Free Gre Test Prep Pdf

GRE Practice Test 1 Quant.doc Page 4 of 41 Marking Your Answers In the actual test, all answers must be entered in the test book (or in the supervisor’s copy of the test book if you are not using a print format test). If answers are being recorded in a large print test book, the directions for marking answers are slightly different because. GRE Study Material PDF Free Download GRE Preparation Books PDF. GRE Study Material PDF Free Download. Dear Students, We are sharing GRE Study Material PDF which contains GRE Preparation Books PDF, Practice questions pdf and other important materials which you all required to prepare for GRE.

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Practice tests are one of the most important tools to use for GRE prep, but, unfortunately, many of the practice GREs available online aren’t high quality. When you study with a low-quality GRE practice test, you can actually end up lowering your GRE skills by studying topics you don’t need to be and neglecting the actual skills you should be studying.

Fortunately, in this guide we’ve collected all the best free GRE practice tests for you to use. In addition to explaining the pros and cons of each practice test, we also explain what makes a great GRE practice test and give tips on how to use practice tests when studying for the GRE.

What Makes a Good GRE Practice Test?

Before we look at the best free GRE practice tests, let’s first look at what makes a practice test great. There are many free practice GRE exams out there, ranging in quality from excellent to pretty terrible. In this section we go over the four qualities that all the best practice GREs share.

#1: High-Quality Questions

Above all, your free GRE test needs to have practice questions that are as close as possible to what you’ll see on the actual GRE. That means they are worded similarly, test the same concepts, have the same difficulty level, etc.

It’s not easy to consistently create high-quality practice GRE problems, and many free practice GREs have questions that aren’t all that close to what you’ll see on test day. If you use them for practice, it could cause you to study the wrong things for the GRE.

This is why official practice tests are the best free GRE practice tests to use. They’re made by the same people who make the actual GRE, so you can be sure the questions are high quality.

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#2: Similar Format to the Real GRE

One common feature in many low-quality GRE practice tests is that they’re not actually tests, but rather short quizzes with 10 or twenty questions. GRE quizzes can definitely be a helpful study tool, but they don’t replace full-length GRE practice tests.

The GRE is a 3.5 hour, fast-paced exam, and you want to know exactly how a test of that length and intensity affects you well before you sit down to take the real test. Your practice GRE tests should have the same format as the real GRE. This means the same number of questions, same number of sections, same timing rules, etc.

The first section of the GRE will always be Analytical Writing, where you’ll have two 30-minute blocks to write two essays: “Analyze an Issue” and “Analyze an Argument.” The next five sections can occur in any order. They’ll include two sections of Verbal Reasoning, two sections of Quantitative Reasoning, and one section that won’t count toward your scores (you won’t know which section this is, so try your best on all the GRE questions).

For each Verbal Reasoning section, you will have 30 minutes to answer 20 multiple-choice questions. For each Quantitative Reasoning section, you will have 35 minutes to answer 20 multiple-choice and write-in questions. Your practice GRE tests should match this format as closely as possible.

Additionally, the GRE is also section adaptive. This means your score on the first Verbal and Quantitative sections determine the difficulty level of the second Verbal and Quantitative sections. Many practice GREs, especially free ones, aren’t section adaptive because it’s more work for the test creators, but those that are give you slightly more accurate scores because they’re that much more similar to the actual GRE.

#3: Strong Answer Explanations

It’s not enough to have great GRE practice questions; those questions also need to be accompanied by in-depth answer explanations. If the answer explanations are brief or non-existent, that can make it difficult for you to understand what you’re doing wrong and learn from your mistakes.

The best answer explanations will clearly explain how to get the correct answer while also going over common mistakes students can make that lead them to an incorrect answer.

#4: Easy to Use

Finally, GRE practice tests should be easy to use. If a practice test has a clunky interface or requires a lot of steps before you can access the test, that increases your frustration and takes time away from actual GRE practice. The GRE exam is already nearly four hours long; you don’t need to spend extra time struggling with a poorly-designed practice GRE.

The Best Free GRE Practice Tests

Below are the best free online GRE practice tests available. For each of them we include a description of the exam(s) as well as pros and cons. They’re roughly ordered from highest quality to lowest quality, although even the less-than-perfect exams are worth using.

