You may have heard that there is no better way to practice for the GRE than by taking a mock exam, especially one written by ETS.
The extent to which this is true depends on how you use the exam. Taking a test once, figuring out your score, and then hoping that your brain will avoid the same kinds of mistakes on the test is wishful thinking. Following the steps below will help you get the most out of a practice test.
The Tests
ETS (the best source for the most accurate practice material) offers a few resources:
- A free PDF practice test (1 practice test)
- The Official Guide book for the Revised GRE (practice questions and exam overviews as well as 1 practice test)
- A CD that comes with the book above (1 practice test)
- Free Powerprep II software (1 practice test)
The tests written by ETS are the best in terms of preparation. ETS creates the GRE you will see on test day, so it provides the best indicator of your score test day. However, some of the material on these tests overlap.
Here’s a quick guide to keep track:
- Powerprep and the CD are identical, with 100% of the same material (neither work on Mac computers, unfortunately!)
- The material on the PDF test is a subset of the material found on both Powerprep and the CD. That means you will see all of the questions on the PDF in Powerprep/CD material, but you won’t see all of the Powerprep/CD material on the PDFs.
- Completely separate is the one practice test at the end of the Official Guide book, which does not have any overlap with any other material.
Confusing, right? It’s best to do as much practice as possible, so you shouldn’t worry about overlapping material too much, but you should keep the above distinctions in mind because if you see a question that you’ve seen previously, you may get the correct answer not because you knew how to do it, but because your brain may just have remembered the answer from last time!
Mark the questions you get wrong
After figuring out your score, put a mark next the questions you missed. However, do not look at the answer. See if you can figure out why you got the question wrong. Sometimes this mistake can be attributed to carelessness. Other times there is a conceptual issue. If you are still unsure look at the correct answer and then see if you can figure out why it is correct.
Figure out the question on your own
Looking at an explanation can be harmful in a few ways. First off, many explanations seem more confusing than the actual question. Secondly, by relying on an explanation, you do not force yourself to really think through a question.
With the ETS practice test, there are no explanations given. Again, this will force you to really think through a problem. Of course the reality is you will sometimes be stumped. If that happens…
Watch my video explanations
If you can’t figure out a problem after trying to work it out on your own, check out my video explanations for each question in the PDF or the ones for the ETS Official Guide Book. Then, if it still doesn’t make sense, leave us a comment. I will be sure to get back to you.
Find questions similar to Powerprep II and the Official Guide
Practice tests allow you to determine your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on your weaknesses by finding practice problems that test the concept with which you are struggling. Manhattan GRE and Magoosh are both great resources.
Take the tests multiple times
The PDF file is static so you the questions will not change. The Powerprep II test, however, differs slightly so that you will see a few new questions when you retake the test. Either way, if you space out enough time between tests, you shouldn’t remember too many questions. While the score will not be valid (it will probably be slightly inflated), taking an ETS test under timed conditions is the best way to prepare for test day.
Be sure to review questions, both mistakes and lucky guesses, the way enumerated above.
Other Tests
No mock test is the same as that provided by ETS. Still, it is important to remember that some are better than others. Manhattan GRE provides five practice tests, all of which have challenging content. Magoosh also allows you to create your own mock tests.
Kaplan tests, judging from their book content, are a poor approximation of the real test. Princeton Review also contains questions that are suspect, too easy, or both. And those tests you find on-line…well, let’s put it this way. I ventured to a site that offered mock “GRE tests.” In the math section, every question was a permutation/combination problem. On the actual test you only get one such question.
Hopefully ETS will offer more tests as official practice material in the new year!
Hi Chris,
You have been so help full, so i hope you wont mind doing this one little favor
Could you please check the essays in this site (link given below). I just want to know if they are worth reading.
http://www.testpreppractice.net/GRE/awa-samples/gre-awa-essay-samples.html
Wow! I checked out the link and all I can say is I am appalled.
The people writing those essays struggle with the rudiments of style and structure. It is a crime that they dupe students into believing that they have even a modicum of ability. They can hardly write a sentence, let alone a GRE essay. A complete sham.
Thank you,
That saved a lot of time.
