Shorter GRE - Best Books for GRE Preparation in 2024

There is no one-size-fits-all book to prepare for the GRE test. After all, if we would have just one book, a sort of panacea for every aspect of the test, it would be easy to have just ONE book, but this would not reflect what in the end the GRE is: a challenging test.

The GRE is like a puzzle. You need several elements or notions, gather them together, and put them in your toolbox to use when is necessary. In other words, to tackle this test, flexibility is paramount. Therefore, more than one source (a good source I would say) is pivotal to use from the very beginning.

Usually, these following books are a great starting point - they get you familiarized with the test format, sections, timing, and main strategies. Picking a book might be real quick, just search on amazon and that's it. However, this choice has great impact on your preparation since the very first moment, here is why:

• the time and effort you infuse into your preparation can conclusively impact your final score and your chances to get into the BS you want to attend;
• the right book not only is helpful to shorten the time dedicated to the study but also will make the process less painful and more fun in the end;
• the practice questions contained in them - considering that they are NOT official books for the vast majority - must be as close as possible to the real GRE. Otherwise, practicing not good material will hurt you more than to have benefits you. You would have the false feeling to be prepared and in the end during the real exam will be a disaster.

1. The Official Guide to the GRE General Test 3rd Ed
Published by the creators of the GRE. Must have to access to roughly 350 real GRE questions but lacks any strategies.
Strengths:
1. 350 real GRE questions
2. The practice questions follow actual GRE test patterns - great to have one's ear trained
3. The questions, both quant and verbal, in the book are still pure ETS original material.The best and probably the only thing you need for the best score.
4. In Every quant question explanation there is a reference to the strategy used for that specific question
5. The OG contains TWO full tests in the book
6. The examples provided as a response to the Issue and Argument AWA in the section and why that particular essay is graded as 6, 5 and so forth is definitely the PLUS of the guide, overall.
Weaknesses:
1. The book does not contain any particular strategy or different strategy to tackle a question from a different perspective angle. I.E, more than one way to solve a question
2. Mostly low and medium-difficulty questions. Not very helpful to a person aiming to get above 300 or more.
3. NO vocabulary section




2. All the GRE: Effective Strategies & Practice from 99th Percentile Instructors 6th Edition
Strengths:
1. Strategies & Questions that cover EVERY single aspect you need for the GRE
2. Respect the previous version we suggested for the 2023. This version is almost completely overhauled: better organization of the contents, more focus for the new GRE instead of having a guide that somehow was derived from the GMAT and adapted to the GRE.
3. Advanced topic such as RTD problems. Advanced concepts such as benchmarking around quantity B for QCQ questions. Optimization problems and a better focus on combinatorics and probability
4. The strategies will help you go from the very ground up to the most advanced and obscure notions.
5. The practice questions follow actual GRE test patterns - probably the only book on the market
6. Every single lesson is simple and easy to follow yet very robust. Nothing is left to chance
5. The book's organization is basically flawless
6. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS 500 Essential Words. 500 Advanced Words.
7. The book has six complete tests to it. A bang for the bucks
Weaknesses:
1. The major negative side is that the previous highly acclaimed Set of 8 GRE Strategy Guides had at the end of every book 60 questions divided into 3 batches: easy, medium, and hard.
They were a blessing for those that at the end of the book would practice at the best the notions learned throughout the book.
Perhaps, those questions now are part of the questions bank that comes along with these two books, on a "diet".




3. GRE Prep Plus 2024-2025 - Updated for the New GRE
according to amazon
1. Five full-length online tests help you practice in the same computer-based format you'll see on test day.
2. One full-length practice test included in the book for when online is not an option.
3. Online resources including two mini tests, one math and one verbal, online to help you get off to a fast start
4. More than 1,500 questions with detailed explanations.
5. Video explanations of selected questions.
6. 500-question online Qbank that lets you select problems by topic and difficulty and customize your practice.
7. Chapters on each GRE question type and math skill, with practice sets for each.
8. Questions have been reviewed, revised, and updated by Kaplan's expert faculty.






4. GRE Prep by Magoosh
Strengths:
1. 150+ really close GRE questions
2. The practice questions follow actual GRE test patterns. However, we found that several of them are a little bit off from the real ones
3. The explanations are well crafted. This is a crucial aspect when you are preparing for the GRE. You learn more from a good explanation than from 10 questions while practicing.
4. One of the key aspects we always take into account when we review a book is if it has the level of difficulty of the questions: easy, medium, and hard. Pivotal reference for the student
5. The book is well organized and comes with: a study plan, a good AWA section, a vocabulary list, and also tips about your preparation
6 Overall, a good quality product.
Weaknesses:
1. Just one full GRE test is provided with the book
2. Not as many questions as provided by other GRE books.
3. Very good questions, both on the quant and verbal side. However, not the best questions when it comes to practicing the hard level GRE questions They do not catch the same nuance we find in the official practice questions.
4. NOT update yet for the new shorter GRE




5. Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep, 36th Edition - For the new Shorter GRE
according to amazon
1. Overhauled content review created just for the shorter GRE
2. Valuable practice with complex reading comprehension passages and math problems
3. Extensive GRE math coverage featuring chapters about Math Fundamentals on the GRE, Algebra Basics, Plugging In, Real-World Math, and more
4. 6 full-length practice tests (2 in the book & 4 online) with detailed explanations
5. Drills for each test section—Verbal, Math, and Analytical Writing
6. In-depth score reports available for online practice exams
Release date : 07/23/2024