PowerPrep II

If you only have time to take one or two practice GRE tests, it should be these. PowerPrep II is one of the best GRE study materials available. All you need to do is download the software to get access to two complete practice GREs. These are official practice exams, which means they’re made by the same people who make the real GRE you’ll take on exam day. Official practice tests are the best to use because you can be sure they have the same format, content, timing, and difficulty level as the actual GRE.

The main drawback to these exams is that they don’t include answer explanations, but they’re still a great resource.

Pros:

The closest experience you can get to the actual GRE, in terms of the questions asked and what the interface looks like.
Tests are section adaptive so your final score will be more accurate than the score you’d get from a non-adaptive exam.
Computer-based interface is identical to what you’ll see on exam day so you can be prepared for what the GRE test looks like and how to navigate it.

Cons:

No answer explanations to learn how to solve problems, just an answer key.
No Analytical Writing scores provided.

ETS Paper Exams

ETS, the maker of the GRE, has also released retired GREs. These are official tests that were used several years ago, so, like the PowerPrep tests, the questions will be very similar to the GRE you take on exam day. There are currently two PDF exams available:

These exams overlap many questions with the PowerPrep tests, so we recommend taking the PowerPrep tests first and using these to practice any of the questions you haven’t already seen.

Pros:

Official tests, so they’ll be very similar to the real GRE.

Cons:

Have a lot of overlap with the PowerPrep exams.
Paper exams, so you don’t experience taking the GRE on the computer the way you will on exam day.
No answer explanations, only an answer key.

Manhattan Prep Free GRE Practice Test

Manhattan Prep’s free GRE test is one of the best unofficial free GRE’s available. You’ll need to create a free account, but once you do you can access the practice test. The practice questions are high-quality for an unofficial resource, and the format of the exam is very similar to what you’ll see on test day. As an added bonus, this exam has some of the most in-depth answer explanations available for free GREs, so it’s a great resource if you’re struggling to understand why you get certain questions wrong.

Pros:

Questions are very similar to actual GRE questions.
Exam is section adaptive.
In-depth answer explanations.
Computer interface is similar to the actual GRE’s.
Same format as the actual GRE.

Cons:

You need to create a Manhattan Prep account to access the test.
Some questions are a bit more difficult than what you’d see on the actual GRE, which can make you feel more unprepared than you actually are.

Kaplan Free GRE Practice Test

You can get another free online GRE practice test from Kaplan. This exam is similar to Manhattan Prep’s, and it does a pretty good job of replicating the format and types of questions you see on the GRE. However, its answer explanations are not as robust as Manhattan Prep’s are.

Pros:

Same format as the actual GRE.
Computer interface is very close to what you’ll see on test day.
After you complete the exam, you’ll receive analysis of which sections/topics you did well on and which you can improve in.

Cons:

Some questions are quite different from what you’ll see on the actual GRE, both in terms of how the question is worded and the skills it tests you on. Most of the test is a good replication of the GRE, but a few questions, across all sections, are a bit off.
The answer explanations aren’t very in-depth.
It’s not section adaptive.

Princeton Review Free GRE Practice Test

Princeton Review offers one free online GRE practice test on its website. You’ll need to create a free account to access the test, and once you create your account, you’ll only have free access to the test for 14 days. Like Manhattan Prep’s and Kaplan’s tests, this practice exam has the same timing and format as the real GRE, and the computer interface is very similar to what you’ll see on test day.

However, after you take the text, you’ll get a score sheet that shows which question numbers you got right and wrong, but you won’t be able to look at the questions again, and there are no answer explanations. Since you can’t review the questions you missed, that makes it very hard to learn from your mistakes. We recommend this test if you feel pretty confident in your GRE skills and want a practice test to just get an idea of how well you’re scoring, without answer explanations.

Pros:

Questions are similar to real GRE questions.
Computer interface is similar to what you’ll see on test day.
After you take the test, you’ll get a basic breakdown of the subjects you’re doing well on and the topics you need to improve in.

Cons:

Can’t review any questions once you’ve completed the test.
There are no answer explanations.
Some questions are a bit easier than what you’d actually see on the GRE.
It’s not section adaptive.

