Best Books For GRE Preparation 2021

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which is conducted by the ETS is used to examines the candidate’s critical and analytical thinking, verbal reasoning, and quantitative skills. Apart from institutions in USA, and Canada, various graduate schools across the world use this score to grant admission in various degree programs. But to get into a university of your choice, you need to put in a lot of effort to score well in the GRE exam. Even though preparing for the test can be taxing but with the right resources, you can amp up your preparation and boost your chances of getting into your dream university. Through this article, we will shed light on some of the best books for GRE that will help you ace the exam. 

Also Read : GRE Eligibility Criteria

How to Select the Right Book for GRE?

As discussed above, there is a multitude of books that you can use to prepare for the exam. But how to select the best works is a question that haunts many. You can remember these tips and tricks while purchasing a study guide for this test: 

• Before buying a book, solve a complete practice test to identify your strengths and weaknesses. 
• After that, decide what section you want to focus on and the time left to prepare for the test. 
• Go through the content of the study guides and compare their material on the topics which you need to practice. 
• Last but not least, go through the explanations of the answers to get a brief idea about the content structure. 

Also Read : GRE Accepting Universities in Germany

GRE Syllabus

Before moving on to the best books for GRE, it is important that applicants are aware of the exam syllabus. Here is the exam syllabus of GRE:

Sections	Syllabus
Analytical Writing	The primary objective of this section is to test how effectively a student can summarise complex ideas in an easy yet concise way
Verbal Reasoning	The topics under this section include: Idioms, vocabulary, parallelism, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, nouns, pronouns and adjectives, text completion, verbs and tenses, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun agreement
Quantitative Reasoning	In this section, the questions asked are generally from topics like geometry, algebra, and data analysis. To understand this topic, you can read our blog on the GRE quant syllabus

Also Read : GRE Test Centres

Best Books for GRE Section – Wise

Wondering about the best books for GRE? We have prepared a list of the best books for GRE section-wise. This will help you prepare your weaker sections better and analyze all sections. Check out the list mentioned below:

Best Books for GRE – Quantitative Section 

Manhattan Prep: GRE Math Strategies	Buy Here
Princeton Review: Math Workout for GRE	Buy Here
Be a Human Calculator	Buy Here

Best Books for GRE Analytical Writing Section

GRE Analytical Writing: Solutions to the Real Essay Topics	Buy Here
Sample Essay for GRE by Andrea Schiralli	Buy Here

Best Books for GRE Verbal Section

The Vocabulary Builder Workbook: Simple Lessons and Activities to TeachYourself	Buy Here
GRE Verbal Workbook by Kaplan Test Prep	Buy Here
Manhattan Word Problems GRE Strategy Guide	Buy Here

Also Read : GATE vs GRE: Which is Better?

Other General Books for GRE

Apart from the above-mentioned books, you can also prepare for the exam from the ones listed below:

• Kaplan’s GRE Premier
• GRE by ArgoPrep
• 5 lb. book of GRE Practice Problems
• GRE Big Book
• GRE Prep by Magoosh 
• GRE Vocabulary Flash Cards
• GRE Analytical Writing
• McGraw-Hill Education Conquering GRE Maths

Manhattan Prep GRE Set of 8 Strategy Guides

Don’t confuse it being a single book! In fact, it is a set of 8 books that covers all the topics form each section comprehensively. From Algebra, Geometry, and Number Properties to Fractions, Word Problems, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence, the guide has ample of questions to practice. The reason it is considered as one of the best books for GRE is because it helps you clear your basic concepts through its effective explanation and diverse set of questions. You can either buy them as a whole set or select the ones you need from here.

Also Read: GRE vs GMAT

ETS Official GRE Guide, 3rd Edition

How can we not include the study guide in the best books for GRE list which has been made by the Educational Testing Service (ETS)? Preparing from this book for GRE acts as a stepping stone as the students can practice questions of all the sections. Apart from providing a detailed explanation of concepts on quantitative as well as verbal reasoning, the book also includes various tips and tricks to ace the GRE exam. You can purchase the book from either ETS or from Amazon here.         

Barron’s GRE 

With full-length mock tests and its explanations, the Barron’s GRE is considered as one of the best books for GRE. It is a comprehensive guide that includes strategies that help the students to master the analytical, verbal and quantitative sections of the exam. The study guide provides very useful and simple explanations to all the questions thus sharpening skills of the students in every topic. The buyers also get free access to the online Barron’s GRE course. You can buy it either from Amazon or from other online/offline mediums. 

The Princeton Review, Cracking the GRE

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When it comes to GRE preparation, the Princeton Review is counted amongst some of the best books for GRE. Known for its verbal strategies and explanations, the guide also consists of full-length practice tests as well as study materials in reading comprehension and mathematics thereby helping students to be a step ahead in preparation. Further, those who want to improve their English vocabulary can also refer to this book as it includes definitions and examples for almost all the important high-level English words. You can purchase it from Amazon here.

Also Read: 50 difficult words with meaning 

ETS GRE Book

You can also find the sample paper, practice tests, and exam format on the ETS official website. We have attached the important practice books for GRE. These sample papers are an added bonus in your preparation. Check out the list here:

Practice Book for GRE – General Tests

Practice Book for GRE Tests

Practice Book for GRE Tests

Practice Book for GRE – Maths Conventions

Practice Book for GRE – Math Review

FAQs

Hopefully, with this blog, you are now familiar with the best books for GRE. If you are preparing for GRE exam but are not sure about how to get started with it then the experts at Leverage Edu will help you build a strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses to ace the exam. You can also join GRE Coaching in Delhi to step up your preparation for the test.