Customer Reviews

Kaplan GRE Psychology

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading all the amazon reviews of psych GRE books I decided on two: Kaplan and Princeton Review. Although I had plenty of time to study (over 3 months), I focused 90% of my time studying Princeton Review, mainly because of its less intimidating size. BIG MISTAKE. By the time I got to read through Kaplan, I realized just how much important material I had missed. However, by then it was too late to read through the whole book, as the test was only a couple weeks week away. Although I had memorized theorists and definitions galore from Princeton Review, I did not do well on the test. Practice GREs scored me in the 99th percentile, so of course I thought I was on the right track. Wrong! I only scored a 600 on the exam and was truly disappointed. I was even more disappointed when I realized everything I needed to do well on the exam was right in front of me with Kaplan. In fact, if I had not studied at least some of Kaplan, I don't think I would have even hit 600! All the material that I did go over from Kaplan was on the test, while the massive definitions and theorists Princeton Review provided did nothing to help me answer the more in-depth type of questions that the GRE calls for. Kaplan is a great book because it actually goes into great detail about the material you need to know! I was extremely disappointed in Princeton Review and in myself for wasting my time. If I take the exam again I will study this book throughly and stay far, far away from Princeton Review. Not only is this book extremely thorough and allows for a very clear understanding of the material...it is actually very interesting to read! Why memorize 2-sentence blurbs that don't really make sense and doesn't really teach you anything, when you can actually LEARN and UNDERSTAND the material. The size might be a little nerve-wracking, but if you're really invested in doing well on this exam I highly suggest this book.

I studied from two books: The Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE and Kaplan's GRE Psychology. I never had a psychology class in college - I'm a chemist - most of this was new. But I scored an 800 on the test, apparently, 99th percentile. Here were my impressions:

Kaplan - Much more thorough than Princeton Review's; it was very dense and seemed to try to touch on every concept that might be a question on the test. This can be a bit overwhelming and certainly confusing, as I noticed numerous typos, contradictions, and other errors that sent me to the web for clarification and correction. The book's organization is poorer for review than The Princeton Review's, so keep your own notes and keep them organized.

Cracking the GRE - I enjoyed the presentation and the organization of the material. It was straightforward, covered the basics, and clean with upbeat, if cheesy, dialogue and photos. It made it easier to learn, but left out a lot that was in Kaplan. This is a quick review for someone without much time, but NOT for someone, like me, who knows nothing about psychology.

Both books contained some information not found in the other (this was more true for Kaplan than "Cracking"). Also, there were questions on the test wholly unrelated to anything I'd studied in either book. I suspect then, no prep book can prepare you completely for the test. Likewise, the books' sample tests will not reliably predict your performance, since the questions on the books' practice tests rarely require knowledge not supplied in the books.
If you're crunched for time, just get Kaplan's book and move on to "Cracking" if you've mastered the first. If you're really crunched for time, say a week or two, just go for "Cracking". But if you have the time, get both books. I found they supported each other and I learned enough to score better than most. Read "Cracking" first to get the test material straight in your mind, then Kaplan to fill in the gaps. In taking book practice tests, and the official ETS one (an absolute MUST since it seems more difficult), don't get too upset if you don't have a clue on some questions. I skipped about 5 questions on the actual test and I guessed on at least 10 more and I still did well.

Good luck.

I used all three of the major books (this one, Barron's, and Princeton Review's) to study for this exam, and the Kaplan book was by far the best.

First, it had more comprehensive information than the others, without unnecessary details that the test does not cover. It does a good job of putting things in context rather than just listing items that you need to know, but does not get too bogged down in doing so.

Second, the practice tests were much more like the actual test than the books from the other companies. The complexity and subject matter of both the questions and the answer choices reflected that of the actual GRE and ETS's own practice GRE much better than the Barron or Princeton Review books.

Finally, there were actual detailed explanations for the answers to all of the questions. This is immensely helpful in giving you feedback about why you might have gotten something wrong, and providing strategies about how to avoid such mistakes in the future. This is much more helpful than a simple statement of what the right answer is, and what subtopic of psychology the question dealt with.

Get this book, and don't waste your time with the others.

This study guide is a must have for success in the psychology GRE. And if already have a solid foundation in psychology, it's probably the only guide you'll need.