McGraw Hill Free GRE Practice Test

McGraw Hill also offers a free diagnostic GRE test (which has one Verbal and one Quantitative section), as well as five additional practice tests. The questions are pretty high quality, but the format is different from the actual GRE, so we recommend saving these until you’ve taken the other GRE practice tests. You can also take one section at a time during times when you want to study for the GRE but don’t have time to take a complete practice test.

Pros:

Lots of practice questions available.
Don’t need to create an account to access the questions.
Pretty robust answer explanations. They could go into more depth, but you’ll get a good understanding of how to solve the questions from them.

Cons:

Each exam is significantly shorter than the actual GRE.
Some questions, especially Quant questions, are significantly easier than what you’ll see on the actual GRE.
Practice test can be clunky and difficult to navigate.
Computer interface is different than what you’ll see on the actual GRE.
It’s not section adaptive.
There are no Analytical Writing practice questions.

How to Use Free Practice Tests in Your GRE Prep

Now you know what the best GRE free practice tests are, but how can you make the most of them? Follow the three tips below to get the most out of your practice GREs so you can get the scores you want.

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Spread the Practice Tests Throughout Your Study Period

You should take at least two practice GREs, and we recommend three to four if you have time for it. Take one practice test at the beginning of your studying so you can get an idea of how much you need to improve and in what areas you should focus most of your studying, and take another practice test at the end so you have a rough idea of how well you’ll do on the actual GRE.

If you have time to take additional practice tests, space them out throughout your studying so you get a regular update of how well you’re doing. We recommend taking one PowerPrep test at the beginning and the other at the end of your studying since these are the most accurate. Take unofficial practice tests like the Manhattan Prep exam in the middle of your study period.

Take the Test With Correct Timing, and in One Sitting

Many of these free GRE tests give you the option to take the test either timed or untimed. You should always take the practice tests timed and in one sitting, the same way you’ll take the actual GRE. This will help prepare you for the exam by getting used to taking a long exam with strict timing conditions.

If you take long breaks between sections or give yourself extra time to solve problems on the practice tests, your practice test score won’t be an accurate estimate of how well you’ll do on the real GRE, and you won’t be preparing yourself well. Always use the timed option if it’s available, and stick to it while you’re taking the test.

Review Your Mistakes

After you finish your free GRE test, your work isn’t done yet. For every practice test you take, you should review each of the questions you got wrong so you can understand what you did incorrectly. This can be tedious and time consuming, but it’s the best way to improve your GRE score. Otherwise, you’ll keep making the same mistakes because you won’t learn what you’re doing incorrectly.

If you find you’re getting many questions on certain topics wrong, you can review those topics in GRE prep books or with additional study materials.

Summary: The Best Free Online GRE Practice Tests

Practice tests are an essential part of your GRE prep, and you should only use the highest quality tests when you’re studying. Make sure you GRE free practice tests have high-quality practice questions, a similar format to the real GRE, in-depth answer explanations, and are easy to use.

For free online GRE practice tests, we recommend using the two PowerPrep tests first since they are closest to the actual GRE. Additional official and unofficial practice tests can be used afterwards. When taking a free GRE practice test online, spread the practice tests throughout your study period, take the test with proper timing, and review the questions you answered incorrectly so you understand where you made mistakes.

What’s Next?

What other options are there for GRE study material, other than official practice tests? Find out with our complete guides to GRE practice tests and GRE sample questions.

Want to drill down deep on the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE? Read our guides to GRE Math and Verbal practice.

Which GRE books are worth buying, and which should you avoid? Learn more by reading our guide on GRE book reviews.

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Saving money now is a big priority for many people taking the GRE, but prep books, tutors, and courses can all add up pretty quickly. Happily, free GRE prep is an excellent alternative: it can be just as helpful and effective as GRE prep you pay for — you just have to know what to use and where to look for it!

In this article, we’ll cover the advantages of using free GRE test prep resources and introduce our top picks for the best free GRE prep available today. Finally, we’ll conclude with a few useful tips on how to save money on both the GRE and your test prep.

Can You Study for the GRE Using Only Free GRE Prep?

We have a tendency to associate the word “free” with “low quality.” But the truth is, there are tons of free GRE resources that are just as good as, if not better than, costly GRE study materials. So, yes, you can study for the GRE using only free resources.

But what kinds of high-quality free GRE resources are out there? For one, ETS (the creator of the GRE) offers a ton of free GRE test prep. In general, all official GRE materials (free and paid) are considered high quality because they’re the closest you can get to the actual GRE in both content and form.

