Book Description
Includes:
*A rich online study plan that guides students through all of the integrated assets of the comprehensive program, including the book, online, and software
*Guidance throughout the program, directing students to additional resources within the program if they need it
*A diagnostic experience to help students concentrate on the areas in which they need the most help
*A progress report, so students can keep track of and analyze their performance as they make their way through the program
*Email communication at key points during the program, providing extra tips and guidance, as well as motivation to keep improving
*Monthly online additions to ensure that the student has the latest content and information about the exam
*Remedial content to ensure students are up-to-speed on the basic concepts before attacking higher-level content
*Downloadable strategy and reference guides for easy prep on the go
*Realistic practice experiences
*Online question banks
*5 full-length practice tests with detailed answer explanations
Customer Reviews:
Great Prep Book.......2007-07-11
As a professor, I have used Kaplan materials for over 7 years to teach a prep course for my university. I find the Kaplan materials to be at a realistic testing level and have found that student's scores on the actual exam correlate very well with post course testing exams in the classroom. Many books are too easy and students develop unrealistic expectations. The verbal prep and math prep together with this edition provide an excellent study course.
Nothing really special..........2007-05-31
These GRE study guides are all overrated... I first purchased an Arco study guide for the GRE and it helped me brush up on my rusty math skills and didn't really do anything else. So I then purchased Kaplan in hopes of finding better practice tests and a little more help on the verbal section. Kaplan didn't do much for this either, although the book does provide a list some "hit" words (not very many though). Also, the math that Kaplan has on its practice tests are significantly harder (and scored in a much tougher fashion) than the actual ETS GRE exam and I found this needlessly discouraging and frustrating.
The best advice I would give to future GRE test-takers would be to use the actual ETS practice tests and practice questions that are on the CD-ROM that ETS provides. I also memorized every word in the Princeton Review's "Word Smart for the GRE" and that was a TREMENDOUS help. I ended up scoring: V 670, Q 590
Good luck!
excellent book to help you prepare.......2007-05-22
I bought this book and started using it about 6 weeks before my GRE test, which was today. I hadn't taken a standardized test in the past 10 years, but I managed to pull off an above average score in both the Verbal and Quantitative sections. I would say the only negative thing about the book and included software, is the the way the software practice problems are presented. It would be great to see software that would emulate the actual screens of the GRE and behavior of a computer-adaptive test more closely as well as provide scores for all the practice problems, not just the full tests. I think Kaplan pushes you do perform better by setting the bar on their tests much higher than the actual GRE. If you combine this with the free POWERPREP software from the ETS website, I truly believe that you will be more than adequately prepared for the GRE. Good luck!
Somewhat good review but their proofreaders need to be fired.......2007-05-19
I found the reviews helpful although I found that powerprep software actually helped me out more. But one thing is the amount of mistakes their book and software has! Come on now....students are relying on Kaplan's to help them with the GRE and their proofreaders can't even help with that.
Two Examples:
1. In the software, I chose the right answer and it marked it wrong. Even in its explanation it stated "The answer is 25,000 which makes the answer (D)". But actually 25,000 was answer (C) which is what I picked.
2. In the explanations for a couple of math problem...they explained completely different problems with different numbers!
Talk about annoying. I'm buying a Barron's right now....
GRE Book.......2007-05-16
This book was really helpful to get me in shape for the GRE. It was a great introduction to the test, and I felt 100% more prepared than I would have been if I had not had this book. I would recommend it because of all the great resources you get with it.
Book Description
Students planning to take the Graduate Record Exam will find six full-length model tests with answers and explanations in this up-to-date manual. They will also find intensive test topic reviews covering antonym questions, analogy questions, sentence completion, reading comprehension, vocabulary, analytical writing, quantitative comparison, data interpretation, and math. A 3,500-word master vocabulary list with definitions is supplemented with a GRE high-frequency word list. The CD-ROM enclosed with the book offers a computer-adaptive model GRE test that is similar in structure to the actual GRE test. All questions on the CD-ROM are answered and explained, and exam results are scored automatically.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent GRE prep.. with a couple of caveats.......2007-09-28
I tend to over-research everything, so before embarking on my GRE prep I spent the better part of a day in my neighborhood B&N looking at the plethora (that's a GRE word right there) of prep books available for purchase. My eventual conclusion was that Barron's approach appears to differ substantially from all the other guides, in that it does not place much emphasis on "hacking" the GRE. Instead, it gives you well-thought out guidance and practice opportunities, all with the bare minimum of fluff (I am looking at you, Kaplan). In any case, I gradually became convinced that Barron's would be best suited for my studying style and goals, and it was therefore the only guide that I've used in the course of my GRE prep, along with some freely available ETS materials that I'll touch on in a bit.
