₦airaland Forum

2021 UPDATE
It's been 6 years since i wrote this post and i still can't believe how this post has transformed into an amazing community of people working collaboratively to pass this exam. That said, i believe the materials and guidelines listed in the original post are currently inadequate. While it's been years since i wrote the GRE, there are two key information that are timeless.

1. The only resource you need is the Official GRE prep book. It's an excellent resource written by the creators of the exam. Who best to learn from than those who created the exam? Ignore every other book and just get the Official GRE guide.

2. The official GRE practice tests are extremely valuable. Powerprep online and Powerprep plus online are all you need. They are the closest substitute to the real exam. Before taking the test, i beg you, please do at least one Powerprep Practice test. I would strongly suggest you do the Powerprep plus online test. Yes, its a paid service but trust me, it's worth every penny. Please note, I failed to do this and it was evident in my scores.

Once you get these resources (the book and the practice test), the rest is up to you. Create a study plan and then study as much as you can. As you study, please try as much as you can to do the exercises in the books. Your learning is complete when you can answer questions related to that concept flawlessly. If you can’t solve problems, brotherly…sisterly…your learning is incomplete. Kindly go back and relearn the material.

Finally, after studying, do the Powerprep online or Powerprep plus tests. It might take you weeks or months to study and write the exams. It doesn't matter. Do what works for you with an eye on the college admission cycle. At this point, you are most likely prepared for the main exam. Go forth and slay your test with grace.

I know the process may not be as linear as stated above. You would have days where you have no desire to study. Sometimes, you might even feel lonely. This is entirely normal. To keep going, surround yourself with like minded achievers - they are many amazing people on this forum who you can connect with. Additionally, pay attention to your health, sleep and diet. The brain works superbly when you are well fed, sleep well and have a stable emotional life.

Before i leave, i just want you all to know that life is a beautiful journey. Stay focused and keep working on your dreams. One day you would wake up and discover you are living your dreams. It has been that way for me. I started with the believe that i would study and live in the US. Today, i am living that dream.

Stay blessed.
Danja.

My GRE Experience: Lessons Learnt - J.

General Tips
#Tip 1: Don’t rely on any one single book.

Each book has its strength and weakness. Combine them all for maximum impact.

#Tip 2: What books do I need?

1. Grubber 2015
2. Barron’s GRE
3. Nova GRE Math Bible
4. Kaplan
5. Princeton Review

#Tip 3: How can I get these books?

[b][color=#990000]UPDATE : January 2017:
As of this moment, the GRE materials have been deleted from both accounts by google due to Copyright violations. Nonetheless, these materials are widely available through a simple google search.

[/color][/b]
If you can afford physical copies of these books – Sweet, go head and buy them all. But If you can’t afford any or you’re a ijebu madam like the lovely,intelligent MsNas or like myself, simply send a blank mail to selfstudy360@gmail.com or selfstudy.version2@gmail.com for soft copies (Pdf’s). #MoneyMustNotWaste

(a) selfstudy360@gmail.com contains:

• Barron's New GRE 19th Edition
• Cracking the GRE 2013
• Gruber's Complete GRE Guide 2012

While

(b) Selfstudy.version2@gmail.com (New*) contains:

• Gruber's Complete GRE Guide (2015)
• Mahanttan Prep - 5* lb. Book of GRE® Practice Problems (2013)
• Nova’s GRE Math Bible (2008)

#Tip 4: When should I take the GRE?

Take the exam at least 4 months before you plan to send your admission applications. That way, if you don’t meet your targeted score (not your portion…Oya say Amen!), you would still have enough time to retake the exam without duress. For example, if the deadline for admission application is September 15th, the ideal time for taking the GRE should be by May. The reason for this is simple: If you don’t meet ur target score, you can retake the GRE by June thereby providing ample time for sending your application. This is not a rule but a suggestion.


#Tip 5: How much time would it take to prepare for the GRE?

Minimum: 2months @ 4-5hours per day.
Note: The number of hours do not really matter, it’s the amount of problem solving skills learnt per unit time that counts. Some people learn quickly while for others, it might take longer to read and understand new concepts. So remember, 4-5hours are just recommendations, whether u spend more or less time – ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how much u learn and how fast you can correctly answer questions. If it takes u 4-5hours per day to achieve this goal, so be it. If it takes u less time, so be it. If it takes you more time, so be it. No one cares. Ultimately it’s your scores that matters.

#Tip 6: Can I prepare within a month?

