The Graduate Record Examination is the go-to standardized test concerning admissions to grad-school in the U.S. and worldwide. GRE tests your abilities to reason both verbally and mathematically. The core purpose of the test is to determine your readiness for graduate-level studies. Hence, test-takers need to show their logical and critical thinking abilities to score well on the test.
As someone who runs a test-prep company, I know firsthand the importance of practice in GRE. Like any other test, GRE prep requires discipline and patience and, if a high score is your aim, then studying the concepts alone won’t suffice.
Practice tests are a core component of your GRE prep, and I see students perform poorly on their tests, thinking they don’t need to put in the time. Fortunately, there is no reason for you to skip practice tests, especially when so many of them are available for free.
I get it. Not everyone has the budget to spend on customized online courses and several prep books. However, thanks to the internet, you can find multiple practice tests without spending a dime.
This article has curated a list of the ten best free GRE practice tests available online. You can find even more free tests, but the quality of those is usually sub-par. The practice tests on this list are ranked from best to worst.
In this Article
ETS PowerPrep Plus GRE Practice Tests
Anyone who has worked in the test-prep circles knows ETS has the highest quality GRE prep material. The reason is apparent, ETS is the company that makes the actual GRE tests, and who knows better than them?
ETS provides authentic GRE questions in both its prep books and practice tests. The questions you will find in ETS’s practice tests have been taken out from past GRE tests. It can’t get any more authentic than this.
Luckily, ETS offers two official GRE practice tests on its website. All you need to do is make a free account and download the software. That’s it.
Get it from here.
ETS Paper Delivered GRE Practice Tests
ETS has also released a couple of paper-based GRE practice tests. Unlike powerprep, these tests are not delivered through software; instead, you can download the PDF files. However, be aware that some of the questions will overlap with Powerprep. Hence, it is best to take the Powerprep test first. As for the quality of the questions, these are retired GRE tests which mean they are authentic.
Get the 2011 practice test here.
Get the 2012 Practice test here.
Kaplan GRE Practice Test
If you have searched for GRE material online, you have probably run into Kaplan. Kaplan is one leading test-prep company out there, and they are mainly known for their GRE material, both books and online courses.
Since ETS is the only official entity that can provide official practice tests, you cannot expect the same quality from other companies on this list. That being said, Kaplan is regarded as one of the best resources out there. Kaplan’s GRE practice tests are high quality, although many believe that their questions can be a bit tougher than actual GRE.
However, that is no cause for concern, as more challenging questions will only improve your prep. You can expect to score a few points less than ETS Practice tests.
Get it from here.
Manhattan GRE Practice Test
Manhattan, much like Kaplan, is also an industry giant. They are known for their high-quality GRE online course as well as their 5 lb. GRE math book. Moreover, Manhattan also has the most comprehensive GRE book set on the market.
As far as practice tests are concerned, Manhattan is in the same league as Kaplan. Their practice questions, although not identical to ETS’s, are still very close. At the end of the free practice test, you will find a detailed analysis of your performance.
Get it from here.
Princeton Review GRE Practice Test
The Princeton Review has been around for decades and has probably published more prep books than any other company. Their GRE books are considered some of the best prep books out there as far as test-taking strategies and tactics are concerned.
Their practice tests are well regarded, but you may find them a little easier than the previous ones on this list. Thus, it is normal if you end up scoring higher than the tests mentioned above.
Get it from here.
CrunchPrep GRE Practice Test
CrunchPrep is a relatively new company, but they have quite the name for themselves thanks to their GRE course. They offer a single GRE practice test for free, which can also be used as a diagnostic test given the detailed analysis.
Regarding quality, don’t expect ETS-level questions, but they do hold their own compared to Kaplan and Manhattan. The detailed analysis includes crucial statistics like skill data, performance review, and question analysis, which give you detailed statistics on your accuracy, time management, weak areas.
Get it from here.
Magoosh Gre Practice Test
Magoosh undoubtedly has one of the most affordable and high-quality GRE online courses out there. They have been around for a while and are known to offer free apps and other resources. They also offer a free GRE full-length practice test, but I have placed them so slow on the list due to the delivery. They don’t offer the test on specialized software. Instead, you can find it on their blog. However, the question quality is up there with the rest, and you should use it.
Get it from here.
McGraw Hill Gre Practice Test
McGraw Hill is not as prominent a company as Kaplan or Manhattan, but their free practice test is a great resource. However, they have their style of presenting the questions, which doesn’t correlate with ETS. Hence, I would suggest you take this one only after taking the ETS practice test and others.
Get it from here.
4Tests GRE Practice Test
This is not a premium test-prep company, so don’t expect too much out of it. However, since we are talking about practice, they do provide a free GRE test. The questions might seem more manageable than the ones above, but they are still suitable for additional practice.
Get it from here.
Testden GRE Practice Test
This one is perhaps the lowest quality test on this list compared to the ones listed above. However, it’s still worth a shot because no practice goes unrewarded. When you have run out of all the tests mentioned on this list, only then take this.
Get it from here.