For a study guide, the material is well written and presented in an engaging manner. Very helpful is the fact that every sub-section is followed by a table summmarizing important definitions and theories. There is also an emphasis on specific researchers, though it is unlikely that some of the lesser known names will appear on the exam (based on my experience at least).

It took me about 30 hours to read and review this guide, but the more substantial benefit comes from the excellent practice exams, which closely mirror the questions found on the actual exam. Be sure to give yourself time to read over these exams, taking time to look up the terms and researchers with whom you are not familiar. Then do the same with the ETS practice exam.

If you have time and are keen getting the most of your score, the Princeton isn't a bad supplement after you've gone through the Kaplan. It takes a "shotgun" approach, having bullet points that cover a wide breadth of material. It's rather poorly written--and some information honestly seemed a bit 'suspect'--but it's not too bad for a review.

But if you're only going to get one book, I strongly suggest that you go with the Kaplan guide. Without it, I would not have gotten an 810 on the exam. Best of luck!

I am utterly disappointed in the results of my Psych GRE scores even after i INTENSELY studied the Kaplan GRE Psych book, highlighted, took notes, and memorized the relevant info. that i thought would help me for the exam.

While Kaplan did a superb job reviewing my psych knowledge and giving me a better and broader understanding of the branches of intro psych., it completely FAILED in preparing me for the ACTUAL GRE exam.

The exam (which was about 2 months ago), did not cover ANTHING that I studied in the Kaplan book. Names, concepts, detailed questions... I was not prepared for any of the material, even though I repeatedly scored 800s on the practice test in the KAPLAN book.

Anyways, just a heads up if you're considering buying or NOT buying this book.

Jay Meg (Princeton) aims (and succeeds), to get you to pass the test, by having you know the answers.
Kaplan tries to accomplish the same result (given the limitation of the 430 pages), by teaching the subject matter.

I took the Psychology GRE in April this year, and for the most part, I studied using only this book and no other source for about 3 months. (3 days prior to the exam, I read an entire intro psych textbook.) The book does an extremely good job of symplifying all the terms and concepts for each major area, but unfortunately, it's too concise. It leaves out major details that the GRE actually wants you to know. I know this because I took the ETS practice test a few days prior to the exam and I found that while I was familiar with everything on the test, I didn't have a solid knowledge of every topic. My recommendation: please do yourself a favor and study using a REAL psychology textbook, and when combined with this review, you should do okay. (I only scored a 710 - but I'm sure that I would have done worse had I not used the psych textbook nights before the exam!)

I am disappointed at the amount of errors in the text and in figures here. If I didn't have a basic understanding of most of this, I would be incredibly frustrated. Proper names are misspelled, somehow the word "Conservation" got switched to "conversation," and figures, meant to teach are out and out wrong. I didn't look at the Princeton book, but if I had the time, I would.

If you are studying for the Psych GRE, then this book is the best way to help you study. After reviewing the comments on Amazon, I decided to purchase both the Kaplan and Princeton Review books to help me study for the Psych GRE. The Kaplan is about twice the size, but that's because it is twice as good.
I am not that good at these huge multiple-choice question tests, so I studyed by reading the Kaplan book twice (and typing my own notes from the book). The chapters in Kaplan were packed with information, but they were easy to read. It may take awhile to get through, but it sure beats reading an intro psych textbook. By the time I started reading the Princeton Review book, I realized just how much the Princeton Review DID NOT have. Kaplan may be bigger, but that's because it is better.
The only thing I took from the Princeton Review book was the practice test. The week before I took the test, I started taking the practice tests. I think the biggest key to this test is taking as many practice tests (in real timed conditions, filling out the bubbles) as you can. The Kaplan book had two great tests that were similar to the one distributed by ETS. Even though I only studied for two weeks, I scored really well on this test, and I think Kaplan had a lot to do with it.

I haven't taken the test yet; however, I have already received my bachelor's degree in psychology. This book sums up the four years of psych. classes I took. It does miss some things, but it would be impossible to cover everything you learn in college. It is a great review nonetheless. I would not recommend it for anyone who has not already had all of the main subjects in psychology. It is simply a review, not a learning tool. There are mini tests after each section, which are nice. It is a lot of reading, so be prepared to start studying a couple of months before the test.