GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 1

Preparing for the GRE can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you're aiming for grad school in the U.S. or abroad, setting the right foundation early on can make all the difference in your score. Here are 7 essential tips to know before you even start your GRE prep journey. 1. Understand the GRE Format Inside Out Before diving into your GRE prep, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the test format. Knowing what to expect will help you strategize your study plan, reduce test-day anxiety, and ultimately perform better. Here's a comprehensive breakdown: Sections: Analytical Writing: Tests your ability to articulate complex ideas, support arguments with reasoning and evidence, and maintain a coherent structure in writing. Verbal Reasoning: Measures your ability to analyze written material, evaluate arguments, and understand the meaning of words and sentences. Quantitative Reasoning: Assesses basic math skills, understanding of elementary concepts, and ability to reason quantitatively. Topics include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. Timing:  The shorter GRE, launched in September 2023, has a total test time of 1 hour and 58 minutes. Here's the section-wise timing breakdown: This table shows the GRE shorter format with section-wise timing and number of questions for AWA, Verbal, and Quantitative sections. Scoring: Analytical Writing: Scored on a scale of 0–6 Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning: Each scored from 130–170 Why it matters: Knowing the sections and timing allows you to feel prepared and confident going into the exam. 2. Set a Realistic Target Score Effective GRE prep starts with a clear goal. Don’t waste time studying without a target in mind. Here’s how to set a target score that maximizes your chances for success: Research Average Scores for Your Programs: Look up the typical GRE scores of applicants accepted into your desired programs. Each school and program has its own expectations, so tailor your target score accordingly. Set a Score Based on Your Goals: Consider where you want to apply and set a realistic score that will make you a competitive applicant. Download Vibrant’s Goals Worksheet for the GRE and begin tailoring your prep plan for success. × Get your free PDF Enter your email to get instant access to the downloadable PDF. Email address Get PDF Thank you! Click below to download your PDF. Download PDF 3. Take a Diagnostic Test Early Before diving into your GRE prep, take a full-length, timed practice test. This will give you valuable insights into your starting point and help you optimize your study plan from the get-go. ETS offers a free practice test, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of it. Here’s how it helps: Understand Your Baseline Score: A diagnostic test gives you an accurate starting point, so you can see where you stand in terms of your overall score and which sections need the most attention. Build Test-Day Stamina: The GRE is long and mentally taxing. Taking a full-length test early will help you get accustomed to the test duration and help build your endurance for the actual exam day. Expand Your Practice: To continue refining your skills, consider getting a copy of “Practice Tests for the GRE” to access not just 1, but 6 full-length tests. These additional tests provide more opportunities to simulate real test conditions, helping you refine your timing and test-taking strategy. 4. Create a Study Plan Based on Your Timeline A well-structured study plan is the backbone of successful GRE prep. The key is to tailor your plan based on how much time you have before test day.  Choose the Plan That Fits Your Schedule: Vibrant Publishers offers flexible study plans designed to suit different needs and timelines:  This table compares Vibrant Publishers’ 3 GRE study plans by duration, format, description, and ideal learner type. Regardless of the plan you choose, break down your preparation into manageable weekly goals and be sure to allocate time for each section of the GRE. 5. Choose the Right Study Materials There’s no shortage of GRE prep resources, but not all are created equal. A few recommended options include: GRE Verbal Practice Questions: This book focuses specifically on Verbal Reasoning, featuring over 600 questions that strengthen vocabulary, reading comprehension, and sentence equivalence. Emphasis is placed on question-specific strategies and skill development. GRE Quantitative Practice Questions: Aimed at mastering Quantitative Reasoning, this book covers key areas of GRE math, including algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and data analysis. Each topic includes step-by-step explanations and varied practice problems to support conceptual understanding and accuracy. Practice Tests for the GRE: This book offers realistic full-length practice tests designed to simulate the real test experience, helping you build test-taking endurance and familiarity with the exam format. ETS Official GRE Guide: This book includes test questions from past exams, as well as comprehensive test-taking strategies. A must-have resource to understand the structure and difficulty level of the GRE. Tip: Don’t over-resource. Pick 2–3 reliable sources and stick with them. 6. Build Test-Taking Endurance The GRE is a mentally demanding test that requires both focus and stamina to complete successfully. It’s important to train your brain to maintain peak performance for the entire duration of the exam. Take Full-Length Mock Tests Regularly: Simulate test day by completing a full-length, timed practice test every 2–3 weeks. This helps you get accustomed to the test’s length and pacing. Mimic Real Test Conditions: Create an environment that mirrors the actual test. No phone, no distractions. No breaks—just like the real GRE. Sit in a quiet, comfortable space to eliminate external interruptions. Review Your Performance Thoroughly: After each mock test, take the time to analyze your results carefully. Identify your strengths and areas for improvement. Focus on time management: Were you rushing through any sections or running out of time? Review missed questions and understand the reasoning behind the correct answers. By training with full-length tests and simulating real test-day conditions, you’ll build the mental stamina and confidence needed to perform