I completed the Magoosh lessons and feel a lot more comfortable answering the practice questions. What more can I add, You guys rock!!
Magoosh is a professional new generation site, no doubt about that. It was a turning point to my score when I joined. Yes, I did my homework, but I should say it for those who have a good background in math: Magoosh is the right destination for practice and enlightenment.
A.A.
Thanks for the kudos!
I may also add that Magoosh is great for those whose background in quant is shaky or, though years of neglect, atrophied. Our lesson videos take you from the basics (fractions) to advanced combinations (ever heard of the Mississippi rule?).
Again, thanks for the positive buzz!
Hey Chris,
I took the GRE in Oct. and did great on the quant., but very bad on the verbal. I did use magoosh premium services, but was not able to complete all the practice questions. Likewise, I felt like the reason for my poor score was still vocabulary. Even thought I ran through all the magoosh lessons, without knowing vocab, I wasn’t able to utilize sentence structure, shifts, tense, and other strategies, since I couldn’t determine the idea of the sentence. I am taking your advice better this time, and was planning to utilize The Atlantic, New Yorker, and the recommended Best Series Books. In addition to this, I was thinking of buying the Manhattan reading comprehension/Essay book since you said the Sentence Equivalence was rushed and poorly made.
Did I also understand right that even if I just buy that book, I still have access to all five of the full practice tests?
Hi KP,
You bring up an excellent point – strategies can only take you so far. You do have to know vocabulary/twisted syntax. I think following the reading schedule is a great plan.
I’d also recommend Princeton Review Word Smart as a vocab reference. Wordnik.com is also a great resource for seeing how words are used in context.
Also, def. pick up the Manhattan GRE book or books wherever you feel you need the additional help. And yes, you’re right. You only need to buy one book to access all their tests. And the SE and Text Completions on their online tests are much better than those found in their book.
Good luck, and please don’t hesitate to ask me any more questions. I def. want to help you nail the verbal section this time around!
Thanks Chris,
I appreciate the quick reply. I actually appreciate everyones help at Magoosh as you guys are always very quick to respond to my many questions from the paid GRE services.
Do you have any other good references for SE and Text Completions (aside from the Manhattan GRE website)? Looking at my Free Diagnostic Service from ETS, it seems that is what brought my score down to the mid-400′s. I seemed to get correct answers for level 3 and 4 reading comprehension questions, but barely got any correct answers for level 3 SE and Text Completion questions.
Hi KP,
Unfortunately, there really isn’t too much out there. Barron’s is definitely a drop in quality but if you are really starving for new TC and SE questions, it may be the best option.
BTW have you tried any of the ETS official materials, such as the online test? Those questions are as close to the real thing as you can get.
Hey Chris,
yep! I purchased the premium service last Sept. and have gone through about half of the verbal questions (including the SE and TC) in practice for the first time I took the exam. I will continue to work on them though. It’s just a double edged sword, because I want to utilize the magoosh questions after being able to attain some vocab. knowledge so that I can use the strategies you mention in the premium videos. I was holding off doing the magoosh questions since they are so close to the real thing as I believe that is the best practice and am nervous that if I run through them all; my only reason for getting them right on the second pass would be a result of memorization, rather than skill. But, either way, I appreciate your reply.
Thanks.
If vocab is the main problem that I’d recommend one of these three books:
1. Princeton Review Word Smart
2. Barron’s 1100 Words
Use these in conjunction with quizlet.com and that should boost your score. And don’t worry about redoing questions. With enough time interval in between it shouldn’t be much of a problem. The key is your brain is getting a workout by navigating the treacherous syntax to come up with words. Moreover, you’ll strengthen your vocabulary with repeated exposure to words.
Hope that helps
Hi Chris,
What if the main problem is quantitative reasoning? I bought Manhattan’s 8 book set and I’ve been through the first 6 books. When I took the first diagnostic about 2 months back, my quant score was 149. Six books in and a couple hundred questions later, my best quant score after 5 manhattan diagnostics is 152. I’m not too bad at math but it has definitely been a while. I’m one of those whose skill have atrophied. I still have months to study and at this point doing well on the test is almost as much personal as it is professional. I want a 700 quant score and this seems to be pretty easy for a lot of people. Nova’s GRE Math Prep Course should be in Monday. I’m hoping that will help. I’m not quite ready to give up and accept that my limit is just under 700. From the charts I’ve seen, it looks like I need a few more right to guarantee myself something over 700. Guaranteeing a few more is not going to be easy. Any advice? A novel about Newton or some other guy who was great at that sort of thing. I don’t know where to go from here.
