Cracking the GRE with CD-ROM, 2006 (Graduate Test Prep) [Paperback]

Princeton Review (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0375764755 | ISBN-13: 978-0375764752 | Publication Date: June 14, 2005

Cracking the GRE teaches proven techniques specifically designed to help students prepare for the computerized format of the Graduate Record Examination. Newly updated, this best-selling guide provides comprehensive preparation for the GRE. Book buyers even get an exclusive free pass to go online and take extra full-length practice tests.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

If It's on the GRE, It's in This Book

The Princeton Review realizes that acing the GRE is very different from getting straight A's in school. We don't try to teach you everything there is to know about mathematics and essay writing–only the techniques you'll need to score higher on the exam. There's a big difference. In Cracking the GRE, we'll teach you how to think like the test writers and
-Eliminate answer choices that look right but are planted to fool you
-Raise your score by mastering the vocabulary words found most often on the GRE
-Use Process of Elimination, Ballparking, and Aggressive Guessing to ace the exam
-Master even the toughest sections: Analogies, Antonyms, Equations, and the Essay section
-Practice taking the GRE in an online testing environment with instant scoring analysis

This book gives you 120 practice test questions covering each section of the exam, plus a CD-ROM with 4 full-length practice GRE tests and instant score reporting. Our practice questions are like the ones you'll see on the actual GRE, and we explain every solution. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Adam Robinson graduated from Wharton before earning a law degree at Oxford University in England. Robinson, a rated chess master, devised and perfected the Joe Bloggs approach to beating standardized tests in 1980, as well as numerous other core Princeton Review techniques. A freelance author of many books, Robinson has collaborated with the Princeton Review to develop a number if its courses. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Review (June 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375764755
• ISBN-13: 978-0375764752
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,178,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Horrible Software., July 3, 2004

By 

J. Lewis (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cracking the GRE with Sample Tests on CD-ROM, 2005 Edition (Graduate Test Prep) (Paperback)

The book follows the typical Princeton Review format of teaching you skills and vocabulary that will help you to score higher on the exam. This series has always, in my opinion, down an excellent job in this regard.

But the software on the accompanying CD-ROM...AWFUL. First off, you are required to register at their web site to even utilize the features of the CD, so prepare yourself for all the Princeton Review spam you're going to recieve. Second, after you sit and spend hours taking the exam, sometimes the software will not even score your exam!!! The software will just exit back to the main screen and erase all the answers you just spent putting in!!! The book also makes mention to extra exams you can take at the PR web site in addition to the ones on the CD-ROM. I took these exams and guess what... the online exams use the same questions as the one on the CD-ROM!!!

I give the book 5 stars, but take off two for the bad software. If you must buy this book, save your money and get the version without the CD-ROM. Then, if you want to take practice exams, take the free ones offered on their web site.

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent book, terrible software, nonexistent tech support, June 28, 2004

By 

Jeremy Powell (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cracking the GRE with Sample Tests on CD-ROM, 2005 Edition (Graduate Test Prep) (Paperback)

The text of this book is a decent prep for the GRE general test. But the accompanying CD might as well be a coaster.

I registered online to establish an account, then took the first test off the CD-ROM. When the program failed to authenticate my information with the website, it erased all the answers I'd provided for the test.

So then I made sure my login name matched with the CD-ROM and the website, and took the test over again, replicating all my answers precisely so as not to encounter different questions as the test progressed (I have a very good memory). After that, I was able successfully to upload my test info to the website.

Then I was informed that I would receive an email "in a few minutes" to let me know my test info was available online. No such email ever arrived. And I don't see any way to attempt to upload the info again, except perhaps to erase my test score and re-take the test. As I've done this once already, I really don't feel like doing it again.

Thus begrudgingly I decided to take the first of the free online-only tests advertised on the cover of the book. Lo and behold, that function doesn't work at all. Why am I not surprised? The pop-up window that appeared contained not a GRE practice test but an impenetrable error message insisting I was using Mozilla (I was using Internet Explorer; I don't even have Mozilla on my machine!) and urging me to notify a certain tech support address of the problem.

I emailed the address given -- surely, I hear you say, that message didn't bounce! Alas, my brothers and sisters, it is my duty to inform you that the message did, indeed, bounce.

I will never purchase another Princeton Review product.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful in boosting confidence... but a little too "right-brained", September 26, 2005

By 

J. Wang - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cracking the GRE with CD-ROM, 2006 (Graduate Test Prep) (Paperback)

I took the GRE CAT exam several weeks ago and had purchased this book with the CD-rom and also Barron's GRE book. I highly recommend that you do not rely on just one book alone when studying.

I started studying from the Barron's book first but found the practice questions to be incredibly difficult (I am not a naturally good standardized test taker). I settled on Princeton Review's (PR) guide as a backup. As I worked through the PR explanations and practice questions, I found both the Verbal and Math portions to be much easier in comparison to Barrons. I initially appreciated the "right-brain" approach to the GRE: taking advantage of process of elimination, viewing questions holistically, and making educated guesses- which gave me the confidence to take on the problems even if I did not know how to calculate an answer precisely.

Although PR's book gave me the confidence going into the exam, the exam itself was somewhat different and indeed, did require at times precise calculations for the math portion. That is where Barrons came in handy. In addition, the verbal portion on the actual CAT was harder than any of the practice questions PR provided (I did not have a chance to use the actual CD; I am referring to the practice questions in the book). The vocabulary list was also somewhat insufficient for the exam. In order to do well, you MUST know as many vocabulary words as possible. I recommend reviewing Barron's 3,000 word hit list and PR's Word Smart to beef up your vocabulary if needed.

Overall, CRACKING THE GRE isn't terrible, but it's not the best. If vocabulary is your achilles heel, check out University of California's free tutorial and vocab site called Number 2 (search for it online). I wish I had discovered this site much earlier than a few days before taking the exam. You should not dread the GRE, as CRACKING THE GRE emphasizes, but as a three hour game solving vocabulary and math questions. As silly as that sounds, being able to breathe deeply and be confident can really help you do well on the exam. Good luck.