Saturday, July 28, 2012

Conquer the GRE General Exam

How to Study Effectively for the GRE General Test

Taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is a quintessential part of the graduate school application process. The GRE General Tests measures skills in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking and analytical writing skills.

Some graduate programs require both the GRE General and Subjects tests, such as the GRE Psychology, which assess the specialized academic knowledge that you've learned through your studies in college. Be sure to check the individual requirements for each graduate program that you apply to. To not have required GRE scores is pretty much on par with application-to-grad-school suicide.

Studying for the GRE is a rite of passage that every prospective graduate student must endure. But some students have no idea where to start. What are the best GRE review guides to follow to brush up on basic skills that grad programs are looking for?

1. ETS GRE: Practicing To Take the GRE General Test (10th edition)

This book is actually published by the Educational Testing Service, the institution that administers the GRE General Test. One might think that this guide would offer the best advice for GRE preparation, but read on....

2. Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE 2010 Edition

Surprisingly, this review guide actually gets slightly better customer ratings than the ETS version. Apparently, it includes tons of practice questions in the book, exclusive free access to 2 practice tests, and expert advice online.

3. Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary in a Box

These targeted products come in handy if you already know where your weaknesses lie, and say, for example, that you know that you need to brush up on vocabulary. There are over 500 handy flashcards that you can use to review GRE vocabulary. There is also a GRE Exam Vocabulary Workbook if you prefer that format over flashcards.

4. Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook

Similar to the Vocabulary in a Box, this workbook is a great idea if you already know that math is your weakness. There's lots of review of core math concepts, detailed answer explanations, and strategies to solving different types of math problems. Basically, this guide will cover everything that you may have forgotten since your last college-level mathematics course.

BONUS for those who are interested in interactive GRE software:

5. Barron's GRE with CD-ROM

Barron includes a full-length book that has two full-length practice exams with all questions answered and explained. As a bonus, it also includes two full-length computer-adaptive tests on the CD-ROM. Why is this a good idea? The GRE General exam is almost always administered via computer. What better way to study than using the actual computerized format that you will face during actual GRE test administration?

Decide how you study best - and then pick the GRE preparation book that works best for you and your particular goals.

3 comments:

  1. All information is very clearly step by step. very nice post. I really gating lot of idea how to peeper GRE TEST. I am graduate and i want admission in Top Universities in USA for MS. Thanks for sharing this blog.

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  2. Those are the important essential guides initiated with all those due respect and meanings which must have been followed by individuals. online project help

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