Barron's GRE: Graduate Record Examination Reviews

• Fabulous book & CD-ROM!!!!

  
  By A3MCJKKJ8TG0ZO on 2008-01-12
  At age 51, I was applying to grad school, and had to face the GRE. The English/writing part was no problem, but I had done badly in algebra in 9th grade, and never had trig at all. I had to learn it all in ONE MONTH. This book came through for me. It has very clear explanations of all key math points. I did all the practice problems in the book, pushing myself a little further every day. When I'd gotten through all the math, I tried a practice test. Only got a 250. I had the knowledge, but not the speed. That's where the CD-ROM came in. I took 2 practice tests a day, and slowly got my speed up. (Each time you do the practice tests, they are different. Now and then, there was a question I'd had before, but not often enough to significantly boost my score.) By the time I took the real test, I was getting in the 600s on the practice tests. I had figured out some strategies. Finally, I took the real thing, and got a 720 on both sections, for a total of 1440! I owe it all to the excellent math tutorial and examples in the book, and ESPECIALLY, to the real-time practice tests on the CD-ROM. I just cannot rave enough about this book!!
  
  

• Find another book!

  
  By A1LN4Y6CJ3JG36 on 2007-11-04
  After going through a number of different GRE books, I find this to be the worst by far. Will it help you? Sure! But it's not going to help you nearly as much as, say, the Kaplan book. Whereas the Kaplan book works you through many of the though processes necessary to do well on the GRE, the Barron's book just gives you a few examples. Where the Kaplan book explains (perhaps to excess) the reasoning behind each and every question, including on the electronic practice tests, the Barron's book has explanations like "The answer is C." ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? What's the point in even having an explanation section when all you put is that? Even worse, the so-called Computer Adaptive Practice Test will give you the same questions more than once in the SAME test. Stay away. Use a better resource and you'll fair much better in the end.
  
  

• Great electronic materials

  
  By A36ZJK3B9XK34S on 2007-10-02
  I bought this book more for the CD than anything else. I never read the book or used their methods, I only used the diagnostic and computer adaptive tests on the CD. In that respect, they were very good. Barron's did a wonderful job recreating the computer-adaptive test environment, and there were no surprises when I went to take the GRE.
  
  

• OK for the basics

  
  By A388658Q4CQ0PC on 2007-09-25
  This book is good for people who need a general review, but aren't necessarily aiming for the topmost scores. This was one of several GRE prep books/CDs I ordered. The writing style is very basic and down-to-earth; it assumes you know next to nothing about math or taking tests. A couple other books (esp. the Princeton Review) had more sophisticated techniques that I found helpful.
  
  I found the software a bit ugly. The graphs on the quantitative practice problems were much more difficult to read than the actual GRE was, and the interface was a little clunky. Still, it's good for additional content review.
  
  

• Really good thorough test prep

  
  By A203ISCUGKSFQA on 2007-09-15
  This book is really really thorough and works well if you plan on studying well ahead of time. There are sections for each type of math problem that appears on the actual test and this was what I found most helpful. I went through each of the specific sections because math was a weakness for me and I wound up getting a 660 in the quantitative section. There is an extensive list of vocabulary words and several sections of review for the verbal section of the exam. Studying the high frequency words was helpful. The tips and hints that are included are great for helping you learn how to take the test and to save time. The amount of time for the test is fairly limited and the book shows you how to do the least amount of work to come to the correct answer. I studied using this book and I received a 1320.
  
  
• Best GRE prep book out there
  By A2VHF835RYMGYF on 2007-12-09
  THis book helped tremendously on my math. Being strictly a science major I was lacking GREATLY in my math AND verbal skills. The step by step review of math really helps you build up a foundation you can apply to different types of math problems. As for the verbal part there really is no way to getting around it than to memorize all the words presented in the book. Or read books with higher vocab levels. It also helps to do the reading comp exercises because if your like me your not going to be used to reading anymore complicated than Harry Potter and it will be tough at first to understand what the passages are trying to say. THe reason why I give this book a 4 is because although there are 5 practice tests in the end, all the problems seem to be taken from the practice problems the book has already given to you after each chapter. THe point of practicing is not to redo old problems that you will already subconciously kind of know the answer to. I suggest that for a lot of really good practice buy the ETS book for their 10 practice tests at the end of the book. I also feel that the ETS book is better at teaching you how to do the essay section.
  
