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Best GRE Prep Books

Our comprehensive guide covers the best gre prep books to help you nail the gre exam and get accepted into the graduate school of your choice..

As you begin the process of applying to graduate school, one major element involves preparing for the GRE exam. The amount of time and effort you put into preparation can heavily impact your overall score, and as a result, the grad schools you are admitted to. With the right prep book and hard work, you can improve your GRE score. Find our list of the top-ranked GRE prep books below to begin preparing sooner rather than later.

Summary : The Best GRE Books of 2024

Based on our expert team’s research and review of each, here are the five best GRE prep books available today:

  • Kaplan GRE Prep Plus
  • TPB GRE Prep Review Book
  • The Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep
  • GRE Prep Book By Magoosh
  • Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

Keep reading to learn more about our team’s picks of the best GRE prep books.

GRE Prep Books – Amazon

#1 | Kaplan GRE Prep Plus

Preparing for the GRE is easier than ever when you have the step-by-step guidance of the Kaplan GRE Prep Plus . Kaplan is one of the leaders in test prep and this study book is no exception.

This book is filled with expert strategies for test taking. I found it to be a big bonus that with the purchase of this Kaplan GRE test book, you also get one-year access to the Kaplan online practice tests and lessons , providing added flexibility in study methods.

Kaplan GRE prep books

One of the key features of this GRE prep book that I find to be most helpful, is the inclusion of five, full-length online practice tests . These tests are in a computer-based format to help you practice as if you were taking the actual exam.

This prep book also includes one full-length GRE practice test within the book itself and more than 1,500 questions , complete with detailed explanations. I found it easy to personalize my study plan with the performance summaries provided by this prep book.

You can also utilize the 500-question online Qbank which allows you to customize your GRE preparation. With the expert guidance and access to stress-reduction and test-taking strategies, you get the complete package with this GRE test study book created by Kaplan faculty with decades of experience.

➡ RELATED : Read our review of the Kaplan GRE course

#2 | TPB GRE Prep Review Book

Created by experts especially for test takers looking to improve their scores, Test Prep Books GRE Prep  provides solid test-taking strategies and a thorough overview of the GRE exam, including what to expect and how to prepare. This guide also includes useful tips for overcoming test anxiety and creating a study plan for the GRE .

You will additional practice within content areas of the GRE, including analytical reasoning, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning, with one of the best GRE practice books.

Test Prep Books GRE Prep

With each practice question in this GRE prep book, I had access to detailed answer explanations so I could determine the areas in which I needed improvement. Each section of this prep book also includes a comprehensive review for you to reflect on before and after taking the practice tests.

What makes this GRE test book stand out is that it includes the top test-taking tips and reviews of the type of questions and content you will see on the exam.

When purchasing this prep book, you not only get GRE prep materials, but also test-taking strategies and practice test questions . Consider this as one of the best GRE prep books to improve your overall score

➡ Also Worth Reading : Achievable GRE Review

#3 | The Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep

Fully prepare for the exam with one of the best GRE prep books available, The Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep . The Princeton Review has expanded their GRE prep book with additional online practice test questions, expansive topic reviews and four full-length practice tests.

With the purchase of this prep book, you also receive $100 toward an online GRE course presented by the experts at the Princeton Review , which is a nice little bonus.

princeton review gre book

This prep book is filled with tips to help you prepare for the GRE and improve your exam score . Learn how to pace yourself while maximizing your time and enhance your knowledge of the GRE content areas, with powerful tactics and detailed examples of how to approach all question types.

This prep book includes a thorough review for each section of the exam, and I found the practice sections on reading comprehension and math to be quite useful. I was particularly impressed with the expansive vocabulary list and key terms included with The Princeton Review GRE prep book.

As you practice your way to improving your GRE score, utilize the drills for each test section in this book. Content areas covered include analytical writing, verbal and math.

Also included in this prep book are step-by-step guides, with the two full-length practice tests in the book and the five full-length practice tests online . Once you’ve completed the practice tests, gain access to in-depth score reports that are available with the online tests.

#4 | GRE Prep Book By Magoosh

Another GRE prep book for you to consider is Magoosh GRE Prep . Created by one of the nation’s leading online test-prep companies, the prep book by Magoosh is one to put on your radar when preparing for the GRE exam.

Magoosh’s GRE prep book supplied me with statistics for each practice question so I had an idea of the difficulty rating, as well as a full-length practice test with an answer key and detailed explanations.

I was pleasantly surprised that it also provided me with some helpful tips and prompts to aid in my GRE essay writing practice. You will gain even more practice with the online GRE prep resources.

magoosh gre prep book

New this year, Magoosh’s GRE prep book includes test-taking advice from experts who helped create the GRE exam . It also includes a study schedule to help you prepare for exam day and a list of easy-to-follow tips and strategies to help you ace any type of question you might find on the exam.

This book has lessons that cover quantitative, verbal and analytical concepts, as well as 130 practice questions , answers and explanations.

➡ RELATED : Read our review of the Magoosh GRE course

#5 | Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

Take a load off of your GRE test preparation with the Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems . This best-selling GRE study book is coupled with an online suite of lessons, practice problems and an interactive learning platform.

This study book includes micro drills and new mixed timed sets so you can learn how to pace yourself during the exam, as well as a handy cheat sheet of key math rules to bulk up your knowledge and quantitative skills.

manhattan prep gre book

The core of this 5-pound GRE study book is the 1,800 practice problems that cover every topic on the exam . Personally, this was ideal for me. I learn best by doing, so my takeaway – the more practice problems the better.

Each practice question was developed by Manhattan Prep experts and allows students to further develop their understanding of the content covered on the GRE. This book provides detailed explanations and answers, as well as step-by-step applications with each of the practice problems in this book. T

he on-demand learning platform that accompanies this practice book provides you with even more resources to learn from your mistakes and improve your test-taking skills when preparing for the GRE.

➡ RELATED : Read our review of the Manhattan Prep GRE Course

Preparing For The GRE

Being well prepared for the GRE can solidify your entrance into graduate school and pave the way for your future. These best GRE prep books will be instrumental tools in helping you prepare for the exam and achieve your desired score .

In addition to selecting and utilizing the best prep book for your needs, you may want to also consider using a GRE prep course or hiring a GRE tutor . Check out our list of best GRE prep courses here .

Prep courses often provide better instruction and more practice material than you will find in just a book. Plus, they are not as expensive as you might think. There are prep companies that charge much less than the GRE courses from Kaplan and Princeton Review . For example, Target Test Prep and PrepScholar both offer very affordable courses (less than $100).

No matter what your choice of study tool is though, it is important to establish a study plan. You will need to a couple months to prepare for the exam with dedicated studying every week. Create a schedule, and stick to it. Share your schedule with friends and family so they can be supportive in your efforts.

Take a timed practice test at the beginning of your studies. This will give you a feel for the testing format and provide you with a baseline score. Take time to review the results of your practice test, and use it to develop a study plan where you can target areas where you need improvement.

Utilize all of the resources available to you in your GRE prep books, courses, mobile apps, and online. The use of flashcards can be extremely helpful in bumping up your vocabulary skills. You can make your own flashcards , or you can find GRE vocab lists online or in your chosen GRE prep materials.

What is the best GRE prep book?

After reviewing over a dozen different GRE prep options, our team thinks the prep books from Kaplan and Princeton Review stand above the rest.

Where should you buy a GRE prep book?

While you can most likely find a GRE prep book in your local bookstore, online retailers such as Amazon are also a good place to purchase GRE books.

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  • October 26, 2023

The 7 Best GRE Prep Books for Effective Study

Whether you’re taking the GRE for an MBA or law school, you’re going to need to prep for the GRE in order to get admitted to a top school. We’ve ranked the 7 best GRE prep books for 2024 that are proven to raise your score.

7 Best GRE Prep Book Reviews

Manhattan prep 5-lb book of gre practice problems.

5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems, Fourth Edition

This is the top of our list as the best GRE prep book and also ranked #1 as the best GRE prep book overall. This GRE book is organized into 33 chapters and contains 1,800+ practice problems! 

The practice problems in this book have been created to mirror the actual problems you will encounter on the GRE in terms of style, form, and content. Rather than passively reading through prep materials, you will actually learn by doing . Through practice, students preparing for the GRE can build their math and verbal skills using simple instructions and step-by-steps. 

What sets this book apart is their 30-50 practice problems for each topic, which can help you develop an understanding of the nuance between different kinds of math problems. There are over 500 pages of just math problems alone, which can be especially helpful for those boosting their math skills. 

Top Feature: The number of GRE practice questions

Students Should Also Consider: Their Online GRE Prep Course

Imagine having 1,800+ practice problems in one book - well now you can get all this practice and more with the Manhattan Prep 5lb Book of GRE Practice Problems.

  • 1,800+ realistic practice problems (in book and online)
  • 33 concept chapters
  • Additional GRE Math practice
  • Best seller for GRE prep on Amazon
  • Words/vocabulary tested is more difficult than the SAT

For more practice, check out our list of Free GRE Practice Questions and Tests

Official GRE Super Power Pack

Official GRE Super Power Pack, Second Edition

The official GRE Super Power Pack (and each of the GRE books that you can also purchase individually), are the only GRE prep books that are put out by the makers of the ETS . This makes it among the top of our list of the best GRE prep books because you get real GRE official practice tests to work with.

 We love Manhattan Prep for their practice problems and ability to build speed and confidence on the GRE, but there is still a lot to be said of working through real GRE problems under simulated GRE testing conditions. You simply cannot recreate the experience without actual problems that others have taken on the GRE.

Included in this bundle are 3 GRE prep books by ETS, The Official Guide to the GRE , Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions , and Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions .

Top Feature: REAL GRE practice questions

Who Needs This: All students should supplement any prep with real ETS material

All GRE prep needs to be supplemented with REAL GRE practice questions - which can be found in this Official ETS GRE Super Power Pack!

  • 4 real GRE tests (2 online simulating real GRE test)
  • 600+ real GRE practice questions & explanations
  • Sample essays and raters' responses
  • Better value than purchasing each book separately
  • Content can overlap between books
  • Fewer details provided in explanations than Manhattan Prep

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus

GRE Prep Plus 2024 - Kaplan

Making it third on our list of the best GRE prep books for overall study is Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus . This newer edition was released on September 7, 2021 and differentiates itself by the sheer volume of GRE practice questions . 

Kaplan sets itself apart from the ETS and Manhattan Prep materials because it provides tips and resources for applications for grad school. 

Included in this GRE book and online are a combined 1,700 practice GRE problems as well as timed practice sets for every section of the test. Utilizing their online computer-based testing format, you will be able to view individual performance summaries to help enable you to personalize your study plan . 

Top Feature: Higher score guarantee or your money back

Students Should Also Consider: Their In-Person GRE Course

This comprehensive GRE review includes 6 practice tests, strategy, and an online study portal... all while providing a higher score guarantee!

  • 1,700+ practice questions
  • 5 full-length GRE tests online + 1 printed in book
  • Individual performance summary after each online exam
  • Online videos break down question types and applications
  • Does not include official GRE tests
  • Not a lot of changes since last edition

Magoosh GRE Prep

GRE Prep by Magoosh

Magoosh is shaking the test prep industry a bit with their low-cost alternative to the commercial test prep products that used to dominate the scene. This affordable GRE study guide makes it among the top of the best GRE prep books list for its helpful and thorough lessons in Math and AWA.

Unlike the other books that make our best GRE prep books list, Magoosh’s GRE Prep Book does not come with thousands of practice questions to work on, but the ones that they do provide (130 total) are of high quality and have pretty robust explanations. They show you the level of difficulty for each question as well as what percentage of their online students answered a question correctly. 

In this book, they provide you with a 1-month Study Schedule, but you can also find other Magoosh 2, 3, and 6-month study schedules utilizing their material. You also will have access to one full-length GRE practice test.

Top Feature: Includes coupon for 20% off Magoosh GRE Course

Students Should Consider: Their On-Demand GRE Course

A budget-friendly option for students that includes a discount for those considering the Magoosh online GRE prep course .

  • 130 practice GRE questions and detailed explanations
  • Detailed study schedule to help you stay on track and study effectively
  • 1 full-length GRE practice test (created by Magoosh)
  • Stats for each question show how you fared versus other Magoosh students
  • Doesn't include any real GRE questions
  • Some questions don't include in-depth answer explanations

Best GRE Prep Book for Analytical Writing

Gre analytical writing: solutions to the real essay topics.

GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 1

For those who are struggling on the Analytical Writing portion of the GRE, we recommend Vibrant Publisher’s GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics – Book 1. 

What you will get in this book are 73 solved essays from the pool of official Issue and Argument topics. The book provides a rubric for forming responses, strategies for interpreting the topics, as well as an approach for answering each of the essays provided in the book. You will also have the opportunity to read a sample essay as a benchmark.

Essentially, once completing these essays and having a good grasp on key points to ask yourself when reading through the issue, taking the AWA section of the GRE will be a simple and straightforward process.

Top Feature: Simplified method to create any response

Students Should Consider: Book 2 and Book 3 in this series 

Essay framework and examples that can help you to organize your essays on test day.

  • 73 Solved Issue and Argument topics with strategies
  • New essays included
  • Scoring guides
  • Some spelling/grammar mistakes
  • Varied levels of essay examples

Best GRE Prep Book for Verbal Reasoning

Ets official gre verbal reasoning practice questions.

Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions, Second Edition

Included in this book are 150 real GRE Verbal Reasoning questions as well as an overview of the section itself by the actual writers of the test. When it comes to getting GRE prep materials from subject matter experts, getting it from the ETS is as close to the source as you can get.

The questions offered in this book are grouped by the GRE question type and difficulty level so that you can build your test-taking skills. Additionally, there are mixed practice sets with in-depth answers so that you can learn from each question. This is among the best GRE prep books for getting the feel of the real GRE.

Additionally, you will get an overview of the Analytical Writing section including strategies, sample tasks, and sample scored essays.

Top Feature: REAL ETS Verbal Reasoning Questions

Students Should Also Consider: The ETS Super Power Pack for a Better Value

For those who are struggling with Verbal Reasoning, getting practice and prep material from the test makers can be the best way to improve!

  • 150 real GRE Verbal Reasoning questions as well as in-depth answers and explanations
  • Created by the ETS themselves
  • Tips and insight on questions from the source
  • Questions are grouped by question type and difficulty level
  • Few changes from older edition

Best GRE Prep Book for Quantitative Reasoning

Ets official gre quantitative reasoning practice questions.

Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions, Second Edition

Much of what was just said for the ETS Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions can be applied to the ETS Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions book as well. You’re going to get 150 real GRE Quantitative Reasoning questions paired with in-depth answer explanations. These questions are grouped by question type as well as difficulty.

Included in this book is also a GRE Math Review that covers the topics you’ll likely need to know for the GRE. You’ll learn about the GRE Quantitative Reasoning test content, scoring, as well as strategies and tips from the test makers themselves. 

Top Feature: 150 REAL GRE Math Questions from the ETS

150 Quantitative Reasoning practice questions with explanations to help boost your score.

  • 150 real GRE Math questions & detailed explanations
  • Created by the ETS, so questions are realistic
  • Questions grouped by type and difficulty
  • Similar to last edition (if you have an older version, it's probably ok to use)

For those who just want to purchase the Official ETS Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning books, you can save money by opting for the Official GRE Value Combo .

Official GRE Value Combo

A value combo of the Official ETS GRE Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning practice question books will save you money.

Best GRE Vocab Flashcards

Kaplan gre vocabulary flashcards.

GRE Vocabulary Flashcards

Here are 500 GRE vocab flashcards that will help you build a strong vocabulary for the Verbal Reasoning test. Included on each flashcard is a synonym and pronunciation of each word.

Along with a synonym and pronunciation of each GRE vocab word, you will also get a sentence in context that will help you with your recall. 

For those who are more tech-savvy, you can also access these GRE vocab flashcards on their app! In their online portal, you will be able to also access video instruction on how to build your vocab and how to use your flashcards effectively. 

Top Feature: App allows you to use flashcards on any device

Who Needs This: Students struggling on GRE vocab

Physical flashcards for GRE vocab that can also be accessed digitally on their app.

  • Can be accessed on any device with the app
  • Can be linked to other free Kaplan GRE resources
  • Not printed on the best card stock

Thinking about enrolling in a course? Check out the 5 Best GRE Prep Courses that made our list! 

Best GRE Prep Books FAQ

What are the best gre practice tests.

The best GRE practice tests are ALWAYS the real official tests from the ETS. You can access 2 of these practice tests for free on the ETS website . 

Are old GRE books still helpful?

The most significant change on the GRE was in 2011. Generally speaking, each year comes new editions for each GRE prep book. If you have an edition that is a few years old, you should be ok.  

Is Princeton Review GRE test prep worth it?

The Princeton Review GRE is ranked the top among the best GRE prep courses in our list for 2024. These live online GRE courses are extremely personalized and contain a great deal of practice. 

Are Barron’s GRE prep books good?

Barron’s did not make our list of the best GRE prep books. Students who used this GRE book ranked the questions as not being as difficult as the GRE and did not feel prepared for test day. 

Can I study for the GRE in 2 weeks?

The shortest recommended GRE prep is 1 month. We do not think you can comfortably stuff all of this content review, practice, as well as test simulations into 2 weeks. Here are our recommended GRE study plans . 

How Many Hours Should I Study for the GRE? 

Students generally need between 50-200 hours of GRE studying to significantly raise their scores on the GRE.

Best GRE Prep Books – Wrap Up

If you made it through this whole list of the best GRE prep books and you’re still on the fence, then we recommend starting with Manhattan Prep’s 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems.

By utilizing this list of the best GRE prep books, chosen by REAL GRE test takers, we are confident that you will reach the GRE score of your dreams. Comment below with your experience with these GRE books or if you have any others that you think should have made the list!

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Best GRE Books

Educational Testing Service Official GRE Super Power Pack, Second Edition

The sheer volume and quality of practice problems and practice exams in this book are hard to beat.

It's hard to beat a series written by the authors of the actual GRE exam. Practice problems are on point: the style and complexity of questions are in line with what you would expect on test day.

The series does not provide "tricks" and strategies designed to help you with shortcuts and pattern recognition. The answer key descriptions are not comprehensive.

Kaplan Test Prep GRE Prep Plus 2023

For those that study best by reviewing problems, the Kaplan practice test prep arrives with full-length tests and even more questions to help you prepare.

Offers 4 online practice tests and 1 physical test, so users can prep in whichever format they prefer. Written in accessible language that works well for both beginners and more experienced learners. Updated to include questions for the most recent GRE cycle.

Does not offer as many practice questions as other books.

Magoosh GRE Prep

From updated practice questions to expert videos, a plethora of online and physical study materials.

Features over 1,000 practice questions in the Quantitative, Verbal, and Writing sessions. Includes a mobile app, so users can practice anywhere. Customize the settings to build upon your weak areas. Includes an additional full-length practice test to check your preliminary results.

Works better as an introductory guide than for actual practice.

Educational Testing Service The Official Guide to the GRE General Test

Students can trust all the material recommended by the 3rd edition ETS book, as it's authored by the official designers of the GRE.

Authored by ETS, the writers and test designers of the GRE General Test. Each question has a scoring marker and answer explanations. Has detailed information for each section of the GRE, as well as sample responses for the written portion. Plenty of room to practice.

Does not go as in-depth into strategies or answers as other prep books.

Kaplan Test Prep GRE Prep Plus 2020

Kaplan has a great reputation for developing robust materials. The DVD, online access, and additional support materials are bonuses on top of the book itself.

On a budget and in a time crunch? This book features 6 practice tests and a comprehensive answer key for each question. You also get mobile access so you can access materials from any device, at any time.

Kaplan tends to lean toward less-difficult questions, especially in the quantitative section, compared to the actual exam.

best gre review books

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

best gre review books

Table of Contents

Buying guide for best gre books.

The GRE General Test is a requirement for admission to nearly every graduate program in the country.

Taking a standardized test can be a very stressful experience, so preparation is key if you want to ace the GRE and get into your dream program. Fortunately, there are many GRE books available to help prepare you for the exam – but if you want to study as effectively as possible, it all comes down to finding the right one.

The sheer number of options makes choosing a GRE book pretty difficult, though.

To find the right option for your studies, you need to consider factors like the book’s layout, the quality and quantity of its practice questions, and how many practice tests it includes, to ensure that it complements your studying style.

best gre review books

Who needs to take the GRE general test?

The GRE General Test is usually taken by individuals who’ve completed an undergraduate degree and are considering graduate school or business school.

In fact, thousands of graduate and business schools around the world accept the GRE General Test for admission; it’s the most common admissions test for those types of graduate programs.

If you’re applying to law school or medical school, however, you’ll need to take other specialized admissions tests. The LSAT is for law school admission, while the MCAT is the admissions test for medical school.

best gre review books

Understanding the test

The GRE General Test is a computer-based test offered throughout the U.S. and in most other countries. It features three main sections: Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning.

The test typically begins with a one-hour Analytical Writing section, followed by two sections of Verbal Reasoning with 20 questions. Each section must be completed in 30 minutes.

The test ends with two Quantitative Reasoning sections. These sections contain 20 questions each and must be completed in 35 minutes.

best gre review books

Benefits of using a GRE book

GRE prep books offer specific testing strategies based on the contents of previous tests, which can help give you an edge.

With plenty of realistic practice questions, you’ll learn how to effectively analyze the answers to help narrow your options.

By familiarizing you with the layout and types of questions that the exam offers, a book can help instill confidence when it comes time to actually take the test.

A GRE prep book can help you learn to manage time effectively during the exam.

What should you look for in a GRE book?

Practice tests.

Every GRE prep book should contain practice tests to help you evaluate your progress.

Choose a book that contains at least two tests. This allows you to test yourself early in your studies, then again at the end.

For the best results, choose a book with four or more practice exams, which provides more opportunities to simulate taking the exam.

A GRE book’s layout can be very important in determining how useful it for studying. It’s best to choose a book — or set of books — that breaks down the exam by section, so you get an in-depth look at the Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning parts of the test.

In addition to explaining each section and how it’s graded, a prep book should ideally have a section devoted to questions solely for each part of the exam. That allows you to concentrate on that section and the types of questions that give you the most trouble.

Some books may go even further in breaking down the exam by providing chapters devoted to particular concepts that are important for each section of the GRE test.

Finally, the book should have a section thats contain practice tests to help you evaluate your progress as you study.

Test-taking strategies

In addition to understanding the specific concepts that the GRE covers, it’s also important to develop effective test-taking strategies for the exam to boost your chance for success.

Look for a book that helps develop strategies such as proper time management, when to skip over questions, and how to prevent easily avoidable mistakes during the test.

best gre review books

Quality and quantity of questions

All GRE books provide sample questions for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the exam. However, it’s important to consider how many sample questions a book offers and how much they resemble the questions you’ll find on the actual exam.

It’s also important for the book to provide detailed explanations of the answers so you can be sure that you understand the concepts behind them and avoid mistakes in the future.

Some books offer as few as 600 practice questions, while others offer up to 2,200. Be sure to choose a book that caters to your preparation level. The practice questions should be based on actual GRE exams so you can be certain that you know what to expect on the exam.

How much should you pay for a GRE book?

GRE books vary in price based on whether you’re purchasing a single book or a set of study guides. You can typically expect to pay between $15 and $80 .

Inexpensive

For a single GRE book that covers all sections of the exam in one volume, you’ll usually pay between $15 and $30 .

For a GRE book set that features an individual volume for each section of the test, expect to pay between $45 and $60 .

For a GRE book set that features individual study guides for the various math and verbal concepts on the test, you’ll usually pay between $60 and $80 .

Tips and tricks

Don’t wait until the morning of the exam to get ready all the things you’ll need to bring with you. Pack your ID, any necessary paperwork, snacks, and other items the night before.

Cramming doesn’t work very well for the GRE, so avoid studying the night before you take it. Try to relax instead by watching a movie , listening to music, or reading a good book.

A healthy meal can help boost your concentration for the test. Stick to fruit, veggies, and some protein rather than a high-fat meal.

It’s best to get to the exam center early so you can check in easily. Arrive at least 45 minutes before your scheduled time.

When you take the GRE test, dress in layers. If you get too warm, you can easily take off a layer to make yourself more comfortable.

Avoid comparing yourself to other students during the exam. You don’t have to work at the same pace as others.

All questions have the same value, so pass over those you can’t answer right away and return to them later.

All questions on the GRE test have the same value, so pass over those you can’t answer right away and return to them later.

best gre review books

Q. What type of GRE book works best if you prefer to cram?

A. If you like to get all of your studying done in a short amount of time, look for a single book that addresses all of the GRE’s sections in one volume. It should also offer test-taking strategies that can help you understand general patterns that occur on the exam.

Q. What type of GRE book works best if you prefer to study in advance?

A. If you prefer spreading out your studying over weeks or months, look for a set of GRE books with a volume that focuses on each section or concept covered by the exam. They’ll provide the best opportunity to learn the subject test content inside and out in a slow, methodical manner, even with a bit of e-learning is a factor.

Q. What’s the best way to use the sample tests in a GRE book?

A.  Take one of the practice tests before you even begin studying. It will give you a good idea of which areas you need to focus on while you’re studying. You should take the other sample exams at regular intervals during your studying, so you can see how you’re progressing. Be sure to take the tests in a realistic manner — time them so they feel like a real exam.

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Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2024: 7 Practice Tests + Review & Techniques + Online Tools (2024) (Graduate School Test Preparation)

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Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2024: 7 Practice Tests + Review & Techniques + Online Tools (2024) (Graduate School Test Preparation)

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  • ISBN-10 0593516931
  • ISBN-13 978-0593516935
  • Publisher Princeton Review
  • Publication date May 16, 2023
  • Part of series Graduate School Test Preparation
  • Language English
  • Dimensions 8.32 x 1.66 x 10.83 inches
  • Print length 736 pages
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  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton Review (May 16, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 736 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593516931
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593516935
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.49 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.32 x 1.66 x 10.83 inches
  • #1 in GRE Test Guides (Books)
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The experts at The Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com) have been helping students and professionals boost their exam scores and get into their dream schools since 1981. We provide the tools needed for success in high school, college, graduate school, and beyond, and help our students become well-rounded applicants with guidance tailored to today’s academic challenges.

Our proven methodology of test-taking strategies helps students achieve better scores. With a wide array of test prep books addressing every major standardized exam—from all-in-one guidebooks to flashcards to subject-specific practice books—The Princeton Review has a solution for every study need.

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Best GRE Prep Books 2022-2023

Here at Magoosh, I’ve reviewed all the best GRE prep books over the years. Today, I’m happy to announce that I’ve made some updates to our Best GRE Books List! While not all of these books are from this year (some are far from it), this GRE resource offers my honest book reviews and recommendations for the best GRE book options on the market. My goal is to keep you from sorting through the nimiety (that’s excess …a good GRE word) of bad GRE books out there so you can meet your graduate school goals.

  Click the titles in the table below to jump to my full book review!

*HM = Honorable Mention

Person holding a toppling stack of prep books

Best GRE Prep Books of 2022-2023: Book Reviews

What do you need to know about the GRE test in 2022 ? In terms of prep, there have been some changes, mainly from ETS (the test-maker). In addition to two free, computer-based GRE practice tests you can take, called PowerPrep, the test-maker offers two additional GRE practice tests called PowerPrep PLUS. Getting realistic test-taking practice is vital, and these can be great tools to help you prep for a top score—I’ll talk a little more about how in my best GRE prep book reviews below.

A couple of notes before we continue:

  • Under most reviews, clicking on each book cover will take you to Amazon.com, which generally has the lowest prices. Please note that the prices listed are subject to change. The particular prices given here are in US dollars and reflect the price of a new edition (unless otherwise noted) in December 2020. You can almost always buy a used version at a discount.
  • Some of the books listed here are not the newest editions. Most publishers change very little content from one edition to the other. If I can save you money by recommending an old edition of a great book, then I’m going to do that!

Time for the good stuff!

Back to top button - Magoosh

1. Magoosh GRE Book

Magoosh GRE Book-best GRE books-magoosh

It’s everything you love about Magoosh’s GRE product , in paperback form! For the first time ever, you can now order your very own Magoosh GRE prep book on Amazon. Our GRE students and experts have collaborated to produce the most cohesive GRE guide of all time.

Between the covers, this 468-page book packs more than a hundred practice questions accompanied by comprehensive explanations—all pulled directly from our renowned online GRE prep product. Not only is the book loaded with tons of useful information, but each question and answer has been triple checked by industry experts to maximize students’ learning. If you’re in the market for a GRE book, we hope you’ll take a look at GRE Prep by Magoosh!

This can be used as a standalone book or in combination with Magoosh’s GRE prep course for even more practice!

2. ETS’s The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test, 3 rd Edition

ETS Official Guide-best GRE books-magoosh

This is the holy grail of prep. If you can only buy one book, this is it. The tone of voice may not be as friendly as the other books on the market. But if you can bear the dry content, you are getting by far the best practice since ETS writes the questions for the test.

Throw in four GRE practice tests, and the best GRE book on the market gets even better.

Here’s the full Magoosh book review: ETS Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test 3rd Edition Book Review

Improve your GRE score with Magoosh.

Unsure which ETS product you should buy? Check out this comparison of ETS materials : the OG, PowerPrep, and paper practice tests.

3. ETS’s Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions & Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions

gre book reviews magoosh

4. PowerPrep and PowerPrep PLUS

Powerprep ETS series

By this point, you’ve probably noticed that ETS has a lot of products to help you prepare for the GRE. And they’re all excellent.

This is great news if you have a lot of time and money to spend before the test! Of course, if you don’t, it starts to get a little confusing (and to make it more confusing, ETS has repurposed some old tests! For all the info on this, check out Magoosh’s PowerPrep article ).

Let’s clarify a couple things. First, there are two PowerPreps: the free version (just “PowerPrep”) and the paid versions (“PowerPrep PLUS,” two tests that cost $39.95 each).

No matter what, it’s a good idea to take at least one, and preferably both, of the free PowerPrep tests before your official exam. You’ll get to work with the computer format, and you’ll see questions straight from the test-makers.

If you have time, the PowerPrep PLUS tests do provide great practice—the explanations are a little brief, though it can be good practice to work out the processes on your own—but at a price. If you buy both of these exams, you’re basically paying half of what it costs to take the official GRE.

