   
$97 per or $327 package |
|||
  |
Simple Video Explanations |
||
-
New GMAT Section in June 2012: Integrated Reasoning
So the guys over at GMAC are adding a new section to the GMAT!
It’s called integrated reasoning and is basically a combination of Critical Reasoning + MBA level math. You’ll be asked to interpret charts and data sets. So stats, probability, and data analysis will be tested.
I actually think this is a good thing—it’s a lot more accurate to test these skills for an MBA program than it is to test triangles and circles. Interpreting tables of data is something that MBAs/management consultants/investment bankers do a lot–so why NOT test this skill in the GMAT?I feel testing probability and statistics in the context of theory is pointless. The new integrated reasoning section will be testing these same concepts in a much more relevant context.
Just take a look at the video below. Notice there are data sets categorizing data in terms of country, % change, Rank, etc, in the context of airport data.
More info from the GMAC folks directly.
What does the GMAT prep market look like? -
What does the GMAT Prep Market Look Like?
So I finally took the time to do some research on the GMAT Prep Marketplace. In management consulting, this is called “competitive analysis” or “competitor benchmarking.”
What should you take away from this chart?
1) GMAT Pill is significantly the lowest price GMAT Prep product out there. The other closest ones are just components of a bigger package (usually around $1,400 range) or they are Online products. “Online?” Funny, they are just video captures of classroom teachings that occur at specified 2-3 hr time slots (ie 8pm-10pm). Our “On-Demand” product is much more flexible. You study at your own pace, 24/7, skip around, take your own bathroom breaks, etc.
2) GMAT Pill has the fewest hours of instruction. Does MORE hours of instruction necessarily equate to better prep material and better score? Absolutely not. While we have the fewest hours of instruction material, the quality of the material and the focus on thought process is what impacts your score the most. We don’t want to waste your time studying. You need to study FAST and EFFICIENTLY with a good thought process.
As you can see, there are several large players out there charging ~$1,500 range. When I look at where GMATPill is priced ($327) I am just blown away. Why are we priced so low when we can raise the price to where competitors are pricing?
I guess the simple answer for now is that price needs to be sacrificed in order to gain visibility. If I were to delve further into details, our cost structure is significantly less since we don’t need physical teaching space, we don’t need to hire teachers and train them which costs a LOT. There is only ONE teacher so the costs are much less.
Is the product quality different? Yes, definitely, the testimonials speak for themselves. In addition to the teaching (it’s “faster and more efficient”), it is also more accessible with on-demand video which is a huge plus since most test takers are busy professionals. This is way better than what our competitors call “Online” because those are just video tapes of the classroom. Classes are scheduled at certain times, you don’t jump around efficiently with the video. If you go to the bathroom you can’t pause the video. A lot of time wasted, doing well on the GMAT is about being efficiently smart.
Our On-Demand videos let you focus your time to get effective studying done. If you have a lunch hour at work, you can fit this in. If you start studying then need to go watch the World Cup or go to the bathroom, you can still do that. In the end, it’s your thought process that we aim to nurture. Think like a top GMAT Test Taker and you will become one.
Related Resources:
-
I Love Getting These Emails
I love getting these emails from students. Here’s an UNSOLICITED testimonial from a student who took prep courses, ManhattanGMAT, AND private tutoring–and still got the same results. Then he looked at the GMAT Pill.
So I replied with this:
Then he wrote back saying he went through all the ManhattanGMAT materials, private tutoring, and a prep course. His results from GMAT Pill are “night and day.”
In fact, this is just one of the several students who have told me their story of using other prep material and taking the GMAT 3 times. But everything seemed to change for them after taking the GMAT Pill. -
GMAT Test: Crazy Math Problem – Solved!
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
So I got this crazy math problem from a GMATPill student who was using ManhattanGMAT material and didn’t quite understand their explanations. (It’s OK ManhattanGMAT–nobody’s perfect).Well, here’s the video that I sent back to my student.
Step 1) Notice that the numbers are EVEN and are SQUARES.
Step 2) Notice that the question is not asking for x. Rather, it is asking for some weird expression—SQUARED.
Step 3) Identify that it might make sense to re-write the equation with squares so they better match up with what we’re trying to solve for.
Step 4) Recognize that the squares now cancel out, leaving us with 4^(2x) = 40
Step 5) Recognize that the question is asking us something that looks different–but we can rewrite it so that it includes the term that we already found in step #4.
Step 6) Do the division and arrive at 2.5 –TADA!!
-
GMAT Pill iPhone App Available at Apple iTunes Store!
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
The GMAT Pill iPhone and iPad App is now available at the Apple iTunes App Store.
1) Search for “GMAT Pill”
2) Download appThe app features free video tutorials in Problem Solving, Sentence Correction, Data Sufficiency, and Critical Reasoning.
-
GMAT Pill Student Scores 760!! (99th Percentile) with Q51, V41 – Thanks GMAT Pill Prep Course!!!