your best on the GRE. 7. Plan Your Test Date Wisely Choosing the right test date is a crucial part of your GRE strategy. Don’t wait until the last minute to register—taking the time to secure your preferred date and location will reduce stress as test day approaches. Here’s how to plan smartly: Register Early: Secure your ideal test date and location well in advance. This ensures you get the most convenient option and avoid last-minute scheduling stress. Take the GRE at Least 2–3 Months Before Deadlines: Ideally, you should aim to complete your GRE at least 2–3 months before your application deadlines. This gives you enough time to receive your scores, assess your performance, and plan a retake if necessary. Bonus Tip: Consider scheduling a backup test date. In case your first attempt doesn’t go as planned, a second chance ensures you're not left scrambling to get your scores in time. Start Strong, Finish Stronger The GRE isn’t just a test of intelligence—it’s a test of preparation, strategy, and consistency. By planning ahead, staying focused, and using the right tools, you’re giving yourself the best chance to crush the exam and achieve your desired score. With the right mindset and approach, you’ll be ready to tackle any challenge the GRE throws your way and finish stronger than you started. Your future success begins with the steps you take today—so make them count! GRE® is a trademark registered by ETS, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse these products. More information about the GRE® and ETS is available on their website https://www.ets.org/gre.html. Also read:5 Reasons Why You Should Take GRE Mock TestsGRE Analytical Writing: 8 Tips to Write a Perfect EssayTips for Time Management during the GRE test

You have put all your hard work into practicing vocabulary and math questions. You’ve also written several essays for mastering how to write the issue and argument tasks. What’s next?     A practice test! Well, many practice tests. Practice or mock tests are indispensable while preparing for the GRE or any other test for that matter. Here are some reasons why you should take mock tests for the GRE.     Helps you recognize your strengths and weaknesses When you take a mock test for the first time and evaluate its results, you will get an idea of the areas you are weak (or strong) in. For example, when you take a practice test, you may discover that you are good at writing essays and answering comprehension questions but begin scratching your head when faced with Text Completion and Quantitative Reasoning questions. With this knowledge, you can put in more effort for the specific types of questions and master them.     Improves time management skills All the sections in the GRE require you to work on a time crunch. Therefore, learning how to use your time efficiently and answer all questions is imperative. Giving timed mock tests will teach you to adhere to the time given while correctly answering questions. You can learn time management tips like plug-ins, trial and error, the process of elimination, and many more by reading the blog Tips for Time Management during the GRE test.      Makes you well-versed in the format of the test The entire purpose of taking mock tests is to become familiar with the pattern of questions, the sequence of the sections, the difficulty levels, and the time allotted for them. The mock tests, designed to give you the actual feel of the test, will also make you confident about appearing for the GRE.     Another benefit of taking a mock test is that it forces you to deal with different types of questions together. For example, when preparing for the GRE, you may practice all the Verbal Reasoning questions together but in the mock test, like the actual GRE, you will appear for one section of the Verbal Reasoning section followed by a Quantitative Reasoning section. This will teach you to adapt and answer the different questions with ease.     Practice makes it easy Think of the time when you had to go on the stage and give a speech or act in a play. At first, you wouldn’t have been confident enough to talk or act in front of a crowd. But, constant practice and trials may have helped you boost your confidence and perform with ease on the D-day. Mock tests for the GRE will do just that. They will ease the fear of the test, make it easier for you to sit through the actual test, and instill confidence to get a high score on the test.     Helps you in revision When you learn a concept, it is only remembered and ingrained in your mind through repetition. Mock tests not only test what you know but also give you a chance to recall, remember and retain what you have already learned. They enable you to reinforce your learnings and recognize your shortcomings.     After knowing why you should take mock tests, the question now is - where will you find GRE-like mock tests?     PowerPrep Practice tests ETS provides GRE-like online practice tests. PowerPrep Online has two practice tests that give you a real testing experience. Out of the two tests, one practice test is untimed. You will get scores for the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning section at the end of the test. For the untimed test, no scores will be provided.     The PowerPrep Plus comprises three paid practice tests and has many more features like explanations for answers, test-taking strategies, real-time scoring, etc.     The prime benefit of taking these tests is that the questions are designed by ETS, the GRE test-taking body. Therefore, the questions will be most similar to the actual GRE.     6 Practice Tests for the GRE This book is a compilation of 6 GRE-like practice tests. The practice tests are curated by GRE experts with years of experience and so the questions in the tests are similar to the actual test.     In this book, you will find detailed solutions to all the questions. It even has sample essays for the Analytical Writing section. These elaborate solutions will be instrumental in helping you understand how the answers are deduced.     Students can also note down the time taken to complete the sections and their raw scores. This tool is very useful to improve your time management skills and evaluate your test readiness. Apart from the tests, the book also has an overview of the GRE test where all your questions will be answered about the test.     Good luck with your GRE prep journey!        

