With summer now in full-swing, it’s time for next year’s crop of b-school applicants to seriously start thinking about the GMAT. In the past, that meant buying a few bulky test-prep books or signing up for a refresher course. But thanks to some tech-savvy ‘app’ developers, future MBAs now have a few more convenient study options that can be accessed from their smart phones.

For the iPhone
Users of the iPhone have a variety of applications to choose from. Among the most popular are the Kaplan GMAT Flashcards, the GMAT Connect by Watermelon Express and the bestselling prep app GMAT ToolKit by GMAT Club.

The most recent app to join the ranks is the GMAT Pill, released in early April. Co-Founder Zeke Lee, a GMAT 98th percentile scorer, developed the one-month study plan after discovering test-taking techniques that he says helped him improve his score in two weeks. The Pill uses visual aids that focus on how to best think through the questions in four main areas: sentence correction, data sufficiency, critical reasoning and problem solving. Users can follow the thought process test experts use for individual questions. “Just practicing thousands of questions doesn’t guarantee you’ll perform better,” explains Lee. “What’s special about these videos is they are really helping students change the way they think.” Interested users can check out free video tutorials on iTunes that Lee says preview the Pill Study Method. For the full version, prepare to pay $327 for the package or $97 for each pill per section.

For the Android
The selection for Android user is limited. The Android market offers an assortment of free basic math and verbal study guides, and NYC-based Watermelon Express offers GMAT Connect for the Android for $2.99. The review app covers math, verbal and writing and the content is arranged by topic and category. The makers of the GMAT ToolKit are looking to bring their application to the Android by the end of the summer, but the CEO said in an online discussion posted in March that the company doesn’t want to “create just an average app, and a good app requires a lot of work.”

For the BlackBerry
Finally, a GMAT study tool for BlackBerry owners. Last week, Crimson Oak Academy released a GMAT test prep application compatible with BlackBerry phones that operate on a system of 4.5 or higher. The study tool boasts a bank of more than 250 questions that cover all five multiple-choice sections of the exam, plus it provides statistics on performance and measures how long it takes to answer. Users can seek p rompt feedback on specific questions by accessing the application’s built-in link to the Crimson Oak Facebook forum. The app is f ree until July 4, and will cost $4.99 after the free offer period. It can be downloaded on the Crimson Oak site and on the official App store for BlackBerry.

By Sommer Saadi

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/.../gmat_prep_for_the_iphone_blackberry.html