Yes u can, but it’s not advisable. You need time to internalize and completely memorizes the GRE strategies.

And lastly,

#Tip 7: Don’t be deceived by your score on POWERPREP II.

You took the sample test on PowerPrep II, you had an average of 160-165, you feel good and cant wait to take the actual test. Truth is Powerprep II does not compare to the actual test. On a scale of one to ten, one being very easy and ten being very difficult, Powerprep is a 4.5 and the actual test is an 8.5. #OkBye

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for: My GRE Experience.

This is a summary of lesson learnt from my personal experience, please feel free to add your insights and contributions. Sharing is caring.

You probably know this already but just to refresh your memory - The GRE is made up of three parts: Analytical writing, Verbal and Quantitative.
1. Analytical Writing
2. Verbal
3. Quantitative

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORES.

FOR ANALYTICAL WRITING:

Books and Resources needed for Analytical Writing:
Official GRE Topic List (30%) + Kaplan (60%) + Barron (10%).

(a) Official GRE Topic List: GRE maintains a list of every possible topic that you will find on the actual test date!!!!!! It’s totally legal and you can find the list here:
Pool of Argument Topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool

Pool of Issue Topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool

The list is quite exhaustive: 200 issue task topics and 200 argument task topics. Once you have the list, group the topics into categories and proceed to (b). I believe if u know the possible questions, your chances of success should be up 30%.

(b) Get a copy of Kaplan’s New GRE Premiere and head to the Analytical Writing Section. Read, digest and understand the essay development template for both the issue task and the argument task as discussed on chapter 15 – Chapter 21 (New GRE Premiere - Kaplan 2011-2012 edition. Newer editions should be better). Don’t bother reading anything else on Kaplan, the rest of the book is useless. With the Kaplan template, you can begin to draw up possible responses to each topic category from the GRE topic list that you obtained from the GRE website. That way, on the test day, coming up with responses won’t be all that difficult because you’ve seen it all – abi how una see am?

(c) Get a copy of Barron: While this may not be compulsory, it will help you in paragraph development. Read and understand the “Claim, Grounds and Warrants” development on chapter 6 (Barron’s New GRE 19th Edition).

The last and most important step is to PRACTISE, PRACTISE AND PRACTISE. Practice using the available topics from the GRE list in a timed mode – your practice should mimic the real test. For the GRE, its 30minutes per writing task but for you, its 22 minutes. Why? It’s always better to practice with less time – It makes you stronger.

Practice with POWERPREP writing platform or Notepad to get a feel of the nature of the typing platform. Don’t practice with Microsoft Word.

One Again, PRACTISE AND PRACTISE. It’s ultra-important you do so. You can only write well by constant practice.

My Experience: I didn’t practice enough. Truth be told I practiced only once and the end result was abysmal. I could only manage one sensible paragraph for the issue task – Big Poo. The way time flies when ur messing up is simply amazing. The argument task was much better, I wrote 4 sensible paragraphs –all within 23 minutes.
Score: Surprisingly,I scored a 3 on the writing section. since the total score is the average of both scores, I assume I made a 5 on argument and a 1 on issue…lol..just my opinion.

Generally, Argument tasks are easier than issue tasks – for Argument tasks, an essay or issue with faulty premises is given; your job is to identify and logically explain them while for the Issue writing Task, you have to develop your own argument from scratch. Finding faults is easy (argument task), writing from scratch is less easy (issue essay). But for you reading this right now, a minimum of 4.5/6 should be perfectly achievable. Why? Cos you know every possible topic, you have pre-planned responses and your “hand dey hot” due to constant writing practice.

One last tip: As soon as you are done with a particular section, whether you performed well or not, it’s best to completely ignore that section, it belongs to the past - it doesn’t matter anymore. Whether you did well or not, does not matter and if you believe you didn’t perform well, it still doesn’t matter. Focus completely on the next section – You have seven (7) more sections to deal with and you need a focused, optimistic mindset to proceed successfully. There’s no use crying over spilt milk. [/b]

FOR QUANTITATIVE

Books You Need for Quantitative:

Grubber (25%) + Barron’s (25%) + Nova GRE Math Bible (25%) + Mahanttan (25%).

Do you have to read them all from cover to cover? Not really. Each book has its strength and weakness’s. You want to be prepared for every possibility. Better you write the GRE once than write it twice. Think of the cash - $200. Think of the time spent on preparation – weeks, even months and finally, think of your Goals. So grab does books and study like mad. The end justify the means.

