Rating: 
Summary: Quick work
Review: I'm from the UK and applied to take an MA in US colleges and wasn't aware of the GRE test until I saw that I needed to in order to be accepted onto a graduate course. I then realised my testing date was in two months...leaving me with just eight weeks to polish up on all that algebra, geometry, long division and all the other good stuff that I hadn't encountered since my high school maths classes six years ago.This book helped me immensely in those eight weeks. Take comfort in the fact that not all of us are top students who can ace tests and get 1600s. I only scored a 920 (which was enough to get me accepted onto my chosen course). But that improved from 500-600 before I bought the book. Yes - my math is THAT bad!! The strategies and tactics are great and its a wonderful refresher, especially for people like me who get extremely confused when presented with x2=y2-4 stuff. The step by step tactics, strategies and explanations can even substitute for have to know the cold hard facts. This book took me from not even knowing what the test even was, to passing it in just eight weeks. I know that if I had more time and spent 6 months preparing diligently, I would have made a MUCH higher score. Trust this book, its fantastic and very "reader friendly".
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: If you need a high score in quantitive section of GRE, this is YOUR book!! The math review of this book is excellent. The questions are sometimes a little bit harder than the GRE questions, which prepares you to get the best score. That is what I did, I got 720 from the quantitive section. The vocabulary list needs to be memorized, if you are an international student like me, you better do it!! Well, I didn't, so my verbal section score sucks!! If you are intending to get a high score, I would absulately go for this book. DO NOT get the book WITH THE CD though, it doesn't work well, and it gets frustrating at times. Overall, a great study material, get this book without any hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpfool
Review: In my opinion, the Barron's GRE book is the best book available. I worked through the entire vocab list and the Math section, and both, I think, helped. Keep this in mind: the GRE test is more of an "intelligence test" than a knowledge test. The vocab and math on the real test are quite simple; the difficult part is solving them correctly. I found that much of the vocab that I learned was more obscure than the vocab required for the test. Essentially, it doesn't take a large vocabularly to determine that up is the opposite of down, that soothe is the opposite of vex, etc... I scored a 740 English/750 Math/6 writing, and the reason I didn't do better was not because I was unfamilar with the vocab or math, but simply because I could not solve the math and recognize the analogies... That said, as a grad school applicant, GRE's, I think, are only one component to your application--everything else will count for more. GRE's, from what I understand, will only keep you out of a competative program, not vice-versa.
I'm giving this book 4 stars because I think the CAT's are somewhat incorrect. The Math scores you about 50 points scores you about 50 points lower and the English scores you about 50 points higher than the actual test.
In addition to this book I would also use the Powerprep software. It mimics the GRE test well, except for the fact that on the actual test I score lower than on the Powerprep (790/800 verbal and 750/760 on the math). The bottom line is that nothing perfectly predicts your score.
This book is great, and I think learning the vocab is helpful. But remember, I felt like I knew every vocab word and math problem--but--I couldn't get perfect score. The book can bring you up a bit, but remember the nature of the GRE's: its not simply a knowledge test. Otherwise, perfect scores should be attainable by everyone willing to put the time into the test.
Rating:
Summary: if this book can raise MY math score...
Review: This book is great. I'm horrible at math, and after getting a depressing score on the GRE the first time around, I studied with this book and raised my score 200 points. The strategies are sound and really help out if you can't quite remember how to do the calculations behind each problem. The commonly found word lists are valuable, as well.
My only problem with this book is that sometimes the same questions from the review exercises pop up in the tests. So I would recommend supplementing this book with the practice tests off of the GRE website, but other than that, this book is all you need for preparation.
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