So, a month later, with the test finally behind me and having scored in the high 700s on both sections, I still feel that Barron's is a quality product. Firstly, the word lists are excellent; there were at least 3 words on the actual test that I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for Barron's "Essential" list. The ginormous 3500 word list is also quite useful, although I found the word selection to be a little arbitrary -- there are some weirdly specialized terms (tessellated?), and a couple of words felt antiquated (benison? really now). I did like how Barron's went the extra mile with the example sentences -- some were unexpectedly clever and good for a chuckle. Having said that, Barron's also appears to place too much importance on distinguishing fine shades of meaning -- some of the analogies are almost guaranteed to give you a headache, and I thought that the Powerprep and the real GRE were considerably less anal-retentive on that front. Also, the Analytical Writing section is quite short; it won't help you much if your writing skills aren't already reasonably up to par. On the plus side, it has some valuable tips about adapting your writing to the GRE format; the information about structuring your essay was well thought out and matched up with the guidelines on the ETS website. So kudos on the verbal -- the actual test held no surprises on that front, with the level of question difficulty about equal to that of Barron's.
Now on to the math, which is a bit of a mixed bag. On the positive side, the math review is excellent, takes a while to get through, and has some pretty good exercises that get the brain cells firing. In fact, there were a couple of questions on the actual exam that contained "traps" that I was able to recognize quickly due to having seen them in Barron's earlier. However, the test experience on the Q section was very different from Barron's; the time constraints were intense, after the first few questions the level of difficulty increased substantially past anything I've seen in the book, and didn't let up until the very end. I think this may also be why reviewers tend to disagree about whether or not the actual test is more difficult than the material contained in the book. This is probably due to the way the CAT works; it'll give you questions tailored to your level of knowledge. Thus, it's possible that some reviewers had questions that were easier than the book, and some whose questions were more difficult. Having said that, my GRE score were higher on the actual exam than on any of the practice tests from Barron's..
Impressively, the book appears to be almost completely error free. My copy had some typesetting issues with a couple of Quantitative Comparison questions on the sample tests (one or both of the values were missing), but that wasn't overly bothersome. Unfortunately, the Barron's CD is essentially worthless -- it repeats questions from the paper exams, and the actual test experience has a much different feel. Make sure to download the PowerPrep software from the ETS website, but be careful -- if you are taking a PowerPrep practice test at night and your computer's clock rolls over to 12:00am, the software will inform you that you have just ran out of time and kick you out of your current section.
Anyway, that's my take -- hope someone finds this useful..
Barrons is what you need.......2007-09-25
First off let me say I am not good in math and I had not heard ALOT of these words prior to ordering this book. After taking the exam Barrons certainly helped alot because all the words I ever encountered on any practice test were in this book. I used this book, GRE Bible, Powerpre, and the Ultimate Math Refresher. This book teaches you the mechanics of the GRE and offers an abundance of words. I went through the most frequent word list, made flash cards of those words, and made flash cards of any word I encountered on any other practice exam. Instead of reading barrons all night long I just took practice test after practice test which allowed me to get in the flow of taking the exam. The reading comprehension was a bit dense at first but after reading several passages I get use to it. The key is to take multiple tests. GRE bible has 15 tests. Keep taking tests and using this book.
BEWARE. POWERPREP is the only software that gives scores close to the actual GRE exam. GRE Bible is WAYYYYY harder than the actual exam.
Too much great info!.......2007-09-03
I bought this book after reading all the reviews on Amazon. And yes, the 3000 word list is a bit daunting, but I focused my attention on the ones that they hi-lighted as being the high-frequency words to appear on the GRE. That helped ease the anxiety of having to learn 3000 vocab words. I loved that Barron's provided example sentences following their definitions b/c it helped jog my memory as I was studying. Compared to Kaplan, I also loved Barron's approach to the analytical writing portion...it's very straightforward and helpful in the way they instruct you to formulate your essays. I scored pretty high marks on that portion and I primarily used the tips provided by Barron's. As for the math portion, well, I'm entering a social science field, so I just glazed over that part. Overall, I would recommend coupling this purchase with the Princeton GRE prep b/c both offer unique techniques to tackling the GRE.
