Gruber's Complete GRE Guide 2014, 3E

770 Pages·2013·27.15 MB·English

by  Gary Gruber

GRUBER’S
COMPLETE
GRE
*
3rd Edition
GUIDE 2014
*GRE is a registered trademark of the Educational Testing Service, which was not
involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this book.
G r. G , P D
ary ruber h
GRE2014_Intro.indd 1 3/8/13 12:15 PM
Copyright © 2013 by Gary R. Gruber
Cover and internal design © 2013 by Sourcebooks, Inc.
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means
including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical
articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered.
It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional
service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should
be sought.—From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a
Committee of Publishers and Associations
All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their
respective holders. Sourcebooks, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor in this book.
Published by Sourcebooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410
[phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.sourcebooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
DR 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
GRE2014_Intro.indd 2 3/8/13 12:15 PM
Recent and Forthcoming Study Aids from
Dr. Gary Gruber Include
Gruber’s Complete SAT Guide 2014
Gruber’s Complete PSAT/NMSQT Guide 2014
Gruber’s Complete ACT Guide 2014
Gruber’s SAT 2400
Gruber’s Complete SAT Math Workbook
Gruber’s Complete SAT Critical Reading Workbook
Gruber’s Complete SAT Writing Workbook
Gruber’s SAT Word Master
Gruber’s Essential Guide to Test Taking: Grades 3–5
Gruber’s Essential Guide to Test Taking: Grades 6–9
www.collegecountdown.com
www.sourcebooks.com
www.drgarygruber.com
www.mymaxscore.com
GRE2014_Intro.indd 3 3/8/13 12:15 PM
GRE2014_Intro.indd 4 3/8/13 12:15 PM
v
Important Note About This
Book and Its Author
This book is the most up-to-date and complete book on the current GRE (Graduate Record
Examinations). Every exam is patterned after the GRE, and all the strategies and techniques
deal with the GRE. The GRE incorporates all the Gruber Critical Thinking Strategies.
This book was written by Dr. Gary Gruber, the leading authority on the GRE, who knows
more than anyone else in the test-prep market exactly what is being tested in the GRE. In
fact, the procedures to answer the GRE questions rely more heavily on the Gruber Critical
Thinking Strategies than ever before, and this is the only book that has the exact thinking
strategies you need to use to maximize your GRE score. Gruber’s books are used by the
nation’s school districts more than any other books.
Dr. Gruber has published more than 35 books with major publishers on test-taking and
critical thinking methods, with more than 7 million copies sold. He has also authored more
than 1,000 articles on his work in scholarly journals and nationally syndicated newspapers,
has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, and has been interviewed in hundreds
of magazines and newspapers. He has developed major programs for school districts and for
city and state educational agencies for improving and restructuring curriculum, increasing
learning ability and test scores, increasing motivation and developing a passion for learning
and problem solving, and decreasing the student dropout rate. For example, PBS (Public
Broadcasting System) chose Dr. Gruber to train the nation’s teachers on how to prepare
students for the SAT through a national satellite teleconference and videotape. His results have
been lauded by people throughout the country from all walks of life.
Dr. Gruber is recognized nationally as the leading expert on standardized tests. It is said
that no one in the nation is better at assessing the thinking patterns of how a person answers
questions and providing the mechanism to improve faulty thinking approaches. GRE score
improvements by students using Dr. Gruber’s techniques have been the highest in the nation.
Gruber’s unique methods have been and are being used by PBS, by the nation’s learning
centers, by international encyclopedias, by school districts throughout the country, in homes
and workplaces across the nation, and by a host of other entities.
His goal and mission is to get people’s potential realized and the nation “impassioned”
with learning and problem solving so that they don’t merely try to get a fast, uncritical answer
but actually enjoy and look forward to solving the problem and learning.
For more information on Gruber courses and additional Gruber products, visit www
.drgarygruber.com.
Important: Many books do not reflect the current GRE questions. Don’t practice with ques-
tions that misrepresent the actual questions on the GRE. For example, the math questions
created by the test makers are oriented to allow someone to solve many problems without
a calculator as fast as he or she could with one, and some can be solved faster without a
calculator. This book reflects the GRE more accurately than any other commercial book, and
the strategies contained in it are exactly those needed to be used on the GRE. It is said that
only Dr. Gruber has the expertise and ability to reflect the exam far more closely than any
competitor! Don’t trust your future with less than the best material.
GRE2014_Intro.indd 5 3/8/13 12:15 PM
GRE2014_Intro.indd 6 3/8/13 12:15 PM
vii
The Author Has Something
Important to Tell You
About How to Raise
Your GRE Score
What Are Critical Thinking Skills?
First of all, I believe that intelligence can be taught. Intelligence, simply defined, is the aptitude