How a student manages time during the GRE test is one of the key determinants of his/her score on this exam. Managing time smartly under the pressure of the test can be tough but apportioning the time well can indeed relieve a lot of stress for the students.   Let’s look at some of the ways/methods which you can incorporate to ace the GRE test:     Keep your cool: Come back later with a fresh take!  When you can’t figure out the answer to any particular question, don’t get worked up or frustrated. Usually, you should not spend more than 2 minutes on any question. Mark/flag the question that is taking longer and move on to the next one. Coming back to a question at some point later during the test can give you a new perspective for solving it as opposed to sticking to it and wasting a lot of valuable time. As you would experience, revisiting the question with a fresh take on the question may enable you to solve it much faster than expected!     Use one of these as and when required: POE, Plug-in, Trial and Error It is quite possible that a student would not be able to get or find the right answer since the logic of solving some questions may not strike at the right time or the problem seems excruciatingly complex and may require tedious calculations. In such situations, it behooves a student to look for other methods or ways of solving the question rather than getting stuck and being adamant about getting the correct answer through the conventional ways. POE (Process Of Elimination), Plug-in, and Trial and Error are some of the methods that would bail a student out of messy situations, especially in the quantitative section. In the Process Of Elimination, you will strike out the options that you think are not the correct options. In the Plug-in method, you replace a variable with a number and solve the equation until you get the desired answer and in trial and error, you try to get an answer by replacing the variable with the numbers given until you derive the answer.     Keep a track of time using the background/preset timer Some students break a sweat while looking at the clock/timer and some find it absolutely indispensable. If you are amongst the first types, avoid keeping a fixed gaze at the timer but do look at it once every couple of minutes to keep a track of time and adjust/adapt your strategies/methods.     Attempt all the questions; don’t leave any of them unanswered Since there is no negative marking in the GRE exam, it makes sense to attempt even the most difficult or trickiest questions through intelligent guesswork or by using one of the methods of POE, plug-in or trial and error. Leaving an MCQ or QC question unanswered means not taking advantage of the odds of 25% success in these questions.       Tips for the Quantitative Section     Spend less time on simple questions Spending less time (between 30 to 60 seconds) on easier MCQ or Numeric Entry questions can save you enough time to solve difficult and Data Interpretation questions which may take up to 3 or 4 minutes sometimes.     Get used to the on-screen calculator Although you must perform all the simple calculations either in your mind or on rough paper, for complex calculations you may have to rely on the on-screen calculator. Thus, you must learn about all the different functions of the calculator provided on-screen to avoid wasting your time.     Neat rough work Proper and neat rough work can save you a lot of time, especially when you get back to an unanswered question. Remember to number the rough work for every question on the paper so that you don’t have to waste time finding it. If rough work is done in a proper manner, you won’t have to start afresh or do the same calculations when you come back to a particular question.       The GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions is an indispensable guidebook for practicing quantitative reasoning questions.       Tips for the Verbal Section     Read the question before reading the passage Many students spend a lot of time reading and re-reading the passage to look for the answers to the questions. What usually works best is reading the question first, then going through the passage to look for the answers, and then going through the answer options to select the one that is right or seems the most appropriate. This method saves a lot of time and also the fatigue that comes from reading the passage over and over again.     If you can’t understand the word, try to understand the sound or the feel of it It is quite possible that even after going through thousands of words, you may feel that you are not familiar with the word(s) in the answer options of the text completion or sentence equivalence questions. In such situations, don’t waste time on guessing the meaning of the word. Instead, try to guess the feel or the connotation of the word: whether it is positive or negative or means something good or bad. That would help in the POE and zeroing in on suitable option(s).       Refer to the GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions for more tips on completing the Verbal Reasoning section.       Tips for the AWA Section     Create a framework for the argument analysis essay Since a student has to critique the argument in order to find flaws or assumptions or reasonability of recommendation or evidence, it is quite time-saving to have a rough outline of the essay ready. During your practice for the AWA sections, try to have a rough outline of each of the 5-6 types of argument analysis excerpts. Although memorizing any format or proforma is not what is being suggested here, it would hold a student in good stead to keep a few phrases and sentence structures handy.     You can refer to the GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics for learning to write high-scoring essays.     Author bio - Mrs. Heena Jain Ostwal is the Ex-Manager, Training Services, and Head of the Documentation Department at Akshay Study Abroad Consultants, one of North Maharashtra's leading study abroad institutes.  She is also the Ex-Head of Test Prep, Vibrant Publishers. Currently, she freelances as a content developer, writer, and reviewer (SoPs, LoRs, Resumes, Blogs, Test Prep, Scholarship Essays)   A SET-qualified individual, Mrs. Heena has also donned the role of a college professor. She has an extensive experience of over 15 years in the domains of teaching, mentoring, counseling, and content development.              