In addition to ETS, many popular GRE prep companies are beginning to lend test takers a hand through free GRE apps, flashcards, and games.

What’s really great is that free GRE resources address almost every aspect of the GRE. For example, while practice tests expose you to all sections of the exam, games and apps can target specific skills, such as vocab knowledge.

In the end, though, should you study for the GRE using only free resources? The answer is, it depends. While free resources are helpful, not everyone thinks they’re sufficient.

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Frugal test takers who are fans of self-study will likely enjoy customizing their study sessions and saving money. Others, however, might prefer to use free GRE prep in conjunction with an affordable, comprehensive resource, such as The Official Guide to the GRE General Test(about $25 on Amazon). And then some will prefer in-person guidance, which means hiring a GRE tutor or signing up for a prep course.

No matter how you decide to study for the GRE, I highly recommend taking advantage of free GRE test prep. It’s free, so, honestly, you have nothing to lose!

That said, don’t be afraid to spend money on any GRE materials you believe are worth purchasing. As long as you use high-quality GRE resources with proven track records of helping test takers get the scores they need, you, too, are sure to get a great GRE score!

Now, enough chitchat — let’s get into the resources themselves!

The Best Free GRE Practice Tests & Questions

Below are our picks for the top five resources for free practice GRE tests and sample questions. If you want to learn more about how to use GRE practice tests or where you can find additional practice questions, check out our complete collection of practice tests and our guide to the best GRE sample questions.

PowerPrep

A free software available on the official ETS website, PowerPrep is one of the best resources for a realistic test-taking experience. The software offers two full-length, timed GRE practice tests, as well as several additional practice questions for all Verbal and Quant question types.

Pros

Because PowerPrep is an official ETS resource, all questions (both stand-alone and those on the practice tests) are extremely similar to those on the actual exam in regard to form, content, and difficulty.

The entire interface is an exactreplica of the actual GRE interface, so you’ll have no surprises on test day!

All time limits are the same as those on the GRE, including breaks.

Both tests are section adaptive like the real GRE!

Cons

There are no answer explanations for test questions. (However, there are answer explanations for all of the additional practice questions.)

You won’t receive an Analytical Writing score.

How to Use This Resource

First, take one of the two practice tests to get your baseline scores (the scores you start with before beginning any GRE prep). These scores show you by how many points you need to improve in order to hit your GRE goal scores on test day.

Then, once you’ve finished most or all of your study plan (but have yet to sit for the actual GRE), take the other PowerPrep test to gauge by how much you’ve improved and to see which areas or concepts you need to review more.

As for the additional practice questions, use these at the beginning of your study plan to acquaint yourself with all GRE questions types and to get a feel for the content and difficulty of the exam.

ETS Practice Test PDFs

In addition to PowerPrep, ETS offers two GRE paper tests you can download as PDFs. Unfortunately, they share a lot of the same questions with the PowerPrep tests, so they’re not entirely unique. One is an older test from 2011, and the other is the current test from 2012.

Pros

Like PowerPrep, these two tests are official resources, so all of their questions are extremely similar to those on the GRE.

The tests use the same format the paper-delivered GRE uses. (The paper-delivered GRE is administered only in areas where the computer version is unavailable.)

Each test comes with a handy answer key.

Cons

Questions overlap significantly with those on the PowerPrep tests. (There are some questions, however, that are unique to the paper tests.)

Unlike PowerPrep, the paper practice tests are not section adaptive (which is fine if you’re taking the paper-delivered GRE but not very helpful if you’re taking the computer-delivered GRE).

There are no answer explanations — just the answers themselves.

How to Use This Resource

Because the two paper tests are so similar to PowerPrep, it’s best to use PowerPrep as your primary source for practice tests. Once you finish PowerPrep, you can move on to the paper tests for additional practice questions.On the other hand, if you’re taking the paper-delivered GRE instead, do the opposite and prioritize the paper tests over the PowerPrep tests.

Old ETS Practice Test PDF

This official resource is an old (pre-2011)GRE practice test available for download as a PDF. Unlike the practice test PDFs above, this practice test uses the old format of the GRE and contains some out-of-date content and question types.

Pros

Though based on the old version of the GRE, this resource is an official full-length practice test, so it’s still fairly similar to the GRE in terms of difficulty and structure.