  
• Great tool for the GRE
  By A2DOHQKHU685A on 2007-10-28
  I looked at many publications before settling on the Barron's GRE guide for my preparation for the GRE. The guide features 6 full length tests (including diagnostic) as well as a CAT test at the end. There are a ton of math exercises and I recommend doing every one. There is also a massive list of words--you can decide to memorize the bold ones, I did not. However, I did do every verbal exercise. My scores on two tests that I took before reading the book average 540 V and 560 Q, my scores on the GRE were 670 V and 740 V, that is an overall score increase of 310 points and is the difference between being in the top 30 percent for my major and the top 2 percent for my major. The average GRE for admission to the Psych PhD program at Harvard is 1388 (not that I have any intention of applying, just making a point)--the book can make your GRE score a very valuable tool in your application process. Buy it!
  
  
• GRE! Read for Quick Tps on Studying.
  By APVNDUMOTRJ78 on 2008-03-17
  I studied for the GREs from October 1st 2007 to November 17th 2007 (the day of my exam). Though some would call me crazy with such a short time studying; I studied nearly everyday, all day long (at least 10 hours a day). This book is perfect and is more or less all you need to study the GREs. The books organization is spot on, and I suggest following it as it is. Like any diet or exercise program, as long as you follow your plan (in this case the book's plan) you will unquestionably see satisfying results in the end.
  
  I also suggest to make sure that you take the Diagnostic test at the beginning of the book in order to make sure, in the very beginning of your studies, what is most necessary for you to study and concentrate on. I didn't realize what the diagnostic test was for and did not take it until midway through my studies. A mistake. For the Verbal, I studied (with flash cards and all) the 333 High Frequency Word List. Do the same, a surprising number of these words were indeed on the GRE. I began to go through the 3,500-Word master list, but with time constraints soon realized that this would be ineffective.
  
  The math section, in this book, is also organized quite well. Follow it. Like math we learned as secondary school students, it builds and builds to an end which is a complication of every thing previously learned.
  
  Lastly, as many out there are concerned mostly with the math I suggest a supplementary book on the math alone. I basically used all of the sample problems in this book and would have easily done more if I had more time.
  
  I do wish I took at least another month to study for this exam. While I am fairly happy with my GRE score, with that extra month I would have had that slightly extra edge in my graduate school applications.
  
  This book is sure to help. Goodluck.
  
  
• 2nd book to buy for GRE Prep
  By A291GRSK1IV6KZ on 2008-03-23
  None of these books are perfect. Start with the Princeton Review (Cracking the GRE) and then study this book. Both have good points that served me well during the test. If you are still not 100% ready, consider ETS's Official Guide for more practice.
  
  
• Excellent for Verbal !
  By A107NSAPYMPZJY on 2007-10-31
  This book is one and the best book on its category. I have bought this book only 15 days before from the real GRE exam. My last verbal score was 230. But I work 3 hours a day and my verbal score shifted to 610. I strongly advise anyone who want really high scores on GRE. If you work this book more than 2 weeks, you can possibly get 800 from GRE verbal.
  
  Also another point, my GRE quantitive score was not good before I started working on this book. Last time I get 790 from GRE quantitive that was not good. But this time I worked 30 minutes a day and my GRE score from quantitive shifted from 790 to 800. You know you can get 790 with 7-8 errors in the exam. But you can get 800 with only 1 or 2 errors. So I mean, I corrected my 6-7 questions from quantitive via studying this book.
  
  More importantly for verbal, you do not need to memorize -all- 3500 words on this book to score higher. The tactics of this book is really great. Via studying this tactics, you can simply shift your score by 400 points.
  
  
  
  
• THE ONLY BOOK YOU NEED
  By A3FE0N6DFSWHGS on 2008-04-13
  I bought Kaplan books along with this, and the Kaplan books were such a waste. This book is truly the ONLY book you need. The word lists are amazing...learn them!! As for the math review, I am not an overly mathematical person. After going through the entire Kaplan math review, I still was not increasing my score. A few weeks before the exam I turned to the math review here, and it saved me. I got a 600 which for me was phenomenal! Others have mentioned that the CD tests are made to make you think you are doing better (I took them all at once and got very different scores). But, make sure to take the tests ETS provides on their site. This book helped me meet my goal not only on those ETS practice tests but also on the actual GRE. I took the test only once and got into the top two schools in the nation for my program. As I said before, this book is the ONLY one you need. Save your time and money and go with this book if you want a strong, comprehensive review of everything on the exam!
  
  
• Great for Vocab, mediocre practice tests
  By A298CLZ2HU4B8M on 2008-08-22
  In preparing for the GRE, I used the Princeton Review book, Kaplan vocabulary flash cards, and the Barron's book. Of the three, I feel the Princeton Review was the most useful to overall test prep.
  