Are you planning to take the GRE in 2023? If your answer is yes, you would need thorough prep to crack the exam. But, referring to outdated versions of practice books will do more harm than good. The GRE has evolved and to match its format and question types, you need books that are relevant in today’s date. Below is a list of the top 10 GRE books that you will need if you are taking your exam in 2023.       Books to write high-scoring essays   GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 1 GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 2 GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics     Analytical Writing is the first thing you will encounter in the GRE. This section requires you to work out your brain and form essays expressing your opinions and thoughts on certain issues or arguments. You are given 30 minutes to write 2 essays each. This means that you will likely face a time crunch. But, at the same time, you have to give your best and write good essays. This is only possible when you know the strategies to manage your time!     The 3 Analytical Writing books comprise official issue and argument topics for the GRE. The topics range from subjects like Arts, Education, and Philosophy, to Government, Politics, Science and Technology, and Society. The book includes expert tips and strategies to write high-scoring essays in the exam. These tips and strategies show how to strategically utilize your time to think, lay an outline, and write the essays. To give you a more substantial picture of the essays, sample essays are also given for each of the issue and argument topics. The 2023 editions of these books are available for Pre-order.       Books to ace the Verbal Reasoning section   GRE Reading Comprehension: Detailed Solutions to 325 Questions GRE Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence Practice Questions GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions        Test takers often have the perception that they do not need practice for the Verbal Reasoning section as it comprises comprehension and sentence completion questions. Well, it is a myth. While the questions seem easy, they require a good vocabulary and a practiced eye to recognize the correct answers.     These 3 books are meant to teach you just that. With more than 500 Verbal Reasoning questions, you will have a concrete idea of how to quickly and efficiently answer questions. As you don’t have much time to think over all questions, you will learn strategies on how to efficiently answer questions by using tricks like word associations. You will also comprehend the logic behind the questions with the help of detailed answers that explain why an option is correct or incorrect. You can now pre-order these books.       Books to improve your vocabulary   GRE Master Wordlist: 1535 Words for Verbal Mastery GRE Words in Context: The Complete List       The GRE does not test your ability to throw around big and fancy words; it rather tests your fluency in understanding and conveying your thoughts and opinions. But, building vocabulary is not a day’s task. Luckily, GRE experts have identified GRE-specific words and compiled them in these two books. They will be of great help in getting focused vocabulary practice for the Verbal Reasoning section beside the apparent benefit of actually helping in improving your vocabulary.     The words in the book come with synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, pronunciations, and example sentences so that you can not only learn the words but also know their usage with context. These books are now available for pre-order.       An all-in-one book for the Quantitative Reasoning section   GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions       The Quantitative Reasoning section often poses a challenge to the test takers and is dreaded by many. But again, practicing is the only way to overcome this fear and even ace the quant section.     The ‘Supreme’ book is true to its name. It is filled with all types of Quant questions - Quantitative Comparison, Multiple Choice Single Answer, Multiple Choice Multiple Answer, Data Analysis, and Numeric Entry. The questions are divided into Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, and Data Analysis. This book is different from other books in the market because it provides detailed answers to all questions. This will help you understand the logic behind quant questions and answer them in the real test.     Complete your prep with practice tests   6 Practice Tests for the GRE       Lastly, after thoroughly practicing and preparing for all the sections, you can test yourself with 6 timed GRE practice tests. The tests are just like the actual GRE with time slots and instructions given for each question so that you get a simulated practice before actually appearing for the exam. The book has over 480+ realistic practice questions that cover all the sections of the GRE.     The tests also have a detailed answer key that doesn’t leave you in the dark but clears your doubts.       A stress management ebook for the GRE   Conquer the GRE: Stress Management & a Perfect Study        GRE can be a stressful affair. Preparing for various subjects with a pressure to crack the exam can lead to stress, but it can be managed. All the above books come with an ebook on stress management that has the necessary tips to lessen your stress and manage your study schedule. It has a 6-month and an 8-week study plan that you can follow. It also has tips and advice to follow before the test day and on the test day. The book is also available for purchase on Amazon.       Conclusion  The right resources can make a huge difference while preparing for a test. These books will teach you everything that you need to learn for the GRE and at the same time, will stimulate your critical thinking skills which are equally important for the exam.             