Hi Zeke,
I wanted to thank you for your help during my GMAT study. I just finished my exam today and I scored 760 (Q51, V41). Actually this is my second time taking the GMAT. My verbal score last time (six months ago) was 32, so the GMAT Pill study method has helped me boost the verbal score. Thank you very much and I would absolutely recommend your product to my friends. I am not a native speaker but my personal experience proved that GMAT Pill Study methods works very well for non-native speakers too.Regards,
XXXXXX
Incredible story that illustrates yet another happy GMAT Pill Student. In this case, the student was able to score at the 99th percentile of the rigorous GMAT exam. Below is a screenshot of the actual email this student sent—unsolicited!The student felt the GMAT Pill method really changed his way of thinking and felt we deserved credit for helping him reach his goal. This is just an initial email. A more comprehensive testimonial will follow.
Related Resources:
-
Should You Retake Your GMAT If You Scored 690? Would It Make a Difference?
Well, for this student retaking the GMAT was the difference between being waitlisted and getting in.
Retaking the GMAT really depends on your application profile–in most cases I would say probably not. 690 is a solid score but everything needs to be taken in context.
This student, who just reported his 760 GMAT Score, originally scored 690.
690. Decent score. The problem? He was waitlisted.
Now of course, your entire application profile is evaluated–not just your score. But upon further inspection of the 690 score, you’ll notice this student did extremely well on Quant but not so hot no Verbal.
Here was the break down: Q50, V32
Admissions committees don’t just look at your overall score! They look at the breakdown between quant and verbal to make sure there is not too much of a discrepancy between your two scores. In this case, the discrepancy was wide enough that one could speculate that perhaps the admissions committee members did not like this score imbalance between the two sections.
Adcom wants their business school students to be well-rounded—not particularly strong or weak in an area. Having a good score that is also balanced is important. In fact, a slightly lower quant score and slightly higher verbal score that would also result in a score of 690 would have been preferred over the extremely high quant score and lower verbal score.
This MBA applicant recognized this issue and decided to retake the GMAT. In fact, he enrolled with GMAT Pill for the purpose of closing this gap.
Not only did he score in the 99th percentile this time with a score improvement of 70 points from what was already a pretty decent score, he also got a call from the admissions committee literally the next day telling him he was not off the waitlist and now accepted into the business school!
Such an inspirational story that I hope motivates those of you preparing for the GMAT as a part of your career development.
Suggested Reading:
GMAT Pill Prep Course Helps Student Ace GMAT
GMAT Preparation Strategy – Why Verbal Matters More
GMAT Prep Verbal Course SC Videos
GMAT Prep Verbal Course CR Videos
-
Quant Probability Question – make my head itch!
Problem Solving Question:
Bill has a small deck of 12 playing cards made up of only 2 suits of 6 cards each. Each of the 6 cards within a suit has a different value from 1 to 6; thus, for each value from 1 to 6, there are two cards in the deck with that value. Bill likes to play a game in which he shuffles the deck, turns over 4 cards, and looks for pairs of cards that have the same value. What is the chance that Bill finds at least one pair of cards that have the same value?(A) 8/33
(B) 62/165
(C) 17/33
(D) 103/165
(E) 25/33
Step 1:
Recognize the keyword “AT LEAST”This means this is a “1 – probability()” question…this is the default strategy when a question is asking the probability of at least X happening. It translates into 1 – probability(that event NOT happening)
Step 2:
Now you need to find the probability of not getting a pair for each of the 4 cards. Recognize that as you go through each card, the number of available cards from the remaining deck is constantly changing. Originally you have 12 cards, but then after you put down 1 card, u have 11 cards left.Step 3:
1st card = any card = prob of 1 or 100%
2nd card = any card except the value of first card = 10 out of 11 choices
3rd card = any card except first card and except second card = 8 out of 10 choices
(notice we must exclude the 1st card and the 2nd card–but also the corresponding pairs for each of these cards.
4th card = any card except first/second/third card (and their corresponding pair card) = 6 out of 9 choicesNow multiply these probabilities so you know what the probability of NOT getting any pairs for all 4 iterations.
10/11 * 8/10* 6/9 = 480 / 9901 – 480/990 = 510/990 = 17/33
Answer choice is C (17/33)
I don’t recommend using the nCr formula here, but if you want to use nCr’s, then:
= 1 – prob(choosing all different cards
= 1 – prob(choosing 4 different cards out of 6) * (possibilities for first card to be of two suits, for second card to be of two suits, for third card to be of two suits, and for fourth card to be of two suits)
= 1 – (6c4 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2) / (12c4)
= 1 – (15 * 16) / (( 12 * 11 * 10 * 9 )/(4*3*2*1))
= 1 – 240 / 495
= 255/495= 51/ 99
= 17 / 33But again, this is not the most efficient way to think through this question. The best way is to count according to the method I discussed first above.
_________________
———————
Zeke Lee
Co-Founder, The GMATPill Study Method
http://www.gmatpill.com
98%ile GMAT in 2 weeks -
Smart GMAT Student Researches GMATPill
Here’s a smart who is considering various GMAT prep options. I say smart because I always think it’s a good idea when students try to find out more before committing himself to any additional prep program.Now unfortunately, this student was unhappy with his experience at Veritas Prep. According to him it was a “complete waste of $1400.” This is not the first student that has come to us and talked about their horrible experiences elsewhere. It pains me to hear about people forking over thousands and not being happy with their experience. Hopefully, others can learn from these experiences
Stumble Upon
Del.icio.us
Buzz
Get Updates Via RSS!
