Best graduate test guides according to redditors
We found 307 Reddit comments discussing the best graduate test guides. We ranked the 97 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 307 Reddit comments discussing the best graduate test guides. We ranked the 97 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
>I didn't say they wouldn't have to work hard or take advantage of other opportunities (Kahn academy, online tutoring, supplementary materials), but you implying that they can't under any circumstances achieve an education?
This sounds dangerously like bootstrap nonsense. Yeah, sure, an inner city kid can get a good education by going to their run-down public library and watching 4 hours of Kahn academy videos a day. Without any academic support system. Without a reinforcing social environment. Without a stress-free suburban lifestyle. (You'd be surprised how easy it is to study when you don't have to worry where your next meal is coming from.)
I'm a college student. My family is pretty well off. I consider myself ridiculously privileged compared to a less well-off peer:
Far from an exhaustive list. And that's just the privilege of being upper middle compared to regular middle class. Think about what you're saying.
Just took the test on Saturday and got 170V/168Q. Let me tell you a few things about prep:
1)DO NOT waste your time or money with Kaplan/Princeton/Barron's etc.. they are inadequate and full of distracting typos.
2)Do use Magoosh.com and/or the Manhattan course. They both come with top-notch instruction and lots of practice tests/questions. I actually used both. For even more practice questions (which you probably won't have time for at this point) check out the 5 lb book of questions.
3) Definitely memorize every word on the free Magoosh vocab flashcards. Knowing these words saved my verbal score.
4) For the love of all that is holy please use the official GRE book that is put out by ETS.
5) Do not ignore the essay. It requires a very specific type of writing. Even if you are a "good" writer you will be disappointed in your score unless you write the way they want you to. What you may not know is that every essay is graded by one computer reader and one human reader. For $13 you can actually have 2 essays graded by the exact algorithm the computer reader uses and you'll get an idea of where you stand.
> Well, I just saw this post and want to clear up a few things
Here is the original thread she is referring to. The suspicions/concerns raised there definitely have merit.
>not only did I teach the Binary Solution course at Columbia Law School (and subsequently at the College)
True, based on this article from Columbia's student paper in 1997: [LSAT Course Proves Helpful]
(http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19970528-01.2.18#)
> I was invited by the then-Dean of Minority Admissions (Dean V Amory) to provide the course at the law school after she saw the videos of my games algorithm
True, based on this flyer from CUNY:
> (a section I cracked long before most of today's companies existed).
??? Just makes you sound arrogant ??? A lot of companies have been around just as long as yours...
> Furthermore, BinSol is, and remains the ONLY complete and general solution for the LSAT, and has the only Casebook that completely explains the LSAT in one volume because it is a true Casebook (not just a collection of past LSAT questions). A Casebook contains a collection of typical and boundary cases organized along the lines of a theory of classification.
This sounds like gibberish. And Mike Kim would like to have a word with you about your book being the only book/course available that covers the entire LSAT in one volume (and his book is sitting at 4.5/5 stars on Amazon with over 160 reviews).
> I could go on in detail, but it's best to just see the best course at one of our free previews at NYU (next one is in Feb 13-14, RSVP here www.binarysolution.com) as for this thread it's clearly the product of competitors, and predictably culminates in a link to another prep course.
You market your course here and in the same sentence attack other people for doing the same?
> Our small, smart course has dealt with attacks since it's inception-- and for good reason -- it's still the simplest, most powerful solution to the LSAT, and reduces each question on the LSAT to a single, bright line, either-or adjudication. And we don't require that you identify the question either - because the method is based on a semantic deconstruction - so you learn to solve as you read. Which makes the approach more natural and Rapid than any other.
More gibberish. With no evidence. WTF is "bright line"? Why is it more natural? How is it more rapid?
> So get the facts first- hand of you are reading this, and when you read something about us make sure to cross-check (eg, read the filtered reviews on Yelp), cause test prep is big business, and companies are known to post in the blogosphere . Good luck !
You know sometimes people write bad reviews...a method won't work for everyone.
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After reading this post and reviewing Binary Solutions' website, everything about you and your company just feels off. Your writing would make me extremely wary of taking your course and of any claims you make.
My recommendations:
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All in all, this post/situation is just strange.
You don't need to really understand the "underlying physics" to do well on the PGRE. The way to get a good score is to learn a few key facts and what sort of problem to apply them to by rote. Memorize the number 1.22 because it shows up in the Rayleigh criterion. Don't bother recalling that it's the zero of some Bessel function. Cram. Memorize. This is the sort of exam where writing speed can be a huge factor. It's a big, dumb ritual that everyone has to go through that teaches you nothing.
If you buy a PGRE practice book that comes with practice exams they'll likely be similar to the real thing. I can recommend this. A week of cramming from that increased my score dramatically.
What's up dude. Took the LSAT in June. Went from a cold diagnostic of 154 to a 167. (Retaking in Sept for a 170+). Books I used/recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539064&sr=8-1&keywords=lsat+trainer
https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-Logic-Games-Powerscore-Preparation/dp/0988758660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539126&sr=8-1&keywords=powerscore+logic+game+bible
https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Bible/dp/0991299221/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539163&sr=8-1&keywords=powerscore+logic+reasoning+bible
Books I used but don't recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Reading-Comprehension-Bible/dp/099129923X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539188&sr=8-1&keywords=powerscore+reading+comprehension
Get your practice tests here (seriously, do 20+ under timed conditions while filling out LSAT bubble sheets):
https://www.amazon.com/10-Actual-Official-LSAT-PrepTests/dp/0986045519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539233&sr=8-1&keywords=10+lsat+preptests
https://www.amazon.com/Actual-Official-PrepTests-Comparative-Reading/dp/0984636005/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1469539233&sr=8-3&keywords=10+lsat+preptests
Also, use https://7sage.com/
Sign up for a free account, and use their logic game explanations. They also have analytics that will track your progress and spit out analysis concerning where your weak areas are.
Good luck!
The first time I took the GRE practice test, I got a 148V/152Q. I am a math major, and honestly, I was not well equipped for the type of questions given on the test. I studied (for only two-three weeks) and ended up getting a 153V/166Q. I used this book to practice/prepare for the quantitative section (it is the one written by the test takers).
You still have time to take the exam and schools will likely only look at the best overall score you sent them. Sign up to take it exactly 21 days from when you originally took it, and have the scores prepared to be sent to all of the schools you are applying to. Buy the book I linked and take a full quantitative practice test. Figure out what type of questions you missed and where were you overconfident, and study that content and do more practice questions.
Finally, don't say stuff like this:
>This all makes me feel like I shouldn’t have even bothered majoring in engineering and giving my life to my department, because ETS has decided that my buck stops here.
I promise you that thinking like this will keep you from being successful and achieving your goals. You will have much worse failures in the future (as does everyone in academia) and it is important to learn from things like this. Don't question your worth just because of one occurrence where you didn't meet your own expectations.