Let’s face it. The GRE General Test is a tough nut to crack. You may be fluent at writing essays and answering vocabulary questions but math questions leave you bewildered or math questions look like a child’s play but vocabulary questions are not your expertise. For cracking the test, you will need to not only improve your weak areas but also practice thoroughly. For this purpose, experts recommend picking up the 3 ‘Supreme’ books that have a load of practice questions, effective tips for answering the questions, and detailed information about the GRE General Test. Read on to find out more about them! The three sections of the GRE namely Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning are designed to test your vocabulary, critical thinking, organization skills, analytical abilities, and ability to form opinions on topics. Therefore, to give you a thorough, total, and focused practice of each section, the below 3 books are perfect!  #1 GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics The Analytical Writing section is made up of two tasks - Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument task. For writing an essay on a given issue and argument in 30 minutes each, you need strong time management skills. But the key to completing the essays on time is learning to first organize your thoughts and then write them down. For doing so, there are various strategies that will help you master organization skills. In GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics, you will find elaborate strategies that will guide you through the process of writing essays that are logically sound. From a pool of 152 Issue topics and 176 Argument topics given by the ETS, this book contains 72 Issue and 73 Argument topics with solved essays. Before the sample essays for each topic, a detailed and strategic process to approach the topic is given. Chinu Vasudeva, Founder at Doyen-Ed loves this book and says that, “We have been using this book for our students for the last 3 years. I would highly recommend using this book for all GRE aspirants. Example essays give you a great understanding of the pattern, writing styles, and keywords which are essential to score well in the essay section. The tasks cover important topics such as science, technology, politics, education, art, etc. The author has done full justice by explaining each topic with pointers, strategies, and a sample essay. Students can go through essays, compile all points, create their own templates, and put them into the right frame to create fantastic essays.” #2 GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions The Verbal Reasoning section is divided into two parts. This means that you will encounter two Verbal Reasoning sections of 20 questions each. These 20 questions are further divided into 3 types of questions - Reading Comprehension, Sentence Equivalence, and Text Completion. This section tests your vocabulary and your ability to comprehend written texts and answer questions based on them. The GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions teaches you all about Verbal Reasoning Questions. The book has a total of 575 practice questions and separate sections dedicated to the three question types. They contain detailed information about the types of questions asked and strategies to solve them. This will help you get a focused practice of each question type. Additionally, the book contains 3 practice tests of the Verbal Reasoning section to test your learning. Reader’s Favorite calls this book “ a comprehensive textbook to help students undertaking the GRE prepare for the Verbal Reasoning section of the exam.” In a detailed review, it said, “With practice questions and complete verbal tests that effectively simulate the real exam by covering a multitude of potential subjects, the answers provided include explanations to help you understand why the possible responses are correct and what you need to take away from them. It’s safe to say that this guide fills in all the essential gaps one might require when practicing Verbal Reasoning, but it elevates this advice with additional features such as logical and easy-to-refer-to organization, as well as a perky and inspirational narrative tone to keep students motivated through tough times.” The purpose of this book is to give you as much practice as possible so that you get well versed in the format of the questions and easily answer them on the actual day of the test! #3 GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions The Quantitative Reasoning section also appears as two sections in the test. The two sections contain 20 questions to be solved in 35 minutes each. The questions in this section are based on Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Data Analysis. GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions is a comprehensive and detailed guidebook for preparing for this section. This book has a collection of a whopping 520 practice questions that cover the different types of questions like Numeric Entry, Multiple Choice Single Answer, Multiple Choice Multiple Answers, Data Analysis & Quantitative Comparison. The questions in the book are also segregated according to their difficulty levels so that you can analyze the areas that you are good at and the areas you are weak in. Unlike other books in the market where the answers are just stated for you to interpret, this book entails solutions explained in detail. This will be immensely helpful for you to know why an option is correct or incorrect, interpret the logic behind complex problems, and boost your confidence to appear for the Quant section in the real test. “GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme is thoughtfully organized and easy to use. I enjoyed going through it and was very impressed,” comments Laura Mischke, Head of Adult Services, Bellevue Public Library. “The format of the GRE along with the testing and scoring procedures are explained so that there will be no surprises for the student on the day of the test. If a student determines that there is an area of weakness, he/she can easily find that section and focus attention on problems of that specific type. All problems have step-by-step explanations and are very easy to follow,” she adds. Studying for the GRE can be daunting and challenging. With a variety of topics to prepare for, one may experience stress. Keeping this in mind, the books also come with a Stress Management ebook. This ebook contains a 6-month and an 8-week study plan to organize your prep and make sure that you don’t miss anything. Tips and advice for managing your stress before the test and on the actual test day are also given. Here are some tips to follow on the test day: Pay attention to the questions and don’t misread them. Try to stick to the instructions given in the questions so that you don’t deviate from their intent.  Answer questions that are easier first and keep the difficult ones for later. You will have to answer different types of questions in a limited amount of time so make sure that you budget your time properly at the start of the test itself. Use the elimination process for answering multiple choice questions. Eliminate the options that you think are not correct. For the Quant section, use the reverse equation method to check if your answers are correct. Read the passages thoroughly in the Verbal Reasoning section and rely only on the information given in it to answer questions. You may have heard this a lot of times but practice is the key to cracking the test. The amount of effort you put into practice will not be in vain as that will help you master the questions and overcome the fear of the test. Apart from these books, you can also check out 6 Practice Tests for the GRE that will give you a simulated practice environment for the test. Good Luck!