Thanks,
John
Here is what I would recommend doing if I was your personal tutor:
1.Go through 25 problems you’ve missed in quant and identify a reason or reasons why you missed the problem.
2. Note any patterns that emerge. Careless errors, time crunch, lack of confidence with a certain question, long approach vs. quick solution, misinterpreting question.
3. Create a study schedule that addresses these weaknesses. Do relevant question types or simply do a problem set being mindful of certain tendencies (misreading the question, etc.).
Nova should give you plenty of practice questions. However it does not offer much in the way of strategy.
If you are struggling with any fundamentals and want a quick, but exhaustive review, I can think of no better prep than our lesson videos. You will also learn strategies to solving questions quickly. We also have close to 500 practice questions so you’ll get plenty of practice working on your weaknesses. And the direct video and text feedback will allow you to quickly make the tweaks to help you get your target score.
Let me know if you have any questions regarding the study plan/Magoosh/Manhattan GRE, etc.
.
As for inspirational stories, check out our testimonials page:
http://gre.magoosh.com/testimonials
hi Chris,
I love this site.. It has helped me a lot with my practice .
Can you please suggest some good books or websites where I read and practice AWA essays. I am not that good with argumentative essays and would appreciate the help.
Hi Sneha,
Glad Magoosh has been helpful
.
I recommend Barron’s for the AWA. Follow up by practicing essay from the essay question bank on gre.org.
And of course, look for more AWA posts from Magoosh!
Chris, the first quantitative Discrete practice sets in the official ETS gre guide have the same number of questions that are actually on the quant section…would you say that they that a raw score from those tests would be concurrent with the raw scores of the free paper test gre? I know this may be a silly question, but I got excited when I did well on those questions and have been trying to figure a way of how reflective they are of what I’d do in the Quant section.
hi there,
I took the Power prep I at the start of my prep and had got a range of 670-770 in Quant. Also, i took the Kaplan mock test and had got 91 percentile in Quant. I purchased Manhattan mock test series and i have taken two of the exam from that series.. in the first mock test i got 44 percentile in math and in the second i got 56 percentile. I am wondering what to conclude out of these scores. and is Manhattan mock test series hard in Quant? Could you comment.
Best
S
Powerprep II *
Hi Sun,
In general, Manhattan tests tend to be a little more difficult. So no need to worry
.
phew ! that’s some relief
Thanks for the prompt reply Chris. I wanted to check if the difficulty level is higher for both the sections or only in Quant ?
Best,
S
For the verbal they are similar, from what I’ve heard. That makes sense (as it is difficult to write verbal questions more difficult than those written by ETS). More difficult math questions, or simply more math questions that are difficult, can make the math test harder.
Nonetheless, let us know how you are actual score matches up with your MGRE mock test scores.
Thanks!
Thanks Chris !
Your blogs and responses are always helpful.
While reading one of your blogs i realised that there is only 1 Power prep practice test for GRE..i was under the impression that there are 2. Well i have taken one abt a few months back so not sure if i should take it again.
Also , i am struggling with RC, CR in Verbal and in Quant i struggle with answer choice D type questions (where the relationship) can’t be deteremined. In Quant i also run out of time in the 2nd section if i do well on the first one as i feel i get harder questions in the 2nd one.
Pls share some tips to handle these issues.
Best,
Sun
Hi Sun,
I’m happy that you find the blog helpful
Yes, there is only one power prep test for GRE. After a few months interval you should definitely be able to take the test again. I doubt you’ll remember any of the questions (and even if you do, you still have to answer them correctly
.
For timing on the math, here are a few posts that you may find helpful:
http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/5-general-strategies-for-scoring-well-on-the-revised-gre/
http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/save-time-on-gre-math-the-power-of-approximation/
Hope that helps