Lesson 1: Study each question category and solve the most difficult questions you can find on that category to re-enforce your understanding of that category.

For example, if you had prepared with Grubber like I did, you will find the data interpretation, graphical and statistical questions difficult. Why? Grubber does not really delve into these sections. Barron in addition with Manhattan and Nova does a better job. So read and understand the underlying principles and skim all books for difficult questions on all topics.
Likewise, if u ignore Grubber’s Data Comparison and algebra strategies, you might not do so well. But then, there are notable exceptions. Individuals with an engineering, mathematical and statistical background would generally do better in the Quantitative section – they’ve been doing these problems for years. Also those with an aptitude for numbers would better. Does that mean those with little mathematically backgrounds would end up with low scores? – Nope. Just read up and practice, you might end up doing better than the so called Math wizards.

The GRE Quantitative consists of two sections made up of 25 questions each. Each section runs for 40minutes – that’s an average of 96 seconds per question – which leads to lesson 2.

Lesson 2: When studying and solving quantitative questions, set a time limit of 50 seconds per question and stick to it. Like previously stated, practicing with less time makes you stronger and faster.

Lesson 3: Solve lots of Quanttitative questions.

Manhanttan and Nova Math Bible offer a huge collection of quality quantitative questions. Solve as much questions as you can on both books. Luckily, if you don’t know the answers, solutions and explanations are provided in both books.

My Experience: I studied solely with grubber. Algebra and data comparison were a walk in the park but “I hear “ween” for Data interpretation/Statistics, Combinations and Graphs. On the actual test, I saw 6 hefty graphical and data interpretation problems and some others I can’t recall @ the moment. Were they super hard? – Not really but “them hard small o”. To answer them, you need to understand the question (30secs), solve for solutions (30-40secs) and compare possible answers (10secs). If u get it wrong, u start all over again. But as you start over, remember Time dey go ooooo!
That’s why you need Lesson 4.


Lesson 4:Someone on this thread advised - if you find any question difficult, simply mark that question and move on to others.. You may return to that question later. Don’t waste time trying to solve one question for over 1 minute, skip and return later. This is so true!.

FOR VERBAL

Books you need: Grubber (90%) + Barron (10%).

Honestly, You can actually survive by using only grubber. The verbal section seems like the easiest section on the GRE but don’t be complacent o! This section is pretty tricky. I remember one particular essay with about seven (7) paragraphs. It was so dense that you could barely understand the content of a single paragraph; It also felt like it was written in another language. It was that difficult.

Also,the verbal section is made up of several subsections all mixed into one. You will find sentence completion (synonyms and antonyms) and essay comprehension all packed into one.
My Experience: I scored a 157/170 – Not bad @ all given that Grubber was the sole book I used. I won’t lie, am an avid reader – I guess that helped. However, if you study the Grubber Verbal Strategies: Latin and Greek Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes; the Most Important/Frequently Used GRE Words and Reading Comprehension Strategies – You should have no problem with the Verbal section. Grubber does an excellent job by building ur vocabulary, teaching new words and providing some interesting strategies for essay comprehension.
There are other books like Princeton Review but since I didn’t use it, I can’t say much about it. This is where external input is advisable. Those who used Princeton, oya speak up.

Final Advice:
Unlike Jamb (wicked people) that provides a single opportunity to write the exam per year, the GRE gives you 5 chances per year to write the exam (better people). But because you can doesn’t mean you should. Prepare well and write it once. A score of 160 per section is totally achievable. Just read and solve a huge collection of difficult questions in a timed mode.

Oya it haff do, una bye bye, I don try.


UPDATE 1: If you had to choose one Book for Quantitative Analysis, Barron's should be it. That Book is the truth. The best GRE Quantitative prep book ever.

UPDATE 2: Added Kaplan New GRE to "selfstudy.version2@gmail.com". If you want a copy of the Kaplan GRE book, send a blank mail to selfstudy.version2@gmail.com" .

DOWNLOAD GRE BOOKS AND STUDY GUIDE HERE

It's a jobseekers' aptitude test, i guess? So, what kind of jobs require the GRE? Is it for those who want to work in Nigeria or abroad? Thanks. Eagerly anticipating your reply.

Chiamaka01: It's a jobseekers' aptitude test, i guess? So, what kind of jobs require the GRE? Is it for those who want to work in Nigeria or abroad? Thanks. Eagerly anticipating your reply.

The GRE is one of the many requirement for Graduate admission in the US, Canada and lots of other developed countries. For Job applications, i think SHL and GMAT are more suitable.