According to ets.org, the GRE General Test is taken by approx 6,75,000 people from 230 countries each year. If you are planning to take the GRE, keep reading this blog to become familiar with the format, components, and scoring procedure of the test. What is the GRE General Test? The Graduate Record Examination or the GRE General Test is a test taken by people aspiring to get admission to graduate programs or graduate business programs. It is a computer-delivered and multiple-choice test administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service) at a test center. Post-Covid, ETS has allowed test-takers to take the test from home too. However, the format of the test remains the same for everyone. The GRE General Test is designed to measure your ability to comprehend complex written material, interpret data, apply basic concepts of mathematics, and test your capacity for logical reasoning and critical thinking. Who takes the GRE? Aspirants seeking admission to MBA and Ph.D. programs, law school, or those wanting to acquire any Master’s degree are the ones who appear for the GRE. Although there is no age restriction for appearing for the GRE, the average age of a test-taker is 24 years.  Source https://www.studentprogress.org/gre/test-takers/ What is the format of the GRE? The test is divided into 3 sections - Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning and is 3 hours and 45 minutes long. An experimental unscored section may appear during the test (either Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning). The score of the extra section won’t be counted in your final score. You may also have to appear for an extra Research section that allows the ETS to test the efficacy of new questions. An overview of the GRE General Test Analytical Writing The Analytical Writing section is made up of two tasks - Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument. In the first task namely Analyze an Issue, you will be given a prompt on any issue of general interest with some specific instructions and will be asked to write a short essay on it. Your essay should be clear, persuasive, logically sound, and written in correct English. The purpose of this task is to test your ability to defend your position and opinions on a particular topic, your skill in organizing your thoughts and presenting them in correct English. In the Analyze an Argument Task, you will be provided with a passage containing an argument on a particular topic. You will be expected to write an essay by critically evaluating the argument and checking the logical validity and the evidence provided. You will be assessed on your ability to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the given argument and the organization of your thoughts in correct English. The Analytical Writing section tests your ability to assess an issue, formulate opinions, and pen them down in an organized manner using the correct vocabulary. You will be given 30 minutes to complete each of the two tasks. Verbal Reasoning The Verbal Reasoning section is divided into two sections with 20 questions each (a total of 40 questions). You will be given 30 minutes to complete each section. The types of questions in these sections will vary between Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence. For Reading Comprehension questions, you will be given a passage on any topic to read and understand and will have to answer questions based on it. These types of questions test your comprehension abilities and your skill in drawing inferences. For Text Completion questions, a short passage with 1-3 blanks will be given. You will have to fill in the blanks from the multiple answer choices provided. The Sentence Equivalence questions will ask you to fill in a blank with two answer choices in such a way that their meanings are as similar as possible. These questions focus on testing your vocabulary. Quantitative Reasoning The Quantitative Reasoning section tests your ability to solve basic mathematical problems, understand and interpret data and apply the interpretation skills to solve real-world problems. It is divided into two sections consisting of 20 questions (a total of 40 questions) to be solved in 35 minutes each. This section consists of four types of questions - multiple-choice, numeric entry, quantitative comparison, and data interpretation. For multiple-choice questions, you will have to choose the correct answer from multiple options. Numeric entry questions will require you to enter a number from your own calculations. In quantitative comparison, you will have to compare two values to check if one is greater than the other, if they are equal or if their relationship cannot be determined. You will have to interpret a given data set and choose an answer from multiple options or enter a number from your own calculations for Data Interpretation questions. For getting a focused practice of the Quantitative section, the upcoming GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme with 500+ math questions is the perfect resource. The book includes detailed solutions for each question too! How is the GRE scored? As the GRE General Test is a computerized test, the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections are ‘section-level adaptive.’ This means that as the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections are divided into two sections, the difficulty of the second section depends on your performance in the first one. The Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections have a score scale of 130-170 with 1-point increments and the Analytical Writing section has a score range of 0-6 with increments of 0.5. You get a point for each question that you answer correctly (points are not deducted for wrong answers). The number of questions that you get right is your raw score. This raw score is then scaled between 130-170 (for Verbal and Quant) but the exact scaling process is not revealed by ETS. The scoring process for the Analytical Writing section is comparatively simple but tricky! The two essays are first checked by a trained (and human) grader. This grader gives a score between 0-6. Next, the essay is checked by an e-rater (a computer program developed by ETS to check the essays across different areas) and given a score between 0-6. If the human and e-rater’s scores closely agree, then the average of the two scores is treated as the final score. In case the two scores do not agree, then a second human grader checks the essay, and gives a score and the average of both the human grader’s scores is the final score. Tips for taking the GRE Practice till you are thoroughly familiar with the format of the test and the questions. The 6 Practice Tests for the GRE is a great resource for practice as it includes 6 simulated and full-length tests that will make you test-ready! Read the questions thoroughly. In an attempt to solve the test, students may misread the questions and therefore, lose marks. Do not waste time on questions that are too difficult. Since all questions carry the same weightage, you can move on to other questions and leave the difficult ones for later. Manage your time properly. As there will be different types of questions to answer, you will have to manage your time properly. Leave enough time to answer sentence-based questions and essays as they are time-consuming. Use the elimination process while answering multiple-choice questions. This will help you to evaluate your answer choice and recognize the correct answer. For mathematics questions, use the reverse equation method to verify your answer. Work your way up from your answer to the question to check whether your calculation is correct. All the best for GRE!