At the end of the day, it can be tricky to find great GRE practice tests, so if you’re preparing over a long period of time, buying at least one PowerPrep PLUS test is a good idea. But if you have a month or less before test day? You probably don’t need to make the investment.

5. Barron’s 6 GRE Practice Tests

best gre review books

This book is not perfect, even in its third edition, but in terms of sheer content, it is better than the Barron’s general GRE guide. Check out our review of the book here . Everything I wrote about the first edition of Barron’s GRE is still true in both the second and third editions. Bottom line: the questions are solid, but the difficulty is a little off (the questions are on average a little less tricky than the real thing), so it’s better to use this book as a question bank for extra practice, rather than as a source of balanced practice tests.

6. Manhattan Math & Verbal Strategies Set

best gre review books

Diving into the specifics, the math is solid. The lesson sections are perfect for students who have some hazy memory of the topics and need explanations and examples, but they would not be sufficient for students who need to learn from scratch. Verbal is similar. The question difficulty range is solid, and the explanations are a little light.

This bundle is an updated, streamlined version of the Manhattan Prep GRE Set of 8 Strategy Guides. Those are still great resources! Check out our full review of that series: Manhattan GRE Series .

7. Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2022

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2022 cover

Many of you will be familiar with Kaplan’s ACT and SAT courses. These courses can be of uneven quality. But Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2022 is pretty solid, so throw away your preconceptions.

In terms of content, the Verbal section provides excellent exam and content strategies and includes high quality, medium to difficult practice questions. These aren’t as good as some of the others on this list, but they can help you to introduce GRE-style questions. Another advantage is that it doesn’t focus too much on memorizing the GRE vocabulary. Instead, it helps you primarily with vocabulary acquisition strategies. In Math, if you’ve seen the concepts before, the content review is solid, and practicing with this book can give you good experience with different levels of difficulty.

Finally, this book has a lot of useful bonus features. It provides an effective overview of strategies for both computer and paper GRE exams. There is a convenient reference section to help with admission. The “Plus” version also gives you access to additional online tests, guided practice, and a 560-question “Qbank” that can be used for creating custom quizzes.

8. Free GRE eBooks

Magoosh Free GRE eBooks-best GRE books-magoosh

Okay, they are not really books since unless you print them, you can’t physically hold them and flip through the pages (though an iPad can add a high degree of verisimilitude to the experience). Tangible or not, the eBooks are free and they provide a wealth of helpful strategies. Along with the rest of Magoosh’s free GRE resources , they are a great way to start your GRE journey, before deciding on which book to purchase. Download them from this page: Magoosh GRE eBooks . While you’re at it, check out these other free GRE study materials !

GRE Book Honorable Mentions

1. vibrant’s gre analytical writing: solutions to real essay topics books.

Vibrant GRE AWA book covers

The Vibrant AWA series is a good resource. Not because they’re perfect, but because they contain GRE sample essays—something few books have. They’ll help you craft a decent response to a range of GRE essay topics (that’s if you can ignore the formatting issues that occasionally occur here. Again, these books are not perfect).

The main book ( Vibrant Supreme ) has 145 example essays. The other two (labeled Book 1 and Book 2 ) are that same content, just split into two books. Their explanations are a little robotic and clinical, but they are thorough and clear. Some sample essays seemed a little more complex than they needed to be, but they would still be good for practice.

Vibrant breaks down pre-writing steps well with plenty of examples of how to break down a topic. One area where these books could improve is to give more information about scoring, including examples of essays that would receive other scores than a 6. Still, this book would be helpful to students who struggle with writing or are not comfortable writing in academic English.

Not required reading, but definitely helpful if you want to improve your essay score.

2. Manhattan 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

best gre review books

This book is actually quite good in many respects. And in fact, the publisher of this book is so good that we recommend using Manhattan materials in many of the Magoosh GRE study schedules . So why does this very large collection of Manhattan GRE practice problems only get honorable mention?

The truth is that this book’s Verbal practice problems have a number of problems. Unfortunately, the Verbal questions for Manhattan GRE are weak and not as GRE-like as they should be. Some light Verbal practice from this book may help you get familiar with the basic question types and formats. However, relying heavily on this book for Verbal practice will leave you ill-prepared for the real exam. ETS’s actual GRE Verbal problems are different from the ones in the Manhattan 5 lb. Book, in countless subtle-but-important ways.

Math, on the other hand, is where this book really shines. The Math problems are spot-on to the real test. All the math questions are very well designed, aptly capturing the tone, look, feel, and range of the real GRE Math section. The answer explanations are a little light, but sufficient. Given that the Quant half of this book is solid, think of the Manhattan 5 lb. Book as a Manhattan 2.5 lb. book for the purposes of your GRE prep.

For more info, see our review of the previous edition of the Manhattan GRE 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems .

3. The Princeton Review, GRE Prep, 2022-2023 Edition

Princeton Review GRE Prep 2022 cover

I somewhat like the Princeton Review books for their big-picture strategies. These strategies are mostly absent from the Official Guide (though we share similar strategies in the Magoosh GRE eBook and on the blog). The content are a little generic and could apply to most standardized tests rather than the GRE specifically. However, if you are feeling lost with test prep in general and could use some review of basic skills like interpreting questions and using process of elimination, this could be a helpful resource. There are many different editions of Princeton Review books with slightly different amounts of content and prices, which gives you some flexibility about which one to go for.

Note: the “ premium ” version of this book has two extra practice tests.

GRE Books to Avoid

There are certain GRE books that seem very accessible, in the sense that they come from major publishers, but that should be avoided . The GRE Prep and GRE Prep Plus books also have issues with their questions that are both too complex and too simple at the same time. Another to avoid is McGraw Hill’s New GRE with 8 Practice Tests. The questions are too problematic to be useful, so we recommend using one of the books from our list instead.

What makes a good GRE prep book?

What makes a good GRE prep book may seem subjective, but there are actually some pretty solid criteria we can use to rate each one with relative objectively. Here’s how we evaluated the GRE study guides out there!

  • Depth and quality of review material : Good test prep books will have in-depth overviews of the material you need to know for the GRE general test. This includes both content areas (e.g. number properties, statistics) and question formats (e.g. sentence equivalence, reading comprehension, word problems). However, longer isn’t always better: you want a book that will cover the material you’ll see on the GRE—and only that material! Extraneous explanations won’t help and could overwhelm you, making prepping for the GRE all the harder.
  • Quality of practice GRE problems : Trust us, you don’t get to be a master of quantitative comparisons, text completion questions, the analytical writing section, or…well, really any part of the GRE unless you’ve worked with test-like materials. This means that the questions should test material you’ll see on the real GRE, be formatted using GRE standards, and be of a similar difficulty level to the official exam.
  • Clarity and thoroughness of explanations : You could be working with the best-written GRE questions in the world and it wouldn’t matter if you don’t understand exactly why each correct answer is correct. As a general rule of thumb, longer, more detailed answer explanations are better—with the caveat that they should also be really clear. Ideally, they’d break down why each incorrect answer choice is wrong, as well as why the correct answer is right.
  • Number and quality of practice tests : It’s really hard to show up to the GRE exam and do well if you haven’t had practice taking lots of high-quality practice tests. Great GRE test prep books will give you at least one, and preferably more, tests with thorough answers and in-depth explanations.

More Books and Resources for GRE Prep

You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on the best GRE prep books to get a great score on the GRE. First of all, take a look at Magoosh’s post on free GRE resources .

Magoosh has a ton of great resources available on the blog for free. For a diagnostic quiz, try one or both of the following:

  • GRE Quantitative Diagnostic Test
  • GRE Verbal Diagnostic Test

How should you study for the GRE? Find out more by checking out these posts:

  • GRE Vocabuary Books
  • Barron’s GRE Book Review
  • Barron’s 1100 Book Review
  • The Manhattan 5lb Book of GRE Practice Problems Review

Follow up your reading with a full-length GRE practice test ! Browse through that post for a free GRE practice test, plus more great resources from Magoosh and ETS!

Chris Lele

Chris Lele is the Principal Curriculum Manager (and vocabulary wizard ) at Magoosh. Chris graduated from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and has 20 years of experience in the test prep industry. He’s been quoted as a subject expert in many publications, including US News , GMAC , and Business Because . In his time at Magoosh, Chris has taught countless students how to tackle the GRE , GMAT, SAT, ACT, MCAT (CARS), and LSAT exams with confidence. Some of his students have even gone on to get near-perfect scores. You can find Chris on YouTube , LinkedIn , Twitter and Facebook !

View all posts

Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Rachel is one of Magoosh’s Content Creators. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book . Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS , is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press , while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND , co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter , Instagram , or Facebook !

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173 responses to “Best GRE Prep Books 2022-2023”

Ankita Khatiwada Avatar

How to download GRE eBook: A Free, Complete Guide to the GRE

Magoosh Expert

You can find our Complete Guide to the GRE eBook here . If you want to download it, you should see a download symbol in the upper right-hand corner.

Happy studying! 😀

Dhyey Rajani Avatar

Hey Chris, I will be taking my gre in the next month and have been preparing since 4.5 months, I have actually done the whole Manhattan 5 lb book and princeton 1014 questions thoroughly.

Now I am looking for additional resources to keep my verbal skills up to date, so can u pls suggest which books I should practice??

And also I had started with Aristotle RC99 questions for the RC section of gre, is it a good book to attempt for?

Is Kaplan and barron good for practicing verbal at this stage in my preparation cycle?

Have you considered Magoosh? Our Premium program gives you access to hundreds of high quality practice questions, explanations, and expert support. We also recommend Barron’s for verbal practice.

Ripal Avatar

Hi I need much more practice in gre reading comprehension i have read ets books already but looking for another resource for gre reading comprehension. Which book would you recommend?

Hi Ripal, check out the free practice questions on our blog and our book recommendations for even more resources!

Nora McKellar Avatar

What are your thoughts on GRE Official Powerpack from ETS. It includes the Official Guide, Qualitative Reasoning Practice Questions & Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions. You’re post seemed to give them a positive review separately, would it be worth extra money, or are the three books together redundant?

Would you suggest using Magoosh along with ETS, are they complimentary in terms of studying?

We definitely recommend using ETS materials along with Magoosh. 🙂 ETS creates the GRE, so their practice questions are an invaluable resource! It also never hurts to have a multifaceted approach.

It never hurts to have access to more high-quality practice problems from ETS, so I’d recommend grabbing the PowerPack if you’re interested in it. 🙂 This is especially true if you plan on studying over a longer period (>3 months). However, if you’d rather not spend the extra cash, the Official Guide and Magoosh together will be just fine.

Hope this helps!

Sonam Sharma Avatar

Thanks for giving brief about so many GRE books. Do you have any suggestion of books to prepare for the TOEFL test?

Yes! If you head over to our TOEFL Blog, you’ll find tips, practice material and recommendations for resources, including our list of the Best TOEFL Books. 😀

shafin Avatar

hi!! i am new and i do not know anything about gre. I want to know which book should i study first and how should i study

I recommend that you start with our study plans ! We include book recommendations as well as study tips right in the schedules, so you will get a good sense of the best way to maximize your study time 🙂

naru Avatar

What is the difference in the barons 6 gre practice tests on 1st and second edition …is there any addition of practice tests or its upgrade on its corrections and explanations.please please help me on this

You should contact the book publisher directly for more information, but in general, different editions of the same test prep books usually have similar information. It probably doesn’t matter which edition you get 🙂

Pankaj Avatar

What’s your review ” GRE PREP MATH COURSE ” for the new GRE by Nova

We don’t have an official review of the Nova’s new GRE Math Prep book, but it’s definitely something we recommend to advanced math students.

Generally, if you can solve every math problem in the book, particularly the hardest ones, accurately and on pace, you should be prepared for everything on the GRE. The Nova hard questions are typically harder than what is on the GRE. 😀

Naresh Prasad Sapkota Avatar

hi, I am planning to take the Gre exam. While browsing through the books, I came across two versions of the 6 GRE Practice Tests:

1. Barrons 6 GRE Practice Tests

2.Barrons 6 GRE Practice Tests 2nd edi

What’s the difference between the two?

It would be great if you could help out.

In most cases, there is very little variation between the different versions of test prep books. There may be some new questions or different explanations, but the basic structure and quality of the books will be the same regardless of what version you buy. There may be more differences between the Barron’s books (you should contact the publisher directly for more information), but our review should still be appropriate for any of these versions.

Amir Avatar

I just checked the GRE blog after a long time and noticed the last post was for several months ago! Previously Magoosh team was posting more, at least once every other day. Has the blog address changed?? Thanks.

Every Magoosh blog “ebbs and flows.” Sometimes we’ll have very regular posts, an sometimes blog posts will slow down and even stop for a stretch of time. When new blog posts stop, we generally focus instead on updating existing blog posts. We’ve been adding updates to many blog posts in the last several months, including this one. And don’t worry– we’ll be back for more all-new blog posts eventually. In the mean time, I suggest browsing our blog archives– there are probably some helpful past posts in there that you haven’t seen yet. 🙂

Kai Avatar

What are your thoughts on new GRE books from Powerscore?

We don’t currently have any reviews for PowerScore’s GRE books and program, but I will let our content team know so that the can check it out! We do have a review for their LSAT material , which might indicate that their paragraph argument questions are pretty good. I haven’t seen their materials myself, and many of our review focus on the more ‘mainstream’ test prep companies, so I’m afraid I don’t have any more information for you. Sorry about that!

Sab Avatar

Why is the Manhattan 5 Lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems not mentioned? Any specific reasons

That’s a really good question! I’ll double-check on that with Chris Lele and follow up with you here in the comments, SAB.

I just checked in with Chris. He points out that the Manhattan GRE 5 lb. book doesn’t quite make the cut because its Verbal questions are a bit weak. But the math in that book is incredible. And for that reason, Chris says he is considering updating the article to give Manhattan 5 lb. an honorable mention. In the mean time, you can get more info on the book by reading Chris’s full review of the Manhattan 5 lb Book of GRE Practice Problems .

Mercedes Avatar

The McGraw Hill book got a D- overall and, according to the review, there is literally not one redeemable quality. I don’t know why it would even be on the list. It seems the 5lb book would be a good replacement. Juuust saying. To use a GRE word: Don’t mean to come off as churlish or brusque. haha

You may have a point about McGraw Hill’s inclusion in this list. I’ll check with our editors on possible removing McGraw Hill from the honorable mention section… or at least providing some explanation as to why it’s included, similar to the extra qualifiers we added for Princeton Review, in spite of its negative rating on the main review page for it.

Nigar Avatar

Hello Magoosh team, I think that the big book of ETS old esition’s reading passages are more difficult Then new one? New GRE readings are general not very in detail like old one?

What you say about this? O think it is more complicated and waste of time? İts readings are as difficult as Baroons verbal book which is not recomennded Thanks for answer Sincerely

Great question! You can read our full review of the Big Book here . I think that blog post will answer most of your questions! You are right that the passages and questions in the Big Book will not be exactly like those that you find on the current GRE, which tends to have more straightforward passages. The questions are also slightly difference. However, if you really need to more RC practice questions and have access to this book, it can be a good option as long as you understand these limitations 🙂

Ramin Avatar

Hello, I Want to get Magoosh online recourse. I dedicated my most time to vocabulary and studied Barrons 800 word Manhatans 500 essential and 500 adcance words. İs this the right time to start for GRE practice tests or should I dedicate myself to further studying the vocabulary? Thanks for answer

Since you’re a potential Magoosh student, I forwarded your question on to our team of tutors so that they can give you a more comprehensive answer! You should hear from them soon 🙂

Sia Avatar

I am planning to write the Gre exam. While browsing through the books, I came across two versions of the GRE OFFICIAL guide:

1. Official guide to Gre by ETS 3rd edition

2. Official guide to Gre by ETS 3rd edition-Indian edition

What’s the difference between the two? What’s with the Indian edition?

Happy to help 🙂 I have actually never heard of the “Official guide to Gre by ETS 3rd edition-Indian edition,” and since it is not included in the ETS Store , it is not Official ETS Material. My best guess is that a third party company (NOT ETS) is trying to market their book as official ETS material by adding “Indian edition” to the end, but there is no differentiation between Official Guides in different countries–there is only one! 😀

Asa Singh Avatar

Hi, The Indian edition is the same as the international one, printed by Mc Graw Hill, but intended to be sold only in the Indian subcontinent, i.e. India and a few of its neighboring countries.

Michelle Avatar

Hi there, I have a question about the numbers 3 and 4 on the list: Do they complete each other or is there a great overlap?

I already have number 3; The Official GRE book. I will only take part in the quantitative section, do you think it is a good idea to also buy Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning? I am scared it will be too much like the general Official GRE book and therefore a waste of money.

Looking forward to hearing what you think. Thanks in advance.

There is considerable overlap between them, so you do not necessarily want to buy all of the texts.

weikuang Avatar

Notice that The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test, 2nd Edition has a newer edition (3rd edition). Would you recommend that over the 2nd? Also, given that there are so many books, which are the few materials you think I can just focus on to get the best out of it. Say just getting the The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test and magoosh prep?

I have also checked on the study guide, but notice that they are pretty outdated (dated 2011 for the 2-3 months prep. Could you advise me on the latest study guide?

Much appreciate your help. Thank you

You’ve made some very astute observations! All of the editions of the Official Guide are basically the same–you can use either the 2nd or 3rd edition without missing out on much! The main purpose of the Official Guide is to practice questions from ETS, so you can use any of the editions after 2012 🙂

You can definitely prepare well for the GRE with Magoosh and the Official Guide (any edition)–in fact, these are the only required materials and many students reach their target score with just these materials. We sometimes recommend that students use other materials based on the length of their study and how much improvement they want to see, but you can absolutely get all of the study you need with Magoosh and the OG 🙂

Our study plans were originally written in 2011 (the date on the blog post) but have been regularly updated since then to reflect changes in the GRE as well as updated content in Magoosh! We aren’t able to change the date of publication, but we usually show the date when we updated it in the first paragraph. For example, the 3-month daily beginner’s plan was updated in June 2015 🙂

Thank you for the reply. Understood, will plan accordingly to the guide and also purchase those two books. One qns I have is the difference between the book “GRE Prep By Magoosh” and the online GRE Prep. Since the book is a paperform of the online GRE Prep, the videos for the lessons on the concepts should be contained in the book (but in words and charts)? Reason I ask is because the guide is using the online GRE Prep and not the book. Thus, was pondering if I should just purchase the online product, however personally, I prefer hard copy than soft for study. Appreciated

Hi Weikuang,

Good question! The book is like the “greatest hits” of the online platform, but it contains far less than the online program does. So it would not be possible to follow an entire study plan with just the book. They are complementary, but the book form is not comprehensive.

Madison Avatar

I am just starting to study for the GRE and have 4 months to prepare (I plan on studying 198-240 hours). I am trying to figure out what prep material would be best to purchase for the time I have, do you have any suggestions? Would you suggest buying the ETS Super Pack or the Manhattan Series of 8 or both? I have already bought the Magoosh GRE Prep and Barron’s GRE Essential Words.

Thank you so much!

The ETS Super Pack is something you definitely can’t go wrong with, Madison. Manhattan’s series is good too, although Manhattan is a bit stronger in Quant than Verbal. (Their Quant questions are 100% GRE-like, whereas their Verbal practice questions miss the mark on occasion.)

You may want to also check out our official Magoosh GRE Study Plans . Each study plan lists various recommended materials. Since you have 4 months to study, either our 3 month plans or our 6 month plans might have a good checklist of study materials that you could use in your own 4 month plan.

Maxi Avatar

Thoughts on Gruber’s GRE guide? I personally think his Verbal questions are horrible but his math questions are great. 6 years ago I used him and got a 93% Verbal and 90% Math. I’m wondering if using some of your guides might increase my score? Obviously the 5 year valid period has ended so I need to take it again 🙁

Based on Chris’s analysis, he recommend that you do not use Gruber. Specifically, the questions are substandard to the point that it may actually hurt your performance on actual GRE questions. He recommends that you stick with the trusted resources. I hope this helps! 🙂

Sai Sandeep Avatar

As many books of GRE offer a wide gamut of questions on verbal but do not actually match and hone in on the level of verbal questions that appear on the actual GRE, could you kindly recommend the best books that reflect our true GRE verbal potential and thereby help in getting a higher verbal score on the actual GRE? Thanks in advance.

Best regards, Sai Sandeep.

Great question, Sandeep. As we’ve earned firsthand at Magoosh, it’s hard to find– or create– really excellent mock GRE Verbal material. But there certainly is som decent practice Verbal content out there.

I recommend the following three resources: the official GRE books from ETS (Verbal Questions, OG), the Manhattan GRE Verbal books, and Magoosh’ own materials– our new GRE book, and our free GRE ebooks.

You can find the official books, Manhattan books, and Magoosh resources all listed above. Hope this helps!

sumaiya Avatar

Hi Chris. So, you purport to have “reviewed the all best GRE prep books over the years.” Good, because I need your help with identifying an author of a specific GRE prep book from 1996. I hope you are up for this challenge. The book was your standard large test prep book with over 200 pages. What made it unique was that it was written by someone who had been in the business for a couple decades, I believe even helping to create the tests at College Board. And the format was a lot of graphics and comics and jokes peppered throughout the instruction section, with practice tests in the back. The book was also organized by the different test sections: verbal, quantitative and analytical (multiple choice, no writing) . I know the author was male, but I cannot for the life of me remember his name or the name of the book. There were many editions, and probably even after 1996. So, do you have any idea who wrote this book or which GRE prep book I may be referring to? Thank you in advance.

Oops. I meant ETS, not College Board.

That book sounds really, REALLY interesting. Obviously a GRE book that old isn’t that useful today, since the GRE was a very different animal 21 years ago. But it could be useful to know the name of the book and author. If this author is still producing GRE materials today, he’s probably making some fantastic stuff.

I’ve emailed Chris to see if he knows about this book or author. If he has any info, I’ll come back and post it here. In the mean time, do any of our other readers know what this book is? If so, post the info here in the comments.

Shannon Avatar

Hi! Any word yet on the Magoosh GRE book? When can we expect it? Thanks!

Hi Shannon,

The book is set to go live on Amazon in early February! Keep your eyes out for it 🙂

An addendum: I’ve heard from Chris. Unfortunately, he’s not sure about this book either. The book was apparently before his time, before he’d even taken the GRE. He tried to research the book online or match up its description to a currently active GRE prep author, but wasn’t able to find anything.

Chris agrees that this sounds like a pretty awesome book, well worth remembering. So again, if anyone else knows about this 1990s era GRE book, let us know in the comments.

Shota Avatar

Hello Mr. Chris. I recently did my math tests of kaplan and got more then 85 percenile and I think that the question is a littile bit easier then I encountered at the test centre last year. I want your idea about?

Besides, I got a book of manhatan and I think that their text completion and equivalency words are pretty higher level. I am confued. What should I do? I also will buy magoosh onlline resourse and whant your idea?

The last question: How to improve my Verbal? I studied Barron’s 800 words. Besides, I want Manhatan’s essential and advanced flashcards and downloaded also magoosh world lis. As I understand most words are the same in all resourses I mentioned. There are about 80 percent overlapping. Do you think that learning these words is enough for verbal part of GRE ?

Sincerely, Shota

These are all excellent questions! You were astute to recognize that the Kaplan test questions are easier than those found on the actual GRE. This is true of Kaplan materials: they provide decent practice for those who are just starting to study, but aren’t difficult enough to simulate what you will find on the actual GRE. I recommend that you look for materials that are more challenging and authentic. You can see our full review here .

The Manhattan text completion and sentence equivalence questions are also not as strong as they should be. Manhattan does a great job in the math section, but the verbal section is not as strong. This is because their questions are based on difficult vocab instead of difficult sentence contexts. A few years ago, the GRE changed a lot and they started to focus more on vocabulary in context instead of just knowing the definitions of a difficult words. You may have found the Manhattan questions difficult because they focus on obscure vocabulary, and this is no longer the focus of the GRE. You can read more about this in our review.

This is why learning vocabulary by itself is NOT a good strategy! You are correct that many word lists have overlapping words because the same words seem to come up on the test over and over. However, just learning the definitions won’t help you because the GRE is testing your overall reading comprehension skills. Learning words is important, but the BEST way to improve your verbal score is to read as MUCH as possible! We recommend that students read at least 30-60 minutes per day. We have tons of resources that can help you find good reading sources and strategies. Remember: your goal is to improve your overall reading comprehension skills and your ability to understand complex sentences and difficult vocabulary in context.

I am so happy to hear that you are considering Magoosh! Our comprehensive GRE program includes video lessons, over 1100 practice questions and support from our expert team of tutors. You can give us a try with a free trial to see if we might work for you! As for how to get started with studying, I suggest that you check out our suggested study schedules to get an idea of how we recommend that you prepare for the GRE. And if you have any questions about getting started, you can send us an email at [email protected] 🙂

samia Avatar

Hi Chris, Thanks for your help.can you tell me where I can find Magoosh GRE Book.Also,is it the same book that they referred to in Magoosh GRE prep? Thanks in advance

Happy to help. 🙂 The current edition of our main ebook– the one that’s referenced in our study schedules– can be found here: Magoosh’s Complete Guide to the GRE . Our big new Magoosh GRE eBook will be coming out soon (2017) as mentioned in this blog post.

Sudip Avatar

Hi Chris, I have been preparing for the test and really thankful to the whole Magoosh team for rendering such excellent strategies for Verbal and Math section. Also your video explanations are very comprehensive and intelligible. However, is RC 99 from Aristotle prep suitable for RC in GRE? A recent test taker, who is about to attend University of Louisiana at Monroe, has recommended me this RC 99 for RC. Please help in this regard. In addition, I did not find any review about his book in Magoosh GRE Blog. Thanks Sudip

I’m glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying our resources thus far! I hope that we continue to be a valuable resource in your studies. With regard to RC 99, I would actually not recommend this resource for your GRE preparations as it is actually quite different from how reading comprehension is presented in the GRE. Specifically, outside of Magoosh material, I would recommend the Official Guide (ETS) and Manhattan as other good resources for your reading comprehension practice.

In addition, I would check out this post from the founder of Aristotle Prep who actually recommends that students do not use RC 99 for GRE preparation.

James Avatar

Thanks for these excellent posts.

I had a little question, though.

Apart from using Magoosh which is an incredible resource, I’d like to ask you whether it makes sense to scrutinize not only Manhattan’s GRE Math guides but also Manhattan’s GMAT Math guides? I have both sets.

Thanks so much for advice 😉

Best Wishes

Chris Lele

I don’t think it would hurt at all. Esp. on those sections you would want more insight into. There may be another technique you find in there that is more helpful. Personally, I’m not a fan of Manhattan’s overuse of tables–though that might work for you.

Hope that helps 🙂

Gabriel Avatar

I am starting to study for the GRE at the moment, and I am thinking about reading the Manhattan GRE Series (MGRE), ETS Official Guide and magooshs Free GRE eBooks.

Do you have any sugestion of books to prepare for the TOEFL test?

Hi Gabriel,

I know it’s not a book, but we (Magoosh) just released a TOEFL product 🙂

For books, there is an Official Guide, released by ETS, the writers of the test. I’d rely on that. But for a full review of the books, this should be helpful:

https://magoosh.com/toefl/toefl-book-reviews/

Tafadzwa Negonde Avatar

Greetings from Zimbabwe! Firstly, I want to thank you for this great website and for the advice that your generously share to many people. I have a quick question. In Zimbabwe the GRE is paper based. Do you have any recommendations on the best GRE prep books to use to prepare for the paper based test? I am particularly interested in the Practice tests as I have noted that most reviews and resources pertain to the other GRE computer adaptive tests. Your responses will be much appreciated.

Hi Tafadzwa,

For paper-based test, you should get the Official Guide to the GRE by ETS. It has strategies and questions by the test writers themselves. There are also two full-length practice tests at the end, so this is the book for you 🙂

Doug Avatar

I had a simple question regarding the Manhattan “self-study” prep course. I was considering purchasing it along with several of the other study materials your recommended. However, I wanted to first ask if you or anyone at Magoosh has had any experience with it. It seems that most of the Manhattan material has received very positive reviews but I was wondering specifically about their computer adaptive practice test and the quality of them. After all the majority of their self-study course material can be purchased separately at a much cheaper price. As far as I could see the only things you get extra are the 6 practice tests and lecture recordings. I just wanted to know if it was worth the price or not.

I’d definitely recommend the tests. They are good practice for test day. The quant is even a little bit harder, so that should make the real test seem a little easier. The verbal is not as strong, but there are some pretty decent questions. All in all, worth the investment, given that you only have to buy one of the 8 books to get access to all 6 tests.

Hope that helps!

Shan Avatar

I purchased ETS: The Official Guide to the GRE 2nd Ed. because it seemed to be the best when it comes to quality of GRE questions. I also purchased Cracking the GRE because I thought it would be the best for strategies, but I’m now thinking I might return it and instead use online ebooks for good strategies. Would this be the best way to study for the GRE, or would you recommend another book for strategies?

I typically only recommend PR to lower scoring students, or those who are very new test prep. The strategies in the PR aren’t that nuanced, so you would be better off relying on e-books for strategies (or even this blog).

As long you have the ETS guide for questions, you should be good 🙂

Ashley Avatar

This is a great article to see which resources are helpful. I was recently talking to my friend and he told me kaplan quiz bank really helped him. He told me it is costly but it is worth it to do well on the GRE and he did pretty well. I already bought the Manhattan and have the ETS revised edition, I don’t mind putting the money towards another resource that will be helpful. Have you heard of quiz bank? Any suggestions on preparing for the verbal section? The verbal section is the section I need to practice. Thank you for posting a great article on the GREs, I know it helped narrow some of the resources I saw at B&N.

Sambit Shankar Pattnaik Avatar

Hi Magoosh!,

I am already a huge fan 🙂 Love the way you present everything, those free e-books and explanations are a bliss. I have got a pdf version of the Gruber’s Complete GRE Guide 2014. Is it good, shall I ue it or shall I stick to Official Guide and 5lbs ? Please suggest 🙂

Thanks for the kind words 🙂

As for Gruber’s do not use it: the questions are substandard to the point that it may actually hurt your performance on actual GRE questions.