Cons

Because of how old the test is, many of its questions are out of date. For example, Verbal no longer tests analogies and antonyms, and Quant now focuses more on real-life situations and data interpretation.

It uses the old scoring system (200-800).

The Analytical Writing section is basically irrelevant, as its prompts are no longer in use.

How to Use This Resource

Because the test is pretty old and not totally relevant to the current version of the GRE, it’s best to pull apart this resource for additional practice questions. You can use all of the Quant questions but only the following questions for Verbal:

Section 2: 4-6, 17-27
Section 4: 2, 5, 17-27

Manhattan Prep Practice Test

Created by Manhattan Prep, this full-length, computerized practice test is robust, high quality, and extremely similar to the GRE, making it one of the best unofficial GRE practice tests currently available online.

Pros

This test offers realistic practice questions and follows the same basic format of the computer-delivered GRE.

Like PowerPrep, this test is section adaptive.

The built-intimer gives you a realistic test-taking experience. You can also increase or pause time on the test (which I don’t recommend doing, as it can break your concentration).

The overall interface is fairly similar to that of the GRE. All of the buttons offer the same basic functions, including “Review” and “Mark,” and the on-screen calculator is nearly identical to the one on the GRE. The images below highlight the similarities between the Manhattan (top and left) and GRE interfaces:

Cons

You must create a Manhattan account to access the test.

Some of the questions on the test are repetitive or use vocab that isn’t typical for the GRE.

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How to Use This Resource

After you take a PowerPrep test and get your baseline scores, use the Manhattan test sometime during the middle of your study plan as a way to gauge whether your GRE scores are improving or not. You can also use it for additional Verbal or Quant practice questions.

CATPrep

Another unofficial resource, the CATPrep GRE practice test is a solid test available for free online. Unlike the other tests we’ve discussed so far, this practice test is not a full-length test but rather an abbreviated version (technically, it’s a demo for a full-length test) with a total of 25 Verbal and Quant questions.

Pros

Though not as similar to the GRE as the Manhattan test, this test uses a fairly realistic GRE format and contains GRE-style questions for both Verbal and Quant.

Unlike Manhattan, you don’t need an account to access this test!

Cons

As previously mentioned, this is an abbreviated test: there are only 25 Verbal and Quant questions in total instead of the usual 80 (the total number of Verbal and Quant questions on the GRE, excluding any experimental or research sections).

The toolbar with all of the buttons is located along the bottom of the screen instead of along the top.

There are too many Reading Comprehension questions and not enough Sentence Equivalence or Text Completion questions. Of the five questions in each Verbal section, four are Reading Comprehension!

How to Use This Resource

I recommend using this practice test for additional practice questions, especially if you’re lacking math practice. Because the bulk of the Verbal section is Reading Comprehension, you’re better off using this test for Quant practice and a different test for vocab practice.

You can also use this test if you can’t set aside enough time for a full-length practice test but still want to quiz yourself using a GRE-like format.

The Best Free GRE Games, Flashcards, & Apps

GRE games and apps are handy resources that are great for on-the-go studying and brief refreshers, while flashcards are an excellent tool for drilling difficult-to-remember GRE concepts, such as vocab and math formulas. Here’s our list of the top six free GRE games, flashcards, and apps.

Ready4GRE

Ready4GRE is a highly rated GRE prep app available for iPhone and Android. Unlike other free GRE apps, this one offers a myriad of high-quality study materials, from vocab flashcards and quizzes to concept-driven lessons. The home screen consists of a virtual path of various Verbal and Quant lessons, which you must complete in a specified order to unlock subsequent topics.

Pros

This is a robust app that lets you customize your study sessions by choosing one of two study modes: the “Smart Guide” teaches you specific topics in a predetermined order, whereas the “Browse Topics” function lets you select and study topics at random.

There are more than 400 quality vocab flashcards featuring pronunciation guides, definitions, example sentences, connotations, and tips on GRE usage.

It gives you estimated Verbal and Quant scores and keeps track of your strengths and weaknesses.

The leaderboard feature creates a competitive, game-like atmosphere and motivates test takers to study more often.

Cons

Though parts of the app are free, the premium version (with all features) costs $29.99 — a pretty steep price to pay for an app.