Great GRE study guide.......2007-08-16
I bought this along with Math Review For Standardized Tests (Cliffs Test Prep) and did very well for having only a month to study for the GRE. I loved using these books. The Cliffs Test Prep helped to fill in the gaps that the Barron's left and reminded me of things I had long forgotten. It made the Barron's make more sense. The vocab list in Barrons is fantastic. I bought Pass Key to the GRE Test (Barron's Pass Key to the Gre) also and used it in the car and at work when I only had brief intervals to study. These were great purchases. Good Luck!!
I would get it again!.......2007-07-31
If I were to take the test again, I would definitely get this book again. If you take the time to go through the program, and study and restudy the things that you don't score well on it will be worth it. The math section was extremely benefical, and so were the practice tests. A word of caution... I would study vocab words like mad. I memorized the Frequent Word list of 333, and also another 500 from another text, and it really helped me on my practice tests... but on my actual test I only saw one of those words appear. If I were to do it again... I would study vocab like mad, and then go through and catch up on the Math. But I definitly recommend this text.
Book Description
Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary Flashcards cover 500 of the most difficult words frequently tested on the GRE; each flashcard includes definitions, synonyms, sample sentences, and a pronunciation key
Customer Reviews:
good selection of words, simple selection of synonyms.......2007-09-27
This book is reasonably useful, yet the synonym selection is not very impressive and the definitions are comically oversimplified from time to time. The bottom line is that this felt like an SAT study guide and not a GRE helper.
NOT flashCARDS.......2007-09-12
The content is good; however these are NOT flashcards as the title states. It is actually a paperback book with two words on each page w/ their definitions on the reverse side. The pages are regular paper, not even the type you could tear out & make into CARDS. There IS another BOX of Kaplan GRE Exam review cards. Be careful when ordering.
Not so great..........2007-09-07
I wasted a lot of time with this list of 500 words, many of which are common knowledge to grad students already...I literally saw only TWO out of the 500 words on the actual GRE verbal I took five days ago. I know Kaplan can't predict which words will be on the GRE, but come on, only two? I did find that the usage of the vocab. words in sentences did help me remember the word if I didn't yet know it. Sometimes the sentences were a bit odd just enough to make you recall them. Just too bad the GRE didn't actually test those words! Could have been harder and better. Test the HARD words to get a high score, not fill 300 pages with more common, untested words, Kaplan!
more like flash book than cards.......2007-09-07
this book is really helpful if you don't mind carrying around a strangely shaped book with super thin pages. The fold down tabs were helpful, but still didn't make the words function really as cards... it was more like flipping through the dictionary than using flashcards. clumsy book, but really helpful w/ each word... includes the definition, a sentence and synonyms. overall wouldn't purchase this over just making actual cards.
Product description.......2007-09-04
The product description should specify that what you are getting is not "flash cards" but a small book of terms and definitions etc...
The title is misleading.
Book Description
Includes:
*A rich online study plan that guides students through all of the integrated assets of the comprehensive program, including the book, online, and software
*Guidance throughout the program, directing students to additional resources within the program if they need it
*A diagnostic experience to help students concentrate on the areas in which they need the most help
*A progress report, so students can keep track of and analyze their performance as they make their way through the program
*Email communication at key points during the program, providing extra tips and guidance, as well as motivation to keep improving
*Monthly online additions to ensure that the student has the latest content and information about the exam
*Remedial content to ensure students are up-to-speed on the basic concepts before attacking higher-level content
*Downloadable strategy and reference guides for easy prep on the go
*Realistic practice experiences
*Online question banks
*6 full-length practice tests with detailed answer explanations
Customer Reviews:
Great!!!!.......2007-08-02
The book I received was in great condition. Also I received it in a timely fashion.
Good but not good enough.......2007-06-20
The Good: contains great strategy for approaching the logical reasoning, and Reading comprehension sections as well as some good food for thought on writing your essay.
The Bad: The logical analysis section of the actual LSAT is much more difficult than the logical analysis section of any of the Kaplan sample problems or sample tests. I took the LSAT a week ago and ended up cancelling my score because I was unable to answer a third of the questions in that section in the time alloted even though I did well on the practice tests in this book. Do not take the advice given here about scanning all the problems in the section before starting. This is a complete waste of precious time. Practice as much as possible and when you're taking the test, start working immediately!
Overall, great prep for most of the LSAT, I'm going to seek out another book or two to help me with the logical analysis section, as well as ordering the next 10 LSATs from lsac for practice.
