A Simple GRE Breakdown + Best GRE Study Material

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Standing for Graduate Record Examinations, the GRE is a required test for almost all graduate schools within the United States. If you’re considering attending grad school in the near future, this exam is something you’ll have to prepare for. This is what you need to know and GRE study material to help you through!

Overview

The GRE, hosted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), is a must-do test if you’re considering graduate school. However, it’s a bit different than previous exams for school you may have taken, like the ACT or SAT.

Graduate Record Examinations allows you to choose whether or not to send your scores to a school. You’re also free to retake it and send specific scores to specific grad schools. Also, this exam allows you to actually go back and change answers, skip questions to return to later, or answer the questions in each section in any order you like.

Students use their results in conjunction with their undergraduate transcripts and recommendation letters to apply for graduate school. You can find testing centers in over 160 countries and the exam is also available online.

A Breakdown

The GRE consists of three sections. They are Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. These are skills that have been developed in your previous years of education and are not specific for any field of study.

These are just some of the types of questions you’ll find on each of the three sections:

• In the Verbal section, you’ll be asked to reason from data that are incomplete, summarize text, and understand what you’re reading.
• The Quantitative Reasoning section gives math problems, asks students to analyze information, and uses mathematical models.
• Under the Analytical Writing section, students should be prepared to articulate ideas, maintain an informed discussion, and have good writing abilities.

There are two different ways to take the GRE: on the computer or on paper. They both vary in structure. On the computer, the overall test is 3 hours and 45 minutes. There are two sections on analytical writing with 30 minutes each, 40 questions on verbal reasoning with an hour time limit, and 40 questions under Quantitative Reasoning with an hour and fifteen minutes to use. On paper, the entire test is 15 minutes shorter. Analytical Writing is the same as far as tasks and time. However, Verbal Reasoning has 50 questions to do within an hour and fifteen minutes. Quantitative Reasoning gives you an hour and twenty minutes for 50 questions.

Prepping for the GRE

One of the best ways to prep for the GRE is to take practice exams. Stick to a study schedule that works for you and focus on your weaker areas. When you’re ready, it’s time to take another practice exam and see how you’ve improved.

There are also several resources available on ETS’s website. There you can find online preparation tools, practice books, content review, and more.

If you’re interested in learning more about the GRE and what will be asked of you, definitely head over the Educational Testing Service’s website. They have the materials you need to succeed, more information about the exam, answers to frequently asked questions, and the details you need to register for your test date.

GRE Study Material That Will Help You Ace This Important Test

It’s highly advisable to use some other GRE study material in addition to the resources mentioned above. Using a variety of resources will prepare you for every type of question in the actual test. Besides, you’ll pick up different tips and learn different strategies so you can choose and use the ones that work best for you.

These are the 5 most popular GRE prep books that test-takers have found very helpful:

1. Kaplan GRE Prep Plus

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus is packed full of expert strategies and tips for taking and acing the test. You get one full-length GRE practice test that’s set to the same format as the actual test. This is in addition to over 1,700 questions with detailed explanations. The performance summaries featured in the book make it easy for you to personalize your GRE preparations.

When you buy the Kaplan GRE Prep Plus book, you also get access to another 5 full-length online practice tests. This adds tons more value to your purchase.

2. Magoosh GRE Prep

Magoosh GRE Prep is hugely popular with students looking for GRE test material. This comprehensive prep book gives you access to 2 full-length tests with the statistics for every practice question so you can get a clearer picture of the difficulty rating. You also get step-by-step guides, helpful tips and several lessons and video explanations of each question and answer. In addition, you get access to two full-length practice tests online. If you struggle with essay writing, you’ll find this GRE prep book very helpful as it includes helpful tips and prompts to improve your GRE essay writing.

Latest additions to this GRE prep book include test-taking tips and advice from experts and a proposed study schedule. These are aimed at helping you be well prepared for the test day.

3. The Princeton Review GRE Prep

The latest revised version of the Princeton Review GRE Prep includes 4 full-length practice tests and an expansive vocabulary list. In addition you also get access to additional online practice test questions. Filled with tips on how to pace yourself and how to improve your score, this is considered one of the best GRE prep materials available. Each exam is followed by a detailed review of each section, which is incredibly useful.

As a bonus, you’ll also receive $100 toward an online GRE course presented by the Princeton Review.

4. Manhattan Prep’s 5 Lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

When it comes to the complete GRE student material, Manhattan Prep’s 5 Lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems is as close as it gets. This has been a best-selling prep book for several years in a row. The book is set in such a way that the questions become increasingly more difficult as you go along. This allows you to assess your skill level and identify your weakness. Most question types are covered including math and verbal practice questions. A detailed explanation and analysis follows each question.

In addition the book comes bundled with several online resources including an archive of challenging GRE questions, and an extensive GRE practice question bank.

5. Test Prep Books GRE Prep

Test Prep Book GRE Prep is designed to be a comprehensive guide to the GRE exam. It provides an overview of the exam with useful strategies on how to prepare for the GRE and how to overcome test anxiety. This guide also provides tips on creating a study plan, which can be very useful for students who struggle with this aspect.

Detailed answer explanations are provided for each practice question in the Test Prep Book GRE Prep. This GRE study book is one of the bests for students looking to improve their overall score.

Free Online GRE Study Material

The above GRE prep books can be very useful when you’re preparing for this test but they are not mandatory. If you cannot afford to buy study materials, you can prepare using free online GRE study material. These online resources are some of the top-rated.

1. Manhattan GRE Practice Test

A reliable source of GRE information, the Manhattan GRE Practice Test allows you to take a full-length practice test for free. The test is written by experts and comes with explanations.

2. Magoosh GRE Prep App

The Magoosh GRE Prep App allows you to access all GRE-related material including video lessons and study guides from your phone. This makes it easy to study on the go. You can also check out sample GRE practice questions using this free GRE study app.

3. Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Flashcards

Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Flashcards are designed to help students who struggle with the exam’s Verbal section. The free flashcards include more than 1000 of the more important GRE vocabulary words.

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