopping and mark your correctanswer. Then move on.

Focus on the right side.

Now that youve got the first question or measuredown, now you focus on the second measure. Dothe same thing.Find the pitfalls, avoid them, arrive at the correctanswer.Sure you might get stuck here and there, but whenyoure readystart from the beginning of thequestion and go all the way through and mark yourcorrect answer.

OK, now that youve got questions #1 and #2 correct

separately, lets see if you can go through both of themall the way through without stopping or hesitating.You want to make sure you can think through both

questions confidently without any hiccups.Sometimes, being exposed to #2, will alter how you mightdo #1. So you want to test yourself to see if you cango through both #1 and #2 without hesitationAS IF itwere a performanceAS IF it were the real GMAT.



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You see, this is how I would learn to master a musicalpiece. Break it into chunks. Subdivide the chunks andfocus over and over. Then move to the next one andfocus over and over. Then combine the two sub-

chunks, practice and practiceuntil I master thatsubchunk.

The same is true for doing GMAT questions.First you go through a question. Check the answer.What the heck did you do wrong? How could you haveanswered that question correctly. Did you do a stupidmistake? Did you not see a comma or an obvioussentence structure that you should have seen? Readthe explanation.

OK, move on to the next question. Do the samething. Look at the explanation. Maybe you got it right,maybe there was a quicker, more efficient way ofarriving at the correct answer. Why did you miss thatmore efficient way? How could you have thought aboutit better so you would arrive at the correct answer

faster?

Keep doing this until by the end of the day you domaybe like 30 questions. Now by the time you do 30questions, you probably forgot what the questionsor answers were for question #1.

So start all over. See if you can plow throughquestions #1 #30 without stopping and gettingALL of them right. After all, you SAW the answerexplanations. So if you really understood the answer

explanations, then you should have no problem goingthrough the questions.

This is the approach you should be using when youdo GMAT questions. Once you redo all 30 questionsstraight through. Now do another 30 questions. Thencombine all 60 questions and see if you can runthrough all of them straight through without mistakes.If you subdivide, think through groups of questions,and then REDO all those questions in different orders

AS IF you were sitting for the real exam and you areaware of time pressure, I guarantee your studyingwill be that much more effective than what youare currently doing now.



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Getting into a top business school is as much aboutbeing a STELLAR candidate as it is about puttingtogether a GREAT application. The GMATPill StudyMethod will help you get above that threshold to bequalified to apply. But just as scoring well on the GMAT

examrequires you to *think* in a different way, applyingto top business schools will require you to think aboutthe process in a different way as well.

Part 1: Being a Stellar Candidate at a Top BusinessSchool

Being a stellar candidate. This is what you spend 4 years(median) of your life to develop. You start working,

understanding how business works, how people work,and what it takes to get ahead. This is your real worldwork experience and business schools pride in theirstudents ability to contribute to classroom discussionsabout real world problems that business executives face.

1. Diversity in Class Profile: MBA Programs will wantrepresentation from various types of applicants

By nature, certain industries play a big role in shapingthe business landscape. Investment banking, privateequity, management consulting. These fields deal withbusiness at a very high level. Schools will want about justas many candidates from various business sectors of theeconomy usually no real preference for any sectorunless the industry is poised for significant growth. Thena handful of candidates will be in miscellaneous fields asnoted below.

Getting Into A TopBusiness School


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So as an MBA applicant yourself, think about whereyou fit in given such a target class profile. Take note ofthe size of the MBA class you are applying to. Forexample, NYU has about ~400 students in their MBAclass. This means that if you are an investment

banker, you are competing for one of 180Finance/Consulting designated positions. Moreimportantly, the number of applicants of this type tendto be extremely large.On the other hand, if you are applying from a non-profitbackground, you are competing for one of 20 (or evenless) such designated spots. But at the same time, thenumber of applicants in this field tend be extremelylow.