Good luck!
The OG prep books from GMAC themselves is going to be your best bang per buck.
Get the main book done directly by ETS. Imo, it's the best one and has the most realistic questions.
http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Test/dp/007179123X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462402098&sr=8-2&keywords=ets+gre+prep+2016
I took my test in 2014, so you might want to double check that there isn't a newer edition (any edition should be fine, though, really).
Also, if you are just starting to study, I would recommend paying for full access on Magoosh. I think they are very good for the money and would be better than taking a class. It's all online, so you can study comfortably on your own time. Good luck!
Take it twice if you can afford to do so. The test is brutal and you will want as much preparation as possible. Get a copy of Conquering the physics GRE and take practice tests under test conditions. /r/physicsgre is low traffic but has some very good resources.
To get an idea of the resources you'll need, I suggest that you take an official practice test. It may be the case that you're already scoring above your target scores, in which case you may not need to prepare at all :-).
Resources-wise, be sure to get ETS's Official Guide for GRE. For extra practice questions, ETS (the test maker) has a quant-only book and a verbal-only book, each with 200 questions.
As far as instructional resources go, the one that's best for you will be the one that best suits your learning style.
Finally, it's a good idea to have some kind of Study Plan. We have a one here if you're interested.
Cheers,
Brent
I think that the content of this post, especially for someone looking at Physics PhD programs, is spot-on. Focusing on grades now and getting into research ASAP are basically the two things you should do in the short term.
/u/luxuryy__yachtt is completely right, chronologically speaking, to leave the Physics GRE (or pGRE, as it is unaffectionately known) to the end. However, I want to emphasize just how important that test can be to your graduate hopes. It alone will not open any doors to you, but a poor performance on the pGRE can definitely close doors in a hurry. More leeway here is given to students from top undergraduate programs (think Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, MIT), while students from lesser-known programs have more to prove with their pGRE score, but do not take it lightly either way. I have friends from [insert elite, private university] who didn't take the test seriously, ended up doing poorly, and ended up being effectively locked out of the top 10 or top 20 for PhD programs.
Some (very top) programs seem to use pGRE scores as a hard cutoff and – at the very least – will look very critically at the rest of your application if your score is subpar, which is really unfortunate. The test is pretty dumb and effectively tests your ability to answer a bunch of questions about freshman-level physics really, really quickly, but scoring well (e.g. above 80th percentile, which is an 860) can be the difference in your application. For that reason, it is worth taking the time to ensure that you do well on it.
Now that I have hopefully scared you into caring about this exam, let me give you a quick DO's and DON'Ts in bullet format:
TL;DR Follow /u/luxuryy__yachtt's advice. Just remember that the Physics GRE is a test that exists, will be very important to your grad school admissions, and will be something that you need to prepare for if you want to get into a top tier program. The details of the exam can get ironed out later; for now, just do your best to master the material in your classes and get involved in research.
5lb Manhattan book helped me immensely for the quantitative section. The ETS quantitative reasoning book is also a great resource.
Lastly, use Magoosh if you enjoy studying on the computer. The software Magoosh provides is well worth the money. The ETS website also has a bunch of mock-tests you can take too, so make sure you take those as well.
Good luck!
I would definitely recommend to start with this collection: GMAT Official Guide (OG) 2020
- Take the evaluation test in the beginning and review some of the basic materials/subjects. This should refresh the base knowledge you need to know as well as give you a feel for how the test is structured. Then, take a free practice test online (official gmat one). See how you do and proceed from there.
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From the above, you should be able to get an idea of how well you can perform now and what gaps you may need to fill to get your desired score.
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For more focused review on subjects/improving on weaknesses, I would suggest: https://www.amazon.com/GMAT-Manhattan-Prep-Strategy-Guides/dp/1506219705/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=manhattan+gmat+prep&qid=1574377630&s=books&sr=1-1
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For adv quant, many people on this subreddit have recommended TTP: https://gmat.targettestprep.com/
Real, Official ETS GRE materials are are totally missing from your list.
ETS GRE materials are the best materials to practice with--especially for the Verbal section, where imitation questions can differ significantly from the real exam.
Below is an exhaustive list of all the official GRE preparation materials from ETS currently available:
If you add up all the unique questions in these official resources, it totals about 1,600 official questions, which for many students is more than sufficient for a full GRE preparation. However, many students need more learning, strategy and practice than the official materials can provide. With that in mind, here are some additional 3rd-party GRE strategy and learning guides that we can recommend:
You might also want to consider purchasing the Manhattan Prep GRE CATs, which do not include real GRE questions, but are still (mostly) realistic and make for good practice if you need more than four CATs. The first exam is free, and you can buy six more for $39.
We do NOT recommend Kaplan or Princeton Review books, which are decent for mid-level scorers, but too simplistic for the student who aspires to high GRE scores.
Bonus: Don't forget about the GRE Big Book, which is now outdated, but has 27 old GRE tests, which are still useful, especially for Quant, despite subsequent changes to the GRE test format.
Source: Vince and Brian's (Free) GRE PowerPrep Explanations
When I took the GRE, I had the same study philosophy, and it hurt me a bit. There's a bunch of very simple math that I blanked on because I hadn't even seen it since Freshman year. The complex math is actually going to be a bit easier for you since you've been using it more recently as an Engineering student. Geometry and Trigonometry were the bits that got me.
For studying, just get a test prep book. They're about $20, and have everything centralized. The official guide is what I used, but just about every other guide covers the same material.
Just going to play devil's advocate here. I've never bought any tutoring from Brian. The only experience I have with Brian is reading his comments/posts on the GRE subreddit, reading his GRE tutorial, and his GRE Vocab Book. Although his vocabulary book is hot garbage, his GRE comments are generally insightful and his free GRE tutorial is actually spot on. I've been following this community for about a year and his recommendations are usually pretty good. Not as good as gregmat but no one can really live up to the enigma that is GregMat.
Looking through your purported "evidence" I don't see any foul play here. It is at minimum true that Brian has tutored for 15 years, I don't think that anyone was under the preconceived notion that Brian has been tutoring the LSAT specifically for that amount of time.
Further, I've done practice material from the LSAT, the GRE, and the GMAT and I've got to say that there is a lot of transfer between tests. I'm reasonably certain with minimal effort that I could score decently high on the GMAT or LSAT as I have on the GRE. Even if Brian has less experience with the LSAT, his knowledge is still very valuable for the LSAT because many of these strategies/techniques are transferable between tests.
If you wanted to bash the way Brian incessantly avers his Harvard degree and his absurd tutoring prices, then I think the whole community would get behind that (Why most GRE prep material suck). But I cannot stand by and see a man's clear talent for standardized tests be the object of reproach in this way.
