Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with the GRE
Chapter 1 Knowing What to Expect with the GRE
Signing Up for the GRE
Breaking Down the GRE into Bite-Sized Pieces
Scoring Max: 340 Then 6
Understanding how the scoring breaks down
Calculating your score
Confirming that your score is actually good
Throwing a mental dart
Seeing or canceling your scores
Taking advantage of the ScoreSelect option
Catching Your Mental Breath: The GRE Intermissions
Chapter 2 Owning the GRE: Strategies for Success
Making the Best Use of Your Time
Budgeting your time for studying
Budgeting your time for practice
Taking control: Time management tips
Plan B: Repeating the Test
It Isn’t You: Testing Under Adverse Conditions
Using Old Scores
Chapter 3 Gearing Up for Exam Day
Gathering Your Stuff the Night Before
Knowing What Not to Bring
Taking the Test at Home
Training Physically and Mentally for Test Day
Staying active
Eating well
Relaxing
Mastering the Computer Part
Bringing the GRE into Your Comfort Zone
Getting familiar with what’s on the exam
Understanding the other admissions requirements
Part 2 Tackling the Verbal Section One Word at a Time
Chapter 4 What Are They Saying: Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence
Clinching Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence Questions
Keeping it straight
Trying it out
Developing Your Skills for Finding the Correct Answers
Interpreting the Text 101
Getting the gist of the text
Taking the Best and Only Approach
Interpret the text without looking at the answer choices
Complete the text with your own words
Eliminate wrong answer choices
Interpreting Trickier Sentences
Use transition words to get the gist of the phrases
Start with the second or third missing word
Getting Your Hands Dirty with Some Practice
Text Completion questions
Sentence Equivalence questions
Chapter 5 Getting the Gist: Reading Comprehension
Recognizing the Three Reading Comprehension Question Formats
Multiple-choice questions: Choose one answer
Multiple-choice questions: Choose one or more answers
Sentence-selection questions: Choose a sentence from the passage
Developing Strategies for Success
Using the context as your road map
Grasping the gist of the passage
Avoiding common traps
Answering the question yourself
Acing the Three Commonly Tested Reading Comprehension Passages
The biological and physical science passage
The social sciences passage
The humanities passage
The social sciences passage redux
Chapter 6 Critical Thinking: Argument Analysis Questions
Covering the Answer Choices
Reading the Question for What It’s Asking
Reading the Passage for What the Question Is Asking
Identifying the “because” and the “therefore”
Finding the unstated assumption
Exploring common logical fallacies
Answering the Question in Your Own Words
Eliminating Each Wrong Answer
Applying the process of elimination
Testing your skills
Chapter 7 Expanding Your Vocabulary to Boost Your Score
Brushing Up on Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots
Prefixes
Suffixes
Roots
Memorizing the GRE’s Most Common Vocabulary Words
Part 3 Math You Thought You’d Never Need Again
Chapter 8 An Overview of GRE Math
Managing Your Time
Typing an Answer
Selecting two or more answers
Select from three answers
Select from more than three answers
Selecting the One That’s Greater
Chapter 9 Simplifying Numbers and Operations
Simplifying Integers, Factors, and Multiples
Simplifying Math Terms
Simplifying Prime and Composite Numbers
Simplifying Absolute Value
Simplifying the Order of Operations
Simplifying Fractions
Adding and subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Mixed numbers
Cross multiplying
Variations on cross multiplying
Simplifying Decimals
Adding and subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Simplifying Percents
Converting
Percent of change
Simplifying Factorials
Simplifying Ratios
Total numbers of items
Amounts in the ratio
Maintaining the ratio
Combining ratios
Chapter 10 Solving Algebra and Functions
Solving Bases and Exponents
Solving Math Operators and Functions
Math operators
Functions
Solving for X
Solving for x with a number
The FOIL method
Factoring back out
Solving Square Roots and Radicals
Simplifying
Estimating
Adding and subtracting
Multiplying and dividing
Working radicals last
Solving Coordinate Geometry
Common questions
Linear equations
Two linear equations
Graphed circles
Solving Patterns in Sequential Terms
Solving f(x) functions
Chapter 11 Drawing Geometry
Drawing Lines and Angles
Lines
Angles
Drawing Polygons
Total interior angle measure
Finding one interior angle
Drawing Triangles
Three types of triangle
Key characteristics
Perimeter and area
The Pythagorean theorem
Identifying common right triangles
Drawing Quadrilaterals
Drawing Circles
Parts of a circle
Circumference and arc
Drawing areas that overlap
Drawing 3-D Shapes
Drawing a cylinder
Drawing a rectangular solid
Drawing a cube
Chapter 12 Simplifying Word Problems
Simplifying the Steps
Simplifying Time and Distance
Simplifying Units of Measurement
Simplifying Averages
Simplifying missing-term averages