or ability to reason things out. I am convinced that you can learn to think logically and figure
things out better and faster, particularly in regard to GRE Math and Verbal problems. But
someone must give you the tools. Let us call these tools strategies. And that’s what Critical
Thinking Skills are all about—strategies.
Learn the Strategies to Get More Points
The Critical Thinking Skills (beginning on page 65) will sharpen your reasoning ability so that
you can increase your score on each part of the GRE.
These Critical Thinking Skills—5 General Strategies, 25 Math Strategies, and 17 Verbal
Strategies—course right through this book. The Explanatory Answers for the 3 Practice Tests
in the book direct you to those strategies that may be used to answer specific types of GRE
questions. We can readily prove that the strategies in Part 4 of this book are usable for more
than 90 percent of the questions that will appear on your GRE. It is obvious, then, that your
learning and using the 46 easy-to-understand strategies in this book will very likely raise your
GRE score substantially.
Are the Practice Tests in This Book Like
an Actual GRE?
If you compare any one of the 3 Practice Tests in this book with an actual GRE, you will find the
book test very much like the actual test in regard to format, question types, and level of difficulty.
Compare our book tests with one of the official tests written by the GRE people.
Building Your Vocabulary Can Make a
Difference on Your Test
Although antonyms no longer appear on the GRE, vocabulary will still be tested, especially on
Sentence Completions and Reading Comprehension. This book includes four vital sections to
build your vocabulary:
1. 3,400-Word List
2. 100 Vocabulary Tests
3. The Most Important/Frequently Used GRE Words
4. The Hot Prefixes and Roots
GRE2014_Intro.indd 7 3/8/13 12:15 PM
viii • GRuBER’S CoMPLETE GRE GuIDE 2014
If you have time, it is important for you to study this word-building instructional material.
You will find that many, many words in the 3,400-Word List will actually show up in the Sentence
Completion and Reading Comprehension sections of the Verbal part of your GRE. We repeat
that each additional correct answer adds approximately 10 points to your score (or adds
approximately 1 point on the 130–170 point scale). Knowing the meanings of the words in the
3,400-Word List will, therefore, help you considerably to “rake in” those precious points.
Study the Latin and Greek Roots, Prefixes,
and Suffixes
We have developed a list that contains roots, prefixes, and suffixes that give you the meaning
of more than 150,000 words. Learning all of these will increase your vocabulary immensely.
You may also wish to study the Hot Prefixes and Roots in Appendix A.
Study the Most Important/Frequently used
GRE Words
We have developed a list of the most frequently used words and their opposites related to
specific categories for easy memorization. Study these words.
Study the Mini-Math Refresher
If you believe you are weak in basic math skills, study the Mini-Math Refresher. The material
in the section is keyed to the Complete Math Refresher section for more thorough instruction.
Take the 101 Most Important Math Questions Test
To see what your weak basic math skills are, take the 101 Most Important Math Questions
Test and look at the solutions to the questions. The questions are keyed to the Complete Math
Refresher, so you can further brush up on your weak areas by referring to those pages in the
Complete Math Refresher that are relevant for any questions you missed.
The Explanatory Answers to Questions Are Keyed to
Specific Strategies and Basic Skills
The Explanatory Answers in this book are far from skimpy—unlike those of other GRE books.
Our detailed answers will direct you to the strategy that will help you to arrive at a correct
answer quickly. In addition, the math solutions in the book refer directly to the Math Refresher
section, particularly useful in case your math skills are rusty.
Lift That GRE Score
By using the material in this book—that is, by taking the tests, learning the specific strate-
gies, and refreshing your basic skills as described above—you should increase your GRE
score substantially.
—Gary Gruber
GRE2014_Intro.indd 8 3/8/13 12:15 PM
Contents
INTRoDuCTIoN xiii
I. Important Facts About the GRE / xiii IV. Multi- Level Approaches to the Solution of
Problems / xxiii
II. The Inside Track on How GRE Questions
Are Developed and How They Vary from Test V. A 4-H our Study Program for the GRE / xxvi
to Test / xix
VI. Longer-Range Study Program and Helpful Steps
III. What Are Critical Thinking Skills? / xxi for Using This Book / xxvii
PART 1
STRATEGY DIAGNoSTIC TEST FoR THE GRE 1
Directions for Taking the Diagnostic Test / 2 Section 3: Quantitative Reasoning (Quantitative
Comparison) / 16
Strategy Diagnostic Test Answer Sheet / 3
Strategy Diagnostic Test Answer and Diagnostic
Section 1: Verbal Reasoning / 4
Table / 19
Section 2: Quantitative Reasoning / 12
PART 2
THE WoRLD’S SHoRTEST PRACTICE TEST—20 QuESTIoNS
To APPRoxIMATE YouR GRE SCoRE 25
Verbal (Critical Reading) / 26 Answers / 31
Regular Math / 28 Scoring / 32
Quantitative Comparison Math / 30 Answers and Hints / 33
PART 3
THE 101 MoST IMPoRTANT MATH QuESTIoNS
You NEED To KNoW HoW To SoLVE 37
101 Math Questions Answer Sheet / 38 101 Math Questions: Answers / 52
101 Math Questions Test / 40 Basic Skills Math Diagnosis / 54
101 Math Questions: Answers, Diagnoses, Solutions, Solutions, Generalizations, and Rules / 55
Generalizations, and Rules / 51
GRE2014_Intro.indd 9 3/8/13 12:15 PM