I hear this is pretty good, but I haven't personally used it: https://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Encyclopedia-Disrespecting/dp/1479391271/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Oh man. Every time this question comes up my answer is the same: buy the official ETS book. Forget every other material, because they're much too easy. You can take two electronic practice tests on the GRE website that are also included with a CD in it (the CD has two additional electronic tests), but the paper practice tests are still useful for identifying where you mess up. You'll notice a pattern of which types of questions you miss, and they include the solution work in the back of the book.
Go to B&N, Borders, or whatever bookstore and buy this: http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Edition/dp/007179123X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374844912&sr=8-2&keywords=GRE
To get an idea of the resources you'll need, I suggest that you take an official practice test. It may be the case that you're already scoring above your target score, in which case you may not need to prepare at all :-).
Resources-wise, be sure to get GMAC's Official Guide for the GMAT. For extra practice questions, the test maker has a quant-only book and a verbal-only book, each with 300 questions.
Regarding strategy, to achieve a solid GMAT score, you must:
Many students make the mistake of limiting their preparation to item #1 and perhaps item #2. So, once they fully grasp a concept and successfully answer 1 or 2 related questions, they move on to the next topic.
The problem with this strategy is that the test-makers can take ANY concept, no matter how simple, and create dozens of wildly different questions, each requiring a different approach. Take, for example, the relatively simple concept of averages (arithmetic mean). The test-makers can take this concept and create super simple questions like this and they can create super hard questions like this, both of which test the same concept. So, to achieve a great score, you must answer A LOT of practice questions specifically-related to each concept tested on the GMAT.
To find tons practice questions related to a certain concept, you can use the question-tagging tools at GMAT Club or Beat The GMAT. Alternatively, our GMAT course is arranged so that students can fully explore a certain concept. For example, at the bottom of the video lesson page for inequalities, you’ll find links to dozens of practice questions that test the specific concepts covered in that video. This format lets you fully explore the ins and outs of each concept.
Finally, your study plan should include several full-length practice tests. Keep in mind that the GMAT is a test of your math and verbal skills AND it's a test of your test-taking skills. So, 700-level math/verbal skills, combined with 600-level test-taking skills, will likely result in a score that's closer to 600 than to 700.
Yes, I took it on July 5th. I used this book for practice tests mostly the week before the GRE. Every day I used this 5 lb. book of practice problems to go over math concepts I needed extra work on and these flashcards for vocab. It seems a little overkill in retrospect, but I was damn determined not to take it twice. All of these helped me enormously, probably about equally. By combining them I was able to raise my scores about 25 percentile points each between my diagnostic test to actual test day.
Best of luck! Just study hard and keep your cool and you'll do just fine.
The LR sections are standardized by exam, not by section. You should be getting roughly the same (or hopefully decreasing as you get better) TOTAL LR questions wrong from one diagnostic to another.
If you want to get to 163+ in six weeks, you're going to have to commit a LOT of time. You basically want to drill every section.
I personally like Nathan Fox's book (http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Encyclopedia-Disrespecting/dp/1479391271#) for LR. Go through the entire book and read the explanations/redo the questions until you understand them. Print up a bunch of copies of logic games and redo them using whatever solving method you like (there are a ton out there) or buy powerscore or something. Same with reading comp.
Reevaluate where you are after a few weeks - some people can rise quickly, but if you need to wait until December don't feel bad about it.
Much to my disappointment, I need these because I have to apply for grad school in the fall. My yoga therapy book is a dollar over (not including shipping), so yeah, this is it. FML.
Goodbye Eleven. Are you trying to make me cry?
Get the official book. It shows you exactly what to expect on the test and has sample tests to practice with.
Then get a third party book, like Princeton Review or Kaplan. They give you the non-BS lowdown on the different types of questions to expect.
A friend who teaches test prep classes gave me that advice when I took the test 2 years ago and it served me well. I aced the math, but the English was a little tougher. Like musicnerd1023 said, it's mostly vocabulary words, and it's impossible to know which words will come up. There were a few words that I had never even heard before.
The math was pretty much middle school difficulty, but you have to be fast. The tricks given in the books were very helpful in showing you how to eliminate wrong choices quickly to narrow down the possible answers.
However, I don't know how much the test has changed this year. You may be screwed. ;)
These are the GRE books I'm using:
[Prep book from ETS, the test writers] (http://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Test/dp/007179123X?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00)
[Kaplan Prep book] (http://www.amazon.com/GRE-Premier-2016-Practice-Tests/dp/1625231326/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464258601&sr=1-1&keywords=kaplan+gre)
[Big book of practice problems] (http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Problems-Manhattan-Strategy-Guides/dp/1941234518?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)
ETS PowerPrep II, which is software that includes 2 practice tests with standard testing conditions.
If anyone has other suggestions, please share.
I'm a professional in-person and online GRE (among other things) tutor. It's best to use a recent book, especially since they are typically close in price to older editions. Depending on where you're starting your prep at (take a practice test first), and what score you're aiming for, usually 2-3 months is a great amount of time to prep.
I recommend and use this book with my students - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1259862410
And these flashcards -
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1618656198
Much of the logic required for the test is shared among sections, so studying for one helps the others. Also, each section tends to require a slow progression because you are basically changing how you think, so a lot of people recommend intertwining the three to some extent.
Logic games are usually the quickest to improve on, so a lot of people start with more of a focus there. This allows you to shape your mind to LSAT faster and can help with the other sections. It also gives you a sense of progress and accomplishment.
Reading comprehension and logical reasoning are basically how well you pay attention to what you read and how you logically connect the provided information, so how fast and to what extent you pick those sections up depends on how well you build those skills. Sometimes that takes days to see drastic improvement (I had a student go from the mid-teens to the mid-twenties on RC in a day because he changed to a more effective approach), but often it takes months (usually because one is just practicing instead of changing what he or she is doing wrong).
First, I recommend that you take a practice test. You can access June 2007 for free. This will help you to determine what needs the most work. You will eventually want to buy at least some of the official preptests (all are good, but newer is more relevant and therefore more important):
Then, I suggest working with a set of prep books or online lessons. A lot of people like 7Sage, the LSAT Trainer, and PowerScore, but there are other options as well.
Three pieces of advice:
1.) Don't blow through all of your practice tests - even though there are 77 of them - a lot of people who start early tend to run out. That leads to:
2.) Don't take a lot of practice tests early. Your job is not to practice your current (bad) habits; instead, it is to identify what aspects of your approach you are doing wrong and make a conscious effort to fix them. You will get much more out of slow, untimed, exhaustive, reflective study than out of plowing through lots of practice tests expecting something to change. If you are not improving yourself, do not just continue to take practice tests - instead:
3.) Don't be afraid to look into a tutor. An experienced one can usually diagnose issues and sometimes that is more efficient and effective than working through it on your own, especially when you are stuck and struggling to improve. That can be expensive sometimes, but it can also be the reason why you get into your target school and/or the reason why you get a scholarship (my prep, many years ago, paid for itself many times over).
