Top books for Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) preparation

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that is required for many graduate programs in the United States and other countries. The test is designed to measure a student’s verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills, and is used by graduate schools to help determine a student’s readiness for graduate-level coursework. The test is offered in both computer-based and paper-based formats, and scores are valid for five years. The GRE is a widely accepted test, and many graduate programs in diverse fields like Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Humanities accept the scores.

When it comes to GRE, practice always helps in boosting your score. But often time people have limited time to prepare for GRE exams as they either take it during the last year of their undergrad or while they are working. In such a scenario, preparing using suitable materials becomes crucial for success. So I will write my recommendations for such books that have helped me and countless others in their pursuit of acing GRE tests.

I also highly recommend purchasing their Kindle version, which you can access on any device, including a PC, tablet, or mobile. Solving them on a digital screen will give you more confidence in working on a digital screen as your GRE tests will be all on a computer.

1. The Official Guide to GRE General Tests: This is the first book that anyone preparing for GRE should get. It also contains the list of all math contents, including essential formulae and definitions that will be asked in the GRE. Reading the book and solving practice problems given in the book will give an idea of the difficulty level of the GRE. And the level of questions in this book matches best with the problems asked in the actual GRE tests.
2. Official GRE Super Power Pack: If you have a little more time on your hands and want to delve deeper into GRE test preparation, I will recommend this book set. This set comprises three books, the Official Guide to the GRE General Tests, Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions, and Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions. And although I recommend getting all the three books together, another money-saving strategy would be to get the additional practice problems for the section where you feel you are lacking behind. An excellent way to access that would be to take a free GRE diagnostic test first and then decide where you would like to focus more. For example, in general, the native speakers score well in the verbal section but struggle slightly in the quantitative reasoning section. On the other hand, I have seen students from Asian countries struggling with the verbal section.

Although I recommend practicing using the official GRE practice sets, a few other books also provide a good set of problems that might help prepare. Purchasing these books will give you access to their online mock tests, which is a bonus.

Some of my favorites are as follows

1. Manhattan Prep 5 lb book: If you have been out of touch with your high-school mathematics or feel your quantitative reasoning skills are rusty, I recommend this book for thorough preparation. The book covers every concept from quant to verbal that is part of the GRE. They have more than 1800+ practice problems for you.
2. GRE prep with Magoosh: If you get easily overwhelmed with bulky books, this book might be for you. It is a collection of best strategies, practice questions, and study plans for GRE exams. The book also comes with a 20% discount on their online GRE test prep, which I highly recommend you check out. They also have a seven-day money return guarantee if you are not satisfied with their online study materials and practice problems.

A few more books for GRE prep are

1. Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 2022: 7 Practice Tests + Review & Techniques + Online Tools (2022).
2. GRE Prep Plus 2022: 6 Practice Tests + Proven Strategies + Online (Kaplan Test Prep).

If I missed any great resource that you found helpful for your GRE test prep, comment below, and I will update my list. Also, if you have used any of the resources for your preparation, comment your review below.