Chiamaka01: It's a jobseekers' aptitude test, i guess? So, what kind of jobs require the GRE? Is it for those who want to work in Nigeria or abroad? Thanks. Eagerly anticipating your reply.

GRE is required when seeking postgraduate admission outside nigeria esp the U.S.
@ O.P Nice One

@ OP I don't know why I'm scared to take this exam. Pls which one is better for an average Accounting edu. student,paper base test or computer base test? (2) I need a way to erase this fear (exam fever) from my mind. (3)I know you've done a great job by taking your time to explain,but please I need your help (I've downloaded the materials on pc) please for God sake,if you have the time,(please and please) you can post a certain material,the chapters/pages you want others and i to study for each week then after reading we can post questions or do group discussion. If you have a better idea or suggestion please feel free to drop

shakol91: @ OP I don't know why I'm scared to take this exam. Pls which one is better for an average Accounting edu. student,paper base test or computer base test? (2) I need a way to erase this fear (exam fever) from my mind. (3)I know you've done a great job by taking your time to explain,but please I need your help (I've downloaded the materials on pc) please for God sake,if you have the time,(please and please) you can post a certain material,the chapters/pages you want me or other interested people to study for each week. after reading we can post questions or do group discussion. If you have a better idea or suggestion please feel free to drop

@Shakol91 You don't have to be afraid. The best way to conquer fear is to identify and confront your fears. Fear is an illusion, its simply False Expression Appearing Real. That said, What do fear most about the GRE? Please identity your weak points and draw up a study plan to address each weak point. If you find this difficult, I can help you by creating targeted study plans for the various areas of weakness BUT you must play your role by doing a self appraisal.

I like the group discussion idea but i don't think i have the time to fully commit to make it sustainable. I would try my best to contribute the best way i can. You can start by posting questions on areas of perceived difficulty. I'll do my best to solve them.

Thanks.

DanjaNinja: @Shakol91 You don't have to be afraid. The best way to conquer fear is to identify and confront your fears. Fear is an illusion, its simply False Expression Appearing Real. That said, What do fear most about the GRE? Please identity your weak points and draw up a study plan to address each weak point. If you find this difficult, I can help you by creating targeted study plans for the various areas of weakness BUT you must play your role by doing a self appraisal.

I like the group discussion idea but i don't think i have the time to fully commit to make it sustainable. I would try my best to contribute the best way i can. You can start by posting questions on areas of perceived difficulty. I'll do my best to solve them.

Thanks.

alright boss,I just downloaded the materials,I've not started studying. Personally I like to read all the pages of each materials right from introduction but on the long run that's suicide mission because each materials has like 600+ pages (don't have enough time). @(I can help you by
creating targeted study plans for the various
areas of weakness) I will really appreciate this sir,with this plan I will make use of it every week because I hope to study @least 4days in a week

@ OP, please come and update us

DanjaNinja: My GRE Experience: Lessons Learnt.

General Tips
#Tip 1: Don’t rely on any one single book.

Each book has its strength and weakness. Combine them all for maximum impact.

#Tip 2: What books do I need?

1. Grubber 2015
2. Barron’s GRE
3. Nova GRE Math Bible
4. Kaplan
5. Princeton Review

#Tip 3: How can I get these books?

If you can afford physical copies of these books – Sweet, go head and buy them all. But If you can’t afford any or you’re a ijebu madam like the lovely,intelligent MsNas or like myself, simply send a blank mail to selfstudy@gmail.com or selfstudy.version2@gmail.com for soft copies (Pdf’s). #MoneyMustNotWaste

(a) selfstudy@gmail.com contains:

• Barron's New GRE 19th Edition
• Cracking the GRE 2013
• Gruber's Complete GRE Guide 2012

While

(b) Selfstudy.version2@gmail.com (New*) contains:

• Gruber's Complete GRE Guide (2015)
• Mahanttan Prep - 5* lb. Book of GRE® Practice Problems (2013)
• Nova’s GRE Math Bible (2008)

#Tip 4: When should I take the GRE?

Take the exam at least 4 months before you plan to send your admission applications. That way, if you don’t meet your targeted score (not your portion…Oya say Amen!), you would still have enough time to retake the exam without duress. For example, if the deadline for admission application is September 15th, the ideal time for taking the GRE should be by May. The reason for this is simple: If you don’t meet ur target score, you can retake the GRE by June thereby providing ample time for sending your application. This is not a rule but a suggestion.