So if you find yourself comparing yourself to someoneelse with different credentials who got into your schoolof choice think twice. You should be looking at howyou stand out in the overall class profile and judgewhether you would be adding value or diversity to thebusiness school.

The figures below are *approximate* but represent agood way to think of incoming MBA Class Profiles forsome of the top schools.

45% Finance/Consulting

25% Finance (banking, PE, hedge funds)20% Consulting45% Business Sectors5% Manufacturing / Operations5% Non-Profit / Education / Govt5% Healthcare / Biotech5% Hightech/IT5% Real Estate5% Communications / Media

5% Military5% Consumer Products5% Energy / Oil & Gas10% Other (Advertising / Public Relations / Pre-Law /Entrepreneurship)

100% Total

2. Excelling in Your Role An advanced position where your role changed andyou began handling underlings, interacting morefrequently with clients, taking on a greater range ofresponsibilities. Whatever the case may be, its importantto paint a picture of this *change* in your career. It is this

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change that is the foundation for your stories on toughchallenges you faced, risks you engaged in, peoplemanagement issues you confronted, etc.

The technical and the managerial. Business requirestechnical competency. Above this standard is an industrybuilt around people networking, handling clients,managing below and above you, building rapport withcolleagues, etc. Being a competent business professionalwho can work well with others is a key attribute forsuccessful business executives.

Work well with others is certainly a very fuzzy concept but it involves communication skills that are extremelyimportant on the job. Whether its oral communication,

ability to build rapport with new strangers/clients, ability tohold conversation in politics, sports, business, family,travel, etc. all of these soft skills are important and willbe reflected in your recommendations and ultimately yourcareer progression.

3. Globalization Perspective This largely applies to students at top business schools.The worlds future business leaders understand global

dynamics, language / cultural differences, and the beautyof a global perspective. International experience for atleast 6 months or more is a big plus. It is this internationalperspective that makes top business schools uniqueand a notch ahead of other business schools.

If you dont have six months abroad, any experiencethat may help you paint yourself as culturally unique ishelpful (growing up in a foreign country like Peru, Brazil;study abroad programs; internship/conferences abroad).

If you really dont have any of these experiences, tryto seek out these opportunities if you can. But dontsweat it. Not having an international experience that youcan point to and show DOES NOT MEAN that you are abad candidate. It just means that among the applicantpool, its harder for you to stand out and differentiateyourself. Think about the business of marketingproducts on supermarket shelves there are a ton ofgreat products. Sometimes consumers cant tell thedifference between two brands, but one that has a belland whistle might just stand out as more attractiveeven though its technical specifications might be lower.Just keep that in mind. For top schools, youll need to

stand out in other ways.

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Part 2: Putting together a GREAT application forTop Business Schools

1. Scoring high enough on the GMAT Exam (>700for top business schools)

At top business schools, most admits are 700 and

above with a some below. In this day and age with testprep resources available to so many students, dontneglect this valuable resource to help you get ahead.The fact that there might be so many programs outthere that might help you beat the system, the datacontinues to show that students with higher GMATscores fare better in business schools. One importantnote is that scores tend to fall after the GMAT test itselfchanges, so watch out! In June 2012, the GMAT willadd a new section (in addition to Verbal and Quant)calledIntegrated Reasoning. And from what Ive seen,these questions are much more real world questionsthat may involve manipulating an excel-type table,looking at charts, and choosing multiple answerchoices.

2. GMAT Exam >700 Even for NEAR top business

schools?!If I were to guess, Id say more than 30% of applicantswho scored 700 and above get rejected at top businessschools. So where do they go? These remaining 70% offolks fill up all the other business schools that are just anotch below. And so that makes these near topbusiness schools even more competitive, especially asmore and more students score over 700 each year.

When this happens, the scores realign and it becomeseven harder to score the same score. To prevent thisvicious cycle, GMAT needs applicants to score lower andso it is making a change to the exam and updating it toreflect more real world type problems. All that matters toyou is getting a respectable solid score, so that the

admissions committee will have interest to READ youressay.