  The Barron's book excels at vocabulary: their list of words is extremely large and pretty comprehensive from what I've seen. In addition, they break down roots and stems which makes taking an educated guess on a word you're unsure of or have never seen substantially easier.
  
  I feel the math on the Barron's was much more comprehensive than it needed to be. Often, questions on the Barron's tests were on material that would not show up on the actual test. In addition, their data interpretation questions are plagued with poorly drawn graphs that make it hard to ascertain the values. I had to make approximate guesses on data questions that demanded exact answers simply because the graphs didn't provide adequate labels.
  
  However, unless you are testing on paper, the practice paper tests really don't help much more than provide more practice questions. To get an understanding of the rhythm of a computer-adjusted test, you really need to take computer-adjusted ones! When you can't skip and have limited time, it's important to learn how much time to spend guessing and how important it is to ace the first third of the test. Where Barron's is weak is its lone computer-adjusted test. For this reason, I feel the Barron's book is less helpful than the Princeton Review. If I had to pick one book, I would get the PR because of those extra tests - they make all the difference.
  
  In short, the Barron's will overprepare you for the math and provide a comprehensive word list. It's great at preparing you for specific questions. However, it doesn't do a very good job of preparing you to TAKE the test, which is the most important aspect of acing the GRE. For that, I would recommend another book, especially the Princeton Review's.
  
  
• Awesome book ! Complete package...all the review material you need!
  By A2U8UX4OPKWOMF on 2007-11-17
  This book was awesome. I just took the GRE & got scores above average. Part of my success was due to the tactics explained in this book. Also this book includes a 3500 word glossary, and 330 most popular word list, using flashcards this list was great. 4 out of my verbal questions included words from this list. I would recommend this book to everyone, it thoroughly explains the test and gives you reviews of material to help you ace it!
  
  
• Excellent GRE prep material
  By A2WWMZ84RUZFYN on 2008-04-25
  I would highly recommend this book for preparing to take the GRE general test. The review material, exercises and sample question answer explanations were very helpful in relearning math I originally learned over 20 years ago (I'm heading to grad school at age 43). To get a baseline, I took one of the sample tests before reviewing. Then I went through each math chapter carefully (but only once) (a few evenings a week over about 6 weeks). After studying, my math score on the GRE was a 750 (up from 550 on the baseline sample test). (Math was always my strong subject so it really was RElearning it for me, but it obviously worked well). For the vocabulary and essay sections, I would say I mostly used the book to become familiar with the structure of the test, which is very important. The time pressure on the test is very tight...you don't want to have to waste time during the actual test just trying to figure out logistics. The book does provide alot of information to learn how to derive the meaning of words you don't know, etc., but I honestly didn't focus on those. My degree will be math -related so I focused on maximizing my math score. The book was also invaluable for its pointing out common pitfalls found on the test (for example, don't assume a geometry diagram is drawn to scale unless it specifically states that it is. They are sometimes exaggerated to be confusing).
  
  
• Detailed nuts and bolts review tool
  By A1YH24F627EB5I on 2007-10-30
  This is a very detailed resource for studying for the GRE. If you have a good amount of time, you can really get a lot from the drills and diagnostics in this book.
  
  
• Same as Barrons' GRE 2006-2007
  By AQ2UNL5HCTYTP on 2008-09-04
  I thought maybe I should borrow this newer version of the Barron's GRE from the library and see if there's a big difference between this and the 2006-2007 one. I was disappointed that all the materials including the practice exams were the same. I would not bother to get a newer version if you already have the 2006-2007.
  
  
• Confusing and Unhelpful
  By A317ZSEK40X3FO on 2008-05-25
  I read the reviews when selecting a book to study for the GRE. Based on that information I choose to purchase two books, Barron's GRE and The Princeton Review's "Cracke the GRE." I used both books to study. The Barron's book confused me, not only was it unhelpful but the "assistance" with the math section scared me. I lost sleep due to this book. Save your money and invest in the Princton Review. Not only was the math section more helpful the essay section provided several great suggestions for creating an excellent essay.
  
  
• Save your money, buy older version.
  By A1IULOOP7MU86K on 2008-08-22
  I had Barron's 2006 and I bought the 2009 one hoping that it would better prepare me for the GRE. The content of the book is EXACTLY the same as the older version. My suggestion is - save your money, buy older version - it's much cheaper and has 99.9% same contents (questions + reviews).
  
  
• Excellent Review Book!
  By A1E14EZC057QFP on 2008-08-26
  I've never been moved to write a review before, but this book has influenced me to do so.
  