#Tip 5: How much time would it take to prepare for the GRE?

Minimum: 2months @ 4-5hours per day.
Note: The number of hours do not really matter, it’s the amount of problem solving skills learnt per unit time that counts. Some people learn quickly while for others, it might take longer to read and understand new concepts. So remember, 4-5hours are just recommendations, whether u spend more or less time – ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how much u learn and how fast you can correctly answer questions. If it takes u 4-5hours per day to achieve this goal, so be it. If it takes u less time, so be it. If it takes you more time, so be it. No one cares. Ultimately it’s your scores that matters.

#Tip 6: Can I prepare within a month?

Yes u can, but it’s not advisable. You need time to internalize and completely memorizes the GRE strategies.

And lastly,

#Tip 7: Don’t be deceived by your score on POWERPREP II.

You took the sample test on PowerPrep II, you had an average of 160-165, you feel good and cant wait to take the actual test. Truth is Powerprep II does not compare to the actual test. On a scale of one to ten, one being very easy and ten being very difficult, Powerprep is a 4.5 and the actual test is an 8.5. #OkBye

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for: My GRE Experience.

This is a summary of lesson learnt from my personal experience, please feel free to add your insights and contributions. Sharing is caring.

You probably know this already but just to refresh your memory - The GRE is made up of three parts: Analytical writing, Verbal and Quantitative.
1. Analytical Writing
2. Verbal
3. Quantitative

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ACHIEVE HIGH SCORES.

FOR ANALYTICAL WRITING:

Books and Resources needed for Analytical Writing:
Official GRE Topic List (30%) + Kaplan (60%) + Barron (10%).

(a) Official GRE Topic List: GRE maintains a list of every possible topic that you will find on the actual test date!!!!!! It’s totally legal and you can find the list here:
Pool of Argument Topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/argument/pool

Pool of Issue Topics: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool

The list is quite exhaustive: 200 issue task topics and 200 argument task topics. Once you have the list, group the topics into categories and proceed to (b). I believe if u know the possible questions, your chances of success should be up 30%.

(b) Get a copy of Kaplan’s New GRE Premiere and head to the Analytical Writing Section. Read, digest and understand the essay development template for both the issue task and the argument task as discussed on chapter 15 – Chapter 21 (New GRE Premiere - Kaplan 2011-2012 edition. Newer editions should be better). Don’t bother reading anything else on Kaplan, the rest of the book is useless. With the Kaplan template, you can begin to draw up possible responses to each topic category from the GRE topic list that you obtained from the GRE website. That way, on the test day, coming up with responses won’t be all that difficult because you’ve seen it all – abi how una see am?

(c) Get a copy of Barron: While this may not be compulsory, it will help you in paragraph development. Read and understand the “Claim, Grounds and Warrants” development on chapter 6 (Barron’s New GRE 19th Edition).

The last and most important step is to PRACTISE, PRACTISE AND PRACTISE. Practice using the available topics from the GRE list in a timed mode – your practice should mimic the real test. For the GRE, its 30minutes per writing task but for you, its 22 minutes. Why? It’s always better to practice with less time – It makes you stronger.

Practice with POWERPREP writing platform or Notepad to get a feel of the nature of the typing platform. Don’t practice with Microsoft Word.

One Again, PRACTISE AND PRACTISE. It’s ultra-important you do so. You can only write well by constant practice.

My Experience: I didn’t practice enough. Truth be told I practiced only once and the end result was abysmal. I could only manage one sensible paragraph for the issue task – Big Poo. The way time flies when ur messing up is simply amazing. The argument task was much better, I wrote 4 sensible paragraphs –all within 23 minutes.
Score: Surprisingly,I scored a 3 on the writing section. since the total score is the average of both scores, I assume I made a 5 on argument and a 1 on issue…lol..just my opinion.

Generally, Argument tasks are easier than issue tasks – for Argument tasks, an essay or issue with faulty premises is given; your job is to identify and logically explain them while for the Issue writing Task, you have to develop your own argument from scratch. Finding faults is easy (argument task), writing from scratch is less easy (issue essay). But for you reading this right now, a minimum of 4.5/6 should be perfectly achievable. Why? Cos you know every possible topic, you have pre-planned responses and your “hand dey hot” due to constant writing practice.