Good luck!
Here's the link!
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/PowerScore-LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Bible/dp/0991299221&ved=2ahUKEwj-n_SEu7LjAhVGOs0KHZCDCRcQFjAAegQIBRAC&usg=AOvVaw2JF31-X_neHa275CnhxhZt
I am going to get more physically fit while also getting back in touch with nature and myself. [I currently don't do anything physical and I'm way too stressed out for my liking].
I'm going to use my new bike (!!!!!!!!!!!) that the incredible Jason purchased for me recently to ride to work every day it is warm outside. This will also force me to get up earlier and really take time to myself. I will time myself and journal how I feel at the beginning and end of the month and a half of biking. It's going to rock.
/u/ChiefMcClane /u/mewfasa /u/chronos42 - you're already my real life cheerleaders but I know you will kick my ass to keep going!
This is not going to get my body fit, but it will help me shape my mind and in turn my future.
I don't use Amazon music.
Can't wait!!
For 160+ targets, 1000 is a bit low. I recommend https://quizlet.com/SherpaPrep and https://smile.amazon.com/GRE-Vocab-Capacity-Powerful-Mnemonics/dp/1477650555/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510028747&sr=8-1&keywords=gre+mnemonic.
I think what's best is probably to start out doing them by game type until you can go about -1 average on each game in about the target time.
Look into getting something like this: (it not only has them by type but it's hard to fidn those PTs anyways, so might as well use them for drilling)
https://www.amazon.com/Real-LSATs-Grouped-Question-Type/dp/1937707369/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466898472&sr=8-2&keywords=manhattan+lsat+by+question+type
It's 10 tests worth of PTs but split up by type for LG and LR (R is just broken into individual sections, not even individual passages). For instance it's broken into like basic ordering practice set 1, which is like 4 games, say game 2 of PT 43, game 1 of PT 48, etc, and basic ordering practice set 2, which is like 4 other games.
Here's what I'd recommend:
First, photo copy at least 5 copies of each game so you can redo it multiple times. Or else write the answers on a separate paper and don't do any work or cross anything out on the real sheet.
If your issues are due to not knowing good ways to diagram the games rather than just going slow, do the first half of each type one game at a time and review how to do it by watching the 7sage videos even if you got them all right unless you absolutely crushed it.
If your issues are just because you go slow, or for the second half of each type, you can do the second half of each type all in a row and then review all 4 or so games all in one go by watching them on 7sage.
Then the next day, redo every game that either took you too long or you got one wrong. And if any of them took too long again or you got any wrong again (probably most of the games still did), watch the 7sage video again.
Then the next day move on to the next type, like basic grouping or whatever. Do the same thing that I said above for the first type of doing them, reviewing them etc. Except also add in some of the ones you still get wrong from the first type.
Then the next day do more review of the second type and any of the first type you still get wrong.
Keep doing this until you get through all the types in the book and are comfortably getting no more than about 1 wrong per game in about the target time listed on 7sage.
Eventually you'll kind of remember how to do each game, but that's fine because you'll also learn to recognize patterns of rules that always come up. You'll get comfortable with the basics of each type because you'll have done so many of one type in a row rather than bouncing back and forth between types and not solidifying in your mind how to do them as well.
Then you should move onto full practice tests. No sense doing a ton of practice tests when you are making too many rookie mistakes.
(also you might as well go by question type for learning how to do LR since you have them split up in the Manhattan book anyways)
Looking for unis myself. As for GRE, I picked up the Barrons for Maths basics first despite what my friends said because I liked it. Then did some math from Kaplan. After that spent most of my practice time on questions from the Manhattan 5 pound book. As for words I used quizlet to mug words on pc. Felt it was much more effective than any other app. Especially the test generation and space race feature. Finally for the writing section I used tips from Kaplan and Barrons on the general grammar to be used while making points. I wrote about 5-10 essays for practice I guess. Asked a friend good with English to help review my essays and suggest where improvement could be done.
Anyway, ended up getting 327(V:160,Q:167) and 4 on the AWA.
Edit : Forgot to add one test series which I had used. The Kaplan book came with a free online account which I used extensively. While the maths seemed to be easier than the actual questions I encountered at GRE, I'd still call it a good source for practicing. There are several Kaplan books available so rem. to get one with an online account if you do. http://www.amazon.in/Kaplan-Premier-2014-Practice-Tests/dp/1609789369/ref=pd_cp_b_3 < This one.
I agree with many other replies that you would need a B.S. in something more closely related to physics (math, chemistry, engineering, etc) if that's really what you want to do.
Note that it would be very difficult to find any program that would consider accepting you with a business degree. If you really think you want to give it a try, it's never too late to go back to school, but know that if you take physics seriously (as one of the other posters stated) it'll be at least 10 years of school. Source: I just defended my Ph.D. and have been in college for 12 years...I am not unique.
If you really want to give grad applications a try, note that you'll need the general GRE ($205), then the physics subject GRE ($150). Take a gander at this book for some physics subject test preparation. Note that to apply, there will also be application fees (generally ~$25-75), transcript fees (generally free-$25), and you'll have to find people that can write very strong letters of recommendation for you.
TL;DR: If you really want to pursue graduate physics, get a B.S. in physics first (and plan to dedicate at least the next decade exclusively to your studies).
ETS, the makers of the GRE, publish their own guide but you will need many more practice questions that it can provide.
On the other hand, I've done what you are starting out to do and started with Khan Academy to get a place to start and then found materials elsewhere in accordance with my results from there.
GMAT Official Guide 2020 Bundle: 3 Books + Online Question Bank https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119576156/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_h9MmDbQKGPAG1
Get this book-
Conquering the Physics GRE https://www.amazon.com/dp/1479274631/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PyADDbZYF289R
Practice all the exercises and skim through the text. I started with my Physics GRE prep two weeks before the test and scored full. This book helped a lot I think. All the best!
If you’re super short on cash this is great. Add manhattan on scribd.com for $10/month and OG 2020 for $50 if you can. For $80 you can self prep hard.
I would get GMATclub.com’s tests too just because they have such useful error tracking, although you can get around that if your willing to put the time in on an excel spreadsheet. Gmatclub’s explanations of answers includes everything on that free Chinese site.
Top tip: track and attack your errors. Good luck.
They're the company that makes the GRE and a bunch of other tests. If you go to barnes and noble at the GRE section you can find this book https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-General-Test-Third/dp/1259862410/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495162326&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ets+gre which was the one I was referencing!
Whoa. Certainly, many students perform worse on the real thing than on their practices. That's to be expected. But your quant scores were higher than your verbal, then all of a sudden your verbal was better? What happened? It's impressive that your verbal was so good, but that quant score is far below your practices.