Introduction At Vibrant, we’ve reviewed and researched numerous GRE test prep books over the years in the process of curating our own special test prep books for the GRE test. Each book represents years of hard work and research by excellent test prep experts to create the best possible learning solution for all of your GRE needs. In this blog, we’ll discuss our most popular set of GRE test prep books, the GRE COMPLETE COURSE. If you’ve been on the lookout for an exhaustive resource to help you score high on the GRE, you’ve come to the right place.  What is the GRE COMPLETE COURSE Combo? The GRE COMPLETE COURSE, as its name suggests, is a combination of the most relevant GRE test prep books that offers thorough practice for the entire GRE test.  This power-packed combo includes 5 books that cover all aspects of the GRE: 6 Practice Tests + Analytical Writing: Book 2 + Master Wordlist: 1535 Words + Quantitative Reasoning + Verbal Reasoning Supreme. Let’s flip through these books: 6 Practice Tests for the GRE This book simulates the style and format of the GRE and provides 6 full-length practice tests to help you understand how the GRE test is presented. With over 400+ questions, covering all verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning question types, this book is a complete guide to the GRE test. This book will help you familiarize yourself with the style and format of the GRE test, understand the test structure, and learn to solve questions within the given timeframe. The highlight of this guide is that it includes detailed solutions and answer explanations for all questions, so you can review where you went wrong. GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions To The Real Essay Topics – Book 2 GRE Analytical Writing Book 2 includes 65 Solved Issue and Argument topics from the official pool of topics provided by ETS. The book decodes the analytical writing section of the GRE and breaks down the strategies and techniques for answering Issue and Argument questions. With this book, you will learn to use simple yet expertly-proven strategies to write high-scoring essays. This book also includes test-taking tips and strategies and a scoring rubric that will help you understand how the analytical writing assessment is scored. You may also be interested in: GRE ANALYTICAL WRITING SUPREME—YOUR GUIDE TO WRITING WELL IN THE GRE GRE Master Wordlist: 1535 Words for Verbal Mastery Vocabulary words comprise an important part of the verbal reasoning section of the GRE. In order to score well in the verbal reasoning section, you’ll need to acquire GRE-level vocabulary that will help you solve text completion, sentence equivalence, and reading comprehension questions. GRE Master Wordlist includes over 1000 words that frequently appear in the GRE, along with their pronunciation, parts of speech, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences. This book also comes with practice exercises to help you cement your understanding of these words. GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme includes 520 Numeric Entry, Multiple Choice Single Answer, Multiple Choice Multiple Answer, Data Analysis & Quantitative Comparison questions. This book includes 520 math practice questions and 10 full-length timed tests for simulated GRE practice. The questions cover all the four main areas of math tested in the GRE—Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic & Data Analysis. This book includes solved examples and detailed solutions for every question to help you practice and master the quantitative reasoning section of the GRE. GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme is your one-stop-shop for everything related to verbal reasoning. This handy guide lays out the groundwork for the verbal reasoning section, including a detailed elaboration of what this section contains and test-taking strategies for mastering verbal reasoning questions. This comprehensive guide includes over 600 GRE verbal reasoning questions and three complete verbal practice tests that simulate the style and format of the verbal reasoning section, thus giving you a chance to be acquainted with the type of text completion, reading comprehension, and sentence equivalence questions that appear in this section. What Experts Say About These Books The books in this combo are part of Vibrant’s Test Prep Series. These books have received excellent reviews from professors, librarians, and industry experts. Read a few reviews here: “We have been using these GRE books for our students for the last 3 years. I would highly recommend all GRE aspirants to make use of these guides.” —Chinu VasudevaFounder at Doyen-Ed (Institute for training in GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, AP, SAT Subject Tests) “It’s safe to say that this guide fills in all the essential gaps one might require when practicing for the GRE, and also elevates this advice with additional features such as logical and easy-to-refer-to organization, as well as a perky and inspirational narrative tone to keep students motivated through tough times. The extensive preparation question section would be worth getting this guide alone, not to mention the explicit explanation of guidelines and insider tips on what examiners are really looking for. Overall, I would certainly recommend GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide With Practice Questions  as a catch-all guide for teachers, tutors, and especially students looking to hone and perfect their skills before the big exam.” —K.C. Finn, Readers Favourite “GRE Master Wordlist: 1535 Words for Verbal Mastery by Vibrant Publishers is a handy manual for all those readers who are preparing for their GRE exam and need to master the GRE vocabulary. This manual is a good tool to master the new GRE vocabulary in a reasonably short span of time and will help the GRE aspirants to get a good score.” —Mamta Madhavan, Readers’ Favorite Where to Buy GRE COMPLETE COURSE Combo Order GRE COMPLETE COURSE from our website or from Amazon.com and start practicing for the GRE today!   We wish you all the best for your GRE.

