GMAT Books are the most essential aspect for GMAT exam preparation. Applicants who aim for self-study usually need more books and resources to chase their preferred GMAT score. To target GMAT exam's preparation, prospective applicants should buy 2-3 GMAT books for study. There is a range of books available in the market so it can become difficult to understand which book or resource is correct for GMAT preparation.
To ace GMAT exam, referring to the official GMAT Guide is a must for preparation. Applicants must wisely choose which other books are best for them and not buy them all. There are both paid and free GMAT books mentioned, choose based on your need and prep level. We have also been given a six-month study plan for the GMAT exam as well for reference.
Yes, more or less the GMAT books are same for preparing for Focus edition with older versions. Applicants can just selectively choose the topics that are relevant for the current GMAT edition and can easily prepare for the exam. However, there are options to buy official guides or prep material from MBA.com website for GMAT Focus Edition.
Some of the trending GMAT books for preparation are as follos:
- Manhattan Prep All the GMAT
- Powerscore Critical Reasoning
- Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus
- GMAT for Dummies
- GMAC GMAT Official Guide
- GMAT Advanced Quant
Very important. The syllabus changed a lot. Old books have topics that are gone now. You need the updated guides for the new Data Insights section. Don't study wrong materials.
- Best GMAT Prep Books 2026
- Popular GMAT Online Resources for 2026 Preparation
- Free vs Paid GMAT Books for Prep
- GMAT Books and Resources 2026: Important Factors
- GMAT Preparation Books 2026 FAQs
Best GMAT Prep Books 2026
To help applicants with their exam prep and cover the GMAT syllabus end-to-end, a few GMAT books have been suggested. Moreover, it is extremely important to analyse their performance on GMAT practice tests later. Check out the officially suggested GMAT books for prep:
1. GMAT Official Guide:
Popularly called GMAT OG, it is the most important book for their GMAT preparation. This book must form the base of their preparation. Do not leave a single page of this book. GMAT OG contains nearly 1000 questions from past GMAT exams. Ensure applicants complete this book at least twice during their GMAT preparation. applicants can get the GMAT Official Guide Bundle ebook and online question band at $81.99.
2. Manhattan Prep Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set:
The Manhattan GMAT books cover every aspect of the GMAT exam. applicants have the option of buying these books in a bundle or individually. Apart from the books, one also gets one-year access to practice tests and web material. These GMAT books will help applicants strengthen their skill set to perform excellently. The study materials and guides offered by Manhattan are considered the best GMAT preparation materials by reviewers.
3. GMAT Official Advanced Questions:
Once applicants have completed the GMAT Official Guide and Manhattan GMAT books, applicants should move on to the GMAT Official Advanced Questions. It has hard GMAT questions from past GMAT exams. This book will help applicants familiarise theirself with the tough GMAT questions. Note that if applicants keep on answering the questions correctly, the level of questions gets tougher on the GMAT (with an obvious increase in the score). Hence, a candidate needs to practice hard GMAT questions. applicants can get the GMAT official advanced questions ebook and online question bank at $29.99.
4. Kaplan GMAT Prep Plus:
This book provides a helping hand to those struggling with quant. Furthermore, the practice questions in the books are not unique but also challenging. One of the drawbacks of this set is that it comes with only one online full practice test, whereas other publishers offer many more practice tests.
Preparing from these books can help students meet the minimum GMAT cutoff for admission. Apart from these popular GMAT books, there are some important and equally popular online resources for preparation.
Commonly asked questions
E-books are a good choice. These books help you study anywhere and find topics fast. But, staring at a screen for hours can tire your eyes. This make it hard to focus on long reading passages.
Use physical books for GMAT 2026 preparation as well.
Yes, there are ample resources available for applicants to prepare for GMAT exam and one of the best resources is using the official GMAT books. The GMAT books give detailed answer explanation and directly target the topics that are tested on the exam. Plus they also give practice questions along with full length GMAT exam sample papers.
Popular GMAT Online Resources for 2026 Preparation
Apart from the prep books, applicants can also download GMAT preparation materials free of charge from various reputable online forums. Otherwise, applicants can join various forums, such as the official GMAT forum, and post their query there; experts will answer it. There are numerous (free and paid) online GMAT tests that applicants can take to enhance their skills. With little effort, applicants can get free GMAT prep material that can also be useful. We recommend that applicants take help from the following online resources:
- Beat The GMAT
- GMAT Club Forum
- Thursday with Ron
- Magoosh applicantsTube channel
No amount of books or GMAT prep material will be fruitful until applicants adopt an extensive study plan, rigorous training sessions, and discipline, which are key to achieving a high GMAT score. These books are applicable for both GMAT Online and GMAT at test centre.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates need a strategy to score 805 on GMAT. Before preparing decide what a good GMAT Score is. The best way to prepare for GMAT is
- First understand the structure of GMAT.
- Understand what kind of questions are tested and then start preparation.
- Take mocks to assess skills tested and understand your competency.
- Practice more and more to get a grip on the GMAT preparation.
- Go through GMAT Sample Paper and it will help them in preparing for GMAT.