So just stick to those trusted sources 🙂

Marina Avatar

I would like to know if you can recommend any GRE prep course in London. My goal is to score as high as possible, so I am looking for the most effective one.

Rachel Wisuri

Hey Marina!

Chris is on vacation, so I’ll be answering this for him. 🙂

We’re not familiar with the test prep scene in London, but we do know a lot about online prep. 🙂 I’d suggest either checking out our product ( http://gre.magoosh.com/plans ) or Manhattan’s ( http://www.manhattanprep.com/GRE/ ). Hope that helps!

Best, Rachel

Karishma Avatar

Hi Chris, Can you suggest which book is best for practicing permutations combinations and probability based problems? Please help my GRE’s less than 1 month away

Hi Karishma,

The only significant sources would be MGRE 5 lbs. book and the Nova’s manual (I’d pick up the GMAT one for comb./perm. practice). This blog also has lots of stuff on these subjects, so you should practice using those (as I see you’re doing already :)).

Thanks Chris! The content in Manhattan and Nova is pretty deep and insightful. Just started NOVA and liked the way they have explained each problem step by step..both books cover more than 100 problems so it doesn’t seem any GRE type problem on Probability will be untouched.

You are welcome! Glad those books are helping out 🙂

Aviram Avatar

You can also look at the excellent tutorials offered by Khan Academy on the subject, which include permutations, combinations, and probability. I’ve used it extensively.

Margarette Jung

Khan Academy is excellent– Magoosh highly recommends it! 🙂

Yes I have already viewed some of the views when I was googling for certain concepts and techniques. It is quite good! Thanks Aviram!

Amfrit Avatar

hello friends,

IF books are available online free then what is the use for paying for the same book. also please suggest me books for gre preparation..

Katherine Avatar

Do you recommend purchasing all these books? I am already signing up to take Magoosh .

pavan Avatar

My comments are not making it through they still appear ” under moderation” please delete the previous comments.

I recently gave my gre and scored a 308( Q 153 and V 155 ), I am looking out for your suggestions on improving my Quant score,Math seems really intimidating to me.

I did all the problems from 5 lb and also from the 6 MGRE Quant books,Yet my scores in Quant refuse to improve.

I think I seriously need some practice,What books would you suggest so that I can practice more and score a 160+ in Quant ? Or how do I figure out what I am making wrong ?

p.s. I have a time frame of 2-3 months and I can spend 2-3 hours everyday exclusively for Quant,Verbal is not an issue for me as I am an avid follower of Magoosh and it will help me crack 160 in Verbal this time. So would you reckon I follow the 90 day advance plan ?

Also do you reckon I wait for the NEW(2014) GRE Books by ETS and then give the test after I practice them?

Mohit Bumb Avatar

Great book thanks 🙂

You are welcome!

James Avatar

Hey Chris I am just starting to look for study materials for the GRE that I am taking at the end of the month and I am a little overwhelmed by all of the materials out there. I am going to get The Official Guide to the GRE® revised General Test, Second Edition and also sign up for the “Magoosh Premium” plan. I have limited time to study because I also have finals coming up so I want to just make sure that I am making the most of my study time. Do you think the combination of the 2 resources is my best bet?

Nivedita Avatar

I am currently using Magoosh Prep and the ETS Original Guide for reference. I want to know what can i use for advanced Math prep in terms of harder questions. I am aiming really high (90,95th percentile) and have finished with the basic math prep already.

Please advice

Hi Nivedita,

The MGRE math questions are great. There are few scattered about in the 5 lbs. guide, and the ones on the practice tests are good too (there are a number of challenging ones in there).

You might also want to check out official GMAT questions (you can find them in the 13th edition of the Official Guide).

Finally, there are Nova quetions. They are based on the old GRE, but there are some tough ones in there.

grestudent Avatar

I have the MGRE 5lbs book and the 8 MGRE study guide besides the internet.Would that suffice to get a decent score in GRE??

BTW I am unable to make any posts as I don’t know why it does not appear even after moderation!!!

It seems like your comment got through :).

Sure, I think that’s plenty of resources. Though, technically speaking, I think every student should take a practice test from ETS, whether it is from the official guide or the one available online for free.

Milind Avatar

Hey, can you tell me how good are gretutor.com full length tests ? & thanks magoosh is best, I am using your free books they are just awesome. & video explaination are too good . you are really good people. thank you 😀

So I spent about 10-15 minutes going through the verbal questions. I would not recommend anyone use these questions. The TC/SE are nothing like what you’ll see on the exam (some archaic words, more focus on really hard vocabulary vs. sentence structure–which is written in a down-to-earth colloquial tone. The GRE style is very different.

I didn’t look at the RC as much. Since I ran out of my free question limit. The passages didn’t look bad, but based on my experience with TC/SE, I’m not that optimistic :).

Hope that helps, and thanks for the kind words 🙂

Thank you very much sir, for taking such efforts for me. u r really nice person. if I get low score I will definitely buy Magoosh, I have only 3 days left, till day before yesterday I didn’t knew much about magoosh but for now I know one thing that magoosh people are there to help…………thanks, you have saved my much valuable time by evaluating (that) website

Glad I could help! I’m always looking for new material out there, whether to encourage students to use or to warn against using.

Yep, we are always here to help! Good luck on the test :).

Cheryl Avatar

Based on your review I just bought the The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test, 2nd Edition. I am also going to download the Magoosh GRE eBooks. Can you recommend any particular set of flash cards that I could purchase or program that I can download to my phone. I like to carry them (or my phone) around and go through them when I’m standing line, at lunch during work, etc.

Sure! We actually have a great flashcard app. Just look for it on either the Apple or the Droid/Google platforms. If for some reason you can’t find it, let me know :).

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions along the way.

You guys are awesome!!

oluwakemi Avatar

hi, i really found this peice useful and also the testimonials from different people scoring high has further encouraged me to take the test. i have an engineering background so my maths knowledge is average but my vocabulary is zero. i have barely a month to prepare for GRE and i see you have highly reccommended Magoosh test prep and GRE official guide but as it is at the moment i cant afford both of them so i would like to know which one would be most useful especially for the verbal section and with the little time left. thanks.

Hi Oluwakemi,

I”m glad the Magoosh blog has encouraged you to take the test :).

For material, the Magoosh ebooks listed above are absolutely free! That way, you only need to spend money on the Official GRE Guide, something I highly recommend you buy.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions along the way 🙂

Tejas Avatar

Excellent material! Thenks for sharing it for free 🙂

Manish A. Avatar

Thank you so much for taking your time and writing this post..so i have a question… I was just wondering if magoosh is the right place to start your GRE prep? What i meant was ,i know that magoosh is probably the best source out there for GRE,but is it right place to “START” things off?

I am bad in both quant and verbal section (its been 4 yrs,since I have done any math),so i thought I would start with the much easier books such as Kaplan..once i get hold of it,i would start studying from much more difficult sources such as magoosh….

So what are your thoughts on this? Should i just start off right away from magoosh resources or should i refer to much easier sources such as Kaplan and then make a transition to magoosh?? Please provide your suggestion,since I am a kinda confused!

Regards, Manish A.

That’s a great question!

Magoosh starts off very basic, go over the fundamentals. More advanced student skip much of these lesson videos and dive straight into the questions. So even if you are just starting off, Magoosh will take you from the most elementary building blocks–in both quant and verbal–and build up the most difficult.

I’d say start with Magoosh and one of the books out there. I’d recommend the Manhattan series, perhaps just getting one or two books in the sections that you are struggling most in.

Let me know how that sounds 🙂

Sai Avatar

Hi Chris, You have been doing a great job in patiently answering each one of us. That is so generous of you. Getting to my point, I am from India where English is not the mother tongue. I plan to take GRE in May or June. I want to go to a good University for MS, which means I will have to aim for really good score. I have boon so confused with planning my preparation, books to use and how to write essays etc.. So it would be great if you can give me your suggestions….And I did take a trial subscription of Magoosh and it was great by the way..

So the Magoosh subscription should answer many of your questions. As for books, the ones I mention in this post are the ones you should use. The Magoosh ebooks, which are free, will give you a lot of structure (they are at the top of the page). After reading these, if you still confused about how to prepare, and can tell me what you are specifically confused about, I would love to help :).

Arun Avatar

Hi Chris, I find your recommendations for effective GRE preparation and reviews on books quite helpful. In your recommendation you have mentioned LSAT guides too so when you say LSAT books, which book are you actually referring to and how can I use those LSAT books for better GRE preparation.

Hani Avatar

I’m ok with all types of questions in math section except the probability and combination questions, do you recoommand a specific books that teach in deep this types of questions with a lot of examples.

Thank you Hani

The MGRE 5 lbs. book has quite a few of these question types. Better yet, there are about 20+ combination/permutations/probability questions floating around the Magoosh blog. Some are easy, some are very, very difficult.

aqd Avatar

If you want to study probability and combinatorics deeply then William Feller’s Probability theory and its application is the best book. But it is a very difficult book

Stu Avatar

I’ve been using a combination of ETS, Magoosh and the Manhattan Prep stuff, as suggested on here, and I have to say, I agree completely. I recently tried the Princeton practice questions online and they were awful, whilst I was scoring in the 160s on the Manhattan/ETS practice ones, suddenly after a Princeton I was on 152, after going back over them realizing some of the questions in the free practice tests were wrong!

All credit to Magoosh, ETS and Manhattan if I get a good score! Stay away from Princeton!

Thanks for sharing, Stu. I agree. Basically, TPR should only be used by students who are scoring really low in math and need a refresher. But if they are serious about breaking 145, then they need to use other prep material.

Good luck on your test :)!

Stu Avatar

Ended up getting a 166 (700) for the verbal, 162 (775) for the quantitative and 6.0 for the essays! Cheers for your help dude! Would definitely recommend the advice on here to anyone.

Hey Stu! That’s awesome, congrats! 🙂

Ross Avatar

Thank You guys! The e books are simply great.This is a brilliant web site. I like it a lot. Thanks for all the help!

You’re welcome!

Ravy Avatar

Hi Chris, Its been a while since I purchased the Magoosh GRE (Verbal) subscription, but could not get time to prepare at all. Now, that I am willing to start my preparations, I would like to ask about what books are best for the Verbal section. I have not currently purchased any of the book and is bit confused about what books should I refer to for my verbal preparations. I have one and half months to prepare for the Verbal section and can devote around 6-7 hours (or may be more) a day for my preparation. I need to score atleast 165 in the verbal section.

Also, the Barron’s GRE 20th Edition (released on June 1, 2013, available on Amazon.com) is out, what are your reviews about this new edition? Should I consider purchasing Barron’s?

Please provide the final list of all the books I should consider purchasing for my preparations.

For verbal prep, in addition to Magoosh, definitely use the GRE Official Guide, as well as the two practice tests. For tough verbal content, I’d recommend using the GMAT Official Guide, for both the Critical Reasoning questions and the Reading Comp. You should also pick up an LSAT book with official tests.

All this material should be more than adequate to help you nail the 165.

As for the Barron’s 20th edition, it is no different than the 19th edition. At most, they typically just clean up a typo or two.

Hari Avatar

I do have a question at the end of this (You can skip to it if the review section is too long:-)). But I thought I should share my experience with GRE prep. Since I tried a bit of many things, I hope this helps someone looking for a prep combination ideal to their stituation.

I am giving my GRE in another 3 weeks. I studied for about 5 months and combined all the well-known prep-courses (except Manhattan). I also took a power prep test last week. Here’s a brief idea of what I feel about the courses. I must also add (being a computer science engineer), I am pretty well-versed at Math and I only needed lessons on advanced Math concepts and some practice.

Princeton – Too basic. Especially the Math. Good for recapitulating the very basics, but way too much stress on it. Verbal is better but still lacks challenging content and GRE specific practice.

Kaplan – Much better than princeton. Very good online quiz bank (especially quant). Has slightly tougher verbal but still lags behind in giving real test-like questions, especially in text completion and sentence equivalence.

Barrons – The book isn’t too bad. Amazing online content though. Especially for verbal. Test-like TC and SE questions and tough RC questions as well. However, based on the power prep test, it looks like barron’s focuses more on abstract analysis of the passage rather than objective and astute analysis of its structure and content. They have great full practice tests too.

Magoosh (Have only been through the trail version) – Nice questions. Tough Math and challenging verbal questions. I must favor Barron’s just for SE and TC though since they are more test like. But the few RC questions that I did were very good and power-prep-like. Basically, the RC questions look like they would be perfect practice for the GRE.

Finally, the question..

I feel pretty confident about Quant reasoning (Generally have scored 167-170 on all practice tests). I’ve made big strides in verbal too,from an average 150 (princeton free online test) to 165 in power prep (though I feel luck had something to do with this as well). The TC and SE questions on power prep were a big shock to me since they were nothing like the ones I had practiced in any prep course (except Barron’s). RC was a surprise too but a pleasant one because it was very well structured and the questions were based on logic. Needless to say, I fared well in RC (19 out of 20) and fell behind in TC and SE. I need some finishing touches on Verbal. I will probably take the online verbal-only course from Magoosh for some more reading comprehension practice. But I need some advice on where I can get some real GRE-like questions on text completion and sentence equivalence. Barron’s has some good questions but I am running out of them.

Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for sharing your insights on GRE prep material. It is always good to hear from a student who has spent much time assiduously reviewing the content :).

So in answer to your question: Definitely use the MGRE practice tests. Their verbal questions, especially the Text Completions and the Sentence Equivalence are very tough. I don’t think they are very “Power Prep-y”, as they sometimes employ obscure vocabulary (but to a much lesser degree than the SE/TC guide). Oftentimes, the sentence structure is so convoluted as to be contrived…but those quibbles aside, the MRE TC/SE are solid.

I’d also recommend giving Magoosh TC/SE a second look. To experiment, I just signed up for a free trial and got five practice questions, most of which weren’t necessarily amongst are better questions/”Power Prep-y”. (Our most difficult question, in which fewer 10% of test takers answered correctly, also showed up — no Power Prep question is that tough. Hence not a very “Power Prep-y” question). Of course if, after you peruse our questions more, you still feel we are below the mark, let me know. I’d greatly appreciate your keen feedback :).

That said, there really isn’t much else out there. Sure, there is veritable raft of GRE verbal questions but most, as far as the TC/SE are concerned, are not even up to Kaplan standards.

Good luck, and let me know how your experience goes 🙂

Sunny Avatar

I would like to “Thank you” for your efforts before I ask anything 🙂

I have read almost all the reviews about GRE prep materials but now I am confuse. I am good in maths but verbal section is my weakness. Since I do have sufficient time in hand, I want to do my best to get 330+.

Can you please suggest me some good materials for verbal section? I don’t know how to start with it and in what order. It may sound a dumb question to you 🙁 , but I will appreciate your help.

Based on the reviews I have made following plan but I think I will have to add some more to it.

For Maths – MGRE 6 Books and Online test – Magoosh Practice set – ETS Tests

For verbal – Barrons 1100 words – MGRE Flash cards – Magoosh Practice set – Read The Newyork Times and The Economist

For math, the list you have is excellent.

For verbal, I’d include the Manhattan practice tests, which, generally speaking, have a higher question quality verbal-wise than do the books (the MGRE books are great for guidance, though sometimes the questions are lacking).

That should really do the trick. Of course, we can revisit this list, if, after significant practice, you don’t feel you are edging toward your goal.

Let me know how it goes :)!

Thanks Chris 🙂

You are welcome! Good luck!

muns Avatar

hi chris i’m concerned as acc. to ur reviews there is not even a single book which is upto the standards of actual gre verbal questions could u tel me which comes closes to the revised gre

The Official Guide by ETS (they write the test) provides questions that are up to standards :). There is quite a lot of verbal content spread over the book and the two Powerprep tests. Offhand, I’d say there are over 250 verbal questions written by ETS for the revised GRE.

I’m preparing for the GRE now, and I’m studying (math ) from Kaplan, barrons, Magoosh, princeton, and Manhattan. I can say that the best are Manhattan, Maggosh, and princeton. Manhattan have some difficult questions that discouraged me. Kaplan and barrons have easy questions not that difficult and far away from the real test.

Thanks for your input! With that potent cocktail of prep resources, you should do well!

bablu Avatar

good luck hanni

Wassim Avatar

Hi Chris- I’ll be attending grad school in the fall and will need to have the GRE exam done in 3 months. its been 8 years since i completed my BA and i am a bit rusty . I would describe myself as above average in Math but on the verbal i may need some help. English is not my first language but I’ve lived in the US for almost 15 years.

i am trying to have all basis covered in my prep and i am confused with all the prep books out there. I do see that the Manhattan GRE is very good but lacks good practice problems and the verbal can be intimidating but good correct? i also the Magoosh GRE is a favorite of course and i don’t mind doing that but they both come with a price !

Currently i am thinking of getting either the MGRE or the Magoosh online but i can’t do both and supplement those with other prep books ( ETS official and the 5ib Manhattan practice tests)

would this be a good plan? i had two friends recommend the Kaplan but i am not reading great reviews as the MGRE.

Thank you for your help !

Going with either MGRE or Magoosh will be a good plan. Even without extra supplementary material that should be fine. However, I still encourage getting the ETS Official Guide. It’s a must!

As for Kaplan, I’m not a big fan–though I’ve heard their online stuff is better than their book stuff.

NEYOLA Avatar

I need to write the GRE within the next three months and would be interested in getting the highest scores possible within the range of 750-800 for quantitative and 650-750 for verbal. I know you don’t know my level in those 2 areas now and I must say I am kinda ‘match rusty’ having not written online tests in a while.

I am better in quantitative than verbal and i would really appreciate a systematic guide to ace the test and the required resources. I am not too worried about the cost of the required books for the test.

Actually, the test has changed a lot — it is no longer out of 1600. Instead, it is out of 340, 170 for the math and 170 for verbal. While the test is different, scoring well is still a priority for most. A great way to do so is by reading our ebooks, which will familiarize you with the test: the format, the best study resources, and the best ways to go about studying.

https://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-reading-comprehension-passage-outlines/

Let me know if you have any questions along the way :).

eunice Avatar

When you mention MGRE guides, is that the Manhattan prep you are talking about? Or does the M stand for Magoosh?

I only have $ to purchase one book, unfortunately, and am debating between the Barron and the PR. I have taken the old GRE before and scored poorly on quant, at ~50 percentile. However, I’m thinking that if Barron’s is denser in content, it would prepare me better for the actual day whereas if I purchase the PR I might need supplementary material. I know it’s hard for you to make a call, but I’m wondering if you have any thoughts based on the above…

Tangentially, if I did the Magoosh online courses, would that alone be sufficient to give me a good score on the GREs?

Thank you again so much, Chris!

Those are all good questions!

I think I’d choose Barron’s over PR just because you get more questions, questions that are similar in difficulty to those you’ll see test day.

The Magoosh courses definitely would be sufficient. Our lesson videos (they describe all the math fundamentals you need to know for the GRE) are more comprehensive than either Barron’s or TPR. We have about 500 math questions, which is definitely more than Princeton Review. Probably more than Barron’s book, but I’d have to count.

Finally, in regards to your first question, the ‘M’ in MGRE stands for Manhattan.

Good luck, and let me know what you decide to do :)!

Thanks for this blog! Just a quick question — in the article above, you say that the PR general review deserves a somewhat honorable mention bc it is better than many of the other material out there, but when I read your book reviews, it seems you give the Barron’s a generally better score yet you don’t mention it in this list — could I know which book would you recommend I invest in if I only had enough money for one?

And in addition, do you know whether there is much difference between the Barron’s 19th edition (which you reviewed) and the newer 20th edition?

I only have the 19th edition, but typically–which I guess means almost always–the follow-up guides are the exact same as the previous years. Back during the old GRE, the PR and Barron’s 1999 GRE guides were no different from 2007 ones. That doesn’t mean Barron’s is completely stagnant on the content front. They have released Verbal and Math workbooks (the verbal should be avoid), and the Barron’s 6 practice tests (which are ok).

Great question! I think I should have been more specific when I said that PR general review gets an honorable mention. From the standpoint of good high-level strategies and content that is sort of like “training wheels” for the GRE, PR is great. So if you are a student who has traditionally struggled with standardized tests and are starting around the 140-level, then TPR is a good book. For that matter the Barron’s is too, but I think the Barron’s is less focused on general strategies and more focused on content (which is slightly more difficult than TPR). But since Barron’s content is better, I originally have it a higher score.

If you had to choose one, I think it depends on your level. Either way, I would recommend at some juncture picking up one of the MGRE guides based on the area where you need the most help. That will give you access to their 6 online tests, which are some of the best practice you can get for test day.

Thanks so much for your response! when you say MGRE guides, is that the Manhattan prep you are talking about? Or does the M stand for MAGOOSH!?

I only have $ to purchase one book, unfortunately, and am debating between the Barron and the PR. I have taken the old GRE before and scored poorly on quant, at ~50 percentile. However, I’m thinking that if Barron’s is denser in content, it would prepare me better for the actual day whereas if I purchase the PR I might need supplementary material. I know it’s hard for you to make a call, but I’m wondering if you have any thoughts based on the above…

farsa Avatar

Thank you very much for your comprehensive reviews of books, I read all of them. however, I’m a little bit confused now and don’t know what the best book is for excelling in Verbal section of GRE, I also need a book with a good ” Text completions/sentence equivalence” section. Or let me put my words in a more clear structures, I would be grateful if you could specify the best book separately for each section of GRE, i.e. Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Text Completions/Sentence Equivalence, Writing, Math. Thanks in advance

There just isn’t any perfect book out there for the Verbal section. The best is to mix and match. I’d recommend:

1. MGRE: Verbal (computer-based practice test only) 2. 6-Practice tests Barron’s: TC/SE 3. Reading Comp.: Official GMAT guide/LSAT guides 4. Barron’s 1100 Words – vocabulary 5. MGRE Reading Comp. – Strategies (passages are ok–but not great) 6. Math: MGRE (esp. online tests) 7. MGRE 5 lbs. book (math mostly) 8. The Official Guide to the GRE 9. Practicing to take the GRE (old ETS book): Reading passages and Sentence Completions

Also, check out our 3-month study guide, which recommends only the best resources:

https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/3-month-gmat-study-schedule-for-beginners/

Marisa Avatar

So I’m taking the GRE in two months and I’m kind of freaking out. I’m not a particularly strong standardized test taker but I need really high scores. I feel as though I struggle most with math but I’m not the best at the verbal components either. From these reviews I think I will splurge and get the Manhattan books and use the Magoosh materials as well. Do you think that should be enough to prepare?

I think Magoosh and Manhattan should be more than enough, as long as you throw in the Official Guide to the GRE by ETS (this last one contains official questions so you want to make sure to practice with it).

With these three resources, you will get plenty of outstanding practice questions, test tips, and guidance. The Magoosh blog is also a great (and free :)) resource to help you navigate the next two months. And whenever you’re “freaking out” don’t hesitate to reach out, and we’ll help you through whichever thorny patch you are dealing with :).

Roh Avatar

I did try the Magoosh trial and i like the content.I want to appear for GRE in a months’s time.I can devote most of my time to studies (free for 3 weeks) .I am reasonably good at quant , my vocab is average. How should I approach the preparation.Shall I give any practice test to get a benchmark ? or shall i give tests only after the basic prep ? I tried few Q from various websites , my accuracy for Q is 65 – 75 % and V is 50 – 60 %.I truly believe in finding 1-2 good resources and sticking to it than going through a lot of books.Any suggestions for any books or material is welcome.

I understand the desire to simplify things – you don’t want to become inundated with different study material. The combination of Magoosh and the Official Guide to the GRE by ETS is a powerful coupling.

I think benchmarking is a great way to start. Take one of the PowerPrep II tests that is on the CD that comes with the Official Guide. Then take a test every 6-7 days, making sure you review your mistakes afterwards.

For a general prep outline, I’d go through the Magoosh lesson videos doing the quizzes at the end, so you can make sure you’ve learned and processed what you’ve seen on the videos. After about three days, you should identify your weaknesses and tailor your sessions with question types you struggle with (this is really easy to do using the Magoosh dashboard).

Not that you have to follow this, but to get an idea of what a specific study plan looks like this could be of help:

https://magoosh.com/gre/2012/1-month-gre-study-schedule/

Also a great place to start for vocabulary is our ebook:

https://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/

Hopefully this will help you get started. Let me know if you have any questions along the way :).

sakethram Avatar

For the vocabulary part i am following below

—>Magoosh vocab e-book —>Barron’s 1100 words —> 20 words a day from the newyork times articles(Topics: Music,arts,books,science) —>Word Power made easy —>ETS for practicing

Kindly recommend books which help me to face good TC,SC and RC questions

for the starters and medium level questions. As i need to work it from scratch could you please let me know for which book to start after your vocab e-book and word power made easy.And also for the medium-difficult practice questions!!

For quant all i believe in my instincts and working on ETS guide anything else that you can recommend for that. I know it is rather less time to cover all the portion and books but any book that i must race through as mandate/imp before i give my exam

Any suggestions will be added value for me!! Thanks for your continuous support!

Hi Sakethram,

I like your ambitious plan :). Those are great vocabulary resources.

To start off with easy/medium questions, PR’s General Guide and Barron’s General Guide are pretty. You’ll get lots of practice and the vocabulary/questions won’t be too difficult.

I’d definitely stay away from Manhattan GRE TC/SE. Even the easy ones have far too many difficult words. On the Quant side though, you can’t really beat the practice of Manhattan GRE’s online tests. And don’t forget Magoosh – you can select for ‘easy/medium’ questions for verbal and quant

Hope that helps, and good luck :)!

Thanks again Chris!!

Jordan Avatar

Chris, I have Bob Miller’s Math for the New GRE. Definitely should of read some review on it before I made the purchase. I was great at math in highschool in college but, it’s been quite a while. I’m looking to make exceptionally high on the quantitative section and I’m asking which books would you suggest in order to attain a great score? It seems that MGRE, ETS, and Magoosh are what you are pointing towards? And is there an order in which book you would start with? Thanks for the help bro.

I think either Magoosh or MGRE is a great place to start. Both walk you through the beginning stages. Kind of like having a cool, patient tutor by your side. The ETS book, while great practice, is like that teacher who just writes on the board without really turning around to look if anybody is paying attention. But once you’ve built up your skills via Magoosh/MGRE, the ETS book is great.

Matt Z. Avatar

Ewwwww, It turns out when I was in the process of studying a year ago I purchased Princeton Reviews book and used it exclusively… I did better than average but I didn’t do as well as hoped… Perhaps; I should have invested my time in some more pregame appraisal as you suggested.

I will say the diagramming in the DVD is absolutely terrible for the Math Section… Trying to explain to myself that an expected “authority” on the GRE had done something dismally wrong and then decided to put it on a DVD for mass publishing gave me a massive tension headache.

Thanks for sharing your experience with the DVD portion of PR. I actually haven’t seen this component but it does sound disastrous.

Let me know how the materials recon goes this time around. BTW have you checked out our book reviews page yet?

lina Avatar

I have about 45 days to the GRE, I have completed the MGRE Math books barring the Quant comparison book. I have also completed the Magoosh ebook(English words) and Math questions pertaining to the MGRE books.

I haven’t yet started with English and am wondering how to go about it in a smart and successful way. I was thinking of completing the 1000 questions from the MGRE vocab and going through the Magoosh RC, SC videos instead of reading MGRE…do you think that, that would be a smart idea? thanks for your help!

I think a good way to prep for vocabulary doesn’t just consist of learning from a list of words. You want to make sure to study words in a creative way and you want to make sure to do questions in parallel. There is also the question of reading in-context, which means you learn words as you read (encountering words in this context can be very powerful when you try to store words in your long term memory).

These two posts elaborate on this point:

https://magoosh.com/gre/2013/getting-bored-with-gre-vocabulary-and-verbal/ https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/how-to-study-vocabulary-for-the-revised-gre/

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions over the next 45 days.

harshitha Avatar

hey Chris….. hi i am Harshitha… i have decided to take up GRE… so as a starter which book do i have to start up with????? and also i ve decided to take it 3 months later…. there’s a short span of time….. please do help me with this…..:):):)

Hi Harshita,

I think a good place to start with the GRE is our ebooks. They are filled with useful information on how to get started, including useful study plans (including a 3-month study plan). Hope those are helpful :).

https://magoosh.com/gre/gre-ebook/ https://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/

Pranitha Vangala Avatar

I’m so confused inregards to reading from newyork times or a similar source. I have hard time picking articles that have gre level words in it. Is there a better way to do it?

Hi, Pranitha

I think this might help! 🙂 https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/reading-vocabulary-in-context-where-should-i-start/

Best, Margarette

Charlize Rai Avatar

I’ve been perusing your book recommendations, and I am curious as to what your opinion is regarding my study choices. I have done very little review, but I feel less confident in the verbal section (as I excelled in high school math, and university stats).

For my vocab building: – Manhattan GRE flashcards – Flashcards written out from Magoosh vocab prep – Reading the New York Times a half hour daily and learning about the words that I do not understand in their pieces

For my verbal practice: – ETS

For my mathematics: – MGRE – NOVA as supplementary practice

Analytical Writing – Practice writing every couple of days – Work on going through arguments/issues quickly and spending 10 minutes to draw up a quick outline

I tend to find that I learn best by actually doing questions and such, but I am having difficulty discerning which texts have the best practice tests. My understanding from Magoosh is that ETS is obviously best (but limited number of tests), ETS 10th edition provides some good test-writing experience. Are there any other practice tests that are comparable to the GRE, and worth while writing for their practice?

As you can see, I am also at a bit of a loss for the best materials to use to enhance my abilities on the verbal component of the exam (aside from sheer vocabulary increase). What would be ideal are a lot of practice questions that I could focus on ‘mastering’ that are similar to what would be found on the GRE in terms of difficulty, and vocabulary used.

My exam date is booked for 6 weeks from now! EEk!

Hi Charlize,

That’s a great question – since good verbal practice material is hard to find. Really speaking MGRE and Barron’s 6 on-line tests offer some of what you’ll see test day. I think MGRE 6 on-line tests are the safest bet. Otherwise, the verbal content is pretty mixed (I’d recommend reading the review I wrote on the new MGRE 5 lbs. book – the review should be up today or early tmrw.).

