Master The GRE - 2010: Take the First Step Toward Earning Your Graduate Degree

Cover Page......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
ISBN 0768927854......Page 3
Contents......Page 6
Before You Begin......Page 12
PART I: GRE BASICS......Page 20
1 All About the General GRE......Page 22
The GRE Structure and Testing Format......Page 23
Your GRE Scores......Page 25
Taking the GRE Computer-Based Test......Page 26
Registering for the GRE (United States and Canada)......Page 33
GRE Availability and Registration (International Testing)......Page 34
The Paper-Based GRE (for International Test Takers)......Page 38
Other GRE Policies You Should Know About......Page 41
The GRE Personal Potential Index (New in 2009)......Page 44
Obtaining Up-to-Date GRE Information......Page 46
General Test-Taking Tips......Page 47
Summing It Up......Page 50
The Analytical Writing Section......Page 52
The Quantitative Reasoning Section......Page 55
The Verbal Reasoning Section......Page 62
Summing It Up......Page 71
PART II: DIAGNOSING STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES......Page 79
3 Practice Test 1: Diagnostic......Page 80
Analytical Writing......Page 81
Quantitative Reasoning......Page 83
Verbal Reasoning......Page 90
Answer Key and Explanations......Page 97
PART III: ANALYTICAL WRITING......Page 110
Key Facts About the GRE Issue Task......Page 112
The 7-Step Plan......Page 113
Four Advanced Techniques for Scoring High......Page 119
Issue Task Strategies......Page 127
Summing It Up......Page 130
Key Facts About the GRE Argument Task......Page 132
The 7-Step Plan......Page 133
GRE Argument Flaws„and How to Handle Them......Page 141
Argument Task Strategies......Page 151
Summing It Up......Page 154
6 Writing Style and Mechanics......Page 156
Avoid Empty Rhetoric......Page 157
Connect Your Ideas......Page 158
Use the Language of Critical Reasoning Properly......Page 159
Refer to Yourself, the Statement, or the Argument„As Needed......Page 161
Vary Sentence Length and Structure......Page 162
Write Clearly and Concisely......Page 163
Use Language Correctly and Persuasively......Page 164
Summing It Up......Page 166
PART IV: QUANTITATIVE REASONING......Page 168
Key Facts About GRE Problem Solving......Page 170
The 5-Step Plan......Page 171
Problem-Solving Strategies......Page 177
The Data Interpretation Format......Page 187
Data Interpretation Strategies......Page 191
The Numeric Entry Format (New)......Page 192
Summing It Up......Page 195
Key Facts About GRE Quantitative Comparisons......Page 196
The 6-Step Plan......Page 198
Quantitative Comparison Strategies......Page 202
Summing It Up......Page 208
9 Math Review: Number Forms, Relationships, and Sets......Page 210
Percents, Fractions, And Decimals......Page 211
Simplifying and Combining Fractions......Page 213
Decimal Place Values and Operations......Page 216
Simple Percent Problems......Page 217
Percent Increase and Decrease......Page 218
Ratios and Proportion......Page 219
Arithmetic Mean, Median, Mode, and Range......Page 224
Standard Deviation......Page 229
Arithmetic Sequences......Page 230
Geometric Sequences......Page 232
Permutations......Page 233
Combinations......Page 234
Probability......Page 235
Summing It Up......Page 239
10 Math Review: Number Theory and Algebra......Page 240
Basic Properties Of Numbers......Page 241
Factors, Multiples, and Divisibility......Page 243
Prime Numbers and Prime Factorization......Page 244
Exponents (Powers)......Page 245
Roots and Radicals......Page 249
Linear Equations with One Variable......Page 254
Linear Equations with Two Variables......Page 257
Simple Algebraic Functions......Page 260
Linear Equations that Cannot Be Solved......Page 261
Factorable Quadratic Expressions with One Variable......Page 262
Nonlinear Equations with Two Variables......Page 266
Solving Algebraic Inequalities......Page 267
Solving Algebra \"Story\" Problems......Page 268
Summing It Up......Page 278
11 Math Review: Geometry......Page 280
Lines and Angles......Page 281
Triangles......Page 284
Quadrilaterals......Page 290
Circles......Page 298
Polygons......Page 306
Cubes and Other Rectangular Solids......Page 308
Cylinders......Page 310
Coordinate Geometry„the XY-Plane......Page 311
Summing It Up......Page 322
PART V: VERBAL REASONING......Page 324
Key Facts About GRE Analogies......Page 326
The 5-Step Plan......Page 327
Analogy Strategies......Page 330
Analogy Categories You Should Know......Page 336
Summing It Up......Page 348
13 Sentence and Text Completions......Page 350
The 5-Step Plan (Sentence Completions)......Page 351
Sentence Completion Strategies......Page 355
Structural Clues for Completing Sentences......Page 359
Key Facts About Text Completions......Page 363
The 4-Step Plan (Text Completions)......Page 364
Logical Connections for Completing Text......Page 367
Text Completion Strategies......Page 371
Summing It Up......Page 372
Key Facts about GRE Reading Comprehension......Page 374
Interactive Reading: The Key to Reading Comprehension......Page 376
The 7-Step Plan......Page 377
Interactive Reading Strategies......Page 382
Question Types......Page 387
GRE Test Designers\' Top 10 Wrong-Answer Ploys......Page 402
Summing It Up......Page 403
Key Facts About GRE Antonyms......Page 404
The 5-Step Plan for Antonyms......Page 405
Antonym Strategies......Page 408
How the GRE Tests Your Vocabulary......Page 413
How GRE Test Designers Choose Vocabulary......Page 414
Strategies for Building a GRE Vocabulary......Page 417
Summing It Up......Page 420
PART VI: FIVE PRACTICE TESTS......Page 422
Analytical Writing......Page 430
Verbal Reasoning......Page 432
Quantitative Reasoning......Page 437
Answer Key and Explanations......Page 445
Analytical Writing......Page 462
Quantitative Reasoning......Page 464
Verbal Reasoning......Page 473
Answer Key and Explanations......Page 479
Analytical Writing......Page 496
Verbal Reasoning......Page 498
Quantitative Reasoning......Page 504
Answer Key and Explanations......Page 513
Analytical Writing......Page 530
Quantitative Reasoning......Page 532
Verbal Reasoning......Page 540
Answer Key and Explanations......Page 545
Analytical Writing......Page 562
Verbal Reasoning......Page 564
Quantitative Reasoning......Page 570
Answer Key and Explanations......Page 579
APPENDIXES......Page 590
A Scoring Your Practice Tests„Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning......Page 592
B Vocabulary List......Page 596
C Additional Resources for Graduate Admissions and the GRE......Page 632
About the Author......Page 646