Luckily, quant is fairly straightforward to improve. Clearly, there are concepts you don't know, and you have to learn them. Go back to that ETS material. The official guide and the quant book have plenty of practice problems. Which ones did you get wrong? Are there any concepts that are a little fuzzy?
Anything that's a little fuzzy will likely not be very helpful under the stressful conditions of test day. So you have to be really solid on all the fundamentals. Go back to the official material and see which problems give you a bit of trouble. Then re-learn those concepts.
I definitely think you can hit those scores though. Take your studying seriously and be intentional about what you are learning and practicing. Keep an error log and review the material in it every day. Bit by bit you'll build your knowledge base and should definitely get to where you need to be.
Let me know if you have any more specific questions or concerns. You got this!
-Magoosh Student Help
I would try The LSAT Trainer--it's surprisingly inexpensive as it thoroughly covers every section, and covers them well. I used it as a resource after I'd been through all the Powerscore Bibles and it helped me evaluate the habits I'd picked up and form new, more efficient habits. The book is very practical for someone who already has an understanding of the test. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/The-LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-driven/dp/0989081508
When I said "51 onward" I was referring to PrepTest 51 and onward. PrepTest, commonly abbreviated as PT are previously administered LSATs. Every LSAT is released as such, except for those pertaining to the February administration. The most recent PrepTest is number 77, which corresponds to the LSAT that was administered in December of 2015. Each PrepTest contains the four officially scored sections of the LSAT plus the writing sample question, it however does not include the experimental section as this would compromise future LSATs. When you purchase the LSAT PrepTest volumes, you do not receive explanations, only an answer key and percentile conversion chart to each exam. However, the LSAC has released a book called SuperPrep II which includes 3 PrepTests, of which is there not only an answer key, but official explanations to each and every question, explaining why the right answer to each is the, well right answer. Although the LSAC does not have an explanation for all of their PrepTests published, there are many forums, websites and even published books which will do so for you. For example, The Princeton Review will be shortly releasing "LSAT Decoded" which will explain all of the answers in corresponding LSATs(PrepTests) I listed the following books that I purchased and recommend. Go to your local bookstore and read a couple pages of the Prep Company's book and see if their method of teaching works for you, if not, find another. Lastly, I would like to say that it is of absolutely no trouble for myself, I am more than happy to help, and thus I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour! :D
I posted the links to the books I bought and have been enjoying, please take caution before purchasing it from these links, as I posted the Amazon Canadian links as I live in Canada. Anyway, I believe either the Kaplan Premier 2016-2017 or LSAT trainer are an absolute must, although you could get away with not getting a prep company strategy set, I strongly encourage getting at the very least a comprehensive all in one. Any more questions or concerns about anything related to the LSAT please feel free to send me a message/reply.
http://www.amazon.ca/10-Actual-Official-LSAT-PrepTests/dp/0986045519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457253768&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=LSAT
http://www.amazon.ca/Official-LSAT-SuperPrep-II-Champion/dp/0990718689/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457253768&amp;sr=8-10&amp;keywords=LSAT
http://www.amazon.ca/Actual-Official-PrepTests-Comparative-Reading/dp/0984636005/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457253768&amp;sr=8-9&amp;keywords=LSAT
http://www.amazon.ca/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1457253799&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=LSAT
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1937707784?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1937707776?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0990718697?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0986045543?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0986086231?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
Yeah, I'm SO happy with the result! No lie I cried a little at the end when it spat out my score and I'm sure it was embarrassing for the lady who helped me check out afterward.
I can't recommend Official Guide to the GRE enough. It's really good at teaching you all the math you need, but I think this ETS math review pdf is the same as in the book? Anyways the good thing about the book is it has two full length, official practice tests that are a similar difficulty as the real test and loads of practice questions. I did every question in here and read the math review like three times.
ETS has two more free official practice tests, same thing as the ones that come with the CD in the book. I did both of these too and half of the Manhattan Prep free practice test to practice quant.
For more practice questions I used the Manhattan GRE and Ready4GRE phone apps. They give you some free and you can pay if you want more. The Ready4 questions felt like good practice to me and the Manhattan ones were a little harder than the ones in the ETS book.
All my friends recommended signing up for Magoosh. I didn't because it is pricey, but sometimes people sell their accounts if they still have time on their subscriptions so check GRE facebook groups or /r/GRE. They have some free things: some video lessons and practice problems, and explanations of problems from the ETS practice tests/practice books. I heard the Princeton Review and Kaplan practice tests and questions are too easy compared to the real thing, but the Manhattan Prep 5lb Book of Practice Problems, official ETS extra quant book and extra verbal book, and Manhattan Prep study guide set are all supposed to be good.
This is my second time taking it. I def did not prep enough for the first one! This time I did a full practice test first for a baseline, wrote down topics I was bad at, read the math review, did the exercises from the book, and did all the practice problems from the book. Then I took another practice test, started doing questions from 3rd parties, and spaced out the rest of the practice tests.
For the writing I read a lot of sample essays that scored a 6 or 5 and made outlines for different essay prompts. I was too lazy to write even one full practice essay though so I might have bombed that part, ahaha. I spent about a month studying and $20 on the ETS official guide.
TBH I might be taking the GMAT now so maybe I'll join you guys. Good luck studying! :)
Hey u/wowmuchinfo, don't worry too much about previous knowledge of the law! The LSAT is a test of analytical, reading, and logic skills. There's tons of helpful information in this sub's sidebar, including this Intro to the LSAT,
What system of studying makes most sense will depend on what your style of learning is. Given that the test is now administered on a digital tablet, I would recommend some kind of online study course (I used 7sage and personally loved it, but other programs out there include the LSAT demon, and some others discussed on this past post). There are also free prep tests and resources from LSAC and Khan Academy. And I've seen great things about tutors posted in the sub, there's this (fairly old) directory, plus some searches could probably steer you towards someone.
I didn't buy any books, so truly ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, but I've seen people here rave about loophole, the powerscore logic games bible, and the LSAT trainer. Lots of posts here recommend buying physical books of prep tests (see below) but I would not do that, as with the switch to the digital format, practicing the test on paper won't set you up as well for the real deal.
Studying for the test is generally broken down into three activities: curriculum (reviewing the test structure and questions), drilling or sections (doing sections of the test, timed or untimed), and prep tests (taking practice tests under timed conditions, followed by review.) Generally, the first thing you'll want to take a diagnostic test to see where you are now. Usually, people use the test from June 2007 as their diagnostic. Here's the PDF, but if you buy any of the programs, a digital tester should be included, and you might want to wait and do that. What you do from there will depend on what program you're focused on. Once you've taken your diagnostic, you might want to visit 7sage's predictor to see what your target score is based on your top school. My last tip: save as many of the most recent tests (i.e. those numbered in the 70s and 80s) for later in your studying. They are likely more similar to what your test will be like.