That said, give the Magoosh product a try. In terms of the vocabulary you will see, the sentence structure of the SE/TC, and the difficulty of the questions for the reading passage, our verbal segment offers the most for “mastery.” I say this not our of sheer bias but because this is the gist of what many Magoosh users who scored in the upper 160’s on verbal reported in their testimonials. We also offer the mock test option, so you can take practice tests for both math and verbal.

As for math, make sure to throw in the ETS stuff too. With the 2nd edition and the online test, ETS offers a total of 4 practice tests (which will be helpful :)).

I hope that answered your question, and let me know if there is anything else you need to know :). Good luck on your test! (as is, your study plan above looks solid. You should do well!).

HI, Pranitha

This blog post might help: https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/reading-vocabulary-in-context-where-should-i-start/

Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions! 🙂

Ruth Avatar

Just wanted to alert you to a grammatical error in the Princeton Review description above:

“I still somewhat like this book for it’s helpful big-picture strategies. ”

Thanks! That pesky ‘it’s’ vs. ‘its’ :).

Ravish Karve Avatar

Hey, I am using the Princeton Review Online course. I have so far found it and the practice tests pretty useful. Can you tell me what you think of this and what additional material I should be using? (“P.S: I am also using the Official Guide”)

I haven’t seen the PR online questions recently, but from my experience they are generally helpful, esp. as a starter. I would not, however, only rely on these questions. Keep using the official guide, consider trying the MGRE 6 online practice tests, and def. give Magoosh a try. All three of these resources offer the tough-level questions you will likely see test day.

Srini Avatar

Would you also suggest using the Kaplan New GRE Verbal Workbook to study for the new GRE?

In short – stay away from Kaplan’s Verbal book. It is one of the last books I’d recommend, and it will probably only hurt your score. You can read my review for Kaplan’s general book here:

https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/kaplan-new-gre-premier-2011-2012-book-review/

Anurag Avatar

Would you elaborate why Kaplan Verbal Workout will HURT my score. I mean general Book and Verbal workout must have some differences?

Even I am using the Verbal Workbook. As Chris pointed out , TC part is a complete waste of time.RC is good though.

Yes, the RC is definitely better. I wouldn’t say it would hurt your score. It’s really the TC and the SE in which you are likely to hurt your score. The why? Well, it lulls you into a fall sense of complacency (the real questions aren’t that easy), words aren’t always used correctly, there are often debatable answer choices, and the sentence structure/writing style is nothing like what you’ll see on the actual test.

Srini N Avatar

So what would you recommend as good New GRE Verbal Workbooks?

It’s a good question. The problem is most of the “New” books are no different from last year’s editions. Though that’s probably moot, since many of those last year’s edition weren’t very good. The truth is there is a dearth of strong verbal material. What you see above is it, in terms of GRE verbal workbooks.

MGRE has released it’s 5lbs. book – review coming out later. That said, this huge book is a mixed bag, in terms of verbal content. For books, stick to ETS as much as possible :).

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best gre review books

Graduate Admissions , Higher Education

Best GRE Prep Books in 2024  

  July 24, 2023

By   Chuky Ofoegbu

books on a table

Editorial Note: We earn commissions from partner links on Sojourning Scholar. These commissions do not influence our content or opinions, ensuring our recommendations remain unbiased and based solely on merit.

One barrier to pursuing an advanced degree, such as a Master’s degree or a Doctorate, is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) – the standardized test used for admissions decisions by many universities.

Often, students begin their search for graduate schools by eliminating any that require the GRE due to the extensive time required to appropriately prepare for the test, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Why limit your options when there are tons of excellent GRE prep resources, that if used effectively, can help you reach your goal of getting into graduate school?

In this article, we bring our experience from buying and studying with several GRE prep resources tutoring the GRE to review the best GRE prep books of 2023. We've rated each book by winning categories, to help you find the right GRE prep resources, without breaking the bank.

Interested in a GRE prep course? Check out  our holistic review of the best GRE prep courses on the market

GRE prep books we recommend

Best Overall: Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2022

Best for Quantitative Reasoning: 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems, 3rd Edition by Manhattan Prep

Best for Verbal Reasoning: GRE Verbal Reasoning Prep, 3rd Edition by Test Prep Books

Best for Vocab Building: GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition by Barron's

Best for Practice Tests: The Official Guide to the GRE, 3rd Edition by ETS

Best Overall GRE Prep Book: Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2022

The winner for the Best Overall GRE Prep Book is the Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2022 . In my experience, Princeton Review provides questions that are more difficult than those developed by the ETS, which could be beneficial if you want to prepare for the worst and master the material for the real test.

Where this book beats all others is in the effectiveness of their test-taking strategies. In addition to learning the fundamentals of each GRE section, you'll also learn section specific techniques to dominate each section.  It's no surprise why The Princeton Review is a fan-favorite among test-takers who are looking to get the perfect score on a standardized test like the GRE.

  • High difficulty questions – The Princeton Review is known for developing questions that are more difficult than those written by ETS for the SAT and ACT, and this holds true for the GRE as well. By practicing problems that are harder than what will actually come up on test day, students get prepared for anything that gets thrown their way.
  • 7 full-length practice tests (2 in the book and 5 online) – This is the most full-length practice tests provide by a GRE prep book.
  • $100 off self-paced GRE online course – If you’re looking for additional resources and maybe a more structured learning platform, students who purchase the Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep book will also get a discount on the intensive online course.
  • Schedule review sessions every 4, 8, or 12-weeks – You choose your timeline for preparing for the test. Determine when you want to plan review sessions and test yourself on the concepts you learn from the book.
  • 9 videos by The Princeton Review teachers with step-by-step explanations – Hear from the experts and apply their tips and tricks during your preparation.
  • Answer explanations tend to be more difficult to understand – If you’re starting off below average in terms of your academic level, this book might not be for you because the explanations are geared towards those who are generally high-achievers. Our suggestion is to get a baseline of where you stand before starting to prep for the GRE and then determine if this book is the right one to start with, or if you should ease your way into things with something more basic.
  • No guarantee of higher score – Unlike some other prep books, The Princeton Review does not offer a ‘higher score guarantee,’ meaning that you only get out of this what you put into it. Those who buy the book and don’t use it effectively will not experience the same results as those who work the program.

Manhattan Prep was started in 2000 by Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate, Zeke Vanderhoek, and since then the company has grown based on its philosophy that students learn better from better teachers, which is exemplified by the 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems: 1,800+ Practice Problems in Book and Online (Manhattan Prep 5 lb.) Third Edition . This book contains over 1800 problems covering all areas of the GRE, but it really shines when it comes to the Quantitative Reasoning section. The math problems are tough and very much like those on the actual test, and the explanations include step-by-step guides to hone your skills.

  • Questions grouped by practice sets – Some may assume that the best way to study is to complete all the practice problems in the same format as the actual test, but Manhattan Prep proves that some students learn best when problems are organized by topic when developing the fundamental skills, specifically when it comes to quantitative reasoning. Rather than displaying full-length practice tests, this book uses focused practice sets that target concrete skills.
  • Online Companion Lessons – The third edition of this prep book includes access to Manhattan Prep’s Interact® for GRE, a revolutionary, on-demand learning platform. There are 15 on-demand lessons available to students who purchase this book.
  • Mixed Difficulty Questions – The Manhattan GRE prep book includes a good mix of low, medium, and high difficulty math problems that mirror what students will see on the actual test. In addition, reviews have pointed out that the book also contains a full chapter on advanced math questions geared towards those aiming for a perfect quant score.
  • Includes subpar reading comprehension practice - While Manhattan Prep offers a GRE prep book specifically for math, this overall book has the higher-quality math problems. Therefore, one con to purchasing this book is that you are receiving subpar reading comprehension practice. Basically, this book is best for the quant portion of the test and the verbal review wasn’t deemed as helpful by reviewers.
  • Geared towards those with some math background – Like the Princeton Review GRE Prep book, Manhattan Prep’s GRE review book is geared towards those who have already put in a bit of time studying for the GRE. If a student hasn’t looked at these math concepts in years, this might not be the best book to start with.

Best Verbal Explanations:  GRE Verbal Workbook by Test Prep Books

Many students struggle to make sense of the explanations to the reading comprehension questions from the verbal reasoning GRE practice sets, but that won’t be an issue with the  GRE Verbal Workbook: GRE Verbal Reasoning Prep with Three Complete Practice Tests, 3rd Edition . Test Prep Books offers some of the most thorough explanations to the verbal questions. This is especially helpful for those who want to better understand  how  to improve their reading comprehension skills.

  • 3 practice tests with detailed answers –  Practice the verbal section in the same context you would on test day. These three 50-question practice tests include accompanying answer documents with extensive explanations so that there is no secret why an answer is correct.
  •  Test taking tools –  Before students jump into the practice tests, they can read an overview of what the GRE covers and specific test-taking tools and strategies to set them up for success. Students who reviewed the book online emphasize that everything is easy to understand and apply to their practice.
  • Extra features aren’t well advertised –  According to online reviews, students who purchase this book are also entitled to extra resources by TPB, but the book description doesn’t make that very clear. Be sure to call and talk to someone from customer service to ensure you are getting everything you paid for.

Best for Vocab: GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition by Barron's Test Prep

For those students who need to brush up on their vocabulary for the GRE, the GRE Essential Words (Barron's Test Prep) Fifth Edition is the optimal choice. This book boasts a comprehensive list of 800 graduate-level words with definitions that appear most frequently on the GRE. In addition, Barron’s Test Prep includes a pre-test to identify weaknesses and a post-test to measure progress.

  • Pre-test and Post-test Before you begin studying with the GRE Essential Words (Barron's Test Prep) Fifth Edition, take the pre-test. This will allow students to identify specific areas of weakness and then target their study schedule towards the highest priority topics. In addition, after you complete your study regimen, take the final post-test to determine how you have improved and get a gauge of how you might perform on test day.
  • Practice Exercises – Not only does this book provide a list of vocab words and explanation, but it also highlights targeted exercises to test your knowledge. Students can read through chunks of the list of words and continuously work on the practice questions to test their knowledge as they learn new concepts.
  • Chapter dedicated to word roots – Sometimes just memorizing words isn’t effective, which is why Barron’s Test Prep also dedicated a chapter of this GRE prep book to discuss and analyze word roots to help students make sense of some of the definitions.
  • Example sentences are clearer than explanations - Although Barron’s Test Prep does a great job with this verbal reasoning review, one area of weakness is the fact that the example sentences provided for each word are actually easier to understand than the definitions. Reviewers have found that sometimes it is best to skip right to the example sentence before reading the official definition when studying.
  • Kindle formatting is off – Several students who purchased this book wrote reviews about the formatting of the answer key being off for the kindle version. Therefore, it is advised that students purchase the paper copy of the book, which might deter some from getting the most out of this GRE vocab prep book.

Best for Realistic Practice Tests: The Official Guide to the GRE, 3rd Edition by ETS

Our best GRE prep books list will not be complete without including The Official Guide to the GRE, 3rd Edition the only GRE prep book produced and endorsed by the makers of the GRE - ETS. If you're looking for practice questions (and their answer explanations) that will very closely match what you'll see on the day of your GRE exam, then this is the book.

It includes two full-length GRE practice tests in print and access to two simulated tests delivered with the POWERPREP Online resource. These four practice tests come from an actual GRE practice. And if you're looking for more authentic GRE practice tests, you can get the Official GRE Super Power pack, 2nd Edition.

For a more engaging learning experience, you could consider the new GRE course from ETS called The Official GRE Mentor Course.  

Not surprising, this text-based GRE course contains the same lesson content as The Official Guide to the GRE. However, the learning interface is more engaging than that of a prep book. 

  • Authentic practice questions -  No other GRE test prep publisher can lay claim to presenting test questions used on actual GRE tests. This is the major selling point of ETS' Official Guides
  • Simulated GRE test  –  Using POWERPREP Online, you can experience the same test conditions as the real test 
  • Scored sample responses – Get sample responses for the GRE Analytic Writing section, with commentary from an actual ETS rater
  • Weak test-taking strategies - Although The Official Guide boasts authentic practice questions and tests, it falls short in teaching effective strategies for all sections of the GRE

Other Good GRE Prep Books  

Even though these GRE prep books didn’t make our cut for the very best GRE prep books, they have a place for students who want additional resources to prepare for the GRE. Below are four honorable mentions for The Best GRE Prep Books list of 2023.

GRE Prep Plus 2022 by Kaplan

If you're a student who doesn't know anything about the GRE and you are looking for a beginner’s crash course, the GRE Prep Plus 2022 by Kaplan is a good first choice. With 6 practice tests, online resources, and a higher score guarantee, Kaplan Test Prep provides a way to dive right into all the concepts covered on the GRE, focusing on techniques that are proven to be effective through their research.

GRE Vocabulary in Practice

Author Erica Meltzer developed the GRE Vocabulary in Practice after the GRE was updated in 2012 to include more context-based questions. This book contains over 300 practice questions that mirror those students will see on the GRE verbal section, along with detailed explanations. Though this book isn’t backed by a large company, it is making its way into the market for those looking for additional, lesser-known GRE prep books.

Princeton Review GRE Prep, 2022

In case you’re not ready for the premium version, The Princeton Review also offers the GRE Prep, 2022: 5 Practice Tests + Review & Techniques + Online Features (2022) (Graduate School Test Preparation).  With two fewer practice tests, this GRE prep book offers the same level of difficulty and mirrors the official GRE very closely. If you are looking to use a few smaller prep books, this could be a good option. There are also online learning features available, such as extra practice questions, and students can also get the same $100 discount on The Princeton Review online GRE course that they get with the premium version of the book.

GRE Secrets Study Book, 6th Edition by Mometrix  

Looking for the newest GRE prep book? Mometrix recently came out with the GRE Prep 2022 and 2023: GRE Secrets Study Book [6 th edition] . Their high-quality GRE prep book includes 3 full-length practice tests as well as video tutorials by the company’s instructors to really drive in the concepts. However, we didn’t feel right about putting this book on the best list yet, since it is so new.

Best GRE Prep Courses of 2024 – Honest Review

Best gre youtube channels in 2024, best gre prep books in 2024, manhattan prep gre course review (2024) – is it worth it, magoosh gre prep course review (2024), achievable gre prep course review (2024).

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The GRE ® General Test

One test for graduate, business and law school

Select a step to learn more about your GRE ® General Test journey.

GRE General Test Prep Books and Services

Prepare for test day with official books and services from ETS, the maker of the GRE General Test. All books are available as paperbacks or eBooks unless otherwise noted and can be purchased through your ETS account.  

The Official Guide to the GRE® General Test, Third Edition

$40 USD plus shipping

The third edition of our official test prep book includes access to FOUR  real  practice tests — two published in the book and two simulated POWERPREP ®  Online practice tests, available at no additional cost through your ETS account.

Altogether, you will have access to: 

  • hundreds of authentic GRE test questions
  • explanations for many answers
  • test-taking strategies
  • Quantitative Reasoning problem-solving steps and strategies
  • sample essay responses with reader commentary

The practice tests in this book are for the General Test that was administered before September 22, 2023. However, because the shorter GRE includes the same question types (except for the Analyze an Argument essay task which has been removed), this book is a great way to prepare for the shorter GRE.

Thumbnail Image of The Official Guide to the GRE® General Test, Third Edition

Official GRE® Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition

$20 USD plus shipping

This guide provides 150  real  Verbal Reasoning questions with complete explanations and valuable hints and tips. It also includes practice for the GRE Analytical Writing measure.

The content in this book applies to the Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing sections of the General Test that were administered before September 22, 2023. However, because the shorter GRE includes the same question types (except for the Analyze an Argument essay task which has been removed), this book is a great way to prepare for the shorter GRE.

Thumbnail Image of Official GRE® Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition

Official GRE® Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition

This guide provides 150  real  Quantitative Reasoning questions with complete explanations and valuable hints and tips. It also includes content from the free  Math Review for the Quantitative Reasoning Measure of the GRE General Test (PDF) , which reviews the math topics likely to appear on the test.

The content in this book applies to the Quantitative Reasoning section of the General Test that was administered before September 22, 2023. However, because the shorter GRE includes the same question types, this book is a great way to prepare for the shorter GRE.

Thumbnail Image of Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition

Official GRE® Super Power Pack

$72 USD plus shipping

Save 10% when you buy three of our most popular GRE General Test preparation products! The bundle includes: 

  •   The Official Guide to the GRE ®  General Test
  • Official GRE ®   Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition
  • Official GRE ®   Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition

This bundle applies to the General Test that was administered before September 22, 2023. However, because the shorter GRE includes the same question types (except for the Analyze an Argument essay task on the Analytical Writing measure), this bundle is still a great way to prepare for the shorter GRE.

Thumbnail Image of Official GRE® Super Power Pack

Official GRE® Value Combo (eBook Only)

Purchase this eBook bundle and gain access to a total of 300 questions. The bundle includes:

Thumbnail Image of Official GRE® Value Combo (eBook Only)

ScoreItNow! ™  Online Writing Practice

Sharpen your writing skills as you prepare for the Analytical Writing measure of the shorter GRE. Using topics created by ETS, this web-based service allows you to write and submit responses to two essay topics and get immediate scores and feedback. In addition, six FREE bonus Analytical Writing topics are available to provide you with even more practice!  

BrightLink Prep

10 Best GRE Books, Tested by 1000+ GRE Students

best gre review books

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In gre product reviews.

Many people will tell you that GRE is the first step towards grad school. However, I’d argue that the very step is selecting the suitable GRE prep material. GRE prep comes in many shapes and forms. Some people go for online courses, while others stick to prep books.

Knowing which resource to pick can be an immense help for a beginner, which is why I have compiled a list of the 10 best GRE books and resources below.

In this Article

10) Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep (6.5/10)

9) 1,027 gre practice questions by princeton review (7/10), 8) 5 lb. book of gre practice problems by manhattan prep (7.5/10), 7) gre complete by kaplan (8/10), 6) gre analytical writing essays by vibrant publishers (9/10), 5) magoosh gre online course (9/10), 4) the official guide to the gre general test (9.5/10), 3) official gre quantitative reasoning practice questions (9.5/10), 2) official gre verbal reasoning practice questions (9.5/10), 1) gre math & verbal strategies set by manhattan prep (10/10).

best gre review books

Princeton Review has an interesting take on GRE prep. Instead of focusing entirely on learning the concepts, Princeton Review gives you numerous techniques and strategies to help crack the questions.

The lessons in this book are excellent in their own right, and if you’d want to learn technique, this is the book for you.

Also keep in mind that if you are short on time and want to get to the gist of the test, this book will not waste your time. All lessons are to the point and focus on strategies that you can learn pretty effortlessly.

Hence, if you don’t have the time to go through a more comprehensive book, get this.

As for the practice material, you get hundreds of GRE practice problems and seven full-length practice tests, 5 of which are delivered online.

Key Features:

  • 7 full-length practice tests
  • Powerful tactics to avoid traps and beat the GRE
  • Tips for pacing yourself and guessing logically
  • Drills for each test section

Get it from here .

best gre review books

This is Princeton Reviews answer to the other practice workbooks available on the market. Princeton Review’s 1027 GRE practice questions contain both verbal and quant questions. Keep in mind that this is not meant to be a guide and you wont learn any concepts from it. Instead, the primary focus of the book is to give you ample practice questions to improve your score.

In addition to the questions, you also get one full-length practice test and one diagnostic test at the beginning to help gauge your performance.

As for the quality of the questions, I’d say most questions are GRE-like. However, you might encounter the odd question every now and then that does not seem authentic.

Overall, for practice alone, this is one of the better books out there.

  • 1 diagnostic test
  • 1 full-length practice test online
  • Drills broken down by topic
  • Techniques and approaches for every question type

best gre review books

As far as practice questions are concerned, it doesn’t get better than this. The 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems is a must-have book for those looking to ace the math section. Again, this is strictly a practice book and won’t teach you the concepts.

Having said that, this book should be a part of every GRE aspirant’s arsenal as it provides the most extensive practice in book form. You get some 1800 practice problems of varying difficulty, and the answer explanations do a good job of explaining the actual solution.

Not all questions are top quality, and every now and then, a question either seem too easy or too difficult. Striking the right balance is somewhat a challenge for any third party prep company, but overall, I would say Manhattan Prep has done a good job of replicating actual GRE questions.

  • 1800+ Practice Questions
  • Covers both Verbal and Quant
  • High-quality practice problems
  • Detailed answer explanations for each question

best gre review books

If you are looking for a comprehensive multi-book prep solution, get this. Kaplan has been a dominant player in the test prep industry for a long time. Thanks to their high-quality GRE guides, Kaplan is a highly revered prep company amongst students.

This three-book set contains virtually everything you would want to know about the test. The main guide is a consolidated book containing both verbal and quant prep. For an even extensive study, there are two separate books dedicated solely to verbal and quant prep, respectively.

The math workbook contains more than 1000 high-quality practice problems with detailed answer explanations. The beautiful thing about Kaplan books is that they also gives you access to Kaplan’s excellent online learning platform. The online platform lets you form customized practice sets where you can choose the difficulty and other parameters such as question types.

The verbal workbook is also an excellent book containing hundreds of practice questions. One thing I specifically like about Kaplan is that it teaches you everything from scratch. 

  • 2500+ high quality GRE practice questions for both quant and verbal
  • Six full-length GRE practice tests
  • Access to Kaplan’s online question bank
  • Video expanations for select quesitons

best gre review books

An often overlooked aspect of GRE is the AWA portion. For some reason, students take the AWA section for granted and don’t pay it the same attention as the other sections. This might be because prep companies rarely publish AWA specific books and only address it in their verbal books.

Thanks to Vibrant Publishers, you can study the AWA section in the same detail as you would any other section. This is the first book in the 2-part AWA series, and it contains 65 solved issues and argument topics.

The topics for the 65 essays in this book are taken from the pool of official Issue and Argument topics. The one thing I like the most about it is that essays are approached from different angles, such as the first-person point of view and employing historical and literary references.

This book is a treasure trove for those who are self-studying for the test. Preparing for the AWA section is often a challenge because you cannot evaluate your own writing accurately. And without access to a human expert, most students end up scoring low on the section.

With this book, you will be able to study each essay in great detail and understand what makes a good essay. You will learn the various tools and techniques necessary for forming cogent arguments and presenting your case authoritatively.

  • 65 solved essays
  • Multiple approaches for each essay
  • Expert Strategies and simplified methods
  • Scoring Guides for Issue and Argument tasks

best gre review books

This is the second book in the AWA series by vibrant publishers. Much like the first book, this one too contains official essay topics that are solved by applying different approaches. In addition, you will find 33 Analyze an Issue Essays, and 32 Analyze an Argument Essays.

Each essay task is accompanied by plenty of statement examples for practice, followed by lessons on how to turn the statements into essays.

  • Topics sorted by categories
  • Online access to printable Answer sheets
  • Incredibly detailed step-by-step explanations

best gre review books

If you have looked around for GRE stuff, I am certain you have already run across Magoosh. Magoosh’s GRE online course is perhaps the most popular one amongst students due to its affordability. If you are looking to get the most out of your money, get this course without a second thought.

Not only is Magoosh’s online platform incredibly well built, it also has a ton of instructional videos that cover every topic that comes up on GRE. Moreover, the course also offers thousands of high-quality practice problems with detailed answer explanations.

Furthermore, the dashboard is excellent at keeping track of your progress and shows different stats pertaining to your performance.

Overall, this is easily the best bang for buck GRE course out there. They have excellent customer service and are so confident in their product that they offer a money-back guarantee. If you fail to improve at least 5 points on your GRE test, you get a refund.

  • Comprehensive coverage of GRE at affordable price
  • Over 1400 practice questions
  • Up to 3 practice tests
  • +5 total score guarantee

best gre review books

The one thing that everyone stands by in test prep circles is that no one does a prep book better than the people who made the test. In this case, ETS is the body that makes and administers the GRE, and they also publish prep books for the test.

The official guide to the GRE is a one-stop-shop for your GRE prep. This single book contains a well-rounded course detailing both the verbal and quant sections. For a beginner, the contents of the book will be more than enough for a general understanding of the concepts.

Moreover, the greatest strength of any official guide is the authentic practice problems. Unlike third party guides, this book contains real GRE questions taken out of actual tests. Hence, as far as practice is concerned, you get the real deal.

  • Authentic GRE practice questions
  • Decent coverage of verbal and quant in one book
  • Four real GRE practice tests
  • Succinct and easy-to-grasp language

best gre review books

Much like the previous book, this too is an official book. However, the focus here is primarily on the quant section. This official GRE math book contains lessons and explanations for all the different math topics tested on GRE. Not only that, but you also get access to 150 real GRE practice questions with detailed answer explanations.

If you want to take your GRE prep a step ahead, I strongly advise getting this book especially if you already studied the official guide mentioned above.

  • 150 Real GRE Quantitative Reasoning questions
  • Detailed step-by-step answer explanations
  • ETS’s own test-taking strategies
  • Valuable information on the quantitative section

best gre review books

This is the sister book to the one mentioned above as it contains exclusive coverage of the verbal section. Since this too is an official guide, you get access to 150 real GRE questions along with superb answer explanations.

Moreover, the book contains complete coverage of all verbal topics and question types. The verbal section of the GRE can be especially tricky due to ETS’ crafty use of the English language. And the key to cracking the verbal section is to understand the various tricks and traps GRE uses to make you choose an incorrect answer.

Fortunately, this book will teach you what to look out for in reading passages and how to avoid traps by carefully analyzing passages.

  • 150 Real GRE Verbal Reasoning test questions
  • Answers and explanations for every question
  • Valuable test-taking strategies from the makers themselves
  • overview of the GRE Analytical Writing measure

best gre review books

For a good overall GRE prep solution, you cannot go wrong with these two books. The Manhattan Prep Math and Verbal Strategies books are a condensed and updated version of the highly acclaimed 8-book strategy guide.

These books are a comprehensive guide to the GRE and cover every aspect of the test. The math book has a comprehensive subject review along with examples to help you grasp the concepts effectively. You will also find numerous time-saving strategies for specific question types, not to mention the 700+ practice questions included in the book.

On the other hand, the verbal book is also a complete and extensive study of the verbal section. You will learn how to tackle the different question types by carefully analyzing the passages. Similar to the math book, the verbal guide also includes tons of strategies and techniques to help you crack those difficult questions. As for the practice problems, this book contains roughly 700 high-quality practice questions.

  • Clear and easy-to-understand lessons
  • Total of 1500 practice questions
  • Effective and tested strategies
  • Extensive coverage of all topics

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Udemy is the biggest online-course platform in the world, with over 100,000 courses and 35 million users. If there is anything that can be taught, you are sure to find a course on Udemy. It is marveling what this website had achieved since its inception only a decade...

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Best GRE Prep Books 2024: Quick Review & Comparison

The Best GRE Prep Books

I know that just about anyone can agree with me when I write:

It becomes a very hard time trying to find the best GRE prep book solution for your personal situation.

The GRE has many different options for review guides, from multibook guides to single book solutions. The GRE is a very difficult exam and has an absolutely huge say on your graduate school future.

Because of these reasons I have created this list of the best GRE prep books. All of the info below should make it very easy to choose which study guide bundle or single book solution is right for you and your future.

Ready to get started?

Please note, all external links for the products below (geni.us links, etc.) link to the corresponding Amazon.com page for each product.

Read the full review below >

GRE Prep Book Comparison Table

Last Updated: 1/3/2024

Best Overall GRE Prep Book

Manhattan prep gre strategy guides, fourth edition review.

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The Manhattan Prep GRE Strategy Guides are our top pick review book bundle on our list of the top rated GRE prep books. These guides more in-depth and comprehensive than any other group of study books on our list. Because of this, on exam day you don't have to worry about being surprised with topics that you have not studied for.

In all, there are a total of 8 review books, which can be bought individually or together.  Because there are 8 individual books, you don't have to worry about carrying around a 10 pound behemoth when you only plan to study a couple of chapters in between classes. A weight, literally, lifted off of your shoulders.

The study guides also have a more natural organization and flow to them.  This natural organization and flow will make it a lot easier to study for longer durations, giving you a higher score on the test.

In case you were wondering , the 8 books are:

1) Algebra Strategy Guide

2) Fractions, Decimals, & Percents Strategy Guide

3) Geometry Strategy Guide

4) Number Properties Strategy Guide

5) The Word Problems Strategy Guide

6) The Quantitative Comparisons & Data Interpretation Strategy Guide

7) Reading Comprehension & Essays Strategy Guide

8) Text Completion & Sentence Equivalence Strategy Guide

Along with the strategy guides, you also get access to 6 section-adaptive online practice exams and one year of access to online back-up materials.  This gives you plenty of extra material if you somehow finished these books wanting more.

Also of note: you receive access to the 6 practice tests by purchasing just 1 prep book, not just the group of 8 together. This will allow some great savings if you only have one or two problem areas (saving you money for that hefty exam fee).

One issue with this group of review books is that they are heavily biased towards math. Half of the review guides are based on math topics. If you are poor at math, this may be the study guide for you. However, if you do not need help at math, you may just buy the non-math guides separately.

Compared to the other study guides, the Manhattan Prep GRE Study Guides are the most detailed and exhaustive study materials offered.  Because of this, they are our top pick on our list of the best GRE study guides.

- Study guides are comprehensive and in-depth

- Guides can be purchased separately or together

- Six online tests included with the purchase of just one book

- More natural flow, less fact listing than other guides

- Biased towards math

- Some problem sets and solutions do not match properly

Best Value GRE Prep Book

Official gre super power pack review.

The Official GRE Super Power Pack is a pack of 3 study guides that review the individual sections of the test.

These are the only review books that are officially sponsored by the writers of the exam. Because of this fact, these guides contain authentic test questions that are comparable to the difficulty of the actual exam. You won't be pulling your hair out in frustration on exam day because your prep book dumbed down its example questions.

The Super Power Pack also includes:

1) 4 complete, real practice tests (2 in the book and 2 online)

2) 600+ real practice exam questions

3) Sample analytical writing essay responses with actual raters’ comments

One main caveat is that if you are planning on using the ebook version: stay away.  It is poorly edited, causing you angst from the difficulty of trotting through it. Since these books are not as comprehensive as Manhattan Prep's guides, some minor topics are left out.  But the good thing is that these are few and far between.

The Official GRE Super Power Pack is the best bang for your buck if you are looking for an official study guide for the exam. That is why they are given our best value award for GRE review books.