Personally, I think scoring above a 700 requires a lot ofthinking. A different way of thinking. And in my opinion thetest prep companies out there were ineffective based oneverything I heard from my friends. Question after questionwith the assumption that practice makes perfect.

Well, smart people will realize that continual practicewithout guidance will NOT make you perfect becauseeventually youll reach a point where your score just wontgo any higher. It might take a movie like Inception torewire your thinking, but my new assumption is thatimproving your score requires a different way ofTHINKING. And it is this thought process that I teach andthat I feel is the most effective method to boosting yourscore. Empower yourself to THINK like a top test taker.

4. Application EssaysThis is probably the most important part of your application.What is your story? Can you paint a picture for us of whoyou are? Do you fit the profile of somebody who has themindset to make a big contribution in business? Everyonefaces risks and problems, how have

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you dealt with yours in the past? What have you learnedthat you can take away for the future?Storytelling skills are important here. This is vital, asadmissions people are human after all, they want to get toknow you and feel the emotions of what makes you a

standout candidate. Lets take, for example, a situationwhere you took on greater responsibilities with a client.

Story Telling Your Application

A. Assume a framework and make a concerted effort tocapture the emotions associated with that framework

Take the position that you normally do analytical work and

dont interact with the client capture your emotions ofbeing eager, ambitious, and nervous at the same time.

B. Introduce characters and challenges

The situation who are the characters and what aretheir roles? You can mention your boss, you, the clientwho might be a VP and his respective analyst. You mightinclude descriptions like very aggressive or very lazy,

maybe even unresponsive, etc. Do what you need to do topaint a picture of the scene.

C. Development tell the story with rising action

This is where you talk about the project and how itprogressed. You did the analysis, shared your work, gotsome feedback from the client and re-edited your workwith those comments. Then as presentation went on to

the next level, the analytical work was largely ignored and

just became a discussion that went on for hours. Ultimatelynegotiation for the deal came down to making the other partyfeel comfortable the deal was signed and you helped thefirm earn a fee.

Climax / Turning Point / Twist:

So, basically the climax was just told before the deal gotsigned. But more importantly for application essays, youllneed to reinterpret this event in your eyes to capture theaha moment for you. This is where you talk about what youlearned and how it changed you. What do you see differentlynow? As a result, what do you do differently now?

As an analyst, you were always focused on numbercrunching. But through a series of meetings at the client level,you started seeing how business was not really just numbercrunching. Once you got beyond this level, business wasbusiness. In fact, it blew you away that the number crunchingthat took you hours to work on was not even mentioned indiscussions with the client. You started seeing that businesswas much more people oriented than you had imaginedbefore. As a result, you started lifting up your head and

thinking about how discussions with the client would go. Youwould get through your number crunching as fast as possible,then immediately start thinking about higher level businessquestions on your own. You took more responsibility to thinkat a higher level before discussing with your bossconsequently you became more prepared to handlediscussions with clients and began contributing more at thishigher level.


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This is just one way to tell your story which paints you assomeone gradually rising the ranks. This is a greatattribute. At the same time, be careful of how you tell yourstory because that is how the admissions committee willbrand you and perceive you. Remember, they are going towant a diverse student body with diverse perspectives. Ifyou have a unique story that can be told using the samestorytelling elements described above, then youll have anedge.

5. Recommendations

Hot Shot Recommendation: In the business world,recommendations are social proof. Getting one from a

big name guy in the industry who is widely recognizedis a huge plus. If your boss is a hot shot or your clientis a hot shot (CEO, CFO, Founder, etc) etc, thenfantastic! All of these guys can give greatrecommendations. While its a great leg up, its stillimportant for them to convey how you were a businesssuccess for the firm. When it comes down to it howdid you bring in money for the firm or save money forthe firm? What about people skills did you facilitatebusiness moving forward thru your ability to work wellwith others? Did the CEO/CFO like you? Or didconflicts ultimately get in the way of businessachievement?