  I hadn't taken a math class for five years before I took the GRE, so I was incredibly worried. On the diagnostic test I scored around a 400. Not so great. Thanks to this book, in less than two weeks I was able to boost my math score to a 680 when I took the real test. I'm sure I could've done even better, if I had started studying earlier!
  
  The examples in the math section are clear and easy to follow, as are the explanations. The list of most common words in the verbal section is also a great asset, as many of the words I studied appeared as choices while taking the exam.
  
  If you're rusty and need some fine tuning before taking the GRE, this is a great book to help you!
  
  
• Can't think of a clever title. My brain is fried from GRE.
  By A3P4GNHV2U9RZF on 2008-03-04
  Whew! I just finished the GRE! I found this book incredibly useful. It has a diagnostic test, plenty of practice questions with answers, and practice tests. However, I bought mine from B&N and it didn't come with a CD. I imagine it is even more useful with a CD, as I found the software given upon registering for GRE the most useful study tool. (Also, notice that the entire pool of possible essay questions is at gre.org) This book, though, is great. It contains practice questions, as well as helpful hints. I was terrified of the GRE, and I feel pretty good about it now that I'm done. I just gave this book away to a friend, and recommended it to another.
  
  
  
• GRE book helpful
  By A3LOZT958OBM0B on 2008-02-13
  This book is helpful for preparing for the GRE, but repeats itself and doesn't always show detailed explainations of "correct" answers. It does come with several practice tests and the CD-ROM contains a few very helpful practice tests that are just like the real GRE.
  
  
• Barron's GRE 2008
  By A2OHIZUW9XBA5U on 2008-03-31
  Larger word bank, glossary than other GRE preparation books. Thats a good thing. Includes CD, which I have not used yet. However, my initial review is that this book is worth buying.
  
  
• GRE review book.
  By A228YQH5P28HYA on 2008-04-27
  So far, this book has been helpful. I can't really fully review it until later after taking the test. I would recommend it.
  
  
• Great stuff
  By A25YBU7GN77F35 on 2008-07-09
  I actually return this book because I don't need to take the test anymore. As I look through it, there are lots of questions in this book and large amount of vocabs that we need to know. So I think it's great to have one.
  
  
• Most helpful study guide for GRE
  By A154SHY3WA8MQE on 2008-07-28
  I studied a number of GRE texts to maximize my chances for a good score. I found the 2009 Barron's to be the most comprehensive guide out there right now.
  
  
• Helpful for practice
  By A2QRNK6CQV2J5C on 2008-08-05
  I bought this book about 9 months before I actually took my GRE. The paper practice sections and tests were very helpful however some of the explinations lacked. The math was more helpful than the vocabulary, I would recommend additional help in that area.
  
  
• Thoruoughly satisfied
  By A333NS2BGD0PZY on 2007-09-11
  Thank you for the item. It arrived in great condition. And I know it will help prepare for graduate school and be the best.
  
  
• Excellent source
  By A1BVLRERCGI5HI on 2007-10-14
  I selected this book based on other reviews by other buyers. The book is comprehensive and complete. I feel confident using this book along with the vocab flip chart (sold separately). Allow at least 6 weeks of study time and break down sections according to the length of study time. This book is well written and easy to follow. Good luck with your GRE!
  
  
• GRE Book
  By A8V8Q543J419B on 2008-01-20
  I received this book very quickly, it is brand new and in excellent condition. I would definately buy from this person again.
  
  
• good but CD ROm is a letdown
  By A2IH9Y8SYSR6QF on 2008-10-21
  the book is great for strategies and amazing for math review, it has been very helpful thus far. but i have gone through all the review and some of the practice tests in book and I just attempted to take the CD Rom practice CAT test and it reused an assortment of questions that were in other tests and that were review problems!! what a cheap cop out
  
  

• How to Prepare for the GRE in Psychology (Barron's How to Prepare for the Gre Psychology Graduate Record Examination in Psychology)
• Essential Words for the GRE (Barron's Essential Words)
• Barron's GRE (Barron's How to Prepare for the Gre: Graduate Record Examination (Book Only))

• Essential Words for the GRE (Barron's Essential Words)
• Kaplan GRE Exam 2009 Premier Program (w/ CD-ROM) (Kaplan Gre Exam (Book & CD-Rom))
• Kaplan GRE Vocabulary Exam in a Box
• Kaplan GRE Exam Math Workbook
• Cracking the GRE with DVD, 2008 Edition (Graduate Test Prep)