Great Prep Tool.......2007-05-14
I love this prep book. It gives great strategy tips and has great practice tests. I'm taking the LSAT in June so I won't know how well this has prepped me until July but I think it is worth the buy. the CD is great and you have access to online content only from Kaplan. they even have a free practice test that you sign up for online where you go to their local kaplan center and sit for a practice exam that is scored. That is awesome.
Kaplan LSAT Study Book.......2007-01-05
The Kaplan LSAT study guide is comprehensive. It is a great tool from the start of your LSAT journey even up to giving tips about how to apply to law school afterwards. I would recommend using it in addition to the Logic Games Bible, which breaks down the process, but the Kaplan book is a good investment. There are plenty of practice problems in the Kplan and explainations which is key.
Not Mac Friendly.......2006-09-08
While I find the contents of the book sufficient, I am peeved that no mention was made of the CD being Windows only. I specifically purchased this book over some other choices, because I thought the CD would be a valuable supplement. If you don't have access to Windows or were planning to study on a Macintosh or Unix box, then save the additional cost and do not buy this book as it is available for less without the CD.
Updated 9/29/06: Tomorrow is the big test. Between this book, Cracking the LSAT by the Princeton Review and LSAC's published tests, I'm about as prepared as I can be. I found the information in this book useful, although they give themselves too much credit by claiming some tips as "Kaplan Exclusives" when they aren't, in fact, exclusive.
I borrowed a Windows computer to use the disk and found the tests quite helpful in that they timed me and kept track of my strengths and weaknesses, which I think is very beneficial. A neat feature is that one can cross out answers that aren't correct when doing process of elimination, just like one can on paper tests.
One thing, though, is that last night while taking a test, the application crashed right after I finished and did not save my answers. Ugh!
I'm not sure which I liked better, Kaplan or Princeton Review, as they're both good and I don't think you could go wrong with either. Or, like me, you could buy both if you have enough time before the test.
Oh yeah, good luck and see ya in court!
Book Description
A comprehensive math review for the GRE, GMAT, and SAT. This math refresher workbook is designed to clearly and concisely state the basic math rules and principles of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry which a student needs to master. This is accomplished through a series of carefully sequenced practice sets designed to build a student's math skills step-by-step. The workbook emphasizes basic concepts and problem solving skills. Strategies for specific question types on the GRE, GMAT, and SAT are the focus of the Lighthouse Review self study programs.
Customer Reviews:
Definatly written by a mathamatician .......2007-09-27
This book is good. To the point and well explained with no extra fluff, it is exactly what it says, a math refresher especially useful for those of you, like me who haven't taken a math course in 8 or 9 years. This book is helpful. I reccommend it.
After "Ultimate Math Refresher," NOW I'm ready to study for GRE.......2007-08-28
** UPDATE - I got a 780V and 670Q on the GRE. Couldn't have done it without this book. Spent two weeks after review below playing around with "tactics" in the Barron's book...I would have benefitted more by mastering every one of the concepts in the Ultimate Math Refresher. Then again - I'm not a math person. I can see where math people would find the book too easy and not helpful. To the math people go the tactics - to B.A. folks like myself - bone up on the basics with this easy-to-use book. Good luck! **
I spent about a month doing every single problem in this book - there are 33 sets of problems, 10 - 20 problems each set. Total time invested...maybe 20 hours? My practice scores on the math part of the GRE have gone up somewhat. But the point is, I'm no longer mystified by the problems. NOW I'm ready and equipped to study the GRE books and learn tactics, etc.
The Math Refresher really is a pre-course for GRE math study. It starts with prime numbers, fractions, decimals, etc...all the basic stuff you learned before 8th grade but have long ago forgotten. The best part of the book walks you through percentages (part = whole X percent) and ratios. Toward the end there is a decent section with 20 or so typical word problems, and it was nice to see me finally getting most of those questions correct. (After bombing them repeatedly on practice tests.) There are also good sections on geometry, factoring, variables, proportions, work problems, distance problems.
Having said all that - be prepared to BEGIN your GRE study after this refresher. That's where I'm at. I now have 2 weeks to prepare, with practice test scores at 770 V and 660 M. (ha, I don't really believe that...my math scores vascillate between 520 and 660 - my V is usually around 660. But I did log that score over the weekend following completion of the Ultimate Math Refresher.)
This is a good workbook, written simply with step by step instructions for solving math problems. There are no multiple choice answers...this is a workbook that makes you work out each problem yourself. Want several hundred math problems that get you up to speed on basic math operations? This book works. THEN start studying the GRE prep books. Good luck!