How likely are you to get a hot shot recommendation?This largely depends on where you workits rare toget this type of recommendation.

Boss Recommendation: Typically a candidate mayhave several bosses. As youve worked for them,typically they can gauge how well they work with you,how smart they think you are, and how capable ofsuccess in the business they think you are. If yourboss loves you, hell write a genuinely positive


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recommendation for you emphasizing certaincharacter traits that stand out. Hopefully theres onemeaningful/impactful project that he can point to andshow how you stepped up and contributed. Topbusiness schools stress an assessment oncommunication skills both oral and written this is afuzzy concept as I described above. But generally,companies with reviews will mention this. In general,make sure youre on your bosss good side. Expressyour opinions. Find common ground with your boss ontopics that are interesting to the both of you. Buildingrapport is important as it creates a lasting impression ofyou.

Busy Boss Recommendation: In a lot of cases, yourboss will be busy and will have to go out of his way towrite your recommendation. To make his task easier, jotdown key accomplishments you would like him to notein bullet format. Ideally, a recommendation is mostmeaningful when the recommender can write about aparticular instance that allows certain positive charactertraits to stand out.

Ultimately, applying to business school is a complexprocess that is long-term (your 4+ years of workexperience), challenging (GMAT Exam Score), and self-reflective (application essays).

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Many of you take the GMAT because you want to getyour MBA.

There are lots of places you can take your career, buttoday we will take a look at the two most popular areas:management consulting and investment

banking. Assuming you are currently in anotherindustry and want to break into these industries,read on.There are basically two ideal times to get into theseindustriesits just the way the system works. Obviouslythere are exceptions, but the majority of people get intothese industries via school recruiting at:

1) target undergrad programs2) target Bschool programsLets take a look at these two options

Option #1: Get in via top undergraduate schoolrecruiting.

This is how I entered the managementconsulting industry with Booz & Company. Most top

consulting firms with an up-or-out policy will wantconsultants from undergrad to stay for 2 or 3 years andthen make a career decision: either you go get anMBA and come back as an Associate or you findsomething else to do. So even if you are in themanagement consulting industry or are on track togetting into the field from undergrad, you will eventuallyfind yourself at a fork road deciding to MBA or not toMBA.

What Does The GMAT/MBA HaveTo Do With A Career In Investment

Banking or Management Consulting?

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Talk with your company to find out if an MBA is requiredfor upward mobility. Most management consulting andinvestment banking firms require it, although a few donot.Getting an MBA is a deep decision that requires a lot ofself-preparation and self-reflection that extends beyondthe scope of this article. But if it is even remotely

within your potential career plan within the next 5years, it might be a good idea to get your GMATexam out of the wayas the exam score is valid for upto 5 years.

Up to 5 years.

Thats a lot of time. Say you just graduated and arestarting your first job.If you take your GMAT now, then by the end of your 2 or3 years at your current job, you will have alreadycompleted the first major step in the MBA applicationprocess.Trust me, the GMAT is the last thing you want to thinkabout at the end of your 3 years as you contemplate onan MBA and have all kinds of extracurricular, social,work, and life issues to deal with.

Action Items for Option #1: Get in via topundergraduate school recruiting.Get some relevant internship experience and develop agood story showing your interest in managementconsulting or investment banking.Get your offer and start learning as much as you can.Find out your firms policy on promotions. Some firmsrequire the MBA to move up, others do not.

If your firm requires MBA for promotion, then take yourGMAT now to get it out of the way, and then apply to MBAsometime in the next 5 years, depending on your careerstatus.

Option #2: Business School Recruiting

A few pros with this option include entering themanagement consulting firm at a higher salary andgenerally more responsibility. If you come from anotherbackground (IT, engineering, retail, etc), then youll need todo the MBA route in order to have access to theserecruiting channels.