Simplifying evenly spaced integers
Simplifying weighted averages
Simplifying Work Problems
Simplifying Team-Work Problems
Simplifying Mixture Problems
Simplifying Sets and Groups
Simplifying the Venn diagram
Simplifying the sets formula
Simplifying Probability
Step #1: Set up the fraction
Step #2: Multiply consecutive probabilities
Step #3: Add either/or probabilities on a single event
Simplifying probability in sets and groups
Simplifying Counting Methods
Basic counting methods
When order matters: Permutations
When order doesn’t matter: Combinations
Chapter 13 Interpreting Data and Graphs
Interpreting Basic Stats
Interpreting the median
Interpreting the mode
Interpreting the range
Interpreting the mean
Interpreting standard deviation
Eyeballing standard deviation
Interpreting mean deviation
Interpreting Tables and Graphs
Interpreting Tables
Interpreting Graphs
Different types of graphs
Interpreting two graphs
Estimating graph totals quickly
Chapter 14 Comparing Quantities
Comparing Static Answer Choices
Comparing Steps
Comparing with Strategies
Comparing equal appearances
Comparing drawings
Comparing concepts
Comparing identical terms
Comparing ranges
Comparing estimates
Comparing with Four Square
Comparing with a hundred
Comparing multiple unknowns
Part 4 Getting the Essays Right
Chapter 15 Writing the Essays Well and Fast
Setting Your Sights on the Target: Scoring a Perfect 6
What the essay scores really mean
Key methods to scoring well
Writing the Issue Essay
Step 1: Read and understand the prompt
Step 2: Start with your supporting info
Step 3: Take a position that’s in line with your examples
Step 4: Write your Issue essay
Tying everything together with smooth transitions
Writing the Argument Essay
Step 1: Read and understand the prompt
Step 2: Identify the position stated in the argument
Step 3: List the reasons given to support the stated position
Step 4: Identify the flawed assumptions behind each reason
Step 5: Write your essay
Chapter 16 Practicing and Reviewing Sample Essays
Setting the Stage for a Realistic Experience
Writing an Issue Essay: Some Samples
Having trouble getting started? Identifying relevant laws: Some examples
Sample essay — score 6 (outstanding)
Evaluator comments on the score 6 essay
Sample essay — score 4 (adequate)
Evaluator comments on the score 4 essay
Writing an Argument Essay: Some Samples
Having trouble getting started? Start with finding the faulty assumptions
Sample essay — score 6 (outstanding)
Evaluator comments on the score 6 essay
Sample essay — score 4 (adequate)
Evaluator comments on the score 4 essay
Part 5 Full-Length Practice Exams: Show Time
Chapter 17 Practice Exam 1
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 1
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Chapter 18 Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations
Analytical Writing Sections
Section 1: Verbal Reasoning
Section 2: Quantitative Reasoning
Section 3: Verbal Reasoning
Section 4: Quantitative Reasoning
Answer Key for Practice Exam 1
Chapter 19 Practice Exam 2
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 2
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Chapter 20 Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations
Analytical Writing Sections
Section 1: Verbal Reasoning
Section 2: Quantitative Reasoning
Section 3: Verbal Reasoning
Section 4: Quantitative Reasoning
Answer Key for Practice Exam 2
Chapter 21 Practice Exam 3
Answer Sheet for Practice Exam 3
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Chapter 22 Practice Exam 3: Answers and Explanations
Analytical Writing Sections
Section 1: Verbal Reasoning
Section 2: Quantitative Reasoning
Section 3: Verbal Reasoning
Section 4: Quantitative Reasoning
Answer Key for Practice Exam 3
Part 6 The Part of Tens
Chapter 23 Ten Key Facts about the GRE
You May Return to Previous Questions in the Same Section
The GRE Doesn’t Penalize for Guessing
The GRE Uses a Percentile-Based Scoring System
Practice Makes All the Difference
You Must Study for the GRE
The GRE Is Different from the SAT and ACT
The GRE Measures Your Stamina and Performance under Pressure
The General GRE Is Not Program-Specific
You Can Practice the GRE on Your Own Computer
You Can’t Bring Anything into the Testing Center
Chapter 24 Ten Mistakes You Won’t Make (While Others Will)
You Won’t Cheat
You Won’t Run Out of Steam
You Won’t Neglect Your Breaks
You Won’t Dwell on Questions From the Previous Sections
You Won’t Worry About the Time Limit
You Won’t Rush Through the Questions
You Definitely Won’t Choke on the Essays
You Won’t Fret Over the Hard Questions
You Won’t Take the Exam with a Friend
You Won’t Change Your Morning Routine
Chapter 25 Ten Ways to Build Your Skills with the Online Exams
Take an Exam in One Sitting to Build Stamina
Recognize the Mistakes You Make Under Pressure
Get Used to Others in the Room
Make It a Dress Rehearsal
Get a Competitive Edge
Practice Your Test-Taking Strategies
Know the Exam Software
Get Used to Starting with the Essays
Find Your Areas of Focus
Review the Answers and Explanations
Index
EULA