So,
you have lots of prep material but don't know what to start with and what should be the sequence? So will try to help you with it a lil bit ;)
First of all you should choose what skills you need to drill more. That depends from
your GRE requirements and from
your first PowerPrep score.
1) Inquire on the website of university or better ask the professor you're applying to (if you have one, you should have at least one) what are the
minimum GRE requirements to be accepted, also I suggest to ask with what GRE scores people are usually being granted admission.
2)
Take first PowerPrep test right on the beginning of your preps. This way you will find out your weak sides and can start preps strengthening them. The second PowerPrep test I suggest you to take 2 weeks before your actual GRE - so if you'll see you still have some weaknesses you also will still have some time to improve.
Based on results of previous two steps you will need to choose the studying plan according to books you have and skills you need to improve.
| |
✓ If your math skills are bad and you want to improve them - the sequence of books should be next: Grubers, Manhattan, ETS, Barrons, Princeton, Kaplan.
✓ If your math skills are good but still you're worried and want to be sure - then the sequence is next: Barrons, Manhattan, Grubers, ETS, Princeton, Kaplan.
✓ If your verbal skills are bad and you want to improve them - the sequence of books should be next: Princeton, Manhattan, ETS, Grubers, Kaplan, Barrons.
✓ If your verbal skills are good but still you're worried and want to be sure - then the sequence is next: Manhattan, Princeton, Kaplan, Grubers, ETS, Barrons.
✓ If you just need to improve everything together and your PowerPrep score was poor, then the sequnce I suggest is: Princeton, Grubers, Manhattan, ETS, Barrons, Kaplan.
✓ If you did great on PowerPrep and need just to drill - then this sequence should be good for you: Grubers, ETS, Manhattan, Barrons, Princeton, Kaplan.
| |
* with bold font I've stressed the books that are most important for the case.
** when I talk about math/verbal skills - I mean to go through only math/verbal sections of the book, not the whole book.
*** explanation to abbreviations is down the page.
Now will explain
why do I recommend books to be done in these sequences. If you're "bad" in some skills (PowerPrep score less than 1100) I was recommending first to go through the books that have simpler problems and quite good strategies and then to go through the books with tougher problems. If you're "good" (more than 1100) than I recommend books with tougher problems first and then with simpler just to keep drilling.
For those who are
"bad" - read all the strategies and do all the problems. For those who are
"good" - you can omit strategies in the books with simple problems. But if you have time you can just look them through it won't hurt you :)
Next thing that want to tell is:
✓ That for
Verbal section:
Princeton > Kaplan > Barrons.
✓ And for
Quant section:
Barrons > Princeton > Kaplan.
✓ About
ETS - well problems are quite simple, but still worth to go through cause guide is from testmakers.
✓ About
Grubers - I think it's really good guide for both sections - worth to do anyway.
✓ About
Manhattan - I think they did great job and is as well
must do as Grubers, it's just more concentrated on strategies, and it will take suppose twice as time as you'll spend on Grubers but it's worth it.
Now about timing.. generally it takes 6 minutes per page, so one book (~500 pages) should be completed in roughly 7 days if you have 8 hours prep time per day. Don't let one book take more than 2 weeks (unless you have like 3 month of preps). Last few weeks devote to software that is added to some books - just to get used to PC, but remember - it's not PC that will make you confused on your actual GRE, but questions that will appear.
Also
if you see you're out of time during your preps then suggest to limit yourself just doing problems, anyway you will get intuitive instincts to solve the problems if you do them quite a lot. But for that you should at least go through strategies of two books that are bold font in recommended sequences above.
I suppose after reading this post you'll be lil bit confused, but what can I do.. there's no single studying plan for everyone, so you should choose what is best for you. I just explained everything from my point of view. If you didn't get what you need I suggest you to read this post one more time and you'll understand what's yours ;)
Hope it will help.
Best of Luck in in preparing for the GRE!
Sincerely,
Bane
P.S. Abbreviations:
✓
ETS - ETS "The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test"
✓
Grubers - Gruber's "Complete GRE Guide 2012"
✓
Manhattan - Manhattan GRE set of 8 books ("Algebra", "Fractions, Decimals & Percents", "Geometry", "Numbеr Properties", "Word Problems", "Quantitative Comparison and Data Interpretation", "Reading Comprеhеnsion and Essays", "Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence")
✓
Barrons - Barron's "NEW GRE" 19th ed.
✓
Princeton - The Princeton Review "Cracking the GRE 2012"
✓
Kaplan - Kaplan "New GRE Premier 2011-2012"