Is it possible to get in directly to management consultingwithout doing the MBA route? Sure. But its definitely not as

common.

With business school, not only do you have access tomanagement consulting recruiting programs, but youll alsohave access to a variety of other career channels includinginvestment banking, corporate business development, etc.

But be careful! Do NOT assume that getting a top MBAautomatically = getting into a top investment

bank ormanagement consulting firm. Whatever your careergoals are, you should definitely do your research on themNOW. Even if you decided to do the MBA, dont just sitthere and wait for the offers to come to you.

If you want to get into real estate, then call up your schoolsalumni contacts and tell them you are about to attend ABCbusiness school and want some career

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advice. Set up an informational interview/phone call toget their perspective.

Remember, the MBA is a great platform to be onitincreases your personal branding and opens the doorsfor networking. However, you still need to JUMP offthe platform and end up where you want to be! DoNOT assume the MBA is a magic bullet like mostpeople assume.

Action Items for Option #2: Business SchoolRecruiting

Learn about your industry NOWgoogle it, reach out to

your networkTake your GMAT Now (Or you when you are relativelyless busy)Sometime in the next 5 years, get into a good MBAprogram that attracts the recruiters you wantNow, depending on your career situation, you may bein option #1 or option #2.

So what do options #1 and #2 have in common?

Both options involve taking the GMAT exam atsome point.

With business school, the GMAT is required at mosttop schools. And even if you get into the industrythrough your undergrad, you still might f ind yourselftaking the GMAT.

Bottom line: Whether you are currently in managementconsulting or investment banking, you MIGHT findyourself in a situation where youll need an MBA to bewhere you want to be.

If this is the case, then I recommend you get theGMAT out of the way now so you can focus on theother aspects of your career going forward.

Again, make sure you do not let the GMAT or MBA getin the way of your target career. Learn as much aboutyour target industry as you can and use the MBA tohelp position (not guarantee) yourself for opportunities.

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What is the difference between the GMAT and SAT?Both are standardized tests. SAT is for college admissionand GMAT is for business school admission(MBA). Both exams are multiple choice and have amath/quant section and a verbal/writing section.

But there are significant differences:

Question Content/Format- The GMAT Math is much more about logic than the SATMath, whereas the SAT Math is more about calculationand plug and chug questions.- The GMAT Verbal is also more about argumentativelogic while the SAT Verbal is more about vocabulary.- The GMAT is a computerized adaptive test. Questionsare dynamically generated based on whether you get thequestion right or wrong.- The SAT is a set test and every test taker on a givenday will see the same set of questions.

Price:- The GMAT costs $250 globally.-The SAT costs $45.

Test Takers- Nearly every high school junior/senior ~ages 16/17 inthe US takes the SAT-Self-selected students ranging from age 21-45 withambitions of business school take the GMAT exam

GMAT Test Availability- GMAT: Virtually any time opening that your local testcenter has during the typical 5 business days of the

GMAT VS SAT

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week in front of a computer. I go into more details ofthe GMAT signup process in my article GMAT TestDates and Registration.-SAT: Administered 7 times per year in classroomsettingspencil and paper.

The SAT was quite well known in high schoolRemember wayback in high school when everybodyfreaked out about the SAT? Guidance counselorswould remind you every other day and teacherswould constantly bring it up. There was much more

AWARENESS about the exam.

The GMAT, on the other hand, requires much

more self initative. Your employer will not ask youyou need to get your act together and study for theGMATlike your guidance counselor would do. Yourfriends probably wont remind you either, because notall of them will be taking the exam around the sametime you will be taking the exam. Instead ofcompeting against every other high school kid aroundthe age of 16 or 17, you will be competing againstworking professionals roughly in the age range of

21-40 who are a self-selected group of ambitious andgoal-oriented individuals. No slackers will take theGMAT whereas there are plenty of slackers who takethe SAT just because the school makes them.

