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Cracking the GRE is by far the most user-friendly and helpful GRE prep book!!! Jun 29, 2009 (115 of 117 found this helpful)
I just finished studying for the GRE with Barron's, Kaplan, ETS, and Princeton Review, and Cracking the GRE is by far the best out of the four. Its math and verbal sections are incredibly user-friendly and helpful, and the analytical writing section is essential if you want a top-scoring essay on the test. Princeton Review not only tells you exactly what you need to do to get the highest scores on your essays, but its website also offers LiveGrader, a service which allows you to have your essays scored by actual graders (not computers!) for $6 per test. This is much cheaper than the grading service ETS offers ($13 per test)! The math section is excellent for someone (like me) who is not gifted in math, with the most simple, clear, and useful explanations of any GRE prep book I've found. As far as I'm concerned, Cracking the GRE is ESSENTIAL to do well on the GRE!! The only caveat I would add is that if you want a top score on the verbal section you'll also need to reference Barron's comprehensive vocabulary list, which is unmatched by any other book...
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I like the strategies better than Kaplan's Jul 4, 2009 (21 of 21 found this helpful)
I echo many peoples' sentiments in that I feel both the Princeton Review and Kaplan books are useful. Personally, I like how this book is written better than I do Kaplan's. I also like the strategies a little more. Both are good though. If you're not going to take the courses in person, then I would suggest getting both this text and Kaplan's. The more practice the better. One thing that I found interesting is that after combining Barron's, Kaplan's, and the Princeton review's top 250, top 200 (and top 400 found online after signing up for the online supplements), and top 450 (Hit Parade and beyond the hit parade)words, respectively, I came up with about 940 words. You would think that there would be more overlap; I guess not.
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GRE's - Cracked Aug 1, 2009 (17 of 18 found this helpful)
I can't recommend this highly enough. I've been out of college 34 years. It's been 38 years since I took a math class (and then who knows how much attention I was paying). I worked with this book and the related tools on the Princeton Review web site for less than two weeks and I was able to get the score I needed for grad school (a combined 1100). It was also helpful on the essay questions, though I won't know those scores for a while. What an amazing tool! Just do like they say, take the practice tests, etc., and you'll be good.
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Good advice on strategy, but very few practice questions Oct 1, 2009 (11 of 11 found this helpful)
This book should not be the only source you use to study for the GRE. While it does contain advice on helpful strategies to employ to answer the different question types, it has very, very little practice, which is precisely what you need most to adequately prepare for the GRE! The DVD that accompanies the book has very little material on it, and even less material that is useful. If you do want to buy this book, choose the non-DVD option and save yourself some money. I don't find the Hit Parade very useful because it just lists the word, part of speech (noun, adjective, verb) and the definition of the word, without giving the word in context. They encourage you to put the word in a sentence yourself, but this is difficult for words that you are totally unfamiliar with (you may be using it the wrong way). I like Kaplan's strategy better, which is to place a word in a sentence, because it helps with recall. Kaplan also creates sentences in which the meaning of the word is clear.
A positive: the PR book comes with a product key which you can plug in on the Princeton Review website and get access to four full-length practice tests and some practice lessons and drills. You can get a demo version of what I'm talking about for free on the website (even if you don't have the product key), but the product key unlocks some more options. Curiously, the study plan that PR provides you with (on the website) tells you to practice using ETS's "Practicing to Take the GRE: General Test, 10th Edition" -- so they expect you to buy yet another book.
Bottom line, PR is good for strategy, but bad for practice. My boyfriend used Kaplan and I'm using some of his material (flashcards, pocket reference, etc), and I'm finding Kaplan much better for verbal (I haven't gotten to the math section yet).
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Cracking the GRE Helped My GRE Score Sep 15, 2009 (7 of 7 found this helpful)
There are two kinds of people who take the Graduate Record Examination. Well, three, actually: Those who don't study for the GRE, those who take a course costing several hundred dollars, and those of us buying a book or two. Buy "Cracking the GRE." It is what you need.
I suspect those who take the courses get their money's worth.
However, "Cracking the GRE" is a much cheaper, quicker solution. It cuts to the chase, tells you what you need to know, and shows you how to figure out those algebra problems better than your high school freshman year teacher.
They teach you how to be organized during the test. And you'll learn how to draw sensible charts for the logic portion. This will save you precious time as you realize you have no clue how to answer number 27. It teach you how to effectively guess.
With the DVD, you will endure (it is a tough exam, after all), test conditions, and receive video tutorials. The greatest benefit, however, and where you might find yourself studying the most is the book. Plow through word lists, key types of questions and testing suggestions.
I took the GRE. I used the Princeton Review. I crammed. Sure, sure--not the best approach for an important exam, but the fact remains, I'm not alone. Effective cramming involves knowing what to jettison, and what to keep on board. That is, knowing what is important to focus on. The Princeton Review folks know this.
I dreaded the math portion. If I told you how low my high school grades were for math, and then told you my GRE score, you'd likely believe neither. But it is true. My score rocked. Why? The easy teaching style of "Cracking the GRE." The MIT admissions people wouldn't be impressed with my score, but for a guy with a literature degree looking to get into a marketing communications program, the "Cracking the GRE" helped me get the math score I needed.
Have I convinced you? No more delaying. Hurry up, get on with it, and buy "Cracking the GRE." You'll get the best results cramming can bring you. Oh, and be sure to get to the exam early. There is a long form to fill out beforehand.
I fully recommend "Cracking the GRE."
Anthony Trendl
http://anthonytrendl.blogspot.com