Users have reported glitches, crashes, and freezing.

Certain questions appear to repeat on practice tests.

How to Use This Resource

Ready4GRE is a good app to use on the go or at home if you’re craving a fun and simple way to review important Verbal and Quant concepts. Although it shouldn’t replace your major study methods, this app is an excellent supplementary resource you can use for a variety of purposes, including warm-ups, cool-downs, vocab memorization, and general content review.

GRE Prep

Created by Varsity Tutors, this free GRE prep app for iPhone and Android offers less structure than Ready4GRE but makes up for it with a much larger assortment of quizzes and practice tests, many of which contain dozens of questions. You can also use this app to locate a GRE tutor in your area.

Pros

This app contains more than 300 quizzes and tests, with a solid variety of Verbal and Quant concepts. Quizzes are usually just a few minutes long, whereas diagnostic tests include anywhere from 40 to 60 questions.

All questions come with elaborate answer explanations, which you can view in the “Test Results” section after taking a test. You can also use this section to see how much time it took you to finish the test in comparison with others.

Cons

The home screen is basically a tutoring ad for the company.

The “Learn by Concept” section isn’t detailed enough to be able to teach users math or Verbal concepts entirely from scratch. It’s mostly just an array of practice questions, not step-by-step lessons.

How to Use This Resource

Because of its focus on questions and practice tests, GRE Prep is a solid resource for extra practice questions and on-the-go review. Like Ready4GRE, this app shouldn’t be your primary study resource, but it’s great for supplementary practice, especially if you find yourself running out of free practice questions.

You can also use the app’s time analysis feature to practice pacing yourself and to see which types of questions take you longer to answer than others.

PrepScholar’s GRE Vocab Flashcards

This is one of our best GRE resources yet: a comprehensive GRE vocab deck with 357 of the most common GRE vocab words. All of the words we’ve chosen are among the most frequently used vocab words on the GRE. Memorize these and you’re sure to do well on Verbal!

PROS

We aggregated words using a variety of prep books and vocab lists to give you one of the most accurate high-frequency GRE vocab collections currently available!

Our cards are extremely easy to use. All you have to do is print out the deck and use the waterfall method (described below) to begin memorizing meanings and usage.

CONS

Because there is no official GRE vocab list, we can’t guarantee that all 357 words on our list will appear on the GRE.

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE

Use our flashcards as your primary GRE vocab study method. To memorize words, go through the entire deck once, noting which words you know and which words you don’t know. Then, pick up the “don’t know” pile and repeat the process to create a second “know it” pile. Continue this pattern until eventually you can begin working you way back up the “waterfall” to your first “know it” pile. Go here for more details on how to use the waterfall method.

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Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Flashcards

Available for iPhone, Android, and desktop, Magoosh’s GRE vocab flashcards are a popular study tool for mastering hundreds of high-frequency GRE vocab quickly and easily. The app is one of the most robust GRE vocab apps available for free and currently has a 4+-star rating.

Pros

This app contains an incredible 1,000+ GRE vocab words. Each card consists of a word, its definition, its part of speech, and an example sentence. Some cards even offer alternate meanings of common words, which is particularly useful for the GRE.

GRE vocab words are presented in a logical manner — 50-card decks slowly progress from easy to difficult.

You don’t need a Magoosh account to use the app. That said, if you make an account, you can sync all of your progress to the desktop version.

Cons

There is no pronunciation guide for vocab words. (Even though you don’t technically need to know how to pronounce words for the GRE, it seems strange to learn a new word without knowing how to say it aloud.)

The app sporadically inserts “Magoosh” as a vocab word, which is annoying and can easily break your concentration.

How to Use This Resource

Magoosh’s vocab cards are a convenient resource for those who don’t have time to make their own vocab flashcards and want the option to study both on the go and at home. It’s also great for those looking to master more than your typical 300-400 high-frequency word lists.

Cram

A free gaming website, as well as an app available for iPhone and Android, Cram offers tons of GRE vocab listsusers can study through digital flashcards and games. You can also create and share your own vocab decks.

PROS

You can opt for a pre-made deck or customize your study sessions by creating your own vocab decks.

Jewels of Wisdom is a colorful and interactive matching game, perfect for learning and retaining GRE vocab. In this game, your task is to match jewels (vocab words) to their corresponding inscriptions (definitions) as fast and as accurately as you can.

