GRE® STudy Guides?

[Ender]

I have a question and I hope that this is the best place to answer it. I will be taking the GRE in October and I am looking for some good study guides. What are the best study guides that you are familiar with? Keep in mind that price is a part of the equation.

-Ender-

[Lk50df]

The study guides aren't expensive, so don't worry about that.

Recommended materials:

1. Official Guide (get the 2002 one...the 2007 one that's just now coming out is for the revised GRE that they cancelled, so I don't know what's up with that!)
2. Powerprep tests (free on www.gre.org)
3. Cracking the GRE from Princeton Review
4. Word Smart for GRE if you need vocab help (the Cracking book has a "hit parade" list of most commonly found words on the GRE, but Word Smart is more in-depth)

If you need them, also get separate verbal and quant workbooks, but I'd start with the overall prep materials and then see what you need.

[Ender]

Is it better to buy all 3 of the suggested books, or read one at a time then move on to the next one? Do these books also contain math sections?

-Ender-

[Ender]

I have another question, actually I have multiple questions

1.) One of the recommended materials was the Official Guide 2002 edition. What version of "Official Guide"? Do you mean the Kaplan or ETS version or another version not mentioned?

2.) Do you know the ISBN # of the "Official Guide" book that you are speaking about? The ISBN # is the number located on the back of the book.

3.) The Cracking the GRE from the Princeton Review is a "complete" book. "Complete" meaning it covers all sections. The Princeton Review word Smart for GRE covers just words and their pronunciation. Wouldn't it be better to cover the complete Princeton Review because it covers more material or just the Word SMart book because it covers specifically words?

4.) Also what Edition of Cracking the GRE from Princeton Review is the best? Should I not get the 2007 or 2008 edition because of the reasons stated ealier in this forum about the "Official Guide" 2007?

5.) Also, What years is the ETS 10th Edition of the Official Guide to the GRE?

[Lk50df]

Hey there...I'm sorry, I totally missed your reply until now!!

The Official Guide is published by ETS. Kaplan publishes its own books; they are definitely not the same. Get the 2002 edition of the official one, the 10th edition (http://www.amazon.com/GRE-Practicing-Take-General-Test/dp/0886852129/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6380235-0889619?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187458132&sr=8-1)...it's a little old, but the fact that ETS cancelled changes to the GRE messed up the new books that were just coming out.

I would definitely get the Cracking book because you need complete prep. It has math, verbal and AWA (the essay). If you really need to work on vocab, then get Word Smart as well, but Word Smart definitely won't replace an overall review guide. It only covers vocab. Probably won't matter if you get the 2007 edition vs. the 2008...it looks like PR had time to change the 2008 version before they published it and after ETS made their announcement about cancelling the new test. I have the 2007 version and it's great. You'll probably save on shipping if you order all the books at once. I would use Cracking with the official guide, because the OG only has practice questions and no strategy.

Hope this helps!