Resources for the GRE General
Best GRE Test Preparation Books
Not all test prep books are alike, and I would discourage you from using only one. All of these books speak very authoritatively about what’s on the test and what you need to know, but if you look at a few of them you will realize that they come up with some different answers. My recommendation? Buy one, and check out the others in your local library or bookstore.
The Princeton Review is widely popular, and has some very good strategies for approaching the GRE general test. I give it a 10 out of 10 for clarity, especially as far as the math section is concerned. The downside is that it’s rather sparse in terms of practice questions and vocabulary.
On the other hand, this book is almost too packed with information, and may be a little intimidating at first. I personally like it though. It has tons of vocabulary words, a good section on prefixes (very useful) and hundreds of math exercises to torment us English majors. Definitely a good pick. if you’re feeling ambitious about your vocabulary, you can also check out 
Kaplan falls somewhere in between the last two. It’s maybe a little better than Barrons in terms of strategies and clarity, and has a few more exercises than the Princeton Review. If you’re looking for the middle ground, this is it.
GRE Vocabulary Resources
Studying for the GRE verbal is definitely worthwhile. I raised my verbal score from a 700 on the practice test to a 750 on the actual test, and I didn’t exactly knock myself out. There are a number of words that have shown up on the GRE over and over again, and you’d do well to make sure you know them. Lists of these words are easy to find online, but I’d still recommend getting a GRE test prep book with some good test taking strategies, since at least half of what standardize tests quantify is your ability to take standardize tests.
Flashcards
If you can, I recommend you splurge on one of these ready made sets:
Also, remember to study the full definition(s) of each word. The GRE often requires that you know secondary definitions, which means that even if you know a synonym for a word, you don’t really know it as far as the test is concerned. so don’t just rely on synonyms or short definitions. Below I’ve listed some of the best GRE vocabulary websites. There are a lot of spammy, ad-ridden sites out there, so hopefully this will be helpful. BUT: Before you do anything, check out these They’re legit.
GRE Vocabulary Websites
– Great site. Clean and well organized with lots of information, GRE testing strategies, word lists and study tips. There is also a link to a podcast, although it seems to be broken. – Tons of words, concise and complete definitions. – a lot like the last one. Lots of words, and links to the online dictionary definitions of all of them, if you’re a definition connoisseur. – a relatively small but easily printable list of GRE vocabulary words. Also check out for a good list of prefixes. – This site seems to be designed for test takers whose first language is Chinese, but it seems good for everyone. It contains tons of GRE practice questions: over 960 antonym questions and 760 analogies, and it will correct your answers after every 10 questions. It may not look fancy, but it’s definitely worth checking out. – The GRE portion of the . It’s kind of a pain to navigate and contains way more information than you need, but it’s an interesting site all the same.
GRE Vocabulary Building Audio Sites
– This site offers clear, well paced audio recordings of GRE Vocabulary words. You can download a few demo sessions on the site, or get 4 months of full access for $14.95. This is definitely worth doing if you spend a lot of time commuting or consider yourself an auditory learner. In my own experience nothing beats good old fashioned flash cards, but since frequent repetition is important to memorization, it’s pretty nice to be able to “study” while walking down the street. I’m still searching for a decent free podcast, so if anyone has any tips let me know.