Unbelievable simple.......2007-08-23
I bought this book looking at the product details and the content. I was expecting it to have some tips and trips to save time in calculation or computation. I must say that I was very disappointed with it. 10th graders perform more complicated math than what is shown in the book. It is oversimplified and gives a false sense of confidence to the test taker. Returned the book immediately.
Excellent, but has one TINY flaw.......2007-07-03
In preparing to retake the GRE, in an attempt to finish my PhD, I was very nervous about the algebra section, since I haven't used any of this for many years. I found the "Ultimate Math Refresher" and have been really thrilled with its explanations and step-by-step exercises. The one little flaw - at least for me - is that each section has very few exercises with which to practice the problems, then it just jumps to the next level. I needed more practice and ongoing reviews of what I had learned in earlier sections. Again, the explanations are excellent, so I purchased an old college workbook and combined the instructions from the "Math Refresher" with the exercises in the workbook. I highly recommend this book, but if algebra is a special challenge, or if it's been quite awhile, and you feel you need more practice, this book may not be enough alone.
Great review of forgotten skills.......2007-06-27
I've been out of school for over 25 years and needed a refresher for the GRE. This book has been great. Everything just started coming back to me.
The authors show how to do each type of problem without assuming prior knowledge. I feel much more confident now.
Book Description
Cracking the GRE brings you proven techniques from the test prep experts! The 2007 edition includes over 300 practice questions and exclusive free access to practice exams and further review online. In Cracking the GRE, we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and
·Solve analogies even when you don’t know the meanings of all the words in the problem
·Crack even the most complex algebra problems by plugging in numbers in place of variables
·Understand the nature of computer-adaptive tests and use that knowledge to your advantage
·Master even the toughest problems in the Verbal and Quantitative sections
We give you plenty of practice problems to help you master our proven techniques. In addition, you can access 2 full-length GRE practice tests online. Our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the real GRE—but with detailed answers and explanations for every question.
Customer Reviews:
Incomplete review materials.......2007-10-02
This guide contains very little useful information other than the vocabulary section (which is useful). I do not recommend this guide if you are weak in math -- purchase the Kaplan guide instead!
Good book.......2007-08-19
This is a wonderful book with helpful tips. I took GRE weeks ago(V660,Q790).This book helped a lot, especially from which I learnt how to relax myself during the test. This is a book which can help 'phycologically'.
Consider time restraints.......2007-07-20
Use this book if you have more than 4 weeks to study before your test. If you'll have less than a week to study, this book recommends you pick up their other book, Crash Course for the GRE. I found Cracking the GRE to be very useful.
Verbal good, Math bad.......2007-07-19
The verbal section gave very good tips. The quantitative section, I felt, was a mess. (And I've been an editor for 15 years -- so I know a mess when I see it!) The author would spend ridiculous amounts of space explaining a concept as simple as a "digit," yet skip over the reason for using a certain formula to solve a more complex problem. Moreover, the author recommends "plugging in" answers for many problems that are actually easier to DO.
Very disappointed. After reading book, I took their first online practice test, and got 770 verbal, 490 quantitative. Granted, I already knew that I need to go back and memorize geometry formulas, which I haven't done yet. But then I'll need to practice using them--and this book doesn't provide for that practice. I'll be buying another book for that--from a different publisher.
Good for beginners!.......2007-07-16
This book is very good for beginners and who have lost touch with the subject for a a very long time. I felt that the questions were way too easy and will probably not reflect truly on the level of difficulty that can be expected at the test
Amazon.com
It goes without saying that if you're taking the GRE you're not really a dummy. But GRE scores are an important part of any graduate-school application--so you need to do your best. Suzee Vlk, long time test-prep specialist and author of several Dummies books, can help. The GRE for Dummies is packed with useful information and strategies to help you prepare for the test. The book includes advice on how to use the book efficiently (Vlk estimates you'll need 31 hours to work through it), review chapters for all three sections of the exam, and two complete practice exams. Vlk also discusses the pros and cons of taking the GRE by computer or with paper and pencil and special advice for those who choose to take the computer-based test. In familiar Dummies style, Vlk includes a handy tear-out "Cheat Sheet" with a summary of the most important information and a "Part of Tens" section with 10 "wrong rumors" about the GRE and 10 relaxation techniques to use before and during the exam. With its witty writing, helpful icons in the margins pointing out important information, and useful vocabulary scattered throughout, The GRE for Dummies makes test preparation easy and relatively painless. --C. B. Delaney
Book Description
Whether you’re a college senior or someone who graduated years ago, you’ll want this friendly guide to help you ace the GRE and get into the grad school of your choice. Suzee Vlk, a test-prep guru with nearly thirty years of coaching experience supplies you with:
- Up-to-date sample questions
- Two complete practice tests
- Guidance on how to approach each type of question
- Tips on how to avoid test tricks and traps
- Relaxation techniques that keep you calm and focused
- Hints on how to beat the clock
- Comprehensive reviews of the basics in all categories
With Suzee as your guide, you’ll discover how to think the GRE. You’ll identify the point behind each of the various styles and types of questions and understand what each is meant to test. And you’ll gain the confidence you need to:
- Have the last word on sentence completions, antonyms, analogies, reading comprehension, and analytical writing questions
- Take the full measure of the geometry and algebra questions
- Hand in an incomparable performance on quantitative comparison and problem-solving questions
Revised to address the test’s new computer-adaptive format, The GRE Test For Dummies arms you with everything you need to vanquish the beast standing between you and the graduate program of your choice.