- Official and from the writers of the actual exam

- Real, authentic practice questions

- Best bang for the buck solution

- Ebook version is poorly edited

- Less thorough answer explanations than Manhattan Prep's guides

#3 Best Overall GRE Prep Book

Princeton review cracking the gre premium edition 2018 review.

Cracking the GRE Premium Edition is a single book study guide that covers all of the sections of the exam. Since the guide is an all in one book, it is not as detailed or in-depth as our top two best review book choices. But it does provide a concise overview of the topics.  This concise overview can save you time studying if you are not looking for a perfect score.

Compared to other study books, this guide focuses less on math and more on the verbal portion of the test.  This can be a benefit for math and engineering undergrads. But for everyone else, it is most likely a flaw.

Princeton Review's guide also includes:

1) 6 full length practice tests (2 in the book and 4 online)

2) Access to the online "Premium Portal" extra resources

3) Bulleted chapter summaries for quick review

Another issue with the review guide is that some of the practice questions are not as high of difficulty as what you will see on exam day. This can be an issue because you are not practicing at the edge of your ability, which can help you to raise your score a lot faster.

Cracking the GRE Premium Edition is a good alternative if you are looking for the best GRE study book for verbal sections of the test. That is why we have ranked this prep book as the 3rd best overall.

- Alternative to Barron's (below) if you want more practice tests

- Better than Kaplan's (below) at verbal questions

- Some practice questions are not of the same difficulty of the actual exam

- Less in-depth in the math sections

#4 Best Overall GMAT Prep Book

Kaplan gre prep plus 2018 review.

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus is another a single book study guide that covers all of the individual sections of the exam.

This prep book is very comparable to Princeton Review above, but focuses a lot more on the math sections of the test.  Perfect for those non-math and non-engineering undergrads since they have not taken many math courses.

Compared to other prep books, this guide focuses a lot more on test taking strategy to maximize your efficiency on test day.  Having these skills will give you more confidence on the day of the exam, relieving your nerves and allowing you to get a higher score. 

Kaplan has also included something called "Smart Reports".  "Smart Reports" help you to find which sections of the test are your weakest.  This allows you to focus your studying efforts on your weakest links, efficiently bringing up your test score.

Kaplan's also includes:

1) 2,200+ practice questions with detailed explanations

2) 6 practice tests (5 realistic tests available online and 1 in the book)

3) 500-question online Quiz Bank for customized quiz creation

4) Mobile-enabled online resources

5) "Smart Reports" that are used to identify your strengths and weaknesses

The main flaw with Kaplan's is that the example questions are less exam-like than other study guides on this list.  You may be in for a surprise on exam day when some test questions are not of the same difficulty as the examples provided in the book.

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus is a good test review alternative if you are looking for the best prep book for math sections of the exam and includes lots of extra online resources. We have ranked Kaplan's as our 4th best overall prep book on our list of the top GRE review guides.

- Better than Princeton Review (above) at the math sections

- "Smart Reports" are useful to find your testing weaknesses

- Questions are less exam-like than other prep books

- Less in-depth in the non-math sections

Budget Pick GRE Prep Book

Barron's gre, 22nd edition review.

Barron's GRE is our final pick for our list of the best GRE prep books. This review book is the most budget friendly option of the books on this list (saving you some money so that you can splurge on some Starbucks during that late night study session).

Compared to other prep books, this guide is still a little stuck in the past. For example, it gives a large list of vocabulary to memorize for the exam like older guides. Many books based on the old test used to do this because older exams stressed knowing vocabulary.  For the new test, this is not longer needed. 

The practice exam questions are close in similarity to those that you will find on the actual exam.  Because of this, you will not be shocked on exam day with questions that you have not seen before.

Barron's also includes:

1) A diagnostic test with an answer key and answer explanations

2) 2 full-length model tests

3) A free online review course

Barron's is a decent prep book alternative if you are on a student's budget. If you are looking for a respectable and frugal option, this is study guide your best bet. That is why we have awarded it our budget pick on our list of the best books to prepare for the GRE.

- Very budget friendly

- Practice test questions capture difficulty of the real test

- Very good and concise chapter reviews

- Only two practice exams, much less than compared to other test prep books

- Still stuck in the past on some of the test preparation strategy

Our Suggestions

Our suggestions offer you the most cost effective way to study for the exam without breaking the bank.  Even though the Manhattan Prep study guides are the most in-depth, they also are the most expensive and will take a lot of time to finish.  The easiest and best way to improve your score on the exam is to focus studying on improving your weaknesses.  Because of this, we suggest to:

Buy a single book, full test study guide and once you finish the book, take a diagnostic test and figure out your weaknesses. After this, purchase the corresponding  Manhattan Prep Strategy Guides that go with your weaknesses.  For the cheapest solution: purchase either Princeton Review  (for verbal) or Kaplan's  (for math) and the Manhattan Prep Strategy Guides for your flaws.  This will give you a full test overview, in-depth help on your weaknesses and 12 full length practice tests.

Best GRE Prep Books: Reviewed

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Best GRE Prep Book

  • Written By: Sean
  • Last Updated: February 11, 2024

best gre prep book

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

We have personally researched and reviewed the top GRE prep books on the market so you can get started on your path to GRE stardom.

What makes a good GRE prep book?

How do you know which GRE prep book is right for you? The best study guides will show you a clear path to success, offers tips and strategies, give you plenty of practice, and ultimately—help you crush the GRE! Here are some important factors you should consider before buying.

  • Does it have practice questions that are like the ones I’ll find on the actual exam?
  • Does it have clear, solid, and understandable advice on how to navigate the test?
  • Does it come with full-length tests that simulate “test day?”
  • Does it cover all areas of the GRE?
  • Do I get access to additional resources like online access?

You can use our research of the six best GRE prep books to help you make your choice. We based our rankings on factors that make GRE prep book priceless companions in your GRE prep.  In the end, Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021 seems to be the best overall product, but depending on how you learn, you may end up choosing a book that works best for you. Kaplan’s book offers a large number of practice questions and tests, and offers access to some of Kaplan’s excellent online content like their customizable questions bank and expert video lessons.

You can also see our reviews of the Best GRE Prep Course here.

The Best Prep Books for GRE at a Glance

Gre prep by magoosh.

magoosh gre prep

Magoosh has been in the test prep game since 2011 and has helped millions of students achieve success on the GRE or improve their test scores. They are known for the online GRE course, but have taken those strategies and put them into their book GRE Prep by Magoosh . Magoosh won’t try to impress you with fancy or complicated language. They use simple terms that let you easily understand the concepts. You won’t get many practice tests, but you will get tips and strategies to tackle any part of the GRE.

  • In-depth and concise explanations to practice problems
  • Sample prompts for the analytical writing section
  • Easy to understand language
  • Useful tips and strategies from expert test-takers
  • Limited practice tests
  • Better used as a companion to their online prep course

Manhattan Prep – 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

manhattan Book of GRE Practice Problems

Manhattan Prep was founded in 2000 by a former New York public school teacher and offers a wide variety of prep services, including online prep and high-quality study guides. Manhattan Prep’s best-selling 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems is a steal at $20 and will help you ace the GRE, especially if you need math help. The guide offers the most practice questions of any book on the market, and the questions are good quality. Questions are grouped per topic, so you can focus on a specific subject without having to hunt for it. You can work smarter, not harder. The book has tons of practice problems and allows you free access to many of the lessons offered in their online GRE course.

  • Great quantitative reasoning section
  • Best-selling prep book
  • Lots of practice and online access to many more questions
  • Organized to target your weaker areas
  • Verbal section lacks content and testing
  • Intimidating size

Kaplan – GRE Prep Plus 2021

kaplan gre prep 2021

Kaplan has been a trusted name in test prep for decades and offers a wide variety of options, from several customizable online courses to their comprehensive GRE books. You’ll get plenty of content and practice tests with Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021 as well as study tips from their expert test-takers. You also get access to online resources that includes a personalized study plan that changes as you progress through the online practice tests. The practice questions include comprehensive explanations. Kaplan offers a money-back guarantee that will improve your score.

  • Access to Kaplan’s online course features like the Qbank
  • Option to experience “test day” at a Kaplan Test Center
  • Most comprehensive GRE book
  • Higher score guarantee
  • Weaker math section
  • Lacks focus on concepts

ETS – Official GRE Super Power Pack

ETS Official GRE Super Power Pack

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is known for one thing—actual tests!  ETS is the maker of the GRE, and if you want exact practice tests from ​past exams, then you should buy the Official GRE Super Power Pack . This book will prepare you best for the actual GRE by offering the most reliable and accurate practice questions out there. This collection includes guides to the General Test as well as Volume 1 of both the GRE Verbal Reasoning and GRE Quantitative Reasoning books. You’ll also get tips on how to answer each type of question right from the test-makers themselves. If you want an just an overview of the general exam, check out The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test .

  • Questions from actual GRE authors
  • Strong AWA section
  • Plenty of practice tests
  • Access to GRE POWERPREP online practice tests
  • Weak math section
  • Not as comprehensive as competitors

The Princeton Review – Cracking the GRE Premium 2021 Edition

the princeton review gre prep 2021

The Princeton Review is a top educational services company and offers a variety of online GRE courses and top-notch study guides. GRE Prep 2021 covers all three sections of the GRE and contains drills for each exam section. In the book, you’ll find two full practice tests with answers and explanations and access to four more tests online. This book even includes a guide on how to interpret your practice test results so you can predict how well you did. It also has an extensive list of vocabulary terms. This Premium Edition also gets you online info about grad school admissions, testing calendars, and financial aid.

  • Access to online video lessons
  • Strong brand reputation for educational services
  • $100 off of their online course
  • Great explanations for the math section
  • Reading and math areas could be stronger

Barron’s – GRE

barron's GRE

Barron’s has been around for more than 80 years and has helped students succeed on dozens of standardized tests. From the SAT to the GRE, Barron’s has got you covered. Barron’s GRE book creates a strong base for your GRE knowledge and gives you a good dose of test-taking strategies. The quantitative and verbal reasoning sections are strong and will prepare you to tackle the GRE. Barron’s is known for its practice questions that closely match the look and feel of real GRE questions, but some of the problems could be more difficult. You’ll get two full-length tests with answer keys as well as access to two more tests online, complete with answer explanations for each question.

  • Strong vocabulary review
  • Great GRE verbal and quantitative reasoning sections
  • Helps formulate base for building on
  • Look and feel of actual questions
  • Practice questions not as strong as real GRE
  • May need an additional prep book to crush the GRE

What is the Best GRE Pre Book?

Let’s review the features of the top six GRE prep books on the market, compare them to each other, and rank each of them overall.

Best GRE Pre Book

What Should I Look for in a GRE book?

Full-length practice tests.

When it comes to acing the GRE , there is one rule—practice! So, you’ll want to buy a GRE book that has as many practice tests as possible. It’s okay if they are not all contained in your book, most GRE books get you access to plenty of online tests. The more exams you take, the better you’ll know the material and improve your test-taking strategies for test day.

GRE books with the most full-length practice tests were ranked higher in our review. It’s no big surprise that The Princeton Review and Kaplan topped the charts with six full-length exams (in the book and online). ETS and Barron’s offered four exams while Magoosh included just one exam with their book. Manhattan Prep’s book did not include any full-length tests.

 Top Pick : Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021

Practice Questions

The number and quality of questions have a big impact on how well you are prepared for the GRE—the more, the better! However, the number of questions can’t be the only factor. It is important that the practice questions are at least as hard as the real GRE, follow the same pattern, and have adaptive scoring.

Manhattan Prep’s 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems has more than 2,000 questions and includes answer explanations to help you learn the material. Barron’s doesn’t offer practice problems but makes up for it in their full-length tests. The Princeton Review book does not include problems in their book but does offer a companion book with tons of practice problems.

Top Pick:   Manhattan Prep’s 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

Test-Taking Strategies

Test Taking Strategies

You can take loads of practice tests and answer hundreds of questions, but if you don’t have a good strategy for taking the GRE, it may all be a waste of time.  Advice on the GRE that you can actually use means a lot, especially if your test-taking skills are lacking or just need to be fine-tuned. The best GRE books will offer strategies tailored to your learning style and study habits. These tips and tricks to the GRE must include general hints (timing, dealing with stress, guessing) as well as subject-specific advice to strengthen weaker areas.

Magoosh leads the way with its test-taking advice and offers practical guides for studying. They help you manage all of the things that come into play when you finally sit down and take the GRE.  Kaplan comes in a close second with access to their online study plans and free resources.

Top Pick:   GRE Prep by Magoosh

Comprehensive Answer Explanations

It doesn’t matter how many questions are included; the book is worthless if it doesn’t explain the answer in terms that you get. The best GRE books will have detailed, easy to understand answer explanations to each question. A book gets bonus points if they also include tricks and tips to solve them. This helps you develop skills that are useful across all areas of the exam.

Again, Magoosh is a great book for those who want to see the explanations in detailed, easy to understand language. Kaplan and the Princeton review also have really good explanations and offer access to online resources to explain answers to the problems further.

Top Pick: GRE Prep by Magoosh (See our full Magoosh GRE Prep Review here.)

Standout Features

standout features

All of the best GRE books we reviewed have a long list of great features. So, how do they get you to bite? Any time a book can come up with something that makes them stand out, the more students they will have clicking “buy now” on their computer or phone. So, what can a GRE test prep book offer that gives them the edge?

  • Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021  offers access to its premium online content like its customizable Qbank.
  • Manhattan Prep’s 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems offers the most questions and access to 15 of their online lessons.
  • GRE Prep by Magoosh offers great tips and strategies as well as the best explanations for the problems.
  • The Princeton Review’s GRE Prep 2021  gives you access to their video lessons to supplement their print content.
  • ETS’s Official GRE Super Power Pack offers test questions created by the authors of the GRE.
  • Barron’s GRE is a great choice for building a solid base of knowledge.

Top Overall Pick:   Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021

Buy Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021 if:

  • you want access to tons of online practice questions.
  • you want to experience what it feels like to actually sit for the GRE.
  • you want a guarantee of a higher score.
  • See more here

Buy Manhattan Prep’s 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems if:

  • you want to get the most questions in any of the top GRE prep books
  • you want one of the best selling GRE prep books.
  • you want to beef up your quantitative skills.

Buy GRE Prep by Magoosh:

  • you want the best explanations to the problems.
  • you want lots of tips and test-taking strategies.
  • you want a GRE book that’s easy to understand.

Buy Princeton Review’s  GRE Prep 2021 if:

  • you want a prep book from one of the most trusted names in test prep.
  • you want access to lots of its online content.
  • you want access to many full-length practice tests

Buy ETS’s Official GRE Super Power Pack if:

  • you want to practice using questions from the GRE test-makers.
  • you want plenty of practice tests.
  • you want lots of content for the math and verbal reasoning sections.

Buy Barron’s GRE if:

  • you want a book with strong vocabulary help.
  • you want to take practice tests that look and feel like actual questions.
  • you need to build a strong base for your weak areas.

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9 Best GRE Prep Books For 2023: Top Picks & Reviews

BEST OVERALL

best gre review books

The Official GRE Super Power Pack

Read Review

MOST NUMBER OF PRACTICE QUESTIONS

best gre review books

Manhattan 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

best gre review books

GRE Prep by Magoosh

Aaron Simmons Profile Image

Aaron • Last updated on January 2, 2023

When you prepare for the GRE, you have to make sure that you are using only the best resources. The world out there is highly competitive, and it is important to be ahead of the game, especially when it comes to the GRE.

Preparation is key—that’s what they always say. That being, you have to be picky with the kind of prep books you invest in. However, with the price tag of most prep books these days, it’s difficult to choose a GRE prep book with the best value for money. 

One of the no-frail GRE prep books that I recommend is The Official GRE Super Power Pack by the Educational Test Center or ETS ( 1 ). It has the official content, so you would find it worthwhile. 

While it is considered the best, some other GRE study books in the market also bear high-quality content at reasonable prices. Find out what they are in this comprehensive review.

1. The Official GRE Super Power Pack

Best Overall

As mentioned, the best material to use when preparing for the GRE is the prep book bundle produced by the ETS itself. This power pack includes the following:

  • The Official Guide to the GRE, 3rd Edition
  • Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Questions, Volume 1, Second Edition
  • Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Questions, Volume 1, Second Edition

The overall price of this bundle is cheaper when you purchase the books separately. They are in a bundle, so you would expect the books to cover the major sections. Because they are published by the test-maker, you can study the concepts and questions found in the actual GRE.

Of course, the level of difficulty of its practice questions reflects the real one, and that’s a significant consideration. 

One advantage of this GRE prep book bundle is the inclusion of 4 full-length real practice exams, authentic GRE questions with corresponding answer explanations, and descriptions of various question types.

When you purchase this bundle, you also have access to GRE PowerPrep Online with an ebook content that is fully accessible to all students, even the ones with disabilities.

  • No thorough content about test strategies
  • Quantitative section answer explanations are not in-depth

Final Verdict

Ultimately, this power back has the most authentic content, but I recommend you supplement it with a material with high-focused content on strategies.

2. Manhattan 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

Most Number of Practice Questions

best gre review books

This book may not be considered as an official GRE prep book, but its comprehensiveness and thoroughness are quite remarkable. It contains over 1,800 practice problems that cover all the GRE concepts found in the actual exam.

Even better, this book was organized accordingly, which makes everything easy to understand. The practice problems are grouped according to practice sets. Each practice problem also mimics the content, style, and form of the actual GRE. 

Through the well-crafted practice problems, you will be able to master the fundamental skills needed in verbal and quantitative sections. This book makes it possible through its answer explanations and step-by-step application tasks that help in understanding the concepts better. 

Also, because this book comes with access to Manhattan Prep’s interactive on-demand learning platform, you will have more opportunities for mastery through its learning modules online.

  • No full-length practice tests

Although this Manhattan GRE study book has a great number of practice problems, it doesn’t have full-length practice tests, which is significant in preparing for the GRE. I recommend you pick up other supplement materials with complete practice tests.

3. GRE Prep by Magoosh

best gre review books

The best GRE preparation usually comes with a hefty price, but let’s admit it, preparing for such a high-stake exam is also possible through best-valued materials, such as the Magoosh GRE prep book.

So far, I can say that this book has the best-summarized guide for the GRE, which makes it the perfect starter book if you are still discovering about GRE. Included here is a well-curated set of practice problems from Magoosh’s online GRE program. The authors of this book also provided brand new test-taking tips and strategies that would be helpful for you to pass the exam.

I won’t say that this is the best GRE study guide in terms of comprehensiveness, but its full-length practice test and over 130 practice problems with corresponding answer explanations make it the best-valued item on our list.

You may also take advantage of the coupon included in the book if you want to enroll in any of Magoosh’s online courses. Indeed, it’s one of the best GRE prep books out there because of its content and price.

  • Not comprehensive

There are not enough practice problems and practice tests here so you shouldn’t use it stand-alone. However, I consider it a great GRE book for beginners.

4. Barron’s GRE Flashcards, 3rd Edition

Best Supplement Material

best gre review books

Barron’s GRE Flashcards, 3rd Edition

If you need an additional study or a quick review for the GRE before the test day comes, then I suggest this flashcard set for that purpose. It contains 500 flashcards that help you gain focus on certain areas that you need to master.

Here’s a summary of its contents based on the number of flashcards for each section:

  • 250 verbal section cards with definitions and sentence-completion practice
  • 250 math section cards

The front portion of each verbal flashcard is in bold texts for quicker recognition, especially if you are studying on the go. The back portion, on the other hand, shows the definition, antonyms, sample analogy, and sample sentence. Parts of speech and context clues are also provided.

Furthermore, the math section cards are categorized as follows:

  • 75 math facts
  • 25 math strategies
  • 65 multiple-choice questions
  • 65 quantitative-comparison questions
  • 10 multiple-answer questions
  • 10 numeric-entry questions

What’s even great about these flashcards is their corner punch hole feature to accommodate the metal sorting ring that’s included in the package. You can use the sorting ring to arrange the flashcards in any sequence that would be suitable for your learning needs.

There are also practice questions in this flashcard set. Although the practice questions are not official practice questions, the quality is close to that of the actual GRE. 

The font size of the texts, however, can be too small if you do not have a regular clear vision. When it comes to durability, this Barron GRE set absolutely does not disappoint. You can carry and flip them with ease even if you are in a rush.

  • Not enough practice material
  • The font is too small

I recommend this flashcard set if you need a quick review before the test day. It also works for you if you have a few weeks to a couple of months to prepare for the GRE. It’s not comprehensive like the Manhattan Prep GRE book and Kaplan GRE book, but it certainly is part of our list of the best GRE study materials you can try.

5. Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2020

Most Comprehensive

best gre review books

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2020

Kaplan usually does a great job when it comes to prep books, and so does when it comes to its GRE prep book. The Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2020 provides more than practice problems. It has an amazing collection of test-taking strategies, which Kaplan is typically known for. It also has tips for graduate school applications, which adds to its value.

In terms of practice problems, it comes close to Manhattan Prep. This Kaplan book has more than 1,700 practice problems with detailed explanations that help break down the concepts. There are also timed sets for each GRE section to ensure that you get the appropriate familiarity before you take the exam.

Purchasing this GRE study book also comes with access to its computer-based testing format. This allows you to check your performance summaries, so you can track and customize your study plan as needed.

  • Not derived from the official content

Indeed, the Kaplan GRE book is still among the top GRE test prep books in the market even though its content is not as close to the actual. Thus, I recommend you use it along with an official content material such as the ones produced by the test-makers.

6. Barron’s GRE, 22nd Edition

Best Starter Book

best gre review books

Barron’s GRE, 22nd Edition

This is the improved version of Barron’s GRE book although the alterations are very few. However, I like how it lays out the fundamental concepts you need to master for the GRE making it a strong base for learning.

Moreover, you would appreciate the practice questions provided after each topic, which helps in cementing the concepts to your mind. This GRE book also contains 2 full-length practice exams with matching answer keys. Of course, I appreciate such a feature but it would have been so much better if the additional feature is a set of detailed answer explanations. 

The additional online practice tests, however, have question explanations that help make GRE studying easier, especially when you get stuck on particular questions.

Nevertheless, the Barron GRE book deserves to be a part of our top GRE prep books.

  • Not enough practice problems
  • No detailed explanations

It is not a starter guide for the GRE, but definitely a fundamental kind of starter book because of how in-depth it covers the sections of the GRE, especially the verbal section and quantitative section.

7. The Princeton Review’s Cracking the GRE, 2020 Edition

Best Variety

best gre review books

The Princeton Review’s Cracking the GRE, 2020 Edition

It is one of the most recently published GRE books and considered one of the best GRE study materials. This book from the Princeton Review acts like an all-in-one solution for you to raise your score significantly.

It’s also amazing that you can take advantage of its 4 practice tests, which are sufficient enough to make you test-ready. Aside from that, this book contains topic reviews and powerful tactics that will help you topple down certain traps in the GRE test.

Even better, it contains a step-by-step problem-solving guide so you would minimize your errors, thereby, making yourself efficient as you go along the test.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that buying this book gives you access to the Princeton Review’s online premium portal for additional practice problems and study resources.

Another notable feature of this book is the practice tests that also grade your analytical writing section. I find that very relevant since not all GRE books offer such a feature.

  • The level of difficulty is not at par with the real GRE test difficulty

This Manhattan Prep GRE book is an incredible resource, not to mention that it has a well-thought-of format. However, you would certainly look for other GRE study books whose practice questions are similarly difficult to the actual GRE practice questions.

8. The Official Guide to the GRE by ETS, 2nd Edition

Best Live Online

best gre review books

The Official Guide to the GRE by ETS, 2nd Edition

This book is the previous version of one of the books included in the power pack. Regardless, it still has powerful content because it is created by ETS. 

In this book, you will know what to expect on the test day, including some pieces of information about how your test is scored. Of course, that’s an added advantage since it’s a book published by the test creator.

Also, having this book gives you confidence because the content is reliable and accurate enough. You will be answering authentic GRE practice questions to prepare you for the exam.

Finally, the book is affordable, making it the perfect supplement material for your other GRE books that are more comprehensive and recent.

  • Not much practice problems
  • Less focus on strategies

Despite being an old version, I have still included it on our list because the quality of the content is still considered top-notch. For its low price, I highly recommend it as among the best GRE books for beginners.

9. Manhattan Prep GRE Set of 8 Strategy Guides

best gre review books

Manhattan Prep GRE Set of 8 Strategy Guides

This is the second set of top GRE prep books that I highly recommend if you are looking for an all-in prep without supplement materials. Of course, it is very pricey, which I would expect from any prep book set.

This Manhattan Prep set, unlike the ETS power pack, has 8 books. The 6 books cover the math-content areas, such as algebra, geometry, fractions, percents, and decimals. The kind of questions you will encounter in these books will help you become adept at data interpretation and quantitative comparison.

The other 2 books, on the other hand, are dedicated to the verbal and analytical writing sections. These books also cover sentence equivalence, text completion, and essay writing. This prep book set allows you to prep with the utmost coverage.

There are also 3 sets of practice questions that you can find at the end of each book. Each set is categorized based on the level of difficulty – easy, medium, and hard. 

I especially like how in-depth the explanations are in the quantitative books, although most of its practice questions are considered easy when compared to the actual quantitative questions. The verbal section books also provide you an edge in terms of learning sound techniques and improving reading comprehension.

  • Expensive set price
  • Not suitable for last-minute GRE prep due to comprehensiveness

I highly recommend this set if you are looking for complete coverage of the GRE sections subject to the fact that you have ample time to prepare for the GRE. Otherwise, it would be a lot of waste to invest in this set if you don’t have the time to dive deeper into each book.

This book also contains 1,000 common GRE words, 500 of which are basic words and the other half being advanced words.

Criteria to Consider in Choosing the Best GRE Prep Book

  • The comprehensiveness of coverage – Not all GRE books are created equal and none of what we listed on this list is a perfect one. Each has a downside, but you should go for the best GRE study guide that provides practice materials and study resources. Does the book have enough practice questions? Does it have full-length practice tests? Does it teach test-taking strategies? These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself when checking on a particular GRE book
  • Quality of practice materials – I always appreciate a GRE prep book with many practice problems, especially if the quality of its practice materials is close to the actual GRE.Does it help you prepare for the real thing? Does the level of difficulty simulate that of the test-day GRE?
  • Inclusion of test-taking strategies – A prep book for the GRE can be comprehensive, but it would also be so much better if it also has test-taking tips and strategies. Of course, you are not studying only about the concepts but also about methods on how to handle various GRE questions.
  • Other features – I would consider a GRE prep book that has an added value for what I am paying for. This means additional features that would give me an advantage to others. These additional features would give me an added convenience as I prep for the GRE.
  • Affordable price – Not all expensive GRE prep books are worth the price if there are more affordable choices that can provide equal experience. On the other hand, I also suggest that you look into book sets because most of the time, the set price is cheaper compared to separate purchases.

This comprehensive roundup review on the best GRE study books leads us to our top-rated selection which is The Official GRE Super Power Pack. This set does not have sufficient resources for test-taking strategies, but because it contains ample materials and it reflects the real GRE, then it deserves to be on that spot.

Our next choices are the Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2020 and Manhattan Prep 5lb. GRE Book of Practice Problems because both of them showcase high-quality materials with well-curated GRE content. Plus, their prices are reasonable enough although not as cheap as the price of Magoosh GRE Book.

1. https://www.ets.org/

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9 Best GRE Prep Books 2022 – Reviews and Rankings

Looking for Best GRE Prep Books for 2022-2023? I have seen several emails from my readers asking for the best GRE  Test Prep book and software. In this article, you will find Best GRE Books 2022, reviews and recommendations for GRE Test Takers.

  • FACT: Preparing for GRE Exam preparation takes a lot of time and effort.
  • FACT: Score Improvement come over consistent practice and effort

Some test takers prefer books over classes or to supplement classes. Some prefer to register for GRE classes in addition to books.  But, I haven’t seen any test taker without access to at least one book.  Here’re my recommended Best GRE Books for  2018 and 2019

Best GRE Prep Books 2022

The following books are listed based on the order of preference. Ratings for the books are listed below.

  • The Official Guide to the GRE General Test
  • Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions
  •  Official GRE® Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions
  • 5 lb Book of GRE Practice Problems  (New Edition in Dec 2018)
  • Manhattan GRE Prep Books  (Refer to the Table Below)

Manhattan GRE Prep Books 2022-2023

In addition to the above GRE Prep books, you can find so several other books from different publishers. Should you buy them? Keep reading.

Keys to GRE Test Prep:

  • Know your skill level (What’s your score today?)
  • Create a Study Plan (based on your target score, target universities)
  • Know how hard you can push yourself (a study plan is of no use unless you know your limits)
  • How long it would take for you to reach the target score (hard work and grit)

Even the best GRE Books can take do only so much and take you closer to your goals, but every test taker is limited by the time and ability.

More than the choice of books, you need to know about your test prep and GRE test-taking ability.

How long would it take for you to see improve a score by 5 points? It’s easy to improve your scores from 140 to 145 to 150. But, every point increase beyond 150 requires effort and time.

Can you set a realistic target GRE score based on your previous academic skills and performances?

One of the frequently asked question – How many GRE Test Prep books to buy?

Let me give you a few examples.

  • Student 1: Self-Prep with Books and without paying for online test prep companies. This person would need several books (practice questions and full-length practice tests).
  • Student 2: Instructor lead GRE Prep course and online GRE Practice Tests. This person would need at least Manhattan and ETS GRE Prep Books

Best GRE Prep Books 2022 – Reviews with Ratings

  • Official ETS GRE Guide – Super Power Pack  – (10/10)
  • Manhattan GRE Math and Verbal Strategies Books – Set of 2 books (10/10)
  • 5 lb Book of GRE Practice Problems   (10/10)
  • Cracking the New GRE with DVD (6/10)
  • Kaplan GRE Premier with Online Test   (7/10)
  • Nova GRE Math Prep Course (6/10)
  • Gruber’s New GRE Guide (4/10)

5lb Manhattan  Book of GRE Practice Problems (Video)

Top GRE Quantitative Books

Here are few books for GRE Quantitative Sections – Strategies, and Practice Test.

