The GRE exam is always around the corner. And for the best chance at success, you need the best GRE preparation book.
After the U.S. India has the most number of GRE test takers.
Despite having the second-largest number of test-takers, Indian students still score below the mean score in 2 out of 3 sections.
There could be various reasons for these numbers. But the most obvious one is the level of GRE preparation.
You can find heaps and heaps of books for GRE preparation that all claim that they’re the best. But you need an unbiased review of them all to know which are the best books for GRE preparation and why.
And we are here to give you that unbiased review. Read on to know about the best GRE prep books.
7 Best GRE Preparation Book
1. The Official Guide to GRE General Test
IAT: Top GRE Preparation Books For 2022
Author: Educational Testing Service
Who better than the test makers to get your resource material from?
ETS GRE books are formatted in the same way the GRE exam is. So preparing for the GRE exam with this book will get you accustomed to the real exams.
You only need an ETS account to access PowerPrep practice tests. You don’t even need the Official Guide book to access the computer-based.
Top Amazon Review:
“I’m a Harvard grad, 99% GRE scorer, and full-time tutor who has taught the GRE for 16 years. This book and the free GRE PowerPrep software from ETS remain the very best sources of GRE practice questions.”
Pros:
- It has the GRE prep software. This will let you experience the real test environment.
- It has accurate questions that are likely to appear on your GRE exam.
Cons:
- Not many updates in the 3rd edition
- The digital format of the book is hard to navigate
The Consensus:
This book, though not updated, gives you a fair simulation of the real GRE exam. It is also a good resource for the quantitative section of the GRE exam.
2. Magoosh GRE Prep Book
Author: Chris Lele, Mike McGarry
One of the main advantages of the Magoosh GRE prep book is that it will give your strategies to prepare for the exam. So along with a practice book, you’ll also get a study schedule.
The Magoosh book is one of the best for the quantitative reasoning section. Magoosh’s practice questions are even harder than ETS’. So preparing with this book will equip you to face the real test.
Top Amazon Review:
“GRE Prep by Magoosh is an accessible, organized book. It provides lots of basic info on the GRE, many synthetic practice questions and explanations, links to online study plans, and references to other learning resources.”
Pros:
- Has a lot of online learning resources
- Has answer explanations by GRE authors
- Questions are marked with difficulty ratings
Cons:
- You’ll need a different book for the verbal section
- It doesn’t have enough problems to prepare you for the GRE exam
- The questions for the quantitative section don’t resemble actual GRE questions
The Consensus:
This is a lightweight book that’s an excellent resource for the verbal section. But make sure you use a separate GRE prep book for the quantitative section.
3. Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2022
Author: Kaplan Test Prep
Most GRE test takes regard this as the best GRE prep book. It has a good overview of all the sections of the exam.
The Kaplan Prep book has over 2500 practice questions with varying levels of difficulty. It also gives you access to 6 practice tests – one offline and five online. The book also gives you useful strategies to prepare for the exam.
Top Amazon Review:
“In terms of structure, each section and subsection of the test is broken down with a dedicated chapter in the book. At the end of each chapter, there are practice problems coupled with detailed solutions.”
Pros:
- Has a lot of video lessons for students. This boosts the visual retention of the students.
- The language used is very easy to comprehend
- The book teaches you tricks to solve difficult questions
Cons:
- The online interface isn’t updated
- It is a bit more expensive than other GRE prep material
- Practice tests aren’t as hard as the real exam
The Consensus:
The Kaplan book, though expensive, is a reliable study material for the GRE exam. It teaches you how to solve questions and also gives you access to a lot of practice questions.
4. The Princeton Review Cracking the GRE Premium
Author: The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review’s GRE preparation book is one of the few that teaches you how to manage time. Since the GRE is a timed examination, this is a crucial skill to earn marks.
This is another GRE guide that covers all the sections of the exam. The book also teaches you how to identify and avoid GRE traps. This book comes with 7 practice tests – two offline and 5 online.
Top Amazon Review:
“This book is great if you haven’t taken a math class in a long time. It literally goes back to the beginning to explain rudimentary algebra and arithmetic concepts, and it’s worded in a way that’s easy to understand.”
Pros:
- The book gives you access to content about college admissions and test-taking strategies.
- The sections are pretty accurate to what appears on the GRE exam.
- Practice tests are very similar to an actual GRE exam
Cons:
- There are quite a few grammatical errors and typos in this book.
- The quantitative analyses section is very easy in this book.
The Consensus:
The Cracking the GRE Premium book does a good job of explaining the answers and giving you prep tips. It is especially good for the verbal section of the exam.
5. Barron’s GRE Test Prep
Author: Sharon Weiner Green, Ira K. Wolf
Barron’s GRE Test Prep book is one of the most updated guides you can buy. It has questions most similar to the real questions that may come on the exam.
Top Amazon Review:
“Pretty good book to prepare for GRE. Does come with many examples and strategies to help with the scores.”
Pros:
- The vocabulary section in this book is very comprehensive.
- It gives you very practical GRE test-taking advice.
- The practice questions emulate the real test.
Cons:
- The verbal strategies section needs improvement.
- Some questions aren’t as tough as the ones in the real exam.
- The explanations for some answers are unnecessarily complicated.
The Consensus:
Barron’s test prep book needs a little polishing. But you can definitely rely on this book for the vocabulary section of your exam.
6. GRE Prep 2022-2023 by Test Prep Books
Author: Joshua Rueda
This is a comprehensive book for GRE preparation that breaks down all three sections of the exam. The book gives you strategies on how to approach the exams. It also comes with a DVD about test-taking tips.
The book gives detailed explanations for all the questions. This will help in increasing your understanding of the GRE questions.
Pros:
- It gives you the reasoning for every question.
- It gives your tricks to solve difficult GRE questions.
Cons:
- This book does not come with any practice tests. So you won’t be able to get the GRE exam experience with this book.
The Consensus:
This is a book you can refer to if you want to get a deeper understanding of the questions. But don’t rely on just this book for your GRE prep.
7. Manhattan Prep’s 5 Lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems
Author: Manhattan Prep
This is the book for someone who needs a ton of practice problems. It is a large book with over 1800 problems for you to solve. All the questions in this book are accurate to what appears on the real exam.
The book also comes with 15 interactive lessons. So you’ll also get a better understanding of how to solve the questions.
Top Amazon Review:
“I have been able to finish 70% of this book in 15 days, and I can say that it has some really amazing and thorough practice which is what you need for this exam!”
Pros:
- It has online learning modules that will give you a visual understanding of GRE questions.
- The questions in this book are very similar to actual GRE questions.
- The answer explanations are detailed and easy to understand.
Cons:
- The book lets you down in the analytical writing section.
- It doesn’t indicate the difficulty of the question.
The Consensus:
If you want to practice a lot of GRE problems, then this is the book for you. It is comprehensive and prepares you well for the real test.
What’s Next?
After you’ve aced the GRE exam, it’s time to start applying to your preferred courses and colleges. If you’re scratching your head on where to start, then SelectRight is what you need.
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