Kaplan GRE Exam

by Kaplan Inc. and Kaplan Test Prep

Book Overview

You will score higher. We guarantee it. Kaplan's GRE(R) Exam 2003 comes complete with a comprehensive review of all the material on the exam, plus Kaplan's test-taking strategies to help maximize your... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684870096
• ISBN13: 9780684870090
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.3" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

This text worked great for me

The previous reviews of this book are across the board, with most people either loving it or hating it. I found the text to be extremely helpful in studying for the test, and more importantly earning a good score on the GRE. I spent a lot of time with this book, as well as the software that is downloadable from the ETS website for free. The combination of these two resources helped me score a 1220 on the verbal/math sections, and a 6.0 on the writing section. Well worth the effort. The book presents very effective strategies for studying for the test, important subject matter, as well as tips on how to take the test (which don't necessarily have anything to do with knowledge of the test subject matter). If you spend the necessary time with this book, study your flash cards, and memorize the test day tips, you WILL see results. This Fall I am off to the University of Madison-Wisconsin on a full-ride RA position. The Kaplan GRE book was one of many pieces that put the puzzle together.

Fast Track to Good Scores on the GRE

What distinguishes this book from Princeton, Barrons, ETS and others is the speed in which one can learn the various strategies of GRE test taking. I found the vocabulary and root word lists as well as the paper practice tests also invaluable, but understanding GRE test strategies is of paramount importance. I had not taken a test in decades, and I had only a month to prepare. Furthermore I squandered most of this month away, so it came down to cramming in the last week. After several false starts with the other books, I stuck with Kaplan because it looked like it would be the only one I could get through in the limited time that I had. In that short period, I believe Kaplan improved my verbal and quantitative score by a total of 100 or 200 points.Although I found the book to be superb, I did find the CD very much lacking. The scored computer adaptive test (CAT) completely failed to predict my eventual score on the GRE, which I took yesterday. In the verbal portion, the Kaplan CAT predicted I would receive 470; the GRE scored me at 630. In the quantitative portion, Kaplan predicted 660; the GRE scored me at 800. I took the Kaplan practice CAT the day before the GRE, and after taking about five or six paper practice exams. And no cramming was done after taking the Kaplan CAT. Upon investigating my wrong answers in the Kaplan CAT, I found at least one question defective (failed to provide needed information) and another with an answer explanation that was not consistent with the question. There may have been others. Fortunately the Kaplan CAT grossly underestimated my scores, but after taking the practice exam I was left very uneasy going into the GRE. If you have any difficulty with lack of confidence whatsoever, even at times, I would strongly advise you to avoid taking the Kaplan CAT as it might negatively affect your mental preparedness for the GRE.But Kaplan the book is great and deserves 5 stars. Use this book if you don't have much time to prepare.

SAME LOOK - DIFFERENT BOOKS

BEWARE! There are two different versions of this book. Although both versions APPEAR to be exactly the same book -- they have the same jacket, same publish date (July 2002), even the same ISBN (0743230299) -- they're not the same book. One has the changes ETS made in October; the other version does not. Chapter Four has been completely rewritten. Practically everything after page 125 is new. The newer version does not contains Chapter Eight, but has an additional appendix listing the most popular GRE words with their definitions and how to use the words in context. The only way you can tell the difference between the books is to open them and look inside. (Bummer!) The last page in the older version is 366 and has a CD with ID 136201-05. The newer version has the last page number 350 and the CD ID is 136201-06.

Best of the GRE books

Obsessive student that I am, I bought four different GRE prep books to be sure I ACED the GRE. Honestly, I shouldn't have--the Kaplan GRE book and, especially, the CD were all I really needed. The CD gives you a personalized study plan based on how much time you've got left before the actual exam, and gives you detailed feedback so you know what types of questions consistently trip you up. Plus, the book chapter on the GRE Writing test was really helpful, especially since none of the other GRE books I bought had any info on the (relatively new) Writing test.

The Best--It Really Helped Me

I must have ten or so study guides for the GRE, and I have to say that Kaplan's is, by far, the best one. It helped my scores tremendously. What I found very useful was its CD-ROM. In fact, I think I must have just skimmed the book and devoted most of my time working with the CD. Since the GRE is only offered on the computer now, the practice tests on the CD were a big help. The CD is very interactive and actually quite fun. For someone on a busy schedule, Kaplan's interactive CD is a life-saver.