The GMAT exam is much more competitive than theSAT exam and often has less awareness. This ismore the reason to make sure that you AREprepared.

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The Age of U.S. Business School dominance is waning.More and more people are actually looking to go toEuropean business schools. More Europeans are taking theexam than ever before and a big chunk of them are actuallychoosing to stay within the European countries to attendbusiness school. The trend used to be that Europeans wouldattend business school in the U.S.but now, Europeans arefavoring schools like INSEAD, Oxford, etc.

Is it because of the lovely European women?

Some interesting stats from the period of July 2009 to July2010 are:

In 2010, 11% ofGMAT score reports were sent to Europeanbusiness schools. Compare that to the percentage in 2006,7.5%. In actual numbers, 85,262 reports sent to Europeanbusiness schools in 2010.In 2010, GMAT test takers from Europe sent out 42% moreGMAT reportsindicating a huge increase in GMAT test

takers in Europe.

As expected, the countries that received the most GMATscore reports were the U.K., France, the Netherlands, andSpain.

One-third of the GMAT score reports sent to Europeaninstitutions were sent by Indian and Chinese citizen.Germans sent the most score reports to European schools

in 2010 than did any other European country.

So it looks like theres an influx of Indian and Chinesepeople towards European business schools. Theres alsoan influx of Europeans to European business schools.

So who loses out?

The American business schools. Sure, top businessschools in the U.S. are still elite by any standard. But itsimportant to note that the reputation of Euopreanbusiness schools is significantly better than it was 5-10years ago. And that reputation is reflected by hard datanumbers as shown above.

We here at GMATPill love tutoring Europeans on the

GMAT. Students hail from the big areas like France andLondonbut also smaller areas like Copenhagen andPortugal.

As always, were here to help. Whether, youre Chinese,Indian, European, or Americanyoull have to jumpthrough the GMAT hurdle to even get a chance at any ofthese global business schools, unless youre abrazilianVictorias Secret supermodel who loves GMATPill.

Additional GMAT Resources and Articles

Did you know yourGMAT Verbal is actually moreimportant than your GMAT Quant score if you are tryingto break 700? You might want to make sure you knowwhich parts of the exam to target before you take theGMAT.

GMAT Gets Popular With European SchoolsReports Sent Here Are Up By 90%

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Sure, solving permutation and combinatoric quantproblems sounds all fancy. And yes, you should do the bestyou can possibly do on quant. But look at your competition.

A lot of non-native English speakers worldwide are takingthe GMAT. Most of these people will do well on quant, but

the area they are weakest in is the Verbal partparticularly reading comprehension. So re-evaluate whereyou put most of your focus.

Looking to make lots and lots of money? What does theGMAT have to do with a career in investment banking andmanagement consulting. Well, it has nothing to dowith financial modeling, but it may be the first step to aprofitable career.

Dont underestimate thepsychological part of the GMATexam.Success on the GMAT has more to do with yourmental toughness than you may think. Its not just aboutacademic rigor.
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The GMAT Pill Study Method

Verbal: Sentence Correction PillQuestions and Video Explanations+ Sample Core Frameworks

Long Sentences Apples and Oranges

1 2GMAT Verbal: Sentence Correction

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See Video Explanation



Long Sentences Apples and Oranges

X&Y Consistency


X&Y Consistency3 4

Subject Verb/Singular Plural X&Y Consistency5 6

GMAT Verbal: Sentence Correction
http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/laundry-lists-long-sentences/level-700-q014/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/split-sentences/level-700-q015/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-700-q010/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-700-q016/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-700-q016/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-700-q010/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/split-sentences/level-700-q015/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/laundry-lists-long-sentences/level-700-q014/

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Subject-Verb/Singular-Plural X&Y Consistency