Customer Reviews:
CONIFIDENCE BUILDER.......2007-09-24
This book gave me the confidence to take that dog-gone GRE and enter Grad School. Its a great book and relevant to current computer testing - Computer testing only changes the medium, not the message.
I would give t zero stars it was so bad.......2007-05-08
this book is usless. do no buy it or spend any time using it. not only is it not funny or helpful in any way it also covers nothing.
not a good book. find smething else.
Great strategies.......2007-04-05
This books is filled more with methods and strategies to battle the gre. I have another book which also explained the parts of the exam, but it doesn't give information or details like this book does. It is funny and definitely worth it! I recommend it to anyone who really needs a break down of the gre.
Funny but informative.......2007-01-30
I loved the way this author took the nerve-wrecking, difficult, and intimidating GRE exam and made the potential test taker completely at ease with humor!
A Simple Review.......2006-10-31
Practice questions and tips provided are helpful. The bits of humor take the edge off
of a very stressful process. Includes full practice tests. I found it easy to use and
full of practical information about taking the computer generated test. Good Luck!
Book Description
Cracking the GRE now offers MAJOR new features on DVD, including engaging video tutorials from The Princeton Review’s top instructors. We also bring you over 300 practice questions in the book and exclusive free access to 4 practice exams and expert advice online.
Of course, you’ll also get all the test-prep techniques you expect from The Princeton Review. In Cracking the GRE, we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and
·Solve analogies even when you don’t know the meanings of all the words in the problem
·Crack even the most complex algebra problems by plugging in numbers in place of variables
·Understand the nature of computer-adaptive tests and use that knowledge to your advantage
·Master even the toughest problems in the Verbal and Quantitative sections
·Learn directly from our teachers in an GRE strategy session on DVD
We give you plenty of practice problems to help you master our proven techniques. Our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the real GRE—but with detailed answers and explanations for every question.
Customer Reviews:
Could be improved..........2007-08-22
I honestly found this book to not be very helpful. Instead of simply reviewing math and giving a lot of practice problems, Princeton Review wants you to learn new tips and tricks to get the right answer. (Which, in my opinion, is much harder than familiarizing yourself with concepts you already know.) The verbal review is decent, but the vocabulary list is terrible; they define words you may or may not know using lengthy definitions that include other words you may or may not know, instead of using simple language. After using this book to study for several weeks, my scores on the practice tests had not improved. (It is a very good thing I had to wind up rescheduling my test to a later date due to other reasons, because this was simply not effective preparation.)
I have the Kaplan Vocabulary Book and Barron's Passkey to the GRE as well. I am also going to purchase some materials to practice with, but would not choose Princeton Review again. For some people, this book might be a good way to go, especially if your math skills are not the best. For me, however, it was not worth the money or the time spent in attempting to study from this book.
It's a good start!.......2007-07-02
If you don't know how to start to GRE, this is a good book. However, you should complement this book with a tougher one in order to score closer to 800. Barron's book was my complement.
Don't even waste the time and money for it.......2007-03-21
I have bought this book and was horrible, this is the worst book of GRE that i have ever seen. I also have the Cracking GRE 2002 and there is no difference between 2002 and 2007 edition, even examples and sample math and verbal questions are the same.
I have taken online 4 full length tests and those tests were not the the real predictor of my actual score. So I recommend potential buyers to avoid this book from their mind.
Kaplan and Barron's are the best materials from which you can really benefit.
