As part of the Testing for the Public class that I’m taking I got a binder full of stuff and a copy of The Official Guide for GMAT Review. This is the book published by the creators of the GMAT test. It has a few hundred retired practice questions taken from actual previous GMAT exams. This book is well over 800 pages of practice material and explanations.

Testing for the Public is a preparation course for standardized testing taught in the Bay Area. It is a non-profit . They organization generically prepares students for the variety of standardized tests such as the GMAT, LSAT, and GRE made by the ETS or similar bodies. The class was started by David White, who is also the instructor in many cases.

I have heard good things about the class. it costs $500; about one-third the cost of any other test preparation class. The other courses definitely have more hours of instruction but I’m not trying to get a perfect score or anything. The time and money spent on GMAT is preparation could probably be better spent on honing your essays and providing valuable community service. Here’s the rundown of course costs that I can find.

You know how Barron's knows you're gay? The Barron's GMAT 2007-2008 test preparation book handily uses a Venn diagram found on page 166 to lay it out for you. Ah, Venn diagrams, what can't you explain? I was surprised to find such hilarity in something as dry as a test preparation book.