Introduction You’ve registered for the GRE test, selected a test center, and have scheduled your test dates. Now you’ve buckled down to the real business of studying, and the words “Analytical Writing” don’t sound nice. Maybe you’ve been flipping through your GRE guides or surfing the internet to understand what exactly the Analytical Writing section is. (It does sound technical, but we promise you it isn’t). At first glance, terms like ‘issue task’ and ‘argument task’ may seem bewildering. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. By the end of this blog, you’ll know just what the Analytical Writing section of the GRE is. You’ll also be informed on an important learning resource that can help you ace the Analytical Writing section—the well-loved GRE Analytical Writing Supreme. What’s in this Blog? Understanding the GRE Test Format Brief Overview of GRE Analytical Writing How GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics Can Help End Note Understanding the GRE Test Format Let’s look at the GRE General Test first and what it contains. The GRE General Test tests three specific abilities of test-takers—verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Verbal Reasoning The verbal reasoning section examines your ability to read and comprehend material taken from the subject disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. This section is MCQ-based and is comprised of three main types of questions: Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence. This section tests your ability to understand the meaning of words in context, different kinds of meaning (literal, figurative & author’s intention), and identify the perspective or viewpoints of the author of the written material. Quantitative Reasoning The quantitative reasoning section analyzes your ability to evaluate quantitative information and solve numerical problems according to the instructions specified. Your knowledge of basic math skills and concepts in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis is tested. Questions in this section cover topics from arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. There are four types of questions that can be asked: Quantitative Comparison Questions, Multiple-choice Single Answer Questions, Multiple-choice Multiple Answer Questions, and Numeric Entry Questions. Analytical Writing The Analytical Writing section measures your ability to present viewpoints in a clear and logical way and how well you support your ideas with reasons and examples. This section is divided into two parts—Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument task. In the Analyze an Issue task, you will be given an opinion and asked to evaluate it and develop your own viewpoints backed by supportive, logical reasoning. In the Analyze an Argument task, as the name suggests, an argument is presented. Here, you’ll have to evaluate the strength of the argument and how valid it is, rather than supporting or countering it with your own views. For more information on the structure and format of the GRE General Test, you can visit the official ETS website. Brief Overview of GRE Analytical Writing Now that you’ve received a brief idea of what the GRE General test contains, let’s proceed to the highlight of this blog: an in-depth look at the Analytical Writing section. As mentioned earlier, the Analytical Writing section includes two tasks: Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument. Analyze an Issue task In this task, you will be given the opportunity to express your viewpoints on an issue. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ opinion in this case, but you should be able to persuasively express your viewpoint and support it with reasonable, logical evidence. Here, you can either agree with the issue presented or oppose it. Whatever position you choose, you need to explain your reasoning and why you support that particular position.   Take a look at how the Issue prompt is structured in the GRE Analytical Writing Supreme book: Analyze an Argument task This task is slightly different from the Issue task. In this task, you will be asked to evaluate the strength of an argument based on the evidence and assumptions on which it is based. The directions give you the choice to choose any of the given approaches while writing the essay. Here, you don’t have to support or oppose the point of view of the argument. You have to identify the implicit and explicit assumptions stated in the argument. You may be asked to state what additional evidence is needed, what kind of questions need to be answered before accepting a recommendation, or whether a prediction based on the argument is reasonable. Take a look at how the Argument prompt is structured in the GRE Analytical Writing Supreme book: How GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics Can Help. It may easily be overwhelming to think about the large number of topics and sub-topics that GRE Analytical Writing essays are based on. If you’ve read this far, you may be wondering about the prompts and how you need to prepare for this section of the GRE. How do you pick relevant essay topics to practice? And how do you know what a high-scoring essay looks like? That’s where GRE Analytical Writing Supreme can help. This book includes a whopping 145 essays taken from the official pool of Issue and Argument topics listed by the ETS. For every issue and argument task, there are detailed sets of instructions that will act as a guide to writing the actual essay. There are six ways to approach an essay, known as ‘prompts.’ (You’ve already seen snippets of what the prompts look like in the images above). The book covers each and every method of approaching and writing an essay. Each essay includes a comprehensive list of instructions in the style of the actual prompts you’ll find on the test day. The book covers 145 essays from a number of disciplines, including: Education Government & Politics Philosophy Science & Technology Society This all-in-one guidebook teaches you the expected methods of approaching and structuring an essay. As you read through the sample essays, you’ll understand what a high-scoring essay looks like and how you can learn to write in the same way. Eventually, as you work through the book and familiarize yourself with the style of the analytical writing section, you will be able to grasp the technique of writing the essays. End Note The Analytical Writing Section is designed to assess your critical thinking and analytical writing skills, examine how well you are able to decipher the prompt and structure an essay, and evaluate your ability to construct and sustain an argument. Ultimately, the aim of this section is to ensure that your writing skills are at the level required for higher studies. You may be a good writer, but without the knowledge of what type of prompts there are and how essays need to be structured, you will find this part of the GRE rather overwhelming. If you have GRE Analytical Writing Supreme, you don’t need to stress. With all the essential essay topics included and all the types of prompts thoroughly dissected, this book will be your guide to scoring well in the analytical writing section of the GRE. Eventually, your writing skills will also improve, an added benefit that will help you beyond the GRE. To know more about GRE Analytical Writing Supreme: Solutions To The Real Essay Topics, click here.  You may also be interested in other GRE-related books: GRE Verbal Reasoning Supreme: Study Guide with Practice Questions GRE Quantitative Reasoning Supreme: 520 Practice Questions    Study smart and practice well. All the best!