Earlier this week, Beat The GMAT launched their new and improved GMAT prep software, Beat The GMAT Practice Questions. This online product provides users with access to over 700 sample GMAT questions, accompanied by instant explanations and performance reporting data. Last week, our friends at BTG gave us a sneak peek of this product, and we want to share our thoughts on it with our readers.
The Beat The GMAT Practice Questions are cataloged into the two general test question types: math and verbal. With one click, the user is brought into a practice session that consists of a sequence of all math or all verbal questions. Each question is presented individually and is timed; upon submitting an answer, there appears an analysis of that question and of the user’s performance, providing the user with his/her results as well as information on pacing and the difficulty level of the question. Below that are a textual explanation of the correct answer and a video explanation that explains how to arrive at the correct conclusion. All questions can be completed in practice mode (explanations appear after each answer is submitted) or quiz mode (explanations are withheld until after a pre-specified number of questions have been answered). After completing a satisfactory number of questions, the user can end a session at will and review a performance summary. Here, the math and verbal questions are further broken down into specific question type (i.e., data sufficiency, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, etc.), and the reader can see how many of each type of questions he/she answered, what percentage of each type were correctly answered and what his/her average pace was for each question type. On another screen, the user has the option of getting an even broader performance review, with a breakdown of each question asked in a specified practice session and a summary of total percent correct and overall average pace.
The Beat The GMAT Practice Questions software includes a number of useful features for those prepping for the GMAT. To start, it is very simple to log in and navigate the different screens, which means no time is lost in trying to figure out where to go or how to begin. The answer explanations are easy to follow and include step-by-step methodology that is helpful in learning concepts that can be applied to future questions. There is also a timer on the screen that serves as motivation; as each second ticks by, the importance of moving quickly becomes more apparent. Another useful feature of this software is the ability to customize each practice session to the user’s personal needs, allowing users to set such parameters as whether the practice session will cover math or verbal, which subject areas the session will cover and how many questions will be asked in that particular session. Essentially, this product enables users first to determine what areas of the GMAT are their strengths and weaknesses and then to gain extra practice in those areas in which they are underperforming. Users also have the option of setting the difficulty level of their practice questions, including the “adaptive” level that is used on the GMAT, which enables users to get a feel for how the actual exam behaves. Finally, the online nature of this product and the ability to start and stop practice sessions at the touch of a button make it incredibly convenient to fit in GMAT study time whenever – and wherever – possible.
One potential drawback of this software is that it focuses on self-study and therefore may not be suitable for someone who needs more choreographed instruction. For example, after answering a question incorrectly and going through the textual and visual explanations, there is no option to try a similar problem right away, in order to practice the concept just learned. While a user receives comprehensive information on his/her performance and on how to approach each question, it is up to each individual to identify similar questions to which these learned concepts can be applied.
Nonetheless, the Beat The GMAT Practice Questions software is overall a convenient, informative and user-friendly product that helps GMAT students ascertain where they need to focus their studying and on which questions they need to adjust their pacing. The software costs $99 for one year of access. For more information visit the Beat The GMAT Practice Questions website.
Read the full article: Product Review: Beat The GMAT Practice Questions