The LSAT is a sticky wicket, but with time and practice, it's conquerable. Good luck!
I highly suggest The Official Guide to the GRE and using this thread for anymore information you need. However, if you're tight for money look at older editions (the one I hyperlinked is the second edition) or PM me if you're really desperate.
Take some considerations when using/buying the book because MOST OF the information in the ETS book is available on their website. However, your situation says you aren't able to get online often so I can understand the advantage, however I'd like you to be aware of this. I also forgot to mention I've used the Manhattan and Princeton and liked those as well.
You're at a 152, and you want to jump 13 points. You have a little over five months, and two breaks (Thanksgiving and winter/holiday break).
I know literally nothing about you except for what is included in that post, but I'd say you can improve 13 points (from a 152; would be a different story if you were at a 165 trying to improve 13 points to a 178) in five months.
I've gone through most of the legitimate books. From your post, I'm assuming you've only read/are reading the Powerscore books.
I'd recommend:
The LSAT Trainer,
Manhattan LSAT Logical Reasoning, and
The Blueprint for LSAT Logic Games
You said you're looking for vast LR improvement; if you can do that with the Logical Reasoning bible, great! That means you're smarter than I am, because I couldn't do it. MLSAT LR and The LSAT Trainer are significantly better at helping with LR. It's really not even comparable. As regards LG, PS LG is still very solid, relative ordering notwithstanding (I think PS calls it sequencing? the whole tree, with A > G/D etc.). I personally like Blueprint LG a little better, but with hard work, PS LG can definitely get you there.
There is a noticeable difference between MLSAT LR/LSAT Trainer and Powerscore LR.
After reading the books, you need to practice, and get familiar with individual question types/game types. How you want to do that is up to you, but I used the Cambridge LSAT bundle. It divides PTs 1-38 into question types for LR, game types for LG, and passage types for RC, so that you can focus on problem areas and work on proper habits/seeing patterns. It also has PTs 39-68 untouched, so you can just use them as regular tests. If you don't want to buy the whole shebang, I'd recommend you at least get the LR and LG bundles.
tl;dr: 152 to 165 in five months is definitely doable. Get The LSAT Trainer, Manhattan LSAT Logical Reasoning, the Blueprint for Logic Games (optional), and the Cambridge sets.
Here are the links to what I referenced in this post:
http://www.amazon.com/The-LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377229180&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=THE+LSAT+trainer
http://www.amazon.com/The-Blueprint-LSAT-Logic-Games/dp/0984219900/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377229201&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Blueprint+for+LSAT
http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Logical-Reasoning-Strategy-Edition/dp/193570785X/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1377229214&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=Manhattan+LR
http://www.cambridgelsat.com/bundles/ultimate-prep-package/
HTH
If you want to do a bit of work in preparation for a GMAT class, be sure to get GMAC's Official Guide for the GMAT. For extra practice questions, the test maker has a quant-only book and a verbal-only book, each with 300 questions.
As far as instructional resources go, the one that's best for you will be the one that best suits your learning style. We have a free GMAT video course you might want to try.
Finally, it's a good idea to have some kind of Study Plan. We have a one here if you're interested.
Cheers,
Brent
Found this comment:
Just took the test on Saturday and got 170V/168Q. Let me tell you a few things about prep:
1)DO NOT waste your time or money with Kaplan/Princeton/Barron's etc.. they are inadequate and full of distracting typos.
2)Do use Magoosh.com and/or the Manhattan course. They both come with top-notch instruction and lots of practice tests/questions. I actually used both. For even more practice questions (which you probably won't have time for at this point) check out the 5 lb book of questions.
3) Definitely memorize every word on the free Magoosh vocab flashcards. Knowing these words saved my verbal score.
4) For the love of all that is holy please use the official GRE book that is put out by ETS.
5) Do not ignore the essay. It requires a very specific type of writing. Even if you are a "good" writer you will be disappointed in your score unless you write the way they want you to. What you may not know is that every essay is graded by one computer reader and one human reader. For $13 you can actually have 2 essays graded by the exact algorithm the computer reader uses and you'll get an idea of where you stand.
There are plenty of books out there to help you prepare for the general GRE as well as the different subject tests. Here is a good example of one for physics. Most of the "tricks" involve recognizing certain classes of problems and utilizing dimensional analysis and proportionality arguments to identify the correct answer. The exam is multiple choice, which lends itself to a variety of techniques that don't involve a lot of deep physics.
Another piece of advice, if you are planning on applying to grad schools over the next year, then you'd better get moving. The Physics GRE is offered twice a year, in November and in April. You need to have your grad school applications submitted by early March at the latest, which means you need to take the test in November, April will be too late (a couple friends of mine got screwed by this, they didn't sign up to take the test until April, which was too late and the schools they applied to wouldn't consider their application without the GRE score). So make sure you do your research on what you need and when to apply for the various programs you're considering. It would be a shame if you didn't get in to the program you wanted because of administrative issues.
It's 88 cents over the limit, but I thought I'd link it anyways: GRE Prep Flashcards! I'm applying to vet school in the fall, and I'll need all the help I can get on the GRE.
But if you're a stickler on the $15 rule (and you probably should be, shame on me for being greedy), I think these pencils would really help me get back into drawing. Think of all the critters I should be sketching right now!
I wanna tell you that I really like this contest. All of us are crazy about gifting each other, but we gotta remember to TREAT YOSELF and take care of ourselves and our futures, too!
ROI!
Here the LSAT Trainer, by Mike Kim, author of this post.ost.
These are the study materials I ordered:
I have the same question. And I just noticed that Manhattan Prep is coming out with a new edition of their 5lb Book in a few weeks; it's up for preorder on Amazon now, and part of the book's description reads "Manhattan Prep's best-selling 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems has been updated to include an online companion of lessons from Interact® for GRE, our revolutionary interactive, on-demand learning platform." So apparently some of the Interact content will be available to buyers of the new edition of the 5lb Book.
I'm considering holding off a few weeks on buying the 5lb Book and getting this newer edition when it releases, especially because its description says that the new edition includes new timed mixed practice sets. If I do, I'll report back on my experience with the Interact content that's available to me. (I can't imagine that it'll be anything near the full amount of Interact content that Manhattan is charging US$399 for, but maybe there will be enough Interact content included with the 5lb Book to make some reasonable inferences about how worthwhile Interact is generally).
Amazon preorder link for new edition of 5lb Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1506247598/
You will want to see here: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/
Then buy this here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071841814/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1618656236/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1425420047&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kaplan+gre&amp;dpPl=1&amp;dpID=51Y8pzPt93L&amp;ref=plSrch&amp;pi=AC_SY200_QL40
This is the latest version. I used the 2014 version (took the test last year)
The most recently released previous GREs are pretty similar in terms of question subject matter and form to what you'll see this year, so don't take all of those right at the beginning of your studies or you'll be left working through antiquated exams close to your test date.