CONS

Many pre-made GRE vocab decks are old or low quality.

Stellar Speller is a completely irrelevant game that requires you to spell vocab words based on given definitions. This kind of game doesn’t really teach you anything worthwhile, as you’re not required to spell vocab words on the GRE.

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE

On these kinds of websites, I recommend making your own GRE vocab deck. This way you can customize how many words, as well as which words, you want to learn. If you’d rather opt for a pre-made list of words, decksbased on well-known prep companies are generally a safe bet.

Once you have a deck, use the flashcard feature to begin learning the words. Finally, challenge yourself with the Jewels of Wisdom game. You’ll know you’re getting the hang of your words once you’re consistently beating your high scores on the game.

Quizlet

Similar to Cram, Quizlet allows users to submit, study, and share content in the form of flashcards and games. In terms of the GRE, this website is an excellent option for learning vocab.

Pros

Like Cram, you can either create your own GRE vocab lists or work with a pre-made deck.

There’s a fun game called Match in which you drag vocab words to their corresponding definitions. The faster you complete the game, the higher up on the leaderboard you’ll move.

Cons

There are several sparse or low-quality decks.

Words and definitions often overlap in Match, making it difficult to drag the objects and make matches quickly.

A slightly more interactive and colorful game called Gravity is available, but its mechanics do little to help you memorize vocab efficiently. To do well on the game, you need to memorize exact definitions of vocab words, but such a structure bears little resemblance to the GRE.

How to Use This Resource

It’s best to create your own GRE vocab deck so you can customize your content to your liking. But if you’d rather use a pre-made vocab list, I suggest searching for GRE vocab decks based on well-known GRE prep companies, such as Kaplan or The Princeton Review.

To study, use the flashcard feature to familiarize yourself with the words before moving on to Match.

The Best Free Resources for GRE Content Review

Lastly, we introduce to you our picks for the best free GRE content review to help you brush up on those pesky math, reading, and wiritng skills that you haven’t used in a while.

Argument Essay Topics and Issue Essay Topics

These two pools cover every single one of the official “Analyze an Argument” and “Analyze an Issue” essay topics eligible for the Analytical Writing measure of the GRE. In other words, both of your test-day Analytical Writing prompts will come from these pools, guaranteed!

Pros

These essay pools contain all of the actual Analytical Writing prompts (word for word!) you can encounter on the GRE (though you’ll only get one of each on test day).

Cons

There are somany potential essay topics that it’s impractical to try to write essays for each one.

How to Use This Resource

Don’t bother writing mock essays for every single possible prompt— there are simply far too many! But do use a lot of the prompts to practice writing your outlines and to get a feel for what kinds of strategies will get you the Analytical Writing score you need.

You can also pay $20 for the ScoreItNow! Analytical Writing scoring service, which grades mock essays using the same e-rater automated scoring system the GRE uses.

ETS Mathematical Conventions PDF

A free official resource, the ETS Mathematical Conventions PDF offers definitions for and examples of all basic math conventions, symbols, and rules you’ll encounter on Quant.

Pros

This PDF is helpful for those who’d like a quick refresher of basic math symbols and terms, or who are unfamiliar with American math conventions.

It clarifies what assumptions you can and cannot make in regard tocertain math concepts. For example, you may not assume that two lines are parallel unless the relationship is explicitly stated. On the other hand, you may assume that a straight-looking line is straight.

Cons

The document is basically just a wall of text and is somewhat difficult to read.

Most of the info is pretty basic. You likely covered all of these conventions in high school or earlier.

How to Use This Resource

While you don’t need to spend tons of time on this particular resource, it can give you a basic framework with which to begin your math studies. Read the PDF over before attempting any math questions so you’ll know exactly how the GRE presents certain concepts and terms. You can also use this resource for clarification on a certain math convention or symbol.

ETS Math Review PDF

Another official Quant-related resource, the ETS Math Review explains all of the major math concepts that can appear on the GRE. The 102-page PDF addresses all possible math topics, formulas, and concepts in Quant’s four major categories: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis.

Pros

This is an official list of all possible GRE math topics, so you know for certain what type of math can appear on the GRE — as well as what type of math is certain not to appear (such as trigonometry).

It teaches you various math concepts you might’ve forgotten or haven’t worked with in a while by giving examples and sample questions.

