The age-old adage, “practice makes perfect,” has survived the test of time for a reason. The GRE, like any other test, requires an ample amount of practice and patience. Even the brightest students may fall short on their scores if they go into the test blindly. This is why we have curated 15 free GRE practice tests that you can easily take from the comfort of your home.
There are a plethora of such free GRE practice tests on the internet. However, knowing which practice tests most accurately represent the real thing is of utmost importance. You don’t want to practice on a sloppy and inaccurate test as it can cost you points on your actual test.
In this Article
- What makes a free GRE practice test better than others?
- 15 Free GRE Practice Tests
- Powerprep II (2 Tests) *5 start rating
- ETS Paper Exams (3 Tests) *5-star rating
- Manhattan Prep GRE Practice test (1 Test) *4-star rating
- Kaplan Free GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *4-star rating
- Princeton Review GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *4-star rating
- Magoosh GRE Practice Test (1 Test) * 3-star rating
- Mcgraw Hill GRE Practice Test (1 Test) * 3-star rating
- Manhattan Review GRE Practice Test (1 Test) * 3-star rating
- Mometrix GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
- Test Guide GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
- Union Prep GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
- Varsity Tutors GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
- The bottom line
What makes a free GRE practice test better than others?
There are a few things that you need to know before taking one. Let’s look at them one by one.
A format that is identical to the actual GRE
A good practice test should have the same format from beginning to end as the actual GRE. Whether it be the scoring system, the number of questions, or the allotted time, everything should mimic the real thing. This will ensure that you get accustomed to the intensity of the actual test.
- The GRE is a 3.5-hour long test that comprises 6 sections.
- The first section will always be analytical writing, where you will have to write two essays, 30 minutes for each.
- After that, the next five sections will occur randomly. Two sections of verbal reasoning, two sections of quantitative reasoning.
You will also get an additional experimental section that can be either a quantitative or a verbal section, but it will not contribute to your final score. You will not know which section is the “experimental” section, so you will have to attempt all sections to the best of your ability.
Note that you will have 30 minutes for each verbal section to answer 20 questions, and you will have 35 minutes for each of the quantitative section to answer 20 questions. The questions will be multiple choice in both quantitative and verbal sections.
Questions that closely resemble the actual GRE.
A low-quality practice test will most likely fall short on the accuracy of its questions.
A practice question should be worded and structured like the actual GRE.
The idea is not to make questions computationally challenging but is to style them the ETS way. This is where the real challenge lies and hence the differentiating factor that sets a good practice test apart from the rest.
Generally speaking, an official practice test would always offer the most closely resembling questions. This is because they are written by the very people who write questions for the GRE.
Good answer explanations
Accurate questions are no good if you don’t know why a particular answer choice is better than the others. Remember, GRE answers can be very deceiving, and learning how to pick the right one makes all the difference. This is why a GRE practice test must include an explanation for every correct and incorrect option.
User-friendly Interface
You don’t want a practice test that is not modeled in a user-friendly way.
An excellent practice test should use the same user-interface as the one you will encounter on test day. This will help you get used to the interface beforehand, and you would know what to expect.
15 Free GRE Practice Tests
Now that you know what makes a good GRE practice test, let’s look at the top 15 chosen by our experts.
Powerprep II (2 Tests) *5 start rating
Powerprep II are two free official practice tests that you can download from here.
These two tests are the best practice tests for the simple reason that they have been made by the same people who write the actual GRE. You can expect the same duration, difficulty, and format.
However, do note that these practice tests don’t include answer explanations, but you should still attempt them.
These tests also do not include the experimental section, so they are shorter than the actual exam.
ETS Paper Exams (3 Tests) *5-star rating
In addition to the previously mentioned Powerprep, ETS has also provided two paper-based tests.
However, the catch is that since it’s a paper-based test, you won’t get the same experience as the actual computer-delivered test. That being said, these two tests will be very similar to the real GRE as they are official tests that were used several years ago. They also don’t provide answer explanations.
Manhattan Prep GRE Practice test (1 Test) *4-star rating
The Manhattan Prep GRE practice test is perhaps the best unofficial free GRE test there is.
On top of having the same format and question types, it also includes the best answer explanations of any free test available.
All you will need to do is make a free account, and you are good to go.
They don’t include the experimental section.
Kaplan Free GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *4-star rating
This is yet another free GRE test that bodes quite well with the criteria we outlined previously. Above all, it also includes the experimental section.
It offers the same format and question types along with the duration. As a cherry on top, this one also explains the answers well, albeit not as well as the Manhattan Prep mentioned previously.
You may also find that some of the questions seem a bit off. This is why we recommend that you take multiple practice tests, if possible, to close any missing gaps.
Princeton Review GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *4-star rating
Much like Manhattan Prep, you will need to make a free account to practice the Princeton Review GRE test. It offers the same format and testing interface as the actual GRE.
Upon completion, you will be presented with a diagnostic sheet that shows your top strengths and weaknesses, along with detailed explanations for each question.
It also includes an experimental section, which is missing from ETS and Manhattan practice exams.
However, there are a few downsides.
Some of the questions mimic the actual GRE style, but most of them don’t. The majority of the verbal questions are good, but only a handful of the Math questions are realistic.
Therefore, I recommend that you don’t heavily rely on the score that Princeton gives you as it can be misleading. I would recommend taking this test once you have adequate confidence in your preparation, preferably after taking the other ones on this list.
Magoosh GRE Practice Test (1 Test) * 3-star rating
Mcgraw Hill GRE Practice Test (1 Test) * 3-star rating
Manhattan Review GRE Practice Test (1 Test) * 3-star rating
Mometrix GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
Test Guide GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
Union Prep GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
Varsity Tutors GRE Practice Test (1 Test) *3-star rating
The bottom line
We hope that the free resources listed here help you horn your skills in what is perhaps the most important test for your graduate studies. Make sure that you try to attempt all of the tests mentioned if your schedule permits; else, go for the two Powerprep tests and the Manhattan test. Best of luck!