  • 500 GRE Math Flash Cards (Manhattan)
  • Manhattan GRE Prep Books – (Includes Books for Algebra, Word Problems, Trigonometry)
  • Nova GRE Math Prep Course
  • Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook

Top GRE Verbal Books

Here are few books for preparing for GRE Verbal section. Most students will have to spend more time on Verbal section prep than the math section.

After identifying your weak Verbal sections, pick up few books to improve your specific weak sections within verbal.

  • Manhattan GRE Prep Books (Verbal GRE Guide)
  • Manhattan Reading Comprehension
  • GRE Vocab Capacity   Over 800 Powerful Memory Tricks and Mnemonics

Books for GRE Practice Tests

For additional GRE Practice tests, you may have to buy Kaplan and other test prep books as you will run out of the Practice tests with the above books.

In an ideal world, you should take 1.5x practice test every day for the last 10 days before the GRE test date.

That’s a lot of practice tests to take.  You need access to several practice tests to reach that goal.

When you practice with 1.5x tests (7 sections) in one sitting, you are training your brain to be active for a longer duration during.

In the actual GRE test will have added pressure. So, you need to have ENERGY and FOCUS be at your 100% during the test. That’s why you need to take longer practice sessions.

Boosting Your GRE Score with Best GRE Prep Books

All the GRE Test Prep books take a different approach and provide different strategies to solve the same set of problems.  The key is to understand how to learn and use the strategy during the test. If you can learn that one skill, you can boost your score.

It may take longer for some test takers to acquire the skill. Some test-takers would pick up that skill within 2 to 3 weeks of starting to study for the test.

NOTE: The score will change over time. Don’t expect a boost in your scores overnight. If you are not seeing improvement in your score, try a different approach. Plus, prepare with a plan in mind. Know your target score and the approach you are going to take to reach the target score (including how many hours to study per day).

Good luck with your GRE Test Prep. Do come back to share your GRE Test Experience. I always love to hear back from my readers.

Summary: Best GRE Prep Books 2022

So, which books to buy? Following books are MUST Have been for Strategies and Practice.

  • Manhattan GRE Prep Books   (Must Buy)
  • Official ETS GRE Guide – Super Power Pack   (Must Buy)
  • 5 lb Book of GRE Practice Problems (Must Buy)

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Average GRE Scores for M.S. and PhD – UCLA – Computer Science

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ETS PPI + GRE Scores = Guaranteed Admission?

How many of you are aware of ETS Personal Potential Index? A web-based evaluation system for graduate applicants, provides evaluator ratings on specific personal attributes that graduate and professional school deans and faculty say are critical for academic success. You can improve your admission chances by forwarding PPI along with GRE Scores to improve your…

GRE Tips: Spend More Time on First 15 Questions

Today’s GRE Tips  comes from HSB fan who shared his GRE test performance data. It would be useful if ans who took GRE can post similar data in the comments below. I am Kaustubh from pune, I had my GRE on 13th Oct 2010. I just wanted to say one thing which i experienced that…

New GRE Book Reviews

Most awaited article – New GRE Book Reviews is here. New GRE Exam will be offered from August 1, 2011. Several New GRE Books have been published. I spend several hours reading New GRE books available to write this post – Top New GRE book reviews. This post comes after comparing practice tests, examples, test…

86 Comments

thanks for sharing this great list. this is very useful for everyone

it is okay to study in only books or go for tutions ??

Depends on your skills. Are you motivated to study on your own?

Hello everyone, I have a doubt about the edition of books we refer,I bought official guide of GRE and TOEFL(from amazon) but the edition is 2012 ,if i study using this books will I cover required knowledge or will I have to buy the new edition(which obviously cost too much 🙂

TOEFL – you can use the same book. GRE – Latest edition contains new practise test in addition to contents from 2012 edition.

You can use the book you have as well.

Please tell me, I am pursuing MA in History and for further studies like Ph.D I am planning to study abroad , i just want to know that I am eligible for GRE or not?

Refer to GRE section.

Will you please provide me a link of it.

Hi Raghuvaran sir! It’s good to see you back again with one of the best and useful article – “9 Best GRE Books 2015- Reviews and Test Prep Guide.” This is really a very helpful article for students like me who are preparing for GRE exam. Providing a list of the best GRE books 2015 and also including the list of top GRE Quant and verbal books is also huge helpful. Thanks a ton. Thanks up for this amazing article.

Start with Manhattan GRE Books. They have several Full Lenght Test Books

Dear Sir, Thank you for the suggestions.With regards. Udaysankar

The Cliffs Notes GRE with CD-ROM is the best book on the market! I bought it because I really needed updated practice material with the new 2011 types of questions. What a great surprise. Not only was the book updated with the new GRE question types, but the math review was excellent. One chapter introduced the new math question types (and had plenty of practice examples), but the best part was the next math chapter that helped me with “math review.” I forgot how to answer some math problems, but the review was really clear and easy to understand. I also appreciated the extra practice tests on the CD-ROM. This is the book to buy for the new GRE! Good Luck!

but that books does not provide enough info on GRE. Like , questions are really easy in this books but level of questions in actual GRE is different. See the official guide. However, this book is good for basic but for complete idea you have to buy and practice on kaplan or manhattan.

I just took the GRE and the level of difficulty in the Cliffs GRE book was right on. I found a lot of mistakes on the Kaplan book. The Official Guide is great for sample problems only!

What is the best gre study guide 2012? I’m looking to buy Kaplan, ETS REvised GRE book and Cracking GRE 2012.

The Best books if u r starting from scratch … 1. ETS Official guide.. 2. Manhattan Gre Books(all 8) 3.Buy either Manhattan(both basic and advanced) or Kaplan flash cards set.. try to perfect the above material… it is more than enough.. also by buying Manhattan gre books you will get access to 5 full length practice tests..

P.S. I would advice you to go against kaplan gre books… as the strategies are too drab and ineffective..

You got the list of Best GRE Study Guide 2012 right. 1) ETS Revised GRE 2) Kaplan (or Barrons New GRE) 3) Manhattan GRE Guide

kaplan for basic review. manhattan all 7 from basic to advance. kaplan math workbook. kaplan verbal workbook. and lots of practice test

Hi.. Im pursuing final year b.tech biotech student.. i have been preparing for GRE since a month.. i would like to know how important is academic score because i have only 56%.. will it be helpful if i score really good in GRE and TOFEL? How much score is a ‘GOOD’ score? will i be able to get admission in a decent college? will i have issues with visa? I would be glad if someone would be able to clear my doubts.. Thank you..

Good GRE Score – As High As you can get. 340 is the Top Score. So, there’s really nothing like 300 is enough, when you can score 40 more points.

hi,im a btech(2011) pass out.I want to take the new gre. Im placed in infosys and i have my joinning in december.Please do suggest how to prepare for quant and verbal,how to make a intial move.

To get a high score in GRE verbal section:

Practice reading comprehension questions a lot. The most important part while practising is to review the solutions of passages after you have attempted them and understand why all answers are wrong. Better suggestion is to take the verbal test without any preparation so that one can get to know about their weak areas in verbal section. Make a flash card and prepare a list of vocabulary words and try to remember the list while attempting an exam

hey which book do you recommend I should buy for GRE General? I already have the Nova Math Prep book….I’m confused between Barron’s and ETS…for Revised GRE. I have the 18th edition of Barron’s. Kindly please advice. Time is running short.

Hi,i am biotechnology BSc hons final year completed student i am intrested to complete my higher studies in abroad .plz guide me how to prepare for gre and how to select the university and to how to select dates to attend for exams .plz suggest some books to reffer . thanking you

please send me some gre materials

I hope, your guidance will back me up and invigorate me to evaluate my ability better than ever. Thanks a lot for your shrewd suggestion.

Hi,i am b.tech second year completed student i am intrested to completet my higher studies in abroad .plz guide me how to prepare for gre and how to select the university and to how to select dates to attend for exams .plz suggest some books to reffer . thanking you

hi, I am b.tech final year student of computer science and going to give gre this june. pls help me out how to score above 1400+ and the best book to prepare. how can I get scholarship to study in U.S.

1. Start with the Prefix, Root-Stem, suffixes chapter in Barron…. If you are poor in vocabulary or simply dont use complex words more often, then this is the chapter you wanna start with. Simply put these 10 pages will make u understand even the most complex words by breaking them up into parts. Works great with synonyms and Anotnyms.

2. Rapidly move over to word lists. I suppose 3-4 lists a day would be helpful. More lists will simply overload your mind. Make it a poing to carry a rough book with you. Note down any unusual word that you have not encountered before in regular english use, and during further revsions just read the words from this note-book. You’ll see that by the 3rd-4th revision you’ll know all the words in the note-book.

3. Once the word lists is over try solving the synonyms and antonyms using the wordlists and prefix-suffix-stem-root formula.

4. By the time you finish all this – your vocab will be built up and you can easily write in great essays. I gave 4 days for essay practice.

5. You can easily do math in 7 days time… No bid deal. Simple 8-9-10th grade math. Barrons is more than enough. But try reading from your younger sister/brothers books if u have time… hehe

6. Although Barron is more than enough… try reading “Word Power Made Easy”. Gr8 book. Costs only 90 bucks. Will help you a lot

Well i hope this helps you in your preps

hi , i am b.tech fresh graduate 2011, i am already placed in tcs and i am about to receive call letter in July. but i am very much inserted to do my higher education in abroad . I dont know anything about gre plan or preparation , not even how to start . please provide me solution or way so that , i can build a bright careen according to my convience.

1. Start with the Prefix, Root-Stem, suffixes chapter in Barron…. If you are poor in vocabulary or simply dont use complex words more often, then this is the chapter you wanna start with. Simply put these 10 pages will make u understand even the most complex words by breaking them up into parts. Works great with synonyms and Anotnyms.

2. Rapidly move over to word lists. I suppose 3-4 lists a day would be helpful. More lists will simply overload your mind. Make it a poing to carry a rough book with you. Note down any unusual word that you have not encountered before in regular english use, and during further revsions just read the words from this note-book. You’ll see that by the 3rd-4th revision you’ll know all the words in the note-book.

4. By the time you finish all this – your vocab will be built up and you can easily write in great essays. I gave 4 days for essay practice.

5. You can easily do math in 7 days time… No bid deal. Simple 8-9-10th grade math. Barrons is more than enough. But try reading from your younger sister/brothers books if u have time… hehe

6. Although Barron is more than enough… try reading “Word Power Made Easy”. Gr8 book. Costs only 90 bucks. Will help you a lot

Getting placed in tcs is a great thing. After working for 2 years plan for higher education such as MS/MBA which will help you for a bright career as per my knowledge. Preparing for GRE is an easiest thing in the world. ……………………………….

i am 3rd year . civil Engineering student.. i want to pursue to MS from US, UK , canada . which book should i prefer? i want to know about scholarship scheme? i have 10th :65% and my diplomo: 66% and my score in English is good above 60% , do i Need to GIVE TOEFL exam?? i want the answers to all these question.. do help me..

i want to prepare for gre. and i know about 20% of it. the problame is that i have just completed 10+2 level. i am 18 and weak in english as it is not my first language. so please advise me about how to improve eng .pleaseeeee!!!

i have done my Masters in Biotechnology with 68% & now i got 900 in gre (270 in verbal. & 630 in Quant.). is this score is worthwhile enough so any universities in U.S which give me scholarship? plz help me out

Recently moved to the U.S. and for the safe accommodation I must pass TOEFL

I'm afraid to take TOEFL!

Help me to start training?

i m very weak at study because of my illusions if i thought of study for 1 hour i gradually go out of the study thing please tell me some tips so that i can overcome this weakness

block id #1971700

please suggest best TOEFL books for preparation?

Thank you for providing GRE preparation books.Each book for different sections will be useful……lets see……

HSB rocks all must have books are must have however I must say that the solution provided in the GRE Math Bible 9 Ed by Jeff kolby simply superb but as a suggestion i would like to say they could have also used short solution along with the regular solution to clear up the basics I think then this books will create a record in the sales.

I just said what I felt, I'm not demeaning or praising any book.

Vaibhav Chauhan

Princeton review is excellent for strategy learning. Its essential for tactics. Please add to the list.

I completed my Masters in Physics from well reputed University in Bangladesh. My career graph is

B.Sc 50%(university rank)

SSC 80% . I’m trying to do my MS/PhD in US. I’m confident in subject GRE. is it possible to get an admission in reputed US university with scholarship ?

Reply will be greatly appreciated.

can u suggest me the gre scores required for ohio state,indiana ,californuia and texas universities for pharmacy m.s courses

Hi sir i have completedmy b.pharmacy with 72% and got a toefl score 97 can i get admission in ohio state university of columbus for doing m.s in pharmacy. i have listed universities like ohio,california state university northridge,texas arlington and indiana for reporting my toefl scores can i get an admission in any one of these universities…

hey , people i am purusoth mahendran doing my second year BTech Information Technology … i would like to know what are all the masters degree options available for me in US related to my field .. i am not too good at programming and so am not interested in software engineering .. can anyone tell me what are all the other courses and their scope ..due to my weakness in programming skills i am in a dilemma whether to go for MS or MBA …is it like only if i have a sound programming knowledge in CC++ i would get admission for MS or suggest me some fields related to IT or CSE with less of programming …i am also interested in information security,cyber forensics, multimedia technology ,and database tech .. give some info abt all these and also give me sme info abt AI (artificial intelligence).. and MY CGPA IS 7.5 till now ..suggest me some universities too

Hi, I have completed B.E. from civil engineering, my math is good and i can understand every question very well by spending little time for each, but i face very vritical in verbal section, how can i prepare for same ??

Please give me a tips for improve my verbal abilities….. Thanks

i got 890 in gre(q-640, v-250) and my academics 66.7% in btech

is it enough for applying univs…. i am trying for spring 2011. do i have any chance to retake my gre xam. i have taken my gre previoously on aug 17 2010.. plz help me….

You can definately do that after B.sc.

And I suggest you to start preparing right now.Because GRE needs a lot of efforts.

So start preparation from today and if you need any help,contact me on 09662295370.

Sir,I am from Bangladesh.I am 3rd year Bsc student.I have 80% marks in my SSC and HSC exam.Now i have 65% marks in my 1st year and 2nd year final.I have a dream to complete my Msc from USA or Canada.Thats why i want to complete GRE.But Is it possible for me to study In North America with this result?What range of score in GRE is necessary for that?

I am weak in English?How can I recover it?

please Sir.Help me….

Dept of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

University of Chittagong.

Bangladesh.

Dear Sir,I am Ayan.I want to do GRE within 2 year.But i am weak in english.How can i improve myself?Plz help me sir.

i have to preparepare for gre exams.can you please suggest me the books for its preparation especially for the mathematics section.

Plz reply soon!!!!

nova is the best book…………

I'm pursuing my B.E. in Civil Engineering from Delhi college of Engineering, DCE, India. I'm in the 4th year of my degree curriculum now. I want to pursue my M.Arch(I) from one of the excellent architecture schools of USA or Canada. I'll appear for GRE this year in the month of October. What score will be good enough for getting admission in one of the top 10 Graduate Architecture Schools? What are the job prospects in USA or Canada after pursuing M.Arch(I) ? I'll be thankful to anyone who can provide me with the required information.

U hav to appear 4 gre n toefl 4 admission in MS.

If u need more details, call me on 09662295370.

Hi,i am a student studying B.SC (PHYSICS,MATHEMATICS,COMPUTER SCIENCE)..can i do M.S in universities abroad…if i take up GRE exam….PLZZZZ reply at the earliest.

Abhishek Guhey

I just completed my second year of Engineering from Mumbai University and have just started with my GRE studies. I've joined the Princeton Review classes for it and they've advised me to take the GRE around October.

My question is, will this be a good enough time?

I scored 1100 on their diagnostic test (670 Math, 430 verbal).

Also, I was wondering if their study material is good enough or not.

hi sir myself rituja i have completed B.E in electrical &electronics planning for ms i have no ideaa regarding books,admission procedure,colleges ,course offered .sir plz help me out in this matter

as you said you have a low knowledge in mathematics , basically maths is a integral part of gre . you have to extremly good in maths . for improoving maths you can refer nova . you have to be regular at maths and u have to practice a lot for building your maths skills . thanx

most imp thing is " nobody can help you , its only you who cn do it " . cracking gre is not about craming books and all , its about your skills . your mathematical skills nd your vocabs . regular practice and dedication will make it all . for cracking gre you have to be industiour nd phlegmatic . the very frst step is to buy a barrons and start right now else u'll be too late .

I am preparing for my GRE exam, I need suggession, tip or any useful information that can lead to a high score. What is the bset GRE book ?

actually i have 2 questions

1. can i write gre exam in sep 2010 to leave india in 2011

my b-tech will be completed by apr 2011

2. which books u prefer to study for gre to get 1200+

I want to know the detail of GRE subject test of biotechnology.

THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME BECAUSE IT IS REALLY TOUGH TO CHOOSE BOOKS FOR GRE PREPARATION.THANKS A LOT.

UDAYSANKAR MALLIK

Sir, I want to know whether the sum of 190 dollar for gre exam includes the test of subject paper too. And also whether in India we have the scope of giving both CBT and PBT, and what is the time of registration,and the entire exam based test is given on one day in PBT.

hello sir, is all this listed books are available in India.

You can find them but it will not be in low cost edition. You will have to pay the the actual price in rupees.

Sir what are the possibilities of getting admitted into NCSU or Texas A&M or Penn State University with a GRE score of 1200 and a Btech percentage of 71% ? Also list out the universities that i can probably get into….expecting ur reply

hi!! i wanted 2 knoe how 2 giv register my self on gre registration center……………suggest me sir……………..i will be grateful to you…………………..

hi I just want to know that how many time suject GRE in physics take place in India.And if for example I write my exam of gre on may 2010 and subject Gre physics on NOV 2010(usually exam are in that month) when will I get the score for Subject GRE and can I able to apply for top 10 university at that time i.e 2011.

you must finish both ur gre and toefl by the end of dec at last.

This is really a wonderful blog.

I am planning to give GRE for doing phd from US.

Its really been like a lots of information for someone like me who doesnt know anything about the basics of admission procedure.

THANX a TONN.

hai u!! i completed b-tech in 2009, i want to appear GRE and TOEFl exams, i need the proper books for it and proper coaching centre for it , can anyone suggest the best on in hyd, AP.

Thank you….

hiiiiiiiiiii prashant

As far as my knowledge,barrons has a good collection of practise materials…n for strategies to crack the exam,it's gud to refer barron's as well as princeton review..this will surely work..all the best..am also searching for the best books for GRE..

myself ameya , i want to pursive higher study as MS in US. so i want the admission as fast as possible , so which date i have to select for GRE.

i just completed my B.E in I.T , i want to do my MS ….i have just started studying for my gre, i’m planning on taking my gre in jan end or feb mid , i know i will be able to apply for spring ‘11 , will it be any different from the fall ‘10 ? and After writting d exam so late will i be able to Join in Fall '09.

I took the GRE in October and got a 550( I know, depressing). I panicked. I will admit a study but very little.

My weakest point is Math. What books should I buy (and does it matter if they are an older edition)?

I already have the Kaplan book, What else should I buy?

Also, I look at the book and it is so overwhelming. Where should I start?

I am taking the GRE in March again. I would like to get at least a 1000.

@Alex – Barron's GRE prep books are good for practice. Use Kaplan to learn strategies. Novapress for Maths is also good

Here is the list of the best books to buy in order to improve your GRE mathematics score:

ETS Maths Review: This book is written by the creators of the Graduate Record Examination. It covers all the concepts asked in the actual GRE quant section with specific tips and strategies to ace the section. Barron’s Guide: This book looks into every minute detail of each concept and provides a wide range of practice problems for each and every section. Nova’s GRE Guide: This has been rated as the best book for GRe Quant section by most test takers. Manhattan GRE Prep books Kaplan GRE Maths Workbook EZ Solutions – Test Prep Series Princeton Review’s Cracking the GRE Mathematics and McGraw Hill’s conquering the new GRE Maths

Follow these and get a good score in GRE maths. All the very best!

ETS Maths Review: This book is written by the creators of the Graduate Record Examination. It covers all the concepts asked in the actual GRE quant section with specific tips and strategies to ace the section. Barron’s Guide: This book looks into every minute detail of each concept and provides a wide range of practice problems for each and every section. Nova’s GRE Guide: This has been rated as the best book for GRe Quant section by most test takers. Manhattan GRE Prep books Kaplan GRE Maths Workbook EZ Solutions – Test Prep Series Princeton Review’s Cracking the GRE Mathematics and McGraw Hill’s conquering the new GRE Maths

Hi,i am a student studying B.SC (PHYSICS,MATHEMATICS,COMPUTER SCIENCE)..can i do M.S in universities abroad…if i take up GRE exam….PLZZZZ reply

Check out the eligibility criteria to take up GRE exam and decide yourself whether you were qualified to write GRE or not.

Any Indian citizen who have done intermedia(i.e., 10+2) + a four year degree or A three year degree+ diploma or A post graduation.

Great list! I'm glad someone's listing the truly useful ones.

Yes the guidance is fabulous

you are positive

thanks for your view

member of premium club, happily

Hello Easwaran – Thanks for being an active commenter here in this blog to help your son come to USA. We miss you. RIP.

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Table of Content

GRE Preparation Books: The 10 Best Books for GRE Preparation in 2024

GRE Preparation Books

The assistance of good GRE prep books can help you ace the GRE exam with better scores. GRE exam marks are essential for students as it helps them exhibit their knowledge about certain subjects that can rapidly increase their chances of getting accepted into the top business institutes globally. 

The best way to ace this exam is by investing in the best GRE test prep book. These GRE preparation books are affordable, cover all the related topics, share practice papers, etc., to enhance the skills and knowledge of students. While the GRE exam preparation books are multiple, thus we have shortlisted the best GRE prep book 2024 for your reference. 

10 Best Books For GRE Preparation in 2024

The market at the moment consists of many GRE preparation books. While these best GRE prep books are popular, not all of them can provide a complete value. Thus to help you find the ideal GRE preparation books, before we go deep in details, Here is a list of the 10 best GRE prep books 2024 edition :

  • The Official Guide To The GRE General Test, Third Edition
  • Official GRE-Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition
  • Official GRE-Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition
  • Official GRE- Super Power Pack
  • Kaplan's GRE Prep Plus 2024
  • Manhattan Prep- 5 lb Book of GRE Practice Problems
  • The Princeton Review's GRE Premium Prep, 2022
  • GRE Prep by Magoosh
  • Test Prep Books- GRE, 12TH Edition
  • Barron's GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition

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1. The Official Guide To The GRE General Test, Third Edition

Over 30,000+ questions have been attempted through Yocket GRE Prep 's FREE diagnostic test! What are you waiting for? Take the test and get an in-depth section-wise analysis for yourself! 

Not just this, you can even take the Yocket Prep+ and get access to several mock tests, practice tests, and what-not; at just Rs 99! Unbelievable right? 

2. Official GRE-Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition

Suggested: Everything about GRE Verbal

3. Official GRE-Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition 

Suggested: What is the GRE Quantitative syllabus?

4. Official GRE- Super Power Pack

5. kaplan's gre prep plus 2025, 6. manhattan prep- 5 lb book of gre practice problems, 7. the princeton review's gre premium prep, 2022, 8. gre prep by magoosh.

Take help from our Yocket Counsellors to know more on how to ace your GRE preparations! 

9. Test Prep Books- GRE, 12TH Edition

10. barron's gre essential words, 5th edition.

Suggested: GRE Accepting Universities

How to Prepare for GRE with Yocket Prep?

Psst…tired of picking out GRE books?

Figuring out the best publications?

The best time to study these huge writings?

Also figuring out the time to actually practice?

Well, what if we tell you that you can get your hands on everything in one place?

Manage, Schedule, Plan, Practice and Learn with Yocket Prep! 

Here is how: 

And, if you are still confused about choosing yourself a GRE test date, our Yocket Study Abroad Experts are here to help you with that too! And trust us when we say this- with our Yocket Prep and Yocket Prep +; your scores are bound to rise! 

Why don't you guys take a FREE 30-minutes diagnostic test from Yocket Prep to get a taste of our especially curated product? 

Well, thank us later folks! 

A good score on the GRE exam can help universities distinguish the deserving students eligible to join the institute. The competition is tough, but it isn’t difficult to crack the same. Now that you have details related to the best books for GRE preparation, it’s time to prep for the exam. Also, Here is a cheat sheet on how you can prepare for GRE in two weeks .

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Frequently Asked Questions About GRE Preparation Books

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10+ Best GRE Prep Books To Ace Your Exam

The graduate record examination, or GRE, is a standardized test for admission into top-tier colleges. All aspiring graduates have to undergo this test, which might seem challenging. 

As GRE is one of the most complicated and difficult exams ; therefore, thorough exam preparation is required to attain efficient scores. 

If you’re searching for the Best GRE Prep Books or study material to attain the desired GRE score, then your search is over. 

To avoid the traps and beat the GRE, Below is the list of 10 Best GRE Prep Books that will definitely help you to earn a top score.  

Top 10 GRE Prep Books: In A Nutshell

If you are searching for some of the best and most comprehensive range of books to prepare for the GRE , then below are the top 10 books to help you. 

1. The Official Guide For GRE General Test

Written by the test creators, the Official Guide for GRE General Test is the most authoritative and best guide for the preparation for the GRE examination. 

As the book is created by the makers of the GRE, the format of the book is similar to that of the actual test of the GRE. 

 Best GRE Prep Books  - The Official Guide For GRE General Test

Students who have ETS(Educational Testing Service) account can also access the online version of the preparation material. You can also access the book online on Kindle for $21.99. 

Author: The Book is offered by the Educational Testing Service. 

Key Learnings.

  • Provides accurate and in-depth practice. 
  • Offers a thorough review of quantitative reasoning and mathematical topics.
  • You will also get access to four real practice tests, i.e., two in the book and two online practice tests. 
  • Offers about 600 questions and provides a complete explanation of the answers. 
  • Test-taking strategies. 
  • Sample essay responses along with reader commentary. 

2. Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 

The GRE Prep Plus by Kaplan is one of the extensive options offering more than 1500 practice questions with a detailed explanation of the answers and is coupled with 500 questions online. 

Along with the practice questions, you can also access comprehensive video explanations of a few selected questions. The practice questions are reviewed, revised, and updated by the expert faculty of Kaplan. 

Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 

The books and practice question offered by Kaplan is written by veteran experts to help you learn more effectively. 

Author:  The Book is offered by Kaplan test prep. 

  • Five full-length computer-based practice tests. 
  • You will learn chapters of all the GRE question types and mathematical skills together with practice tests available for each of them. 
  • Provides online resources comprising one mini-test, one verbal test, and one maths test. 
  • The online Qbank allows you to customize your practice by selecting problems as per difficulty level and topics. 

3. The Princeton Review’s GRE Premium Prep

The Princeton Review’s GRE Premium Prep is one of the great options if you are looking for a well-paced book to help you minimize your errors. 

It is packed with exclusive content, seven high-quality practice exams, and detailed explanations of the answers to help you achieve the highest possible score. 

The Princeton Review’s GRE Premium Prep

With the additional online practice test and the expansive review, the book will absolutely help you to pace yourself and enhance your knowledge on different sections of the GRE. The book is also available online on Kindle for $12.99. 

Author: The book is offered by The Princeton Review.

Key Learnings. 

  • Offers seven full-length practice exams with a comprehensive explanation of answers. 
  • It provides drills for all the test sections, i.e., maths, analytical writing, and verbal writing. 
  • In-depth score reports for the online practice tests. 
  • The online premium features provide access to the video materials on different GRE sections. 
  • You will also learn a few tips and strategies to ace your GRE test. 

4. TPB GRE Prep Review Book

The GRE Prep Review Book is an exclusive study guide that is packed with a comprehensive review of all the sections included in the test. 

The guide not only offers the test questions and an explanation of the answers but also provides you with useful tips for creating an effective study schedule for the GRE and overcoming the anxiety of the test. 

TPB GRE Prep Review Book

Suppose you are looking for effective and additional practice in the areas of verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical reasoning. In that case, the GRE Prep Review book is the perfect one to go. 

Author: Joshua Rueda 

  • Allows access to three full-length tests for effective preparation. 
  • Covers reading comprehension, sentence equivalence, and text completion. 
  • All the mathematical concepts, such as Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, and Data Analysis, are covered. 
  • The book will also provide insight into analytical writing skills such as essay writing, conventions of standard English, etc.

5. 5 lb. Book Of Gre Practice Problems

It is one of the bestselling GRE preparation books offered and is developed by expert instructors to assist you in practicing GRE problems effectively. 

The practice problems in this guide are grouped into different sets for practice and have a similar format to the actual GRE test problems. 

5 lb. Book Of Gre Practice Problems

This study guide is comprised of the new timed sets and the micro drills to help you pace yourself during the examination. The book is available on Kindle for $15.99. 

Author: The Book is created and offered by Manhattan Prep. 

  • It features around 1,800 problems for practice covering the entire section of the GRE. 
  • Provides online learning tools for an interactive practice experience.
  • Tests the individual skills for different subjects with the micro drills and the key maths rule cheat sheets. 
  • Offers easy-to-follow explanations. 
  • You will also get insight into the GRE’s effective strategic plans and study guides. 

6. GRE Prep Book By Mangoosh 

If you are looking for an affordable option for GRE preparation, then GRE Prep Book by Mangoosh is the best option for you. 

The book covers the best practice questions, offers new test-taking strategies by experts, and provides hundreds of easy-to-follow tips, study schedules, and FAQs. 

GRE Prep Book By Mangoosh 

The online content offers access to video explanations, customizable quizzes, and full-length practice exams that to enhance your skills in different areas of the GRE. 

Author: Chris Lele and Mike McGarry. 

  • You will learn extensive lessons on verbal and analytical writing assessments. 
  • More than 130 up-to-date practice questions. 
  • It offers Stats for all the practice questions, including the percentage of the students who answer them and the difficulty ratings. 
  • It provides a one-month study schedule for GRE using the products offered by Mangoosh. 

7. GRE Verbal Strategies And Maths Set 

Written by expert instructors, GRE Verbal Strategies and Maths set by Manhattan Prep is packed with everything you require to achieve a high score. 

It is a streamlined, updated, and condensed version of Manhattan Prep’s set of 8 strategy guides and is designed with several practice problems and an in-detail description of the answers. 