Classes provide helpful structure. Studying alone saves money and offers flexibility for disciplined students, but a prep course gives you expert tips and a fixed schedule to make sure you keep improving every single week.
Choose what fits your style best.
Free vs Paid GMAT Books for Prep
When choosing GMAT books for preparation you may want to buy more resource books or look for lucrative options. Here is when free vs paid discussion comes into picture. Both types of material are available in the market and online. It is up to the applicants what they want to choose. To get the hang of it, check out which GMAT books are paid and which are not.
Paid GMAT Books
Using paid books for GMAT preparation is essential because they provide an extra edge. These books include a pattern of questions that are tested on GMAT on its main day. Here are a few paid GMAT books for reference:
- GMAT Official Guide by GMAC
- Manhattan Prep Book
- Nova
- Powerscore
These are some of the paid GMAT books which can be used for preparation. These include not just explanations but also practice tests. Some online prep material is also available.
Free GMAT Books
Free GMAT books are available easily everywhere. Applicants can download ebooks or PDFs from trusted websites. These may not be latest versions but maybe useful for GMAT prep. Some of these are as follows:
- Magoosh
- Beat the GMAT
- GMAT Club
These are some of the free study materials that can be considered for GMAT prep. Also check out a 3-month study plan for GMAT.
Commonly asked questions
Yes, GMAT books are helpful resources to get hands on preparation, practice and work on strenghths and weaknesses closely. You can refer to 1-2 books for GMAT preparation and then look at solving some sample papers as well to get some additional practice.
Understand GMAT exam 2026 structure first. You should take a full practice test to see your current level, then build a daily study plan that focuses heavily on your weak topics and helps you improve them step by step. Regular practice leads to high scores.
If at some point you prepared for GMAT 10th Edition and are planning to appear for the GMAT Focus Edition, then here are a few strategies to help you adjust your study plan for GMAT Focus.
- Since GMAT Focus is shorter, applicants will have to effectovely plan their question solving capacity.
- Practice taking GMAT and solve multiple GMAT sample papers to understand the pattern of the paper. The mock test of GMAT Focus may be difficult to access so relying on available materials is important.
- Since GMAT Focus has the bookmarking questions feature where applicants can come back to review and edit, will also be an added advantage for the applicants.
GMAT Books and Resources 2026: Important Factors
Students should not refer to too many GMAT books. It is always advisable to follow a limited number of resources with major focus on regular revisions and practice. Below key points will help applicants determine the right GMAT prep books and resources to ace GMAT exam in 2026:
- Before buying any book, applicants must ensure that they are thorough with the syllabus and the pattern of GMAT exam. Do not buy books just because they look attractive.
- It is about solving complex questions and forming a GMAT preparation strategy to help applicants score well on all exam sections. It can be identifying the priority section that applicants will be solving first or related to time management.
- GMAT exam follows a pattern of testing, so pick up books which follow the same pattern and cover the whole GMAT syllabus as per the current version for prep or practice.
- The GMAT preparation material and GMAT books must offer answer keys to help students understand the correct method to solve different questions.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates need to understand that purchasing many GMAT books will not fetch them a higher GMAT score. In fact, if they start referring to multiple GMAT books and resources for a single topic, they will only get confused and end up leaving all the study material. The best starting point is always the official GMAT exam material. The official GMAT prep material should be at the base of your preparation. Make sure to cover the entire official study material at least twice. Once you are done with it, you can study other resources such as the Manhattan Guides, Veritas study material, GMAT club, Beat the GMAT, Thursdays with Ron, etc. Stick to selected GMAT books and resources, prepare notes, and appear for as many GMAT mock tests as possible.
The best GMAT books for preparation are:
- GMAT Official Guide to be THE best GMAT book
- Manhattan GMAT Strategy Guides (8 Books)
- Kaplan GMAT 800
- If you want subject specific guides, then you may consider: The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review
- Kaplan GMAT Verbal Workbook
- Kaplan GMAT Math Workbook
- The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review
GMAT Preparation Books 2026 FAQs
To know more about GMAT books and other resources, please visit more FAQs.
Commonly asked questions
There are various sources available online where one can get useful study material to prepare for the GMAT test. Following are the sources where one can study and prepare for the GMAT for free:
- Official GMAC site (mba.com): Here, you can get tips to prepare for the exam and free GMAT practice tests as well
- Manhattan Prep: It offers free GMAT online prep tools that are very useful for the candidates preparing for the GMAT exam
- Veritas Prep: It offers free GMAT lessons and free tools that will come in handy while preparing for the exam
Yes, GMAT books are helpful resources to get hands on preparation, practice and work on strenghths and weaknesses closely. You can refer to 1-2 books for GMAT preparation and then look at solving some sample papers as well to get some additional practice.
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The current version of the GMAT exam "will continue to be available until early next year". There is no specific date for the same. After MCom, you may opt for an MBA as it will enhance your profile. You might as well venture into a new field (e.g. supply chain management) if you find it interestin
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Hello. Now that you have completed your graduation, you can very well appear for the GMAT exam. Please make sure to check the eligibility criteria for MBA abroad as certain B-schools demand prior work experience. You may also apply for MIM programmes as they are also rewarding. You may check the to