Description, Main Sentence Split Sentences7 8

Idioms Idioms9 10

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/subject-verbsingular-plural-agreement/level-600-q003/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-600-q004/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-600-q002/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/split-sentences/level-600-q005/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/split-sentences/level-600-q005/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-600-q002/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-600-q004/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/subject-verbsingular-plural-agreement/level-600-q003/

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Idioms Idioms

X&Y Consistency Past/Present/Future


11 12

Idioms Description Main Sentence13 14

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-600-q006/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-600-q009/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-600-q007/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/past-present-future/level-600-q016/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/past-present-future/level-600-q016/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-600-q007/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-600-q009/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-600-q006/

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Idioms Description, Main Sentence

Subject-Verb/Singular-Plural Description, Main Sentence15 16

Idioms Past Present Future17 18

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/subject-verbsingular-plural-agreement/level-600-q012/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-600-q008/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/subject-verbsingular-plural-agreement/level-600-q012/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-600-q011/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-600-q014/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-600-q014/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-600-q011/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/subject-verbsingular-plural-agreement/level-600-q012/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-600-q008/

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Idioms Past-Present-Future

Idioms Onion Layers19 20

X&Y Consistency Idioms21 22

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/active-voice-clarity/level-600-q010/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-600-q013/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/past-present-future/level-600-q015/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/onion-layers/level-600-q017/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/onion-layers/level-600-q017/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/past-present-future/level-600-q015/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-600-q013/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/active-voice-clarity/level-600-q010/

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X&Y Consistency Idioms

Apples Vs Oranges Past-Present-Future


23 24

Idioms Apples and Oranges25 26

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q004/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-700-q002/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/past-present-future/level-700-q001/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-700-q006/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-700-q006/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/past-present-future/level-700-q001/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-700-q002/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q004/

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Idioms Apples and Oranges

Apples and Oranges Description, Main Sentence27 28

Idioms Apples and Oranges29 30

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q003/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/split-sentences/level-700-q007/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q005/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-700-q009/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-700-q009/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q005/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/split-sentences/level-700-q007/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q003/

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Idioms Apples and Oranges

Past-Present-Future Description, Main Sentence


31 32

33 34GMAT Verbal: Sentence Correction
http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-700-q008/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-700-q012/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q013/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-700-q011/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/phrase-main-sentence/level-700-q011/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/apples-oranges/level-700-q013/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/x-y-consistency/level-700-q012/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/framework-examples/idioms/level-700-q008/

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See Video ExplanationLong Sentences

See Video ExplanationLaundry Lists

Answer Key:1) C2) B3) D

4) E5) B6) A7) A8) A9) B10) D

11) B12) D13) D

14) D15) E16) C17) C18) E19) A20) E

For solutions to the remaining questions, login here.
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Page 43

If I were vsif I was

If I were.

Or

If I was

IF I WEREalways use this (If I was is incorrect)The word IF introduces a conditional, whereby you must use wereThis is common on the GMAT.

What youll see on the test:If international travel was prohibited, the virus would nothave spread beyond the country borders.

Should be:If international travel were prohibited, the virus would not have spreadbeyond the country borders.

Sample Framework #5: Idioms

[

So. vsso that

I did this so I couldleave early.

Or

I did this so that Icould leave early

While so is commonly used in conversation, the correct form you will need to know forthe GMAT is so thatalways include that in these situations

What youll see on the test:Scientists study the human genome so they can identifyways to combat genetic diseases.

Should be:Scientists study the human genome so that they can identify ways tocombat genetic diseases.

Being

Undergoing beingconverted

Or

Undergoingconversion

Be WARY when you see beingNot only is being converted passive voice (which you should avoid), but it is also

wordy.What youll see on the test:The powerplant is undergoing being converted to a

landfill.Should be:The powerplant is undergoing conversion to a landfillORShould be:The powerplant is converting to a landfill. See Video Explanation

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/5-idioms/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/5-idioms/

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Viewas.vs

View like

View [X] as [Y]

Or

View [X] like [Y]

This idiom should sound familiar to you. If not, then make a mental note that you viewX as Y --dont use like

What youll see on the test:He viewed marriage like a property arrangement.Should be:He viewed marriage as a property arrangement.