Other than that piece of advice, I would second the recommendation of "Conquering the Physics GRE". It has both a good amount of very tailored subject matter review and lots of practice problems that are very similar to those found on the most recent GREs.
Thanks for constructive response, is this the book you referenced?
Hey,
Glad to hear you took your first two PTs under timed conditions. As for Prep Books, you might find that something other than Manhattan works well for you. Manhattan was my personal favorite, but don't hesitate to pick up The LSAT Trainer which is one book for all 3 sections or the Powerscore Bibles. The keys to LSAT Guides are their use of authentic LSAT Questions and reliable methods used in approaching these questions. You want to avoid companies like Kaplan, Barron's and Princeton Review because they don't meet this criteria.
Deciding when to take the LSAT is tough. When I said at least 3-months in my original post, I meant that 3 months has to be the absolute minimum amount of time. You might find that it takes you longer and that's okay. When I was prepping for the LSAT I read a lot of first hand accounts from 180 scorers. There was a lot of variation in their prep time. If I recall correctly some 180 scorers put in about ~3-4 months while others put in more than 12. What you don't want to do though is put yourself in an unrealistic timetable. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't know if you should push back your test or not. If you have already registered for the September LSAT see when the last day you can change it to December is. If you haven't registered, see when the final registration deadline is (though if you live in an area where a large number of people are taking the LSAT, waiting this long could present other problems). Your own prep will determine how long it takes and which test date is best for you. I will recommend that, if you get either the Powerscore Series or Manhattan Series, start with the Logic Games book. I have given other people some advice about prep material as well in the first and third posts here
http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Encyclopedia-Disrespecting/dp/1479391271/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1465083245&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=fox+lsat
I found it really useful. I decided law isn't the path for me, but the questions where you have a big text and have to infer what the author is implying or arguing is really useful, and there is a question type on GRE Verbal that is pretty analogous, even if the question stimuli is a little more brief.
The book is a little expensive for what it is, it might be worth looking for at a uni library or public library.
I finished up with my undergrad at UCF about a year and a half ago. I'm using the Official GRE study guide by ETS I'm looking to take the actual test by the end of the year so I'm planning on spending about six months in prep.
GMAT Official Guide 2020 Bundle: 3 Books + Online Question Bank https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119576156/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_y3vuDb421MA7S
GRE books that don't contain official, actual GRE materials are hit or miss. No matter what resources you use to study, make sure that you are always using real, official GRE materials to study in addition to whatever else you use. For example, this and these.
This is awesome! Thanks for serving our country!
I could really use this GRE practice bookEdit: scratch that. I forgot that I will most likely be taking the GREs around the same time this contest is over. So maybe something less practical like this light for gel manicures that I've been dying to try!
I have not used Varsity Tutors, so I am not certain of the difficulty of their questions versus actual GRE questions. However, unless you have already exhausted them, I suggest practicing official GRE questions from the GRE Official Guide. Your accuracy on those questions will give you a better idea of how prepared you are for GRE quant. If you find that you are struggling with official GRE questions, perhaps you may want to seek out a robust study resource to better help learn GRE quant. If you are unsure of which resources to use, you should check out sites such as Crush The GRE or GRE Prep Club.
My goodness, that looks comprehensive! I used this thing which was more expensive than your book, and has poorer reviews on Amazon. Ahh, why did I spend so much!?! I should have bought your book!
How's the studying going? How much have you done, how well did you score, etc? I feel like I'm trying to parent you and I'm afraid I'm being condescending, so please tell me if I'm coming off as rude.
https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Test/dp/007179123X
I used this book when I was studying and felt it was really helpful. I’d supplement with Khan Academy or YouTube videos to fill any gaps you might have.
I could only find it available for purchase on the American amazon website. https://www.amazon.com/Loophole-LSAT-Logical-Reasoning/dp/1732749000/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=loophole+lsat&amp;qid=1567657711&amp;s=gateway&amp;sprefix=loophole+&amp;sr=8-1
What is your budget?
Regardless, first buy the Offical GRE guide and verbal/quant set => https://www.amazon.com/Official-Super-Power-Pack-Test/dp/0071841814
The set will give you a basic intro to the GRE, basic review, and tons of practice problems.
The LSAT Trainer. Great Instructional book for those motivated to study on their own. Website : http://www.thelsattrainer.com/
Book: http://www.amazon.com/The-LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-driven/dp/0989081508
Good Luck!
I used the LSAT Trainer my first go-round, and while I liked its style (and it gets great reviews here and at TLS), I felt like it was just a little too light in terms of instruction. Granted, I wasn't nearly rigorous enough with actually doing the (outside the book) drills prescribed, but I would have preferred to have more questions, exercises etc within the book, and have outside exercises supplement that. My second take I used the Manhattan series which I greatly preferred - a lot more material within the book, and I found its instruction style very helpful especially for LG. I also studied a lot harder for my second take so I'm sure that played into my opinions about the books, but even if my score hadn't increased I still think I'd prefer the Manhattan books.
Edit: I went from 160 to 168 with a year between sittings, but only about two months of consistent studying before the second exam
Sounds like you've exhausted the official electronic resources. :(
https://smile.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Test/dp/007179123X?sa-no-redirect=1
https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-Revised-General-Test/dp/007179123X
Here is a Magoosh blog post about average scores at top institutions.
Magoosh is a great resource, even just for information on the test if you are not interested in their packages. I cannot recommend them enough. I just started with 7Sage for LSAT, one of the highest rated LSAT prep programs available online, and so far my impression is that Magoosh was better overall. Interface, lessons, questions, everything.
Definitely pick up the official ETS prep book found here, and immediately. Burn through the review chapters in a couple sessions, then take both a written and computer based practice test (two of each are available with the ETS book). Now you will know where you currently stand, where you need to be, and how much more prep you will need.
I'm currently using ETS material for all the verbal, but for non-ETS material. I use the 5-lb Book of GRE Practice Problems from Manhattan Prep (https://www.amazon.com/lb-Book-GRE-Practice-Problems/dp/1506247598/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=gre&qid=1559187676&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1).
I got it on sale last December alongside with the GRE vocabulary flashcards.
However, my friend swears by Magoosh. I didn't want to drop $149 when I'm taking the exam in 3 months. I suggest utilizing and exhausting all of the free resource before thinking about buying GRE prep courses.
This is what I finished yesterday:
&#x200B;
https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-GRE-General-Test/dp/1259862410/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TM1WWV0JK4V8ZZKVP4WB
Have you used any of the official ETS material? I'd recommend reading through their math review, hitting the paper-based practice test and the 2nd or 3rd edition guide, followed by the ETS quant practice book. You can't beat several hundred questions straight from the test-makers.
Manhattan 5lb would be a good source of practice once you've completed the other stuff. The 2nd edition guide + quant/verbal practice books all come in a pack on Amazon called "Super Power Pack." If you don't have any of them, I'd overnight it if possible.
Good luck.
When I was prepping last fall I took a free kaplan class online and then got that year's premier book that comes with a computer component. It was really great. There were tons of practice questions with explanations, you could generate specific questions sets (difficulty, type, etc). It really helped me to learn how the test worked (the logic behind what the answers are).
This year's book: http://www.amazon.com/GRE%C2%AE-Premier-2015-Practice-Tests/dp/1618656236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1420411587&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kaplan+gre.
For the GRE, I used the book I was telling you about earlier (just the general GRE prep book that covers every section) but of course you'd want the revised version. I also used GRE vocab cards (these are what I have actually). If you're not very proficient in math I'd highly recommend getting a GRE math practice book.
For the GRE I got this exact set from Kaplan as well as the Princeton Review test prep book.
I didn't think the GRE was nearly as hard as everyone made it out to be. I did pretty well, but I'm an abnormally exceptional tester.
But I agree with pony_hawk, do a practice test before you study so you know your weakness.
Where can I find the (up-to-date) tests? Or is there a book that I can buy that has a bunch of different ones? I'm planning on buying this so I'll have the 4 tests included with that but would like to take more as well.
They changed the GRE a few years ago didn't they? So, I'm sure this is a given but just in case, I'm looking for practice tests that are up-to-date with the new test. Thanks!
Don't waste your time with that crap, unless that is effective for you. For me, whenever I read I gloss over words I don't know or can't pronounce. If you do this at all then reading won't increase your vocabulary.
For me, what worked was creating a mental picture of the definition based on the pronunciation of the word. The more personalized and outrageous the better. That last part on being personalized and crazy is key.
For example, truculent means "eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant." To me it sounds like "truck-you-lent" so I picture a guy driving a semi truck which costs like 400K who owns the truck, but works for a shipping company. He lends his truck out, but the guy doesn't give it back and so the big burly truck driver is pissed and eager to fight and argue.
I practice recalling the key phrase "truck-you-lent" and associated picture incorporating the definition. After three times I just know the definition without really being able to articulate it well. Its just in there, but it takes struggling and recalling it ~3 times over a 2 week period.
I have a database of GRE words with descriptions of pictures that I have been working on in hopes of writing a book based on the above idea someday. PM if you want me to send it to you.
Also, check out these books for ideas and even words. They tend to be simple SAT words but you need to know them as well for the GRE.
GRE Vocab Capacity: Over 900 Powerful Memory Tricks and Mnemonics to Widen your Lexicon
Vocabulary Cartoons II, SAT Word Power
Vocabulary Cartoons: Sat Word Power
Vocabulary Cartoons II: SAT Word Power
Picture These SAT Words!
Picture These SAT Words in a Flash
Vocabulary Cartoons: Word Power Made Easy
Vocabulary Cartoons: SAT Word Power
How to Build a Better Vocabulary
Verbal Advantage: 10 Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary
here's a picture of the book on Amazon.. might be easier to see. She seems to have the same eyebrows, nose, and eyes to me.
These were my two most useful resources for LR:
Fox LSAT LR Encyclopedia
http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Logical-Reasoning-Encyclopedia-Disrespecting/dp/1479391271
Also go to the Manhattan LSAT forums for explanations.
I used 7Sage and this book: http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1426031750&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=the+lsat+trainer
That book is amazing and really breaks down the deconstruction of arguments in a way that just clicked for me. Not particularly helpful in the LG department, but thats where 7Sage came in.
So I would say that book is great for boosting LR and 7Sage is great for boosting AR (LG). The book also had some decent methods of breaking down RC.
Good luck. Glad I'm done with all that.
I'm using the powerscore LSAT series, however, I'm trying to hone in on a particular subset of LR questions that were covered by the powerscore book, but had too brief of a problem set. There were about 8 practice questions on 'infer the best answer based on the above info' type questions, which I performed pretty poorly on, so I need to focus on those types of problems.
A user in another thread suggested Nathan Fox's book on LR which offers a more detailed overview of certain problems, which I think would be the most useful to me at this point.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/007183432X/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
There's also a verbal equivalent.
I have the paper version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1259862410/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1JKVWH22E85VP&amp;psc=1
there's something they're not telling us! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1477650555/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i03?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
> LSAT Trainer
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0989081508/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0989081508&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=7l-20
This one?
And why do you recommend it over the powerscore's?
I used this book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1477650555
I heard from someone who used the Manhattan deck that the content is pretty much the same, so just pick one and stick with it. But this is hearsay, since I don't actually know their differences myself.
I'd say don't take a class. You'll be paying a lot of money for a generalized approach intended to strengthen a bunch of peoples' GRE scores, instead of focusing on what you need help with. Suck at verbal and good at quant? A class isn't going to spend more time on verbal just because you suck at it.
I'd recommend hiring a good private tutor and/or joining Magoosh. Magoosh is $80 for six months and it's by far the best prep material I've found. It's all online and has videos teaching you different types of material. Those are like a Khan Academy for GRE prep. They also have questions and a quiz mode, so they throw questions at you and also give you an estimated score range based on how many you get right. The questions are much harder than the real GRE so they prep you really, really well.
I'd say also get the Manhattan Prep 5-lb Book of GRE Problems. They're really good, reasonably challenging, and harder than the real test. They don't teach you "tricks" as much as teach you the actual material you need. Avoid Kaplan and Princeton Review like the plague, since their questions often have a lot of typos and aren't good prep. Also for sure get the Official Guide to the GRE, since it's the only place to get official ETS questions. They resemble the ones on the actual test the most. If you're having trouble with a particular topic, Manhattan Prep also sells guides for individual subjects like word problems and geometry that are really good. ETS also sells books of Quantitative and Verbal questions for extra practice.
Good luck!
Hi -- your LSAT score is good for five years, and most schools now consider only your highest score. So, if you'd like to take it this Oct to have a score under your belt for whenever you decide to go to law school, you can definitely do so. I suggest you take the exam whenever you have a good chunk of time and motivation to prepare, and that you take it with enough time after so that if you need to take it again to get the score you want, you can do so.
BTW, I am the co-creator of Manhattan LSAT, and I've developed a new book that you may be interested in. Here is the amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_22?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1373646806&amp;sr=1-22&amp;keywords=lsat
and here is the top-law-schools discussion of my book --
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&amp;t=209573
and here is the website for the book -- http://www.thelsattrainer.com/
on my site, you can download the first chapter of the book for free, and I think that chapter will have a lot of the basic information about the LSAT that you are looking for.
I hope that helps! Best of luck with your prep. -- Mike