Veritas Prep Statistics & Combinatorics (GMAT Preparation) Paperback – October 30, 2013

I find combinatorics and probability the trickiest areas of GMAT Quantitative. After having studied the topics with another GMAT prep book, Word Translations by Manhattan GMAT, I was still confused about how to solve more advanced combinatorics problems such as:-In how many ways can 3 boys and 3 girls be seated in a row of 6 seats, if boys and girls must alternate?-In how many ways can 5 different gifts be distributed to 5 kids, if one of them doesn't want one of the gifts?etc.The problem with Manhattan GMAT book was that these advanced topics were packed under Word Translations with other advanced topics such as statistics. Consequently, the book did not do a good job on providing comprehensive explanations for identifying each problem type. Even after reading the book twice, I was still having trouble to understand which formula was called for calculating the number of ways to arrange 5 students in a row, if Bob and Mary refuse to sit next to each other etc.This book by Veritas gives exactly what I was missing: comprehensive. well-orgnized lessons on GMAT Combinatorics and Probability. After having finished this book, I went back to the Word Translations and re-tried the problems in the combinatorics and probability chapters, which were too difficult for me earlier (problems such as I mention above). Now these same problems make sense, and I can solve 90 % of them correctly.Unless you are already confident with your knowledge in combinatorics and probability, I recommend this book by Veritas over the Manhattan GMAT Word Translations.

I was a bit skeptical in spending almost $20 on one subset of math problems, but given my lack of exposure to these types of questions, I took the plunge. What I found was that this book easily transitioned from basic properties of combinatorics to more complicated problems while explaining each step along the way. I would venture to say that many of us don't use functions such as permutations on a day-to-day basis, but this book provided the skills to answer these questions. While before the book, I was lost in solving these problems, I now feel confident in being to find the solution to most. The books provides ways to identify each problem (i.e. combination, permutation with restrictions,etc) and gives formulas to solve them as quickly as possible. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their quantitative score on the GMAT.

I have been preparing for gmat for last 3 months, and I must admit this is the best book on combinatorics available in the market. All kinds of questions are covered and and everything is explained in detail. The only sad part is only 2 or 3 questions from combinatorics come on actual test and thus it's a costly investment. But still if you are aiming for high score then buy this book. The book also covers a few data sufficiency questions which makes it even better.

Best GMAT book for combinatorics and probability, bar none. These books are written so cogently and with such empathy for the way the reader might be consuming the information. Really really excellent. I ended up buying all of them. I haven't even taken the test yet and I can tell they have helped me significantly.

excellent option to prepare for P & C. Whether you'll see many P & C questions on the actual GMAT is all other question. Nevertheless, this book is all you need to prepare on this topic.

I've been out of school for years but am in a new position where I have to use probability and statistics quite often. This is a great resource for brushing up on past forgotten skills.

This is the most complete and impressive book I have seen on probability, combinations, and statistics coverage for the GMAT. This book is extremely powerful and is the most comprehensive collection of questions:- 110 Total GMAT-like questions- 73 Exercises/Drills!!! Warning: as with any powerful object, it can be dangerous in the hands of a fool. You only need this book if you are scoring above 47 or 48 on Quant. If you are below that level – focus on other areas instead!!!The book does a fabulous job of covering all relevant concepts and identifies the less relevant clearly. I like how it is broken out into lesson, skillbuilder, and homework sections. I would say you can probably get a pretty good grasp of the material in 2 days and cover a quarter of the questions in the book. However, don’t get carried away – you can easily spend a month on this book and chances of you encountering more than 2 of these questions, even at level 50, are not high. GMAT is about prioritizing time and resources in both preparation and your test – use your time wisely!***This is the first edition of the book published in late 2013. Earlier reviews are referring to a different book but have been incorrectly transferred here by Amazon.****** Bottom line: If you are preparing for the GMAT, (scoring over 45 in Quant) and need extra help, this book will get you there. However, if you are starting out and think that a key to the high GMAT score is probability and combinations, this book is NOT for you. Get your handle on Arithmetic, Word Problems and Geometry first.

Combinatorics confuse many GMAT students who had little past exposure to these concepts, or simply forgot the concepts altogether. If you're doing well on the GMAT Math section, you will encounter a few harder questions from this subject area, and VP teaches you how to solve them very quickly and consistently. VP's strategies teach you reliable counting methods, formulas to memorize, and techniques to conquer these question types.I was already proficient with probability concepts, but reviewed this section of the VP books anyway. GMAT preparation for probability concepts - including robust practice problems and explanations - just doesn't get any better than VP. In this section on the book, you learn quick formulas to memorize, how to spot "decoy" answers, and how to shortcut much of the written work in solving problems. I would recommend this book to anyone.