Great book for GRE.......2007-03-20
I went to Kaplan live lectures and paid about $1350! It was totally waste of time and money. This book has a way of showing you the key points for the exam and their way of attacking math problems are so simple and easy to follow. I would recommmend for those who want to study for GRE.
meh, not sure I'd buy it again.......2007-01-22
I guess this wasn't too bad, but I wish they'd focused a little more on teaching some of the math concepts instead of showing how to plug values to get the answer. Like they admit, none of the math is advanced, so just some reminding of what we learned in jr. high would seem more appropriate than the endless number plugging. The GRE writers write questions that make plugging difficult, to see if you can reason the solution through knowing a little math. The plugging takes more time and leaves more room for error, in my opinion, than just learning how to solve the problem.
I also think their sample tests were not great samples. They had typos and re-used charts between tests. They were not very good predictors of my actual result. I took the four on-line sample tests, and the two from PowerPrep and the actual GRE all in 2 days. Here are my scores:
Princeton Review sample tests:
Quant (4 tests): 670, 610, 650, 690
Verbal: 650, 750, 730, 510
PowerPrep sample tests:
Quant: 720, 700
Verbal: 640, 690
My actual scores: quant 710, verbal 640
Also, in their online sample tests, some of the wording is a bit flippant and many of the verbal questions are far too ambiguous to be representative of real GRE questions. The flippant parts are probably supposed to be light and humorous, but I found it a little offensive to have each verbal 'explanation' include the sentence "Learn your vocabulary!" It implied that anyone who had studied or had a decent vocabulary would KNOW the answer. Not very professional, in my opinion.
PowerPrep (free download from [...]) was better, in my opinion.
Book Description
This updated shorter version of Barron's GRE test preparation manual presents three full-length model tests, practice questions covering all test subjects, and review sections that are ideal for use as brush-ups in college-level vocabulary and math. The authors also offer study advice and test-taking tips.
Customer Reviews:
Pass Key to GRE.......2007-09-14
This is the most basic of GRE review books. If that's all you need, then it's perfect. If you need more explanations of how to solve math problems then this is not the right book.
Useless if you are aiming for a high score.......2007-09-11
The author of this book is trying to help you more at guessing than to help you understand the matter. Let me start with the verbal section. Some problems in the practice tests do not make sense at all. Reading the explanation I am surprised to find out that some words have meanings that cannot be found in any dictionary.
The math is horrible. In general the graphs require great skill at guessing where the values fall or otherwise you will not get correct numbers. (Practice test 2 questions 14 and 15) There are graphs that are wrong. (Practice test 2 questions 20 and 21). The problems are solved and explained in such a manner that shows you the workarounds if you have no idea how to solve the problem. The essential theory behind the problem that is being actually tested is not explained.
I would not recommend this book if you want to get an excellent score. Rather it would be good for someone who wants to get the scores from low to an acceptable level.
Small book, but don't judge it by, well you know..........2007-07-10
So far, using the Barron's guide has been beneficial. Since the book is not 30 pounds like other GRE study guides, I feel less intimidated about studying. Also, even though it's a small book, I don't feel like it's missing anything. I've got just a little more confidence about standardized tests now.
Quantum Mechanics in Hilbert Space.......2007-05-17
This is a mathematics book for advanced mathematics or physics students, in graduate study.
To get the most from it one should have already studied Quantum Mechanics in a less mathematical setting, and had some exposure to the theory of functions, and Lebesgue integration. It is the work of a scolar
The book is exact, rigorous, and well structured.
ETS-like tests, same material as bigger Barron's books.......2007-04-03
The Pass Key is a great study tool, if you choose to purchase this instead of the regular Barron's How to Prepare for the GRE. The contents are comparable and the exams are often repeats.
However, its size is its best asset and also the source of its faults. It's a small book that's great for carrying around, and its vocab list is especially concise. But its size sometimes make for awkward exam formatting, so that the second question on a graph will be on the back page. Also, the regular Barron's has a larger vocabulary, word quizzes, and root/prefix lists, as well as more practice question sections and exams.
If you're short on test preparation time and need the pith of understanding how to best approach the GRE, the Pass Key would be a great purchase. If you would like more practice, then buy the regular Barron's.
Book Description
Higher Score Guaranteed!
Kaplan GRE® Exam Verbal Workbook comes complete with a targeted review of all the tested material on the Verbal section of the GRE®, plus Kaplan's renowned test-taking strategies. This powerful combination makes Kaplan GRE® Exam Verbal Workbook the most effective way for you to score higher on what is often described as the most challenging section of the GRE®.
In-Depth Review of Analogies, Reading Comprehension, Sentence Completion, and Antonyms -- with practice drills in every chapter.