One last tip: As soon as you are done with a particular section, whether you performed well or not, it’s best to completely ignore that section, it belongs to the past - it doesn’t matter anymore. Whether you did well or not, does not matter and if you believe you didn’t perform well, it still doesn’t matter. Focus completely on the next section – You have seven (7) more sections to deal with and you need a focused, optimistic mindset to proceed successfully. There’s no use crying over spilt milk. [/b]

FOR QUANTITATIVE

Books You Need for Quantitative:

Grubber (25%) + Barron’s (25%) + Nova GRE Math Bible (25%) + Mahanttan (25%).

Do you have to read them all from cover to cover? Not really. Each book has its strength and weakness’s. You want to be prepared for every possibility. Better you write the GRE once than write it twice. Think of the cash - $200. Think of the time spent on preparation – weeks, even months and finally, think of your Goals. So grab does books and study like mad. The end justify the means.

Lesson 1: Study each question category and solve the most difficult questions you can find on that category to re-enforce your understanding of that category.

For example, if you had prepared with Grubber like I did, you will find the data interpretation, graphical and statistical questions difficult. Why? Grubber does not really delve into these sections. Barron in addition with Manhattan and Nova does a better job. So read and understand the underlying principles and skim all books for difficult questions on all topics.
Likewise, if u ignore Grubber’s Data Comparison and algebra strategies, you might not do so well. But then, there are notable exceptions. Individuals with an engineering, mathematical and statistical background would generally do better in the Quantitative section – they’ve been doing these problems for years. Also those with an aptitude for numbers would better. Does that mean those with little mathematically backgrounds would end up with low scores? – Nope. Just read up and practice, you might end up doing better than the so called Math wizards.

The GRE Quantitative consists of two sections made up of 25 questions each. Each section runs for 40minutes – that’s an average of 96 seconds per question – which leads to lesson 2.

Lesson 2: When studying and solving quantitative questions, set a time limit of 50 seconds per question and stick to it. Like previously stated, practicing with less time makes you stronger and faster.

Lesson 3: Solve lots of Quanttitative questions.

Manhanttan and Nova Math Bible offer a huge collection of quality quantitative questions. Solve as much questions as you can on both books. Luckily, if you don’t know the answers, solutions and explanations are provided in both books.

My Experience: I studied solely with grubber. Algebra and data comparison were a walk in the park but “I hear “ween” for Data interpretation/Statistics, Combinations and Graphs. On the actual test, I saw 6 hefty graphical and data interpretation problems and some others I can’t recall @ the moment. Were they super hard? – Not really but “them hard small o”. To answer them, you need to understand the question (30secs), solve for solutions (30-40secs) and compare possible answers (10secs). If u get it wrong, u start all over again. But as you start over, remember Time dey go ooooo!
That’s why you need Lesson 4.


Lesson 4:Someone on this thread advised - if you find any question difficult, simply mark that question and move on to others.. You may return to that question later. Don’t waste time trying to solve one question for over 1 minute, skip and return later. This is so true!.

FOR VERBAL

Books you need: Grubber (90%) + Barron (10%).

Honestly, You can actually survive by using only grubber. The verbal section seems like the easiest section on the GRE but don’t be complacent o! This section is pretty tricky. I remember one particular essay with about seven (7) paragraphs. It was so dense that you could barely understand the content of a single paragraph; It also felt like it was written in another language. It was that difficult.

Also,the verbal section is made up of several subsections all mixed into one. You will find sentence completion (synonyms and antonyms) and essay comprehension all packed into one.
My Experience: I scored a 157/170 – Not bad @ all given that Grubber was the sole book I used. I won’t lie, am an avid reader – I guess that helped. However, if you study the Grubber Verbal Strategies: Latin and Greek Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes; the Most Important/Frequently Used GRE Words and Reading Comprehension Strategies – You should have no problem with the Verbal section. Grubber does an excellent job by building ur vocabulary, teaching new words and providing some interesting strategies for essay comprehension.
There are other books like Princeton Review but since I didn’t use it, I can’t say much about it. This is where external input is advisable. Those who used Princeton, oya speak up.

Final Advice:
Unlike Jamb (wicked people) that provides a single opportunity to write the exam per year, the GRE gives you 5 chances per year to write the exam (better people). But because you can doesn’t mean you should. Prepare well and write it once. A score of 160 per section is totally achievable. Just read and solve a huge collection of difficult questions in a timed mode.

Oya it haff do, una bye bye, I don try.

Thanks so much op for this write up, wish I saw this earlier before taking the test, I took the test few months back but am not ok with my scores especialy the verbal( The reading comprehension part sucks!). I realy wanna improve on it