Customer Reviews

Words for Smart Test Takers 2nd Edition (Academic Test Preparation Series)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used this book for the preparation of the verbal section of the GRE. To my suprise, I found it to be much better than other vocab books. This book actually got me interested in learning new words, something I thought would never happen. The presentation and organization style of the author makes it easier to fix the words in memory. I encountered a fair number of words in this book on the GRE exam. Overall I liked this book a lot and I give it five stars. Well deserved kudos to the author. Highly recommended to any one who wants to enrich their vocabulary (and not just to the ones that are preparing for GRE/SAT).

I purchased a number of study guides to prepare myself for the SAT and this is the only one I found truly useful. Now, as I prepare for the GRE this book is my savior! Believe it or not, these words REALLY DO appear on the exam, and they're also great for boosting up your vocab permanently. Use them to impress your friends or in your papers to dazzle your teachers. Just don't get carried away or you'll sound pompous (at best), incomprehensible (at worst).

Organized in a thoughtful, and comprehensive way. Avoids the typical pendantic nature of most GRE books. One problem: I noticed several typos in the definitions, and while this does not impact the actual words, it is somewhat frustrating to use a book on "words" containing typos. Nonetheless, it is an invaluable aid for preparing for the GRE's.

Overall a pretty helpful book, but riddled with typos. Especially in the back in the 'Games' section. Oftentimes, words that appear on quizzes do not appear in the solutions. Would also be helpful if the book included words in context rather that solely definitions.

This was by far the most useful vocabulary book I found while studying for the GRE.

I took the GRE years ago, but had to take it again since my score expired. I used this book to studying for the test, and started studying months before I took it. I memorized 695 words from this book and boosted my score by 90 points, obtaining a 710 (98th percentile) on the Verbal. 95% of the words on the test were ones I had memorized from this book.

It wasn't easy memorizing 695 words, but it was SO worth it. I got accepted into graduate school.

I am halfway through this book right now in preparation for the GRE and must commend its vocabulary and format. It repeats words as you continue through it to give you a more flexible understanding, and although I cannot rate its usefulness for standardized tests, I do have faith in the work that it puts you through.
However, I must point out that the reader has to be on the lookout for typos that either misspell words, add apostrophes instead of letters, imprecise definitions (or definitions whose emphasis is the opposite from the truth), and even an incorrect answer on a quiz's answer sheet. If you use another dictionary to, say, compile your own list of words to memorize, you'll nullify this problem, but it is rather unacceptable for a book on words to mess them up so frequently. Still, though I haven't looked into the alternatives, I would recommend this resource for your word-boosting needs.

Many of the words I saw on the GRE test were in the words lists at the beginning on this book: 99 Words for Smart Test Takers and their GRE word list.

I found it to be a relief to have a smaller list of words to work with (rather than Barron's 3,500 words) that were actually on the test.

This book groups words into meaningful categories as opposed to memorizing endless lists. I highly recommend it for anyone studying for the GREs who needs to brush up on their vocabulary. It's definitely easier to use and more interesting than any other book I have used.

My HS student takes Honors English and a big portion of his grade is ACT vocabulary. After reviewing the words one night, he aced the test.