It’s well organized and easy to skim.

Cons

Explanations tend to gloss over key concepts and don’t focus enough on how you should approach problems on the GRE. As a result, it’s difficult to learn all major GRE math concepts from scratch using this resource alone.

Exercises are fairly simple andnot at all like the questions you’ll face on Quant. In other words, there are no Quantitative Comparisons, Numeric Entry questions, or GRE-style multiple-choice questions.

How to Use This Resource

This PDF is ideal for reviewing major math concepts, but don’t rely on it for additional practice questions unless you’re specifically looking for easy questions to help you understand a concept better. You can also use it to verify whether a certain type of math will be on the GRE.

Khan Academy

An ETS-approved resource, Khan Academy is a free learning website specializing in instructional videos. Although the website doesn’t directly address the GRE in its videos, it harbors a large stockpile of GRE-related math videos centering on topics such as arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.

Pros

As I mentioned, ETS highly recommends this website as a Quant resource and even provides direct links to relevant math lessons.

Videos are high quality and easy to follow, with robust explanations and a logical progression of concepts. Test takers should be able to learn most GRE math concepts from scratch using these videos.

Each video includes a full-length video transcript, which is helpful for skimming content.

Cons

Some of the lessons ETS recommends may discuss math concepts you won’t encounter on the GRE, such as trigonometry.

There are no videos targeting GRE Verbal skills.

How to Use This Resource

To use this resource effectively, watch videos in the order they’re listed on the ETS website. This way, you’ll slowly build a foundation of GRE math, starting with the basics and working your way up to more complicated topics. I suggest using scratch paper to follow along with the videos.

Once you’ve completed a video, choose any of the above resources for free practice GRE questions and test what you’ve learned.

How to Save Money on the GRE: 4 Essential Tips

At a whopping $205, the GRE is a pretty expensive test — and this doesn’t even include all of the money you could wind up spending on GRE study materials! In addition to taking advantage of the free GRE resources we’ve detailed above, here are four ways you can cut costs on the GRE and GRE prep.

#1: Make a GRE Reservation and Stick With It

One of the easiest ways to save money on GRE fees is to refrain from making any changes to your GRE registration. In other words, take plenty of time before registering for the GRE to pinpoint a time, date, and test center that’ll work for you with a nearly 100 percent guarantee.

Why is this a big deal? ETS charges a $50 fee for any changes you make to your date or test center. ETS also doesn’t offer full refunds forcanceling a GRE session ahead of time (at most, you’ll get a 50 percent refund). So if your ultimate goal is to save money, choose a date and test center and stick with them.

However, if you absolutely must change your reservation, you’ll lose less money rescheduling than you would canceling and re-registering.

#2: Use Your 4 Free Score Reports

At the end of the GRE, you may send GRE scores to up to four score recipients at no extra cost. (The four free score reports are not technically free but are included in the total GRE fee.) Since additional score reports cost $27 per score recipient, I strongly recommend using your four free score reports on test day to help minimize your costs.

Obviously, if you’re applying to more than four schools that require GRE scores, you’ll have to pay extra no matter what — but you can spend significantly less by using your four free score reports on test day.

#3: Borrow Prep Books

Another tip is to pay a visit to your local library. There, you can look for GRE prep books or textbooks on GRE-related topics, such as geometry and reading comprehension. I suggest searching first for The Official Guide to the GRE General Test as well as any books on our list of the best GRE prep books.

Additionally, you should always look for recently published books (the GRE changed significantly in 2011, so 2012 or later is best). If you can’t find any GRE-related books at your library, see if you can request to have one sent there.

#4: Hire a Tutor to Help With Any Major Weaknesses

If, in the end, you’re still having lots of trouble with certain GRE concepts, consider hiring a tutor — but only for a few hours or so. Tutors obviously aren’t free, but hiring someone to teach you only the GRE concepts you’re struggling with can ultimately save you both time and frustration.

Just be sure to spend your money wisely. What I mean is, get a tutor who will show you how tomaster a specific GRE concept instead of the entire GRE. Then, once you’ve learned whatever skill you needed to know, you can end your tutoring lessons (unless there’s another topic you’d like help on). This way you’re receiving only the GRE guidance you need and aren’t wasting cash on unnecessary tutoring sessions.