GRE Verbal Strategies And Maths Set 

The maths book offers an extensive review of the subjects with examples to help you grasp the contents efficiently. It also offers 

On the other hand, the verbal strategy guide will provide you with efficient techniques and practice drills to score well on the verbal section. 

Author: This set of books is offered by Manhattan Prep.

Key Learnings

  • You can gain access to 6 online practice tests. 
  • Provides time-saving strategies for a specific question format. 
  • Offers easy and clear explanations of the concepts. 
  • Includes over 1,500 practice problems. 
  • It offers user-friendly strategies and expert advice from top-tier teachers to avoid common traps. 

8. Barrons GRE Book

In order to work on your vocabulary skills, Barron’s GRE book is the perfect option to go for, as it is crafted in such a way as to help you take an effective grasp of the content. 

With the purchase of the book, you can also access two full-length online GRE tests that you can easily take on smartphones, Macs, PCs, and tablets.

Barrons GRE Book

This updated and revised guide offers an overview of the test, tips and advice for the test, and the timetable for the computer-based GRE test timetable. 

Author: Sharon Weiner Green and Ira K. Wolf. 

  • Conducts diagnostic tests and offers explanations for the answers. 
  • Provides analytical review along with scoring guidelines. 
  • Four full-length model tests. 
  • Offers sample-scored responses for the analytical writing prompts. 

9. Mometrix’s GRE Prep Book 

The Mometrix’s GRE Prep Book comprises all the critical information required to perform well on GRE. It covers step-by-step video tutorials as well as practice test questions. 

The analytical section covers several important concepts, such as parts of speech, agreement and sentence structure, punctuations and common usage mistakes, writing style, forms, and modes of writing. 

Mometrix’s GRE Prep Book 

The Quantitative Reasoning section will help you learn the proportions and ratios, numbers and operations, equations, expressions and inequalities, Polynomial Algebra, Transformations, Quadratics and basic functions, and many more. 

The book is available online on Kindle for $21.84.

Author: Matthew Bowling. 

  • It offers three full-length practice exams.
  • Provide you with a straightforward and clear explanation of the concepts.  
  • Different persuasive techniques and figurative language. 
  • You will also learn Reading comprehension, literary elements, vocabulary, word relationships, etc. 

10. Manhattan GRE Prep Set Of 8 Books

The Manhattan Prep GRE set is a collection of 8 books designed to help students prepare for the GRE exam. The books cover all sections of the GRE and provide strategies, practice questions, and a review of concepts for the Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing sections.

Manhattan GRE Prep Set Of 8 Books

The set includes:

  • GRE Math Strategies – Provides strategies and content review for the math concepts tested on the GRE, as well as 700+ practice questions.
  • GRE Reading Comprehension & Essays – Strategies and practice questions for the verbal section, with detailed explanations. Includes a guide to writing high-scoring essays.
  • GRE Quantitative Comparisons & Data Interpretation – Focused practice on solving quantitative comparison and data interpretation questions.
  • GRE Text Completion & Sentence Equivalence – Strategies and practice for the vocabulary-focused verbal question types.
  • 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems – Over 1,800 practice questions across all GRE question types.
  • GRE Vocabulary Flash Cards – 500 key vocabulary words for the verbal section with definitions and examples.
  • GRE Math Flash Cards – Key math concepts and formulas with explanations.
  • GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions To The Real Essay Topics – Sample essays and scoring guidance for the Analytical Writing assessments.

The set provides comprehensive practice and review to help students master all GRE question types. The books emphasize test-taking strategies and in-depth explanations to help students learn from mistakes. Many students find using multiple Manhattan Prep books helps boost their GRE scores.

GRE Exam Preparation Tips 

Following are a few tips to help you prepare efficiently for your GRE test.

  • Determine The Baseline Score. 

It is essential to determine the baseline score to understand your strengths and areas that require more focus. You can take a full-length practice exam under test conditions similar to an actual GRE test. 

  • Set A Target Score. 

You can set a target score you are willing to achieve in order to get into your dream college or university. You can compare the test results against the average scores on the GRE for the recent class of different programs. 

  • Adhere To The Regular Study Schedule.

The most important part of preparing for the examination is to craft a well-structured study plan and adhere to it. Designate time for all the sections of the GRE and allot additional time and effort for the areas that require more improvement. 

  • Practice More.

Practice tests will help you pace yourself and build strong testing endurance. Ensure you take the tests under conditions quite close to the actual examination conditions. The techniques and ways you solve problems will help you perform better on the GRE. 

  • Track Your Progress. 

Tracking your progress will help you get an overview of the improvements in your score and assess the efficacy of the study techniques. You can measure your performance daily or weekly. 

Related Read:

  • Best LSAT Prep Books
  • Best SAT Prep Books
  • Best Books for MCAT Prep
  • Best ACT Prep Books

Conclusion: Best GRE Prep Books

Opting for the best GRE book is the most crucial part when it comes to preparing for the GRE. With the right preparation book and consistent hard work, you can undoubtedly crack the GRE. 

All the above-listed books are the best, but the top two guides, i.e., Kaplan GRE Prep Plus and the official guide for GRE general test, are the most recommended ones. 

I hope this guide will definitely help you to choose the best GRE preparation book. If you have any queries, drop them in the comments section below. 

A GRE score of 318 and above is considered a competitive and good GRE score and will help you get admission to top-notch colleges and universities. 

Below are a few GRE preparation books that would surely help you to get your concepts cleared if you are a beginner. Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 5th edition of Barron’s GRE essential words.  GRE Prep by Mangoosh. 4th Edition of Manhattan Prep’s GRE Strategy Guide.

The average cost of a GRE preparation book ranges between $20 to $50, while the expensive ones will cost you more than $50. 

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Gre prep online guides and tips, best gre prep books 2017-2018: expert reviews.

best gre review books

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of GRE books on the market.  So how are you supposed to find the one that’s best for you?

In this guide, we’ll first go over what makes a good GRE prep book. Then, we’ll provide recommendations for the eight best GRE prep book options for a range of skill levels and needs. Finally, we’ll close out with some other recommended resources for your GRE prep.

What Makes a Good GRE Prep Book?

At the most basic level, a good GRE prep book will help you get a higher GRE score. However, there are some key characteristics that make a GRE prep book particularly likely to help you get that higher score you’re aiming for:

Realistic GRE-Like Questions

Good GRE books will have practice questions that are as much like real GRE questions as possible. This will allow you to become familiar with the style of GRE questions and practice the specific skills you need to develop for GRE success. Of course, the ideal is actual, real GRE questions —but you can only get those through ETS. Barring that, a good GRE prep book will have questions that really resemble and test the same concepts as GRE questions.

Comprehensive Answer Explanations

The best practice questions in the world only have limited utility if they aren’t accompanied by solid explanations of how to arrive at the correct answer. So the best prep books won’t just have answer keys, they’ll have thorough, in-depth explanations of why particular answers are correct. This enables you to easily understand what you are struggling with and what skills and strategies to target in further practice.

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Sound Test-Taking Strategies

A good GRE study book offers  clear, consistent, actionable advice on how to navigate the test. It should give you strategies for time management, making educated guesses, and quickly identifying correct answers. Ideally, there should be both overall and section-specific strategies.

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Clear and Cogent Content Review

The best, most comprehensive GRE study books will include clear, detailed content review sections to help you brush up on your skills for the different GRE areas. This should include help with GRE vocab and GRE math.

Guidance on Creating a GRE Study Plan

Ideally, a GRE prep book should help you make a study plan. It will offer sound strategies for planning and spacing out your studying in a way that will help you use your time efficiently and maximize your score improvement.

Full-Length Practice Tests

GRE test prep books should also have full-length practice tests, so you can practice getting the full test-taking experience. In a perfect world, these will be computer-based, since the GRE is (usually) computer-based.

Of course, all GRE books can’t be all things to all people. A good GRE prep book doesn’t necessarily have to have all of these qualities to be valuable, but it does need to fulfill one or more specific purposes in your prep plan in a high-quality way. For example, you might have one prep book that’s full of amazing practice questions, and another that has a particularly good conceptual review of math. They can both fulfill a valuable and necessary function in your study plan!

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The Best GRE Prep Books

We’ve combed through the GRE study book pile to give you the best GRE books out there. Each GRE book listed is best for a specific purpose or audience—consider the one(s) that best line up with your needs!

Most Like the Real GRE:  Official GRE Super Power Pack

The ETS Power Pack gives you three GRE books: the Official Guide to the GRE General Test (3rd Edition) , Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions (2nd Edition) , and the Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions with Analytical Writing Practice (2nd Edition) .

All these books are made by ETS, the makers of the GRE test. Broadly, the Official Guide orients you to the test overall and to each section, provides practice questions for Verbal and Quant, a math content review, and two practice tests. The Official Practice Question books for Verbal/Analytical Writing and Quant reprint some of the same orienting information but give additional official practice questions.

This set also comes with a CD with practice tests, but those tests are the same as the Powerprep II tests, so save yourself the trouble with the CD and just download Powerprep II directly  for free.

About $40 for the entire pack ; about $27 for the Official Guide , about $13 for the Official Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions , and about $12 for the Official Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions . However, note that the most recent editions are  very similar  to the previous editions of all of these books, so if you can find the earlier editions for cheaper, you might want to go with those.

  • ETS prep materials have one major advantage over all other prep material: they include actual, real GRE questions. Other prep books and companies do their best to imitate GRE format, content, and style—and sometimes they get pretty close. But only ETS can give you official GRE questions. This makes the Power Pack a hugely valuable practice resource, because using ETS questions gives you the most GRE-like experience. And the closer your practice is to the real GRE, the more prepared you’ll be to face real GRE questions on test day.

While ETS has one really enormous pro, there are some drawbacks to their material to be aware of:

  • Most of the information on test strategies and tips is available for free online on the GRE website . This is also true of the entire math content review section . So just don’t expect that you’ll be getting anything new there.
  • This GRE book isn’t going to teach you a whole lot in the way of tricks and strategies—you’ll need to use other resources for that. ETS doesn’t want to present the GRE as a system that can be beaten, because it’s their test, and to do so would undermine their self-styled image as the makers of a test that’s highly predictive of graduate school success.
  • Some (but not all) of the practice questions can be found online. Additionally, there’s some (but not complete) overlap in practice questions among the books.
  • Unfortunately, the Kindle edition is riddled with formatting errors —so get this one as a print book.
  • The answer explanations are not particularly thorough; it’s not always clear how the correct answer was reached.

Why get this GRE prep book?

In spite of its drawbacks, I recommend that most students at least get the Official Guide. This will get you the two additional practice tests beyond the Powerprep software. Official ETS tests are a great—and scarce—resource that make the Official Guide worth it just for that.

If you feel you really need all the official ETS practice questions you can get your hands on (which is totally reasonable!) the Powerpack is the way to go. Just be aware that most of the content review and orienting information is available for free online. The primary value you’ll get out of these is the questions themselves.

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Best GRE Prep Book for Practice Problems:  Manhattan Prep’s 5-Lb Book of Practice Problems

Manhattan’s 5-lb Book of Practice Problems provides over 1,000 pages of practice problems and comprehensive explanations. Purchase of the book also grants you access to an online bank of additional questions—bringing the total number of questions you have access to north of 1800.

Note that this is not a book of practice tests. While there are some sample GRE sections that you can take under timed conditions, the majority of the book has practice questions segmented by section and skill. There’s also no content review here, other than the review inherent in the answer explanations.

Around $16 (Kindle and paperback)

  • Tons of GRE-like questions sorted specifically by different skills, section, and difficulty level. This allows you to drill very specific areas of weakness.
  • Very thorough, step-by-step answer explanations to help you know exactly how to arrive at the correct choice.
  • Access to online question banks will help you practice answering the questions on a computer, which is how you’ll take the real GRE.
  • Ideas for how to address example Analytical Writing prompts.
  • Note that there are many more Quantitative questions than Verbal or Analytical Writing questions. This is not necessarily a con, but something to be aware of.
  • It’s possible to get bogged down in the sheer volume of questions here. Don’t feel like you need to complete every question in the book.
  • Some of the lower-difficulty math questions may be overly straightforward given how much the GRE likes “tricky” questions.
  • There’s a vocab list in the back without definitions. This seems a bit out of scope given that the book is really meant to provide practice problems specifically.

Why get this GRE book?

Get this book if you need targeted, GRE-style practice questions beyond what ETS offers.

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Best GRE Books for a Comprehensive Program:  Manhattan Prep GRE Set of 8 Strategy Guides

The set includes a whopping 8 GRE books on content review and prep (most are fairly slim, but still). Six of the eight books are on the major math content areas and question types: Algebra, fractions/decimals/percents, geometry, number properties, word problems, and a guide to the quantitative comparison and data interpretation question types. The other two books are on Verbal and Analytical Writing. One book is on reading comprehension and writing GRE essays, and one is on text completion and sentence equivalence questions.

Every book starts with the same “Intro to the GRE” chapter before getting to the main content. This is a little repetitive within the context of the set so I imagine these intro chapters are included so that those who buy the GRE books individually can get oriented to the test.

If you don’t need the entire set, you can also buy the books individually. However, getting the whole program is the best value. Purchase of this set (or any one Manhattan Prep book) gives you access for 1 year to six online section-adaptive GRE practice tests.

About $96 for eight books ; individual books for $12-15

  • This is an extremely thorough and in-depth book-based GRE prep program. It is absolutely the most comprehensive prep book system on the market, with robust content review, tons of practice questions, and strategies for approaching each section.
  • The practice problems have very comprehensive and in-depth answer explanations.
  • This set gives you access to six online, section-adaptive tests. This is really amazing practice for the real GRE, which is also section-adaptive. Once you run out of ETS practice tests, these are a valuable resource.
  • Test-taking strategies (and section-specific strategies) are useful in approaching the test.
  • As you can tell from the difference in pages devoted to the various topics, this set is more comprehensive for Quant than it is for the other two sections. This is something to keep in mind if you anticipate particularly struggling with Verbal.
  • There are a few typos in the math practice problems.
  • This review may actually be too comprehensive; it’s possible to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content.  You really have to be aware of where you spend your time to get the most out of every hour of prep.
  • Some of the test-taking strategies may be overly specific. You should try out the strategies they suggest to figure out what works best for you and tweak your overall strategy as necessary.

If you have a lot of time to devote to a comprehensive prep program and you want it to come pretty much predesigned, this Manhattan Prep GRE set is a great investment. If the test is in three weeks, don’t bother—you’ll just be overwhelmed by all of the content.

You may also want to buy a subset of the books to target a specific content area or section. For example, if you’re good on Quant but want to dig in on Verbal, you could buy the two Verbal-focused books. This will also give you access to the six section-adaptive online tests.

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Best GRE Prep Book for Verbal and Analytical Writing:  Princeton Review: Cracking the GRE

The Princeton Review’s GRE prep book has five parts. The first section provides an overall orientation to the test and general strategies. The second part goes over the Verbal section, the third part goes over the Quantitative section, and the fourth part goes over Analytical Writing. The fifth part of the book has additional practice problems and two practice tests.

The regular edition of the book comes with access to two additional practice tests online, and the premium edition grants you access to four online tests. Read on for my thoughts on whether it’s worth it to spring for the premium version.

About $16 for the standard , and about $22 for the premium

  • This GRE prep book has some of the best overall content review for the Verbal and Analytical writing sections that I’ve seen. This book is great for preparing for these sections in particular.
  • Similarly, this prep book does a great job with Verbal practice questions that look and feel like real GRE Verbal questions, and provides thorough answer explanations for the Verbal section.
  • Students liked the test-taking strategies offered in this book, and found the overall approach to the test as something that can be tackled with techniques to be encouraging and helpful.
  • The purchase of this book gives you access to complete online practice tests through the Princeton Review portal (2 for the regular version, and 4 for the deluxe version). These online practice tests give detailed score reports—including for the writing section.
  • Many students were very frustrated with the math section, and the math practice questions in particular. While some liked the content review, almost everyone felt that the questions were written in a frustrating and confusing way.
  • Additionally, there are some typos and mistakes in the math questions and math answer keys.
  • There seems to be intermittent difficulty in accessing online content, which may be frustrating if you want to be able to do practice tests on the computer.

Get this book for Verbal content review and strategy, Verbal practice questions, and Analytical writing strategy. Don’t bother with the math section practice problems. If you think you’ll need a lot of practice tests, it might be worth it to spring for the deluxe version, especially if you’re nervous about taking a computer-based test. But most students should be fine with the standard version.

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Best GRE Prep Book If You Struggle With Math: McGraw-Hill’s Conquering GRE Math

This guide offers a fairly comprehensive breakdown of the GRE Quantitative section, with a focus on the more basic math skills you need to know. The book provides an overall orientation to the section, in depth-breakdowns of the different question types, and a content review section to help you review and learn the math concepts you need to know for the GRE.

About $10 digital, $13 paperback

  • Offers clear, simple explanations of GRE math concepts.
  • Provides solid, easy-to-follow strategies for attacking the GRE Quantitative section and its various question styles.
  • Gives tons of GRE-style practice problems targeted to specific question types and concepts.
  • Has robust answer explanations.
  • This book won’t get you up to 170-scoring level on its own; the math in the practice problems just isn’t quite difficult enough, though the questions mimic the look and feel of GRE problems. This was the most common complaint among reviewers.
  • Sometimes the formatting of the practice questions is a little bit awkward.
  • McGraw-Hill offers a percentage breakdown of how many of certain question types you can expect to see on the test that doesn’t seem completely accurate, so take that with a grain of salt.

This book is best aimed at those who anticipate really struggling with the Quantitative section. So get this book if you need a lot of help with basic GRE math. Once you feel you’ve mastered the material in the book, you have two options:

  • Take the test confident in your ability to at least lock down a mid-range score, aware that you won’t be fully prepared for the most difficult questions. This will likely be fine for those going into humanities-focused programs.
  • Move on to another, more robust GRE prep book after this, like Manhattan Prep.

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Best GRE Prep Book If You Are a Top Math Scorer: Nova’s GRE Math Prep Course

This GRE book is primarily a conceptual review of the math concepts underpinning the GRE, with practice problems for those concepts. It offers progressively arranged chapters on the essential concepts that build off of each other. Each chapter has practice problems related to that concept, sorted into “easy,” “medium,” “hard,” and “very hard.” There is also an index of math concepts and a diagnostic test at the end.

Kindle edition about $8, paperback about $26

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  • There are a huge number of practice questions, closely targeted to specific concept-based math skills.
  • The difficulty level of questions is marked as “easy,” “medium,” “hard” and “very hard,” which will help students get a sense of where they are struggling.
  • Strong math students will find the conceptual explanations and answer explanations in this book clear, straightforward, and intuitive.
  • This book is a little on the old side and still describes the GRE sections as being out of 800 points.
  • The consensus among test-takers was that the hardest questions in this GRE prep book are far, far more difficult than what you’ll encounter on the GRE. While doing questions that are somewhat harder than the GRE may help you clinch that 170, there probably isn’t much utility in laboring over the “Very Hard” questions.
  • Not all of the questions do a good job approximating the GRE “style” of question. However, these questions still provide valuable skills practice that will help you succeed on the test.
  • Both conceptual and question explanations are somewhat brief— too brief for those without a strong math foundation. They also assume an underlying level of math knowledge that not all students taking the GRE have.
  • This GRE study book really doesn’t provide much in the way of strategy, so look elsewhere for that.

Get this book if you are already quite good at math and are just tuning up for a score in the 90th percentile and above. In this case, this book will help you quickly review concepts and provide you with tons of practice problems to help you fine-tune your skills. However, if you don’t already have that strong math foundation, you’ll find this book frustrating.

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Best GRE Book One-Stop Shop:  Barron’s GRE, 22nd Edition

Barron’s GRE is a five-part prep book that aims to be a complete guide to all parts of the test. The first part goes over the GRE format and provides overall test-taking strategies. Parts two-four go over the Verbal, Analytical Writing, and Quantitative sections, respectively. The fifth section has two full-length practice tests with answer keys.

The Verbal section includes an extensive vocabulary section, and the  Quantitative section includes a fairly robust math content review. Buying the GRE prep book also gives you access to some online content, including video lessons and additional practice problems.

Paperback version  costs around $18 .

  • Barron’s really shines in the practice question department. The questions do a great job mimicking the GRE style and cover topic areas the GRE actually addresses.
  • In general, content review is clearly written and comprehensive.
  • There’s a hugely robust vocab section with 3000 words and their definitions.
  • Barron’s also offers some very useful strategies to address the test and its sections.
  • The Barron’s questions may not quite reach max GRE difficulty level, so if you’re hoping for the 165+ score range on each section, this may not be the best prep book choice for you.
  • A select few of the test-taking strategies are a bit self-contradictory or confusing. Select what makes sense to you, and be sure to test out any strategies for a few practice sessions before you use them for the GRE!
  • The math section is formatted somewhat awkwardly, making that section a little hard to navigate.

If you don’t have a whole lot of time and you’re hoping to make a few points of score improvement in your overall score, Barron’s is a good choice. It’s a well-rounded prep book with good questions and decent content review.

However, the content probably isn’t advanced enough for those who anticipate or want top scores (165+ on either section). It’s also probably too brief for people who need a lot of help. But for people in the middle score range who just want a bump, this is a great, affordable option.

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Best GRE Vocab Resource: Manhattan Prep’s Vocab Flash Cards

I know, I know—flash cards aren’t a prep book! But flashcards are a much better way to study vocab than a book. The holy grail of the GRE flashcard world is definitely Manhattan Prep’s GRE flashcard sets.

About $12 each for 500 Essential Words and 500 Advanced Words

  • Word selection is excellent, with vocabulary words from a variety of disciplines and at a variety of difficulty levels.
  • Each card has a ton of info about each word: the definition, a great example sentence, related words, and a “more info” section with interesting facts. All of this information really helps you to learn vocab holistically and not just memorize the words—you’ll be better-equipped to think about how to approach unfamiliar words on the GRE after really spending time with these GRE flashcards.
  • Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about these except that you have to spend money on them.
  • Also, definitely get the hard copy version— there’s not much point to Kindle flashcards.

Why get this resource?

If you have the money to spend on flash cards, get these! Start with the essential set and then move on to advanced. You can also supplement with our 357 GRE flashcards . Also, see our guide to our preferred flashcard studying method, the waterfall method !

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Other Study Tools to Consider

In addition to GRE test prep books, what other study resources and strategies should you consider?

ETS Powerprep II Software (Free!)

This is an essential resource for anyone who is taking the GRE. It offers two complete section-adaptive, timed GRE tests, as well as some untimed practice sections to help you get acclimated to the format and feel of taking a computer-based test. This is the absolute closest to the real GRE experience you can get —you’ll even get a projected score at the end! So this is truly an essential resource for all test-takers.

The ETS Analytical Writing Question Bank (Free!)

ETS has published all possible topics for the Analyze an Issue and the Analyze an Argument tasks. While it doesn’t make sense to necessarily look over every single one of these in-depth, glancing through them to note common patterns and themes will help you a lot on test day. It also means that whenever you want to practice the Analytical Writing section, you have access to real GRE topics to do so!

Free Online Practice Tests

We’ve already discussed that there are free resources and practice problems available online through ETS . When you’ve exhausted those, there are some other places you can look for non-official practice problems and tests. However, most of these are not of the highest quality, which the possible exception of Manhattan Prep.

  • GRE Practice Tests from Varsity Tutors :  While these tests don’t really mimic the style of GRE questions, they will help you drill the skills you need for the GRE Verbal and Quantitative sections. Consider these best for testing your core skills as opposed to getting good at confronting GRE-style questions.
  • McGraw-Hill GRE Practice Tests :  McGraw-Hill offers multiple GRE practice tests (with Verbal and Quant but no Analytical Writing) for free on their website. There are also some videos explaining concepts covered on the test.
  • Manhattan Prep Practice Test :  Even without the purchase of any Manhattan Prep materials, you can take one free practice test through Manhattan Prep. Especially since this is a computer-based test, it’s a great resource beyond the Powerprep tests.

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Additional Vocab Resources

Even if you get the Manhattan Prep flash cards, you will probably still want to supplement your vocab studying with some additional tools. Here are some of the best:

  • NYTimes Word of the Day :  This NYTimes blog gives you a word, an excerpt from an article and a mini-quiz on usage every day! A fun and manageable way to get exposed to some new words.
  • We offer our own free set of 357 GRE flash cards  of words you need to know for the GRE!
  • If you’re an auditory learner, try VocabAhead’s vocabulary videos.

Additional Online Resources

  • Khan Academy :  ETS and Khan Academy have mapped out a chart that shows which Khan Academy videos match up to which Quantitative section math concepts . If you like to learn things through video, this is a great way for you to get in math content review!
  • West Texas A&M GRE Math Study Session :  This online GRE Quantitative review provides content review, practice questions, and practice math sections!

One of the best things you can do for your own GRE Verbal performance is to read—a lot. But not just anything— read a wide variety of difficult material in many disciplines. News articles from reputable sources are great. But also try philosophy, academic articles in different disciplines, challenging essays, classic essays and literature, and so on. This will help you a lot with learning how to parse a variety of difficult and dense writing styles quickly.

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8 Best GRE Prep Books: Overview

With so many GRE books on the market, how can you know which ones are worthwhile? We compiled the best GRE books for different studying purposes. To recap:

  • Most like the real GRE  — the Official GRE Power Pack
  • Best for practice problems  — Manhattan Prep’s 5-Lb Book of Practice Problems
  • Best for a comprehensive program  — Manhattan Prep’s 8-book set of GRE Strategy Guides
  • Best for GRE Verbal and Analytical Writing  — Princeton Review’s Cracking the GRE
  • Best if you struggle with math  — McGraw-Hill’s Conquering GRE Math
  • Best for top math scorers  — Nova’s GRE Math Prep Course
  • Best one-stop shop  — Barron’s GRE, 22nd edition
  • Best vocab resource  — Manhattan Prep GRE vocab flashcards

We also listed some other resources you might consider. Happy studying!

What’s Next?

Confused about GRE scores? Check out our guides to how the scoring works and GRE percentiles .

Looking ahead? Make plan to take the exam with our guides to GRE test dates and GRE registration .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

best gre review books

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

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best gre review books

7 Best GRE Preparation Books: Proven Strategies for Success

gre preparation books

  • Post author By admin
  • November 10, 2022

Do you want to know the best GRE Preparation Books? If so, then in this article, you will learn about the 7 best GRE preparation books that will help you get a good score on the GRE.

The GRE is the most taken exam for students who want to be admitted to any business program in top business institutes. GRE, or Graduate Record Examinations, has a specific syllabus, pattern, and student eligibility criteria. ETS (Educational Testing Service) is a non-profit organization that conducts the GRE test. 

The ETS sets the GRE syllabus , criteria, and pattern. The GRE test measures a student’s general academic skills for graduate study. As business study is a tough course, the GRE confirms that a student will not face any difficulty while studying that course.

To get a good score on the GRE, students must study hard with full dedication. So it can be a very hard path for students to choose. To help them make their journey easy, we have compiled a list of the 7 best GRE preparation books. Students can use these books to prepare for the GRE. Continue reading to know more! 

Table of Contents

7 Best GRE Preparation Books for Preparation

According to students’ reviews and experts’ opinion we have brought you a list of 7 best books for GRE preparation. These books will help you practice for the exam and will improve your performance. 

So to get a good score and to be admitted to the top business institute, read about these books completely.

7 Best GRE Preparation Books

1 . Magoosh GRE Prep

The first book Magoosh GRE Prep is one of the best GRE preparation books. This book is created by Magoosh, one of the top and best test-prep. Companies. This book will help you get your preparation for the exam on track. This book provides more than 1000 test questions for practice. 

This book provides students with every question’s statistics to help students get an idea of the difficulty level of questions for the exam. In a review of this book, many students said that it helped them to write easier essays and improved their writing skills. The latest edition of this book contains advice from the experts who helped create the GRE.

A study schedule is also in this book for students that helps them to make a strategy for their GRE preparation. Lessons in this book cover quantitative, verbal, and analytical concepts, along with 130 practice questions. There is also answers and explanation of answers in this book.

Features of Magoosh GRE Prep

  • Detailed explanations for every question: The book provides detailed explanations for every practice question so you can learn from your mistakes and improve your understanding of the material.
  • Video lessons to supplement your learning: Besides the book, you can access over 200 videos that teach GRE strategies and concepts.
  • Two full-length practice tests: The book includes two full-length practice tests to help you get used to the GRE format and see how you’re doing in real-time.
  • Personalized study schedules: The Magoosh GRE Prep book has a personalized study schedule that helps you maximize your time and effort.
  • Mobile app: The Magoosh GRE Prep app allows you to study anytime, anywhere.

Also Read: GRE Accepting Universities in USA

2 . Kaplan GRE Prep Plus

Your preparation for the exam will become easy when you study from Kaplan GRE Prep Plus. Kaplan is one of the leading test prep, and there is also no exception for this book. This is the expert’s choice and one of the best GRE preparation books for GRE takers. You will find the best strategy for the GRE from the experts.  

Buying this book online gives you 1-year access to Kaplan’s online practice tests and lessons. This provides flexibility to GRE preparation for the students taking the exam and preparing from this book. One of the best things that every student likes about this book and write in their review is 5 full-length online practice test for students.

These practice tests are in computer-based GRE format and will be helpful for you when you are taking the exam. This book has one full-length test with more than 1700 questions and detailed explanations. 

Features of Kaplan GRE Prep Plus

  • Comprehensive Content Review
  • Higher Score Guarantee
  • One-Year Access to Online Resources
  • Proven Test-Taking Strategies
  • Online Qbank with 1,500+ Practice Questions
  • 6 Full-Length Practice Tests

3. Test Prep Books GRE Prep

This is one of the best GRE preparation books for students who want to improve their GRE scores. Test Prep Books GRE Prep has strong strategies for test taking. You will get an overview of the GRE and what you will face in the exam. There are also some great tips for students who want to know how to prepare for the GRE.

In this book, you will find the best tips for overcoming exam anxiety and creating a study schedule for exams. You will know which area you need to improve more by practicing from this book and getting an explanation of every answer.

In students’ reviews, they said that the thing they like the most in this book is that it has the best tips for exams and reviews of different questions and content you will face in exams. 