Sample Framework #5: Idioms

[

Forbid toVsForbid from

Forbid one to do

something..

OR

Forbid one from doingsomething

Both are correct!!!!Forbid one to do something is a little bit stronger (more imperative) than Forbid one

from doing somethingbut both are correct.What youll see on the test:The company forbid him to give away trade secrets.

An answer choice might read:the company forbid him from giving away trade secrets.Both are correct! This question is not testing this idiom. Look for something else in the

sentence that could be changed.

For verbs that yougive a label

to something:Consider

MakeDeclare

ElectLabel

AppointNameVote

Vote him as president

OR

Vote him president

What youll see on the test: They considered him as the most hardworking boy in theclass....is wrong

Should be:They considered him the most hardworking boy in the class.....isright...

Remember you want to keep it simpleConsider him hardworking is better thanConsider him as hardworking


http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/5-idioms/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/5-idioms/

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http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/7-subject-verb-agreement-singular-vs-plural/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/7-subject-verb-agreement-singular-vs-plural/

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http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/9-past-present-future/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal/sc/core-frameworks/9-past-present-future/

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For Core Frameworks and More Video Explanations

By GMATPill, Sign Up For the GMAT PillSentence Correction Pill
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The GMAT Pill Study Method

Verbal: Critical Reasoning PillQuestions and Video Explanations

GMAT Verbal: Critical Reasoning

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See Video ExplanationDouble Negative Qs

Logical Fallacy

Hypothetical Support Assumption See Video Explanation

1 2

3 4

experts

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-cr/

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See Video ExplanationHypothetical ReasoningLogical Fallacy

Hypothetical Opposition Hypothetical Opposition See Video Explanation

5 6

7 8

in the armed forces during


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Page 51




Logical Conclusions

Hypothetical Opposition Logical Conclusion See Video Explanation

Hypothetical Opposition9

10

11 12


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See Video ExplanationHypothetical Opposition Logical Conclusion

Logical Conclusion Hypothetical Support See Video Explanation

13

14

15 16

GMAT Verbal: Critical Reason

ing

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See Video ExplanationHypothetical Support Assumption

Hypothetical Opposition Logical Conclusion See Video Explanation

17 18

19 20


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See Video ExplanationLogical Conclusion

Double Negative Qs

Logic Chain Hypothetical Opposition See Video Explanation

21 22

23 24


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See Video ExplanationHypothetical Opposition Hypothetical Opposition

Logical Conclusion Logic Chain See Video Explanation

2526

27 28


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Logical Conclusion29

Answer Key:1) C2) E3) C

4) A5) B6) D7) B8) B9) C10) A

11) D12) C13) D

14) C15) D

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For More Video Explanations By GMATPill,

Sign Up For the GMAT Pill Critical Reasoning Pill
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I. Reading the Passage

II. How to Approach RC Questions

III. Standard Question Types

IV. Key Take-Aways

GMATPills RC Pill:

Reading ComprehensionFrameworks

58

GMAT Verbal: Reading Comprehension

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I. Reading the Passage

Follow my General Tips on Reading videowhere I introduce concepts of

1. Getting your mind engaged in the passage2. Cutting the Fluff3. Scanning for key transitive phrases

4. Connecting the Dots


http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-rc/RC-Frameworks/RC-Frameworks.htmlhttp://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-rc/RC-Frameworks/RC-Frameworks.html

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II. How to Approach RC Questions

Sample Question:


II How to Approach RC Questions

http://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-rc/RC-Frameworks/RC-Frameworks.htmlhttp://www.gmatpill.com/special/verbal-rc/RC-Frameworks/RC-Frameworks.html

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