Special Chapter on the Writing Assessment Test to help you score well on this new section of the GRE®, including tips on writing clearly, concisely, and effectively.
Exclusive Strategies to manage time, master all the question types, and succeed on the new computer-corrected Writing Test.
A Mini-Dictionary for the Verbal Section of over 1,000 words, including special tips for the "Top 200" words most often found on the test.
Customer Reviews:
Brand New Item !.......2007-09-16
I bought a brand new item from amazon and it's really brand new with reasonable price.
fantastic vocab sections, but so-so on question types.......2007-04-03
The Kaplan Verbal Workbook has a great vocabulary list, often with related words and synonyms in the definition. There's a word root list comparable with other GRE prep books, but the Workbook takes word recognition one step further with its Word Groups (eg audacious, courageous, and dauntless are all degrees of boldness) and Opposite Drills--good strategy for GRE, since GRE doesn't test the exact word definition, but your recognition of the best answer choice.
However, I found the exercises on the actual four types of questions to be different from ETS published exams. The "best" answers were sometimes not as clearly differentiated from the rest of the choices. I prefer to do test simulations with ETS's past exams or from Barron's books.
Despite my doubts on the questions, I would still buy this book again for its stellar vocabulary-building sections.
Wonderful workbook with good explanations.......2007-03-14
I graduated from college 20 years ago so I needed a good review of principles as well as several practice tests. This book helped me understand the "whys" of both verbal and quantitative questions. The book was great for studying away from home and the CD was great for the computer. I would recommend this study guide 100%.
This book improved my GRE score markedly.......2007-02-11
I took the GRE a few weeks ago, and I had 2 1/2 weeks to prepare for it, having never seen or heard of the GRE before that time. I panicked and ordered four books. Kaplan's verbal workbook was a great purchase and it improved my verbal score - I got a 610 and I am not even born and raised in the USA.
I used Kaplan in conjunction with Barron's Passkey to the GRE Test and The Ultimate Verbal and Vocabulary Builder. Together, the three of them and 6 stacks of flashcards were the reason I did well on the test. The best part of the Kaplan book is the exercises and strategies given to help you through the challenging verbal section. I learned to make an educated guess even if I didn't know what any of the words meant and I got quite a few of them right. It is not so much about roots, prefixes and suffixes, but more about using the word in context with the other words and ruling out possibilities that are impossible. I strongly recommend making this book part of your GRE study regimen. I did one of each group of exercies per day. For reference, I studied on average 12 hours a day for two straight weeks. This book is worth your money and MUCH better than anything published by ETS which proved useless to me.
A Pretty good book........2007-01-20
It is really organized by specific Kaplan's method.
In fact, I tried out a Kaplan school's GRE class, the contens of the book is quite similar to class's book.
Though I mentioned "really organized," sometimes I feel bored 'cause too much explanation.
If you have STRONG vocabulary, this book really helps you and improves your Verbal score. On the other hand, like I am, people who do not have specific academic vocabulary, this book is little bit tough. However, you can get strategy from it!!
Seeing is believing, and opinions are unique, so just try it!
Books:
- Let's Draw Manga: Bodies And Emotions (Lets Draw Manga)
- LL Cool J's Platinum Workout: Sculpt Your Best Body Ever with Hollywood's Fittest Star
- Memory on Cloth: Shibori Now
- Merce Cunningham: Fifty Years
- Nature's Art Box: From t-shirts to twig baskets, 65 cool projects for crafty kids to make with natural materials you can find anywhere
- Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World
- Official Signs & Icons 2
- Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life
- Once Upon Stilettos: A Novel (Katie Chandler Series, Book 2)
- Painting Flowers in Watercolor With Charles Reid
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Epicenter: Why Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future
- Witches Abroad
- Act of Mercy
- Ansel Adams: An Autobiography
- Biology of Floral Scent
- Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero
- How Artists See Cities: Streets Buildings Shops Transportation
- Wildflowers Grasses and Other Plants of the Northern Plains and Black Hills
- Methods for the Measurement of the Primary Production of Grassland
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
GRE Exam Vocabulary Flashcards
Kaplan GRE Exam Verbal Workbook (Kaplan Gre Verbal Workbook)
How to Prepare for the GRE with CD-ROM (Barron's How to Prepare for the Gre Graduate Record Examination)(16th Edition)
The Ultimate Math Refresher for the GRE, GMAT, and SAT
GRE: Practicing to Take the General Test 10th Edition (Practicing to Take the Gre General Test)