Features of Test Prep Books GRE Prep

  • Comprehensive coverage of all GRE question types: Test Prep Books GRE Prep covers all of the question types that you will see on the actual GRE, including Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
  • Detailed explanations of all practice problems: Test Prep Books GRE Prep provides detailed explanations for all the practice problems in the book so you can learn from your mistakes and improve your understanding of the material.
  • Full-length practice tests: Test Prep Books GRE Prep includes multiple full-length practice tests, so you can simulate the actual testing experience and get a feel for how long you have to answer each question.
  • Online resources: Test Prep Books GRE Prep offers a variety of online resources, including video tutorials, interactive exercises, and a discussion forum.
  • Proven track record: Test Prep Books GRE Prep has a proven track record of helping students improve their GRE scores.

Also Read: 10 Best Tips on How to Crack GRE Exam on the First Attempt

4. The Princeton Review GRE Prep

When you buy this one of the best GRE preparation books, you will get a 100-dollar coupon. You can use this coupon for any course from the experts on Princeton Review. The Princeton Review GRE Prep book is the expanded version of their previous book with four full-length practice tests and additional online preparation questions.

This book contains tips for preparing for the exam and improving your score. This book also provides a thorough review of every exam section, helping students to understand each section completely. In review, students said they are completely satisfied with the vocabulary list in this book for students.

Features of Princeton Review GRE Prep

  • 700+ practice questions. The book includes over 700 practice questions that cover all areas of the GRE, including verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.
  • Detailed explanations of answers. The book provides detailed explanations of all practice questions to understand why your answers are right or wrong.
  • Proven score improvement strategies. The book includes proven score improvement strategies that have helped thousands of students achieve their GRE goals.
  • Comprehensive review of all GRE topics. The book provides a comprehensive review of all GRE topics, so you can be sure you’re prepared for anything on the test.
  • Online tools for extra practice. The book has online tools that provide additional practice questions and personalized feedback.

5. Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

By preparing from one of the best GRE preparation books, students can take the load off their minds about the exam. This is also among the best-selling GRE preparation books with online lessons and practice problems.

This book provides great math knowledge and a helpful cheat of math rules. Moreover, it has 1,800 practice problems covering every exam topic and section. One of the best things about the exam is that Manhattan Prep experts set the questions. These tests help the student develop their understanding of every topic.

Features of Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

  • Over 1,800 practice problems: This book includes more practice problems than any other GRE test prep book on the market. The problems are organized by section and difficulty level, so you can focus on the areas where you need the most practice.
  • Comprehensive coverage of all GRE question types: The book covers all the questions you’ll encounter on the actual GRE , including Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
  • Detailed answer explanations: The book provides detailed explanations for every problem so you can understand why the correct and incorrect answers are correct.
  • Online access to Manhattan Prep’s Interact™ for GRE: The book includes 100 hours of online access to Interact™ for GRE, Manhattan Prep’s on-demand learning platform. Interact™ includes video lessons, practice problems, and personalized feedback.
  • 100 math drills for targeted practice: The book includes 100 drills to practice specific math concepts.

6. Official GRE Super Power Pack, 2nd Edition

Test takers created this book, and is considered one of the best GRE preparation books. It offers four full-length tests and some of the most important GRE questions for practice. 

In this superpower pack, there are a total of three books, and if they buy this bundle, then it will cost them less compared to if they buy these three books separately. One of the best things about this GRE preparation book is that the practice questions have an easy-to-understand explanation. 

Features of Official GRE Super Power Pack, 2nd Edition

  • 4 complete, real GRE tests – 2 in the book and 2 online: The Official GRE Super Power Pack includes four complete, real GRE tests, so you can get a feel for the actual test and practice your test-taking skills.
  • 600 real practice exam questions, many with detailed answer explanations: The Official GRE Super Power Pack includes 600 real practice exam questions, many with detailed answer explanations, so you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and practice answering different questions.
  • The test maker’s tips for answering each question type: The Official GRE Super Power Pack includes the test maker’s tips for answering each question, so you can learn the most effective strategies for approaching different questions.
  • Access to GRE POWERPREP Online: The Official GRE Super Power Pack includes access to GRE POWERPREP Online, an official GRE practice test allowing you to take a full-length GRE test under realistic testing conditions.
  • eBook content that is fully accessible for individuals with disabilities: The eBook content of the Official GRE Super Power Pack is fully accessible for individuals with disabilities so that everyone can benefit from this valuable resource.

7. Barron’s GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition

This book is a great option for students who want to improve their vocabulary and brush up on different kinds of graduation-level words. In this book, you will first face a pre-test to help you measure your initial understanding of the GRE. After that, you can take the post-tests to determine how much you have done while preparing for the GRE.

Features of Barron’s GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition

  • Comprehensive Vocabulary Coverage: The book presents 800 high-frequency GRE words carefully selected for their relevance to the exam. These words are essential for understanding complex academic texts and performing well on the GRE Verbal Reasoning section.
  • Clear and Concise Definitions: Each word entry provides a clear and concise definition, synonyms, and antonyms to help students deepen their understanding of the word’s meaning.
  • Sentence Completion Exercises: Extensive sentence completion exercises are provided throughout the book, allowing students to practice using the vocabulary words in context. These exercises help students develop the ability to quickly identify the correct meaning of a word in a given context.
  • Pretest and Posttest: A diagnostic pretest helps students assess their vocabulary strengths and weaknesses, while a posttest allows them to gauge their progress and identify areas for further review.
  • Answer Key: An answer key is provided for all exercises and all questions in the pretest and posttest, enabling students to self-assess their learning and identify areas that require additional practice.

This blog has discussed the best GRE preparation books and provided the 5 best books. These books will help you understand the difficulty level of the exam and help you practice for the exam without worry.

We also highlight one positive aspect of these books. We hope this information has clarified your questions about GRE preparation books. For more content like this, visit CourseMentor ™.

What are the best GRE preparation books for beginners?

1. Official GRE Super Power Pack, 2nd Edition.  2. Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2023. 3. Manhattan Prep’s 5 lb.  4. The Princeton Review’s GRE Premium Prep, 2022.  5. GRE Prep by Magoosh.  6. Manhattan Prep’s GRE Strategy Guides, 4th Edition.  7. Barron’s GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition.

How to prepare for the GRE exam?

1. Read a lot of analytical non-fiction.  2. Adhere to a regular GRE study plan.  3. Take practice tests.  4. Know your weaknesses.  5. Chart your progress.  6. Trust your gut instinct.

Is 2 months enough to prepare for GRE?

Yes, it is possible to prepare for the GRE in just 2 months or eight weeks. To do that, you must follow a strict study schedule. It takes full dedication and hard work to crack the exam in just 2 months. So you can easily prepare for the GRE and crack it easily in just 2 months of preparation.

What GRE score is required for MIT?

The average cutoff score for MIT in the GRE is 155 to 167 for the Quant section and for the Verbal section is 155 to 165.

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Nova Press — Test Prep Center

Online Test Prep Courses, Phone Apps, Software, and Books for the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, SAT, ACT, and TOEFL

Best GRE Books

January 16, 2024 By novapress

There are a lot of companies that claim to have the “Best GRE Books,” but the Nova Press GRE Prep Course and GRE Math Prep Course books truly are some of the best GRE books out there.  Whether you want to review everything on the test or just the math section, the Nova Press books cater to your needs.

The GRE Prep Course book thoroughly covers the three main sections of the GRE: math, verbal, and writing.  Each section gives an extensive review of important concepts and guidance on how to improve your work in those areas.  The math section addresses substitution, defined functions, number theory, quantitative comparisons, geometry, inequalities, and fractions & decimals, just to name a few areas.  The Math Notes section provides a brief overview of concepts while the individual subsections give clear examples with explanations, in case you need more detail.  Practice questions end each section, giving you an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned, and answers with explanations are provided in a separate area so you can check yourself.

The verbal section will help you improve your reading comprehension  by outlining steps to get to the real meaning of each reading excerpt.  As the GRE will ask for text completions, Nova Press again gives clear examples and explanations on how to arrive at the correct answer.  Perhaps the most valuable section are the vocabulary lists of commonly used terms on the GRE.  There is a main list, with the 400 most frequently used words, and then the 4,000 list with other possibilities.  That way, you are able to focus your attention where you feel it is most necessary.  Finally, just to make sure you have all of your bases covered, Nova Press has a section on Etymology, so that if you come across a word you don’t know, you can figure out its origins and make an educated guess as to its meaning.

Nova Press also has you covered with the writing section.  Aside from subsections on grammar and punctuation, the GRE Prep Course includes tips on how to develop your own writing style and on how to properly decipher the writing prompts, so you  know exactly what the test-graders are looking for.  Still need convincing?  The writing section includes rubrics for each of the essay types so you have a way to evaluate your writing consistent with the way the test-graders will.

Yes, there are a lot of books out there, but Nova Press’s GRE Prep Course and Nova Press’s GRE Math Prep Course are the best GRE books.

Originally posted 2012-04-03 00:33:02.

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Best Books for GRE Exam Preparation

  • Eligibility
  • Application
  • Exam Pattern
  • Preparation Tips

Top GRE Books: When it comes to getting a good score in the GRE exam, preparation is the key to success. If you have prepared well for the exam, then you can be confident of getting a good score. With the right preparation and hard work it is possible to get your required GRE score to get admission into your desired universities. To help in your self-study for GRE there are many best books for GRE available in the market. Some of the best GRE preparation books 2023 are available to study for the exam. But choosing from among the best GRE books can be daunting. Read further to know more about the best books for GRE which will help you prepare efficiently for the GRE exam.

GRE: Sample Papers | Preparation Tips | Guide

Country Guide: UK | Ireland | Australia | Canada

Best Books for GRE Exam Preparation

Best GRE preparation Books 2023

  • Official GRE Preparation Materials
  • Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2023
  • Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep 2023
  • Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems
  • Essential Words for the GRE - Barron
  • GRE Test Prep - Barron
  • GRE Prep 2023 by Princeton Review

Best Books for GRE- Official GRE Preparation Materials

ETS, the official body which conducts the GRE test publishes its own test preparation guide to help test takers. The GRE Prep Book: Official GRE® Super Power Pack is an official guide which is a combination of three books contains the following:

The Official Guide to the GRE General Test,

The Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition,

The Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition.

The price of this book is USD 72 and can be ordered online. Shipping charges will be extra.

This book is also available in the e-book format and is priced at USD 37. Those who buy the e-book will gain access to 300 new questions in the GRE exam.

Apart from a combo pack of three books, these books are also available separately which are priced from USD 20 to 40.

GRE Best Books - Kaplan GRE Prep Plus 2023

This is another popular book for GRE preparation. This book provides step-by-step guidance to prepare for the exam. The book can be purchased online. It is priced at USD 35.99. The book contains more than 1500 practice questions, online access to a question bank of more than 500 questions and video tutorials.

The highlight of this book are the 6 practice tests which are in a computer based format which simulate the actual test environment. The book contains expert tips on test taking and the added bonus is a free one-year access to online practice tests and lessons from Kaplan that will add value to your GRE preparation. These extended features make this book top among the best books for GRE preparation.

Best books for GRE- Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep 2023

This is another book that counts among the best books for GRE preparation. The book contains 7 practice tests including reviews and techniques and online tools. It also contains topic reviews. The purchase of this book gives you online access to a GRE course prepared by experts at the Princeton Review. Each section of the test is reviewed thoroughly and the book contains tips that will help you improve your GRE score. The book contains practice drills that will help you tackle each section of the GRE exam as per the GRE syllabus .

Popular exams to study abroad:

Best books for GRE- Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

This is another helpful book from among the best books for GRE preparation. The book contains practice problems for all sections of the GRE exam and has 1,800 questions. The book has practice drills and timed questions to help in efficient preparation for the exam. The huge number of practice questions in the exam helps you to prepare thoroughly for the GRE by providing detailed explanations to all the problems. This will help you analyse any mistakes that you are making and correct them.

Best GRE Books for Self-Study

Most GRE test takers often ask if it is possible to crack GRE with self-preparation. The answer is yes: with a proper study plan, GRE preparation books, and consistent efforts. With a number online resources to receive guidance, on expert advices, mobile apps, and coaching channels, GRE self-preparation is sure to be a success. Students can refer to previous test takers interview to device a plan for themselves, take suggestions regarding the best GRE books for preparation also. A particular focus on GRE Preparation Tips goes a long way.

How to choose the Best GRE Preparation Books?

Given the plenty of GRE books avaiable online and offline, it can be overwhelming for test takers to choose one. However, it is easy to pick a GRE book from among the GRE books for preparation for every individal by keeping in mind the following points.

  • Having an early GRE preparation plan is very important. Starting early gives plenty of time to consider choosing the best GRE books and dedicate enough time.
  • Make sure that the chosen GRE preparation books provide plenty of practice exercises, section wise concepts as well as links to ample online resources such as expert advices, forums as well as preparation videos.
  • Make sure that the best GRE books are released by official and trusted sources such as ETS itself.
  • The better choice is going for GRE preparation books released by the ETS itself. Go to the official website for any kind of reference or guidance regarding GRE books for preparation.
  • Don't follow more than one of the best GRE books for preparation at a time, especially when there is less preparation time or it is the first time taking GRE test.
  • Last but no the least, practice makes man perfect. Keep up consistent practice through to improve time management and problem solving skills.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

In order to prepare for the GRE, you should start early. You should focus on your weak areas. You should spend enough time on revision and solve sample papers on a regular basis.

A study plan will help you to create a schedule and adhere to it. It will also help you to study effectively for the GRE in the months you have dedicated to study for the exam.

When you time your practice tests, you will get a feel of the GRE exam and the  GRE exam pattern. More importantly it will give you a baseline score  and help you discover your weak areas and work towards overcoming them.

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Questions related to GRE

Hello Aspirant,

Higher the chances of success, the better the coaching.  Therefore, be sure to select the best GRE coaching in Hyderabad based on your personal GRE strengths and weaknesses as well as the faculty's experience, course costs, and distance from your home.

Some of the Coaching centers:

  • Brooklyn Review
  • Texas Review
  • Yocket Prep
  • Manya Group
  • Manhattan Review
  • First Academy

Yes, you should start your Preparation earlier than the exam. You must practice as many mock exams. The GRE is typically considered more difficult compared to the ACT or SAT. The trick to the GRE is that it has more challenging vocabulary and reading sections. However, the GRE is less difficult than more specialized exams like the MCAT.

GRE - graduate record examination is a standardized exam used to measure one's aptitude for abstract thinking in the areas of analytical writing, mathematics, and vocabulary. The GRE is commonly used by many graduate schools in the U.S. and Canada to determine an applicant's eligibility for the program. The GRE Math (or Quantitative) sections consist of Quantitative Comparison, Problem Solving, and Data Interpretation question types.

For more details you can go to the link Below:

http://studyabroad.careers360.com/exams/gre

https://www.careers360.com/courses/computer-science-engineering-course

All the best!

Hope it will help!

GRE stands for Graduate Record Exam, conducted by many countries specially United States. It is done to fetch admissions in various graduate schools and includes sections like- Geometry, Algebra, Arithmetic,Reasoning and vocabulary. There are number of institute these days which provide GRE courses and one of then is SevenMentor, it the most preferred training institute in India. SevenMentor is one of the best training provider in India taking the level of education one step ahead and provides best best GRE course in Pune <a href=https://posteezy.com/gre-course-pune</a>

The best books you can prepare for GRE are:

1. Kaplan's GRE Complete 2021 Bundle

2. GRE Prep by Magoosh

3. Barron's Essential Words for the GRE, 4th Edition

4. Manhattan Prep's 5 lb

5. Test Prep Books' GRE Prep, 2021 and 2022

6. The Princeton Review's GRE Premium Prep, 2021

7. Manhattan Prep's GRE Strategy Guides

Hope you have got the required information. Thank you.

Hi aspirants

Both exams for Master degrees.

The GMAT exam is a standardized test used by business schools around the world for admission to MBA and other business master's degree programs.

GRE, or the Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test, usually requested by universities in the U.S., that students take prior to enrolling to a Master's degree

Without practicing both the exam are difficult to crack. The test section are Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning,  Verbal Reasoning . Practice more questions to crack exam easily.

For more information click the link

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/solving-ultimate-gmat-vs-gre-dilemma

Hope this Helps

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

  • Construction
  • Entertainment
  • Manufacturing
  • Information Technology

Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary. 

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi . 

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Water Manager

A career as water manager needs to provide clean water, preventing flood damage, and disposing of sewage and other wastes. He or she also repairs and maintains structures that control the flow of water, such as reservoirs, sea defense walls, and pumping stations. In addition to these, the Manager has other responsibilities related to water resource management.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Geotechnical engineer

The role of geotechnical engineer starts with reviewing the projects needed to define the required material properties. The work responsibilities are followed by a site investigation of rock, soil, fault distribution and bedrock properties on and below an area of interest. The investigation is aimed to improve the ground engineering design and determine their engineering properties that include how they will interact with, on or in a proposed construction. 

The role of geotechnical engineer in mining includes designing and determining the type of foundations, earthworks, and or pavement subgrades required for the intended man-made structures to be made. Geotechnical engineering jobs are involved in earthen and concrete dam construction projects, working under a range of normal and extreme loading conditions. 

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Finance Executive

A career as a Finance Executive requires one to be responsible for monitoring an organisation's income, investments and expenses to create and evaluate financial reports. His or her role involves performing audits, invoices, and budget preparations. He or she manages accounting activities, bank reconciliations, and payable and receivable accounts.  

Investment Banker

An Investment Banking career involves the invention and generation of capital for other organizations, governments, and other entities. Individuals who opt for a career as Investment Bankers are the head of a team dedicated to raising capital by issuing bonds. Investment bankers are termed as the experts who have their fingers on the pulse of the current financial and investing climate. Students can pursue various Investment Banker courses, such as Banking and Insurance , and  Economics to opt for an Investment Banking career path.

Product Manager

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.  

Treasury analyst career path is often regarded as certified treasury specialist in some business situations, is a finance expert who specifically manages a company or organisation's long-term and short-term financial targets. Treasurer synonym could be a financial officer, which is one of the reputed positions in the corporate world. In a large company, the corporate treasury jobs hold power over the financial decision-making of the total investment and development strategy of the organisation.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues. 

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

A Team Leader is a professional responsible for guiding, monitoring and leading the entire group. He or she is responsible for motivating team members by providing a pleasant work environment to them and inspiring positive communication. A Team Leader contributes to the achievement of the organisation’s goals. He or she improves the confidence, product knowledge and communication skills of the team members and empowers them.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software. 

Individuals in the architecture career are the building designers who plan the whole construction keeping the safety and requirements of the people. Individuals in architect career in India provides professional services for new constructions, alterations, renovations and several other activities. Individuals in architectural careers in India visit site locations to visualize their projects and prepare scaled drawings to submit to a client or employer as a design. Individuals in architecture careers also estimate build costs, materials needed, and the projected time frame to complete a build.

Landscape Architect

Having a landscape architecture career, you are involved in site analysis, site inventory, land planning, planting design, grading, stormwater management, suitable design, and construction specification. Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park in New York introduced the title “landscape architect”. The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) proclaims that "Landscape Architects research, plan, design and advise on the stewardship, conservation and sustainability of development of the environment and spaces, both within and beyond the built environment". Therefore, individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect are those who are educated and experienced in landscape architecture. Students need to pursue various landscape architecture degrees, such as  M.Des , M.Plan to become landscape architects. If you have more questions regarding a career as a landscape architect or how to become a landscape architect then you can read the article to get your doubts cleared. 

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Veterinary Doctor

A veterinary doctor is a medical professional with a degree in veterinary science. The veterinary science qualification is the minimum requirement to become a veterinary doctor. There are numerous veterinary science courses offered by various institutes. He or she is employed at zoos to ensure they are provided with good health facilities and medical care to improve their life expectancy.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Speech Therapist

Gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth. 

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

Healthcare Social Worker

Healthcare social workers help patients to access services and information about health-related issues. He or she assists people with everything from locating medical treatment to assisting with the cost of care to recover from an illness or injury. A career as Healthcare Social Worker requires working with groups of people, individuals, and families in various healthcare settings such as hospitals, mental health clinics, child welfare, schools, human service agencies, nursing homes, private practices, and other healthcare settings.  

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs. 

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Talent Agent

The career as a Talent Agent is filled with responsibilities. A Talent Agent is someone who is involved in the pre-production process of the film. It is a very busy job for a Talent Agent but as and when an individual gains experience and progresses in the career he or she can have people assisting him or her in work. Depending on one’s responsibilities, number of clients and experience he or she may also have to lead a team and work with juniors under him or her in a talent agency. In order to know more about the job of a talent agent continue reading the article.

If you want to know more about talent agent meaning, how to become a Talent Agent, or Talent Agent job description then continue reading this article.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story. 

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Fashion Blogger

Fashion bloggers use multiple social media platforms to recommend or share ideas related to fashion. A fashion blogger is a person who writes about fashion, publishes pictures of outfits, jewellery, accessories. Fashion blogger works as a model, journalist, and a stylist in the fashion industry. In current fashion times, these bloggers have crossed into becoming a star in fashion magazines, commercials, or campaigns. 

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook. 

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion. 

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article. 

Travel Journalist

The career of a travel journalist is full of passion, excitement and responsibility. Journalism as a career could be challenging at times, but if you're someone who has been genuinely enthusiastic about all this, then it is the best decision for you. Travel journalism jobs are all about insightful, artfully written, informative narratives designed to cover the travel industry. Travel Journalist is someone who explores, gathers and presents information as a news article.

Videographer

Careers in videography are art that can be defined as a creative and interpretive process that culminates in the authorship of an original work of art rather than a simple recording of a simple event. It would be wrong to portrait it as a subcategory of photography, rather photography is one of the crafts used in videographer jobs in addition to technical skills like organization, management, interpretation, and image-manipulation techniques. Students pursue Visual Media , Film, Television, Digital Video Production to opt for a videographer career path. The visual impacts of a film are driven by the creative decisions taken in videography jobs. Individuals who opt for a career as a videographer are involved in the entire lifecycle of a film and production. 

SEO Analyst

An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns. 

Production Manager

Quality controller.

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product. 

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Metrologist

You might be googling Metrologist meaning. Well, we have an easily understandable Metrologist definition for you. A metrologist is a professional who stays involved in measurement practices in varying industries including electrical and electronics. A Metrologist is responsible for developing processes and systems for measuring objects and repairing electrical instruments. He or she also involved in writing specifications of experimental electronic units. 

Production Worker

A production worker is a vital part of any manufacturing operation, as he or she plays a leading role in improving the efficiency of the production process. Career as a Production Worker  requires ensuring that the equipment and machinery used in the production of goods are designed to meet the needs of the customers.

Azure Administrator

An Azure Administrator is a professional responsible for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining Azure Solutions. He or she manages cloud infrastructure service instances and various cloud servers as well as sets up public and private cloud systems. 

AWS Solution Architect

An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party. 

Computer Programmer

Careers in computer programming primarily refer to the systematic act of writing code and moreover include wider computer science areas. The word 'programmer' or 'coder' has entered into practice with the growing number of newly self-taught tech enthusiasts. Computer programming careers involve the use of designs created by software developers and engineers and transforming them into commands that can be implemented by computers. These commands result in regular usage of social media sites, word-processing applications and browsers.

ITSM Manager

Information security manager.

Individuals in the information security manager career path involves in overseeing and controlling all aspects of computer security. The IT security manager job description includes planning and carrying out security measures to protect the business data and information from corruption, theft, unauthorised access, and deliberate attack 

Big Data Analytics Engineer

Big Data Analytics Engineer Job Description: A Big Data Analytics Engineer is responsible for collecting data from various sources. He or she has to sort the organised and chaotic data to find out patterns. The role of Big Data Engineer involves converting messy information into useful data that is clean, accurate and actionable. 

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    Kaplan's GRE Prep Plus 2022 guides you through the GRE step-by-step, with expert strategies, essential content review, and five online practice tests. Get an advantage on test day with our proven test-taking strategies, math skills review, and one-year access to online practice and lessons.

  5. 5 Best GRE Books

    Customer Favorite The sheer volume and quality of practice problems and practice exams in this book are hard to beat. It's hard to beat a series written by the authors of the actual GRE exam. Practice problems are on point: the style and complexity of questions are in line with what you would expect on test day.

  6. Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2024: 7 Practice Tests + Review

    Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2024: 7 Practice Tests + Review & Techniques + Online Tools (2024) (Graduate School Test Preparation): The Princeton Review: 9780593516935: Amazon.com: Books Books › Test Preparation › Graduate School Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime

  7. Best GRE Prep Books 2022-2023

    Chris Lele on March 30, 2022 in GRE Books Here at Magoosh, I've reviewed all the best GRE prep books over the years. Today, I'm happy to announce that I've made some updates to our Best GRE Books List!

  8. Best GRE Prep Books in 2024

    GRE prep books we recommend. Best Overall: Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2022. Best for Quantitative Reasoning: 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems, 3rd Edition by Manhattan Prep. Best for Verbal Reasoning: GRE Verbal Reasoning Prep, 3rd Edition by Test Prep Books. Best for Vocab Building: GRE Essential Words, 5th Edition by Barron's.

  9. Top 10 GRE Prep Books of 2022

    If you want a top score the first time around, consider studying with a GRE prep book. Here, we introduce our picks for the 10 best GRE prep books of 2022. Price Legend $ = Under $10 | $$ = $10-$25 | $$$ = $26-$50 | $$$$ = Over $50 1. Official GRE Super Power Pack, 2nd Edition

  10. The Best GRE Study Materials to Help Raise Your Score

    What Do the Best GRE Study Materials Include? Unfortunately, not all GRE study materials are created equal. Some are a great way to prepare for the test, while others will give you a false idea of what the GRE will be like, which can make your studying less effective. Using high-quality study resources is key.

  11. GRE General Test Prep Books & Services

    Buy Now The Official Guide to the GRE® General Test, Third Edition $40 USD plus shipping The third edition of our official test prep book includes access to FOUR real practice tests — two published in the book and two simulated POWERPREP ® Online practice tests, available at no additional cost through your ETS account.

  12. 10 Best GRE Books, Tested by 1000+ GRE Students

    9) 1,027 GRE Practice Questions by Princeton Review (7/10) 8) 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems by Manhattan Prep (7.5/10) 7) GRE Complete by Kaplan (8/10) 6) GRE Analytical Writing Essays by Vibrant publishers (9/10) 5) Magoosh GRE Online Course (9/10) 4) The Official Guide to the GRE General Test (9.5/10)

  13. Best GRE Prep Books 2024: Quick Review & Comparison

    1) Algebra Strategy Guide 2) Fractions, Decimals, & Percents Strategy Guide 3) Geometry Strategy Guide 4) Number Properties Strategy Guide 5) The Word Problems Strategy Guide

  14. Best GRE Prep Book

    Written By: Sean Last Updated: February 11, 2024 Your journey to crushing the GRE and getting into your dream college begins with GRE prep. Finding the best GRE prep book is a great way to begin. However, searching for the perfect prep guide can be daunting and time-consuming so, let us help!

  15. 9 Best GRE Prep Books For 2024: Top Picks & Reviews

    Final Verdict. Indeed, the Kaplan GRE book is still among the top GRE test prep books in the market even though its content is not as close to the actual. Thus, I recommend you use it along with an official content material such as the ones produced by the test-makers. 6. Barron's GRE, 22nd Edition.

  16. 9 Best GRE Test Prep Books 2022 & Reviews

    In this article, you will find Best GRE Books 2022, reviews and recommendations for GRE Test Takers. FACT: Preparing for GRE Exam preparation takes a lot of time and effort. FACT: Score Improvement come over consistent practice and effort; Some test takers prefer books over classes or to supplement classes. Some prefer to register for GRE ...

  17. GRE Preparation Books: The 10 Best Books for GRE Preparation in 2024

    Unbelievable right? 2. Official GRE-Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition Suggested: Everything about GRE Verbal 3. Official GRE-Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions Volume 1, Second Edition Suggested: What is the GRE Quantitative syllabus? 4. Official GRE- Super Power Pack 5. Kaplan's GRE Prep Plus 2025 6.

  18. 10+ Best GRE Prep Books To Ace Your Exam

    Manhattan GRE Prep Set Of 8 Books. $239.93. If you are searching for some of the best and most comprehensive range of books to prepare for the GRE, then below are the top 10 books to help you. 1. The Official Guide For GRE General Test. Written by the test creators, the Official Guide for GRE General Test is the most authoritative and best ...

  19. Best GRE Prep Books 2017-2018: Expert Reviews

    Best for practice problems — Manhattan Prep's 5-Lb Book of Practice Problems. Best for a comprehensive program — Manhattan Prep's 8-book set of GRE Strategy Guides. Best for GRE Verbal and Analytical Writing — Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE. Best if you struggle with math — McGraw-Hill's Conquering GRE Math.

  20. GRE Complete 2024-2025

    Kaplan's GRE Complete 2024-2025 is your comprehensive guide to acing the GRE. Get an advantage on test day with our three best-selling GRE books, one-year access to online practice, and expert test-taking strategies. Content review helps you boost your math skills and verbal...

  21. 9 Best GRE Books to Help You Ace the Exam

    9 Best GRE Books to Help You Ace the Exam by Eddison Monroe If you are planning to pursue graduate studies in the United States or Canada, the GRE exam is an essential step toward achieving your goals. The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test that evaluates your readiness for advanced-level academic work.

  22. 7 Best GRE Preparation Books: Proven Strategies for Success

    1. Magoosh GRE Prep. The first book Magoosh GRE Prep is one of the best GRE preparation books. This book is created by Magoosh, one of the top and best test-prep. Companies. This book will help you get your preparation for the exam on track. This book provides more than 1000 test questions for practice.

  23. Best GRE Books

    There are a lot of companies that claim to have the "Best GRE Books," but the Nova Press GRE Prep Course and GRE Math Prep Course books truly are some of the best GRE books out there. Whether you want to review everything on the test or just the math section, the Nova Press books cater to your needs.

  24. Best Books for GRE Exam Preparation

    GRE Prep 2023 by Princeton Review; Best Books for GRE- Official GRE Preparation Materials. ETS, the official body which conducts the GRE test publishes its own test preparation guide to help test takers. The GRE Prep Book: Official GRE® Super Power Pack is an official guide which is a combination of three books contains the following: