Test prep is a vast industry, with many companies offering books and online courses for all types of standardized tests. As with any other sector, test prep also has its share of prominent players who dominate the market with their products. Kaplan, Manhattan, and Magoosh are some of the names you have probably heard of.
However, other lesser-known companies out there don’t have the best marketing but create decent but cheap products. In today’s article, I will go over 10 Cheap but Neglected GRE books.
In this Article
- 10. GRE IntelliPREP: Effective Preparatory Practices to Ace GRE Test
- 9. GRE Prep by Mometrix
- 8. Gruber’s Complete GRE Guide
- 7. GRE Prep Tutor by Apex Test Prep
- 6. GRE For Dummies Quick Prep
- 5. GRE Prep by Test Prep Books
- 4. Master Key to the GRE: Set of 5 Math Strategy Guides by Sherpa Prep
- 3. GRE Prep by Innovation Prep
- 2. Ultimate Math Refresher for GRE, GMAT, and SAT by Lighthouse Review
- 1. GRE Prep by Magoosh
10. GRE IntelliPREP: Effective Preparatory Practices to Ace GRE Test
This GRE prep book by Intelligent+ is a relatively new product, and not many people know about it. However, it does contain a comprehensive review of the GRE with detailed answer explanations for all the practice questions.
Key Features:
- Complete GRE Test Information”
- Full coverage of Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
- Special tips and strategies for acing the analytical portion.
- Offers advice and strategies on essential vocabulary.
Get it here.
9. GRE Prep by Mometrix
Mometrix GRE Prep offers a detailed review of all three GRE sections. It has hundreds of practice questions, along with tips and strategies for better performance. However, it only has one full-length GRE practice test.
Key Features:
- Practice test questions with detailed answer explanations
- Step-by-step video tutorials to help you master difficult concepts
- Tips and strategies to help you get your best test performance
- A complete review of all GRE test sections
- Verbal Reasoning Test
- Quantitative Reasoning Test
- Analytical Writing Test
Get it here.
8. Gruber’s Complete GRE Guide
Gruber’s Complete GRE guide is a lesser-known gem that offers a comprehensive study of the GRE. It has a diagnostic test at the very beginning that helps you figure out your current skill level. It also includes the 101 most important math questions that every GRE student should know and much other stuff.
Key Features:
- The World’s Shortest Practice Test for the GRE Exam: estimate your score in only 20 questions!
- A diagnostic test to reveal your strengths and weaknesses
- The 101 most important math questions every student needs to be able to answer
- Nineteen simple-to-learn Math Strategies for solving every type of problem by breaking them down to their easiest forms
- Four practice tests with explanatory answers
- Explanations of why you got questions wrong—plus how to get them right
Get it here.
7. GRE Prep Tutor by Apex Test Prep
GRE prep by Apex Test Prep is a strategy focused book that offers a variety of advice and tactics to help you perform better on GRE. The layout of the book and the language is straightforward to follow. The explanations are detailed and the practice questions, although not perfect, are very close to the real GRE.
Key Features:
- Test-Taking Tips: APEX Test Prep tips help you get inside the test creators’ minds and help you make educated guesses when you get stumped.
- Straightforward Instruction: APEX Test Prep introduces all of our GRE test prep material in a manner that is easy to understand.
- Comprehensive Material: Our APEX Test Prep team compiles all the information that could be covered by your exam.
- GRE Practice Test Questions: Test out your skills and evaluate your readiness. The questions are written by APEX Test Prepare as close as possible to the actual tests’ questions.
- Detailed Answer Explanations: Every practice test comes with an in-depth answer key.
Get it here.
6. GRE For Dummies Quick Prep
This is the sort of book you get when you have procrastinated the whole time leading up to the exam. GRE for Dummies will teach you all the essentials you need to know to score well. It has a no-nonsense approach that gets down to the nitty-gritty of all three sections.
Key Features:
- Includes one full-length practice GRE test, complete with answers and explanations.
- Offers a quick, no-nonsense coverage of the entire GRE.
- Helps you master verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing
- Prepares you for the big day by providing ample practice of GRE questions
Get it here.
5. GRE Prep by Test Prep Books
GRE Prep is one of the more comprehensive GRE guides on this list. It offers a quick overview of the test itself, followed by detailed chapters on the GRE individual sections. This book also contains a plethora of test-taking advice and strategies.
Key Features:
- Quick Overview: Find out what’s inside this guide!
- Test-Taking Strategies: Learn the best tips to help overcome your exam!
- Introduction: Get a thorough breakdown of what the test is and what’s on it!
- Verbal Reasoning: Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence.
- Quantitative Reasoning: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Measurement, and Data Analysis.
- Analytical Writing: Writing the Essay, Conventions of Standard English, and Analyze an Issue/Argument
- Practice Questions: Practice makes perfect!
- Detailed Answer Explanations: Figure out where you went wrong and how to improve!
Get it here.
4. Master Key to the GRE: Set of 5 Math Strategy Guides by Sherpa Prep
If you want an all-encompassing solution for your GRE preparation, then Sherpa Prep’s Set of 5 GRE books should be your choice. Unlike single book guides, this set is not constrained by paper real estate. The individual books go over practically everything that you will come across in the GRE test.
Key Features:
- 350+ full-length GRE math lessons.
- 1,000+ practice questions, sorted by difficulty and topic.
- Hundreds of tricks and shortcuts that you won’t find anywhere else.
- Animated video solutions for every practice problem.
- Thorough discussions of every rate or advanced math concept tested by the GRE.
- Indications of which topics are commonly tested by the GRE and which are not.
- 6-month access to our video solution library.
Get it here.
3. GRE Prep by Innovation Prep
GRE Prep by Innovation is also a relatively new entry in the GRE test prep space. However, it offers excellent coverage of all the GRE sections and contains a complete review of the different question types and topics you will encounter on the test.
Key Features:
- 2 x full-length 4-hour practice exams with answers.
- How to perform at your best (in ANY exam – not just the GRE!)
- Proven methods you can use to ACE your GRE and get into the Graduate School of your dreams.
- Over 50 Worked examples, explanations, work-throughs, and a strategy for answering any question!
- Advice for practice tests and how to take them to maximize your learning
Get it here.
2. Ultimate Math Refresher for GRE, GMAT, and SAT by Lighthouse Review
This Lighthouse Review GRE guide is specifically designed for the quant section on GRE, GMAT, and SAT. Keep in mind that this is not a GRE-specific book but a “math refresher” meant to teach you all the basic math rules and principles of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
Key Features:
- Ideal for learning basic math concepts relevant to GRE.
- It can be used as a starter book for the more difficult GRE guides.
- Great practice exercises build math skills step-by-step.
- Covers basic math rules and principles of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.
Get it here.
1. GRE Prep by Magoosh
GRE Prep by Magoosh is not as unheard of as the other entries on this list; however, it still lacks mainstream acclaim. This book has the highest ratings on Amazon out of all the other books. GRE Prep by Magoosh offers a detailed study of all the GRE sections. It has 130+ high-quality practice questions and detailed answer explanations.
Key Features:
- Hundreds of easy-to-follow tips, FAQs, GRE strategies, and a study schedule to get you ready for the big test.
- Thorough lessons on all three sections of the GRE, accompanied by 130+ up-to-date practice.
- Stats for each practice question, including its difficulty rating and the percent of students who typically answer it correctly, all based on data from our online prep.
- A full-length practice test prepared by our in-house experts with an answer key and detailed explanations.
- A chapter on the AWA with example prompts to help you practice your essays.
Get it here.