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Oh cool, thanks!!

5lb book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937707296/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_yl7jtb0T1P1FK

I can't really think of anything else off of the top of my head - if I do think of or come by anything, I'll be sure to message you! Good luck!

I'm using 2 sets of vocab flashcards (obviously they overlap) - one is the app for GRE vocab words from Magoosh, it's solid because it has tons of specifies which definitions are important for the test as opposed to giving you every definition when they aren't all relevant. The other method I'm using is hand-made cards from this GRE vocab book: it's clearly written by two former frat bros based on the mnemonics they suggest but that makes it funny and entertaining. I hand-make 5 new ones from their list every day and add them to the stack. It's working well so far.

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

Hello,
I recently took the GRE, and after not getting the scores I wanted, continued my search for a better book to study. I have a few friends that studied using Kaplan, and got mediocre scores (not blaming it on Kaplan..fully anyways), and I used "Cracking the GRE". From what I've picked up from myself and others, these books teach you how to "game the developers", which isn't the correct way to go about it. Gaming the test isn't going to help you when you simply need to have a better understanding of the material.

I bought this book and have been going through it. Each chapter is a specific topic of questions, with about ~100 of each. For example: 1 chapter for Algebra, one for Inequalities, etc. It also has a practice section at the beginning to help you determine where you can further focus.

5lb Book of GRE Practice Problems
They have the answers and good explanations at the end of each chapter as well.
It's big and heavy, and a little intimidating, but you'll work through it. I know I am, slowly but surely.

The GRE has changed substantially. (It's now a computer-adaptive exam; it used to have an "Analytical" section; it used to have analogies...) Can you use interlibrary loan to get a newer book? Or visit a different library in your library system? At worst, you could sit in Barnes & Noble and use a copy of their book.

Barron's (the newest one) is fine; I use it with students, and you can augment it with free websites and apps. But you're already paying over $200 to take the exam—another $10 for up-to-date prep material would be money well spent.

You can get the 20th edition (next-to-most recent) used on Amazon for $4 (includes shipping).

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.

These are the study materials I ordered:

• CliffsNotes Math Review for Standardized Tests
  
  
• Cracking the New GRE with DVD by Princeton Review
  
  
• 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary by Wilfred Funk, Norman Lewis
  
  
• New GRE 2011-2012 Premier with CD by Kaplan
  
  
• Barron's New GRE, 19th Edition
  
  
  

I used Kaplan's Premier (~10 bucks on amazon with a practice CD), and used ETS' review PDFs as complimentary study.

I guess that would be helpful!

ETS GRE Website with a breakdown of what they cover

ETS Guide

This is one of the best ways to prepare since they are the test writers. I was told this as I prepared.

Honestly, the test isn't that hard as long as you're familiar with grade school math and are comfortable with reading comprehension. The words are fairly complex, but nothing a little (or a lot in my case, with math) studying and flash cards couldn't help. And trust me, I'm no genius.

The above posters provided some excellent advice. Particularly, to use scratch paper as much as possible. I've started viewing it as insurance against mistakes, and as a way to quickly correct them should they be discovered. Having a trail increases the chance of me recovering from an error, be it careless or logical. It also reduces mental gaps and leaps which in my experience are the most vulnerable to errors. I've focused on this advice the most. So not only am I using scratch paper more for almost all computations, I'm attempting to keep it somewhat more organized as a tactical consideration. Imagining if someone is going to look at your scratch paper afterwards helps a bit.

In addition, I've been studying with two resources: Magoosh and Princeton Review. PR goes through several strategies for quantitative questions to rule out answer choices and to solve problems without a rigorous algebraic approach. Magoosh covers these too in maybe 3 or 4 videos. At first, I scoffed at these strategies because I thought they would not foster an understanding of the topics at hand. As an example one such strategy is "plugging in". Now, I think it makes sense to use these strategies aggressively in problems where appropriate for two reasons. One, solving problems in the most mathematically complete way exposes oneself to more errors and traps. I mean, no one disputes that it's harder to make a proof for a mathematical problem than to guesstimate a single solution. Second, these strategies generally lead to an answer in less time. The goal of the Quantitative portion isn't to prove that you are good at or the best at mathematics. It's not a test for mathematicians. There are tests designed to be taken by mathematicians (by profession) and the GRE is not one of them. The goal is to finish the test and get the most questions correct. I'm not great at math at all, but I somewhat arrogantly avoided approximation strategies because I thought that they didn't do the questions justice and prevented me from learning more. Well- the test questions and the test writers don't care if you can produce robust algebraic proofs and find all the mathematical gems underlying all problems. The test writers (ETS) probably just care that you reasonably attempted to answer every question.

To be clear though, my #1 focus (besides doing 100s of practice problems obviously) has been on solving problems coherently with scratch paper and avoiding mental gaps. I'd say I'm utilizing approximation strategies 25%-33% of the time but am trying to increase this gradually.

Sorry for the late answer and the rant. I've been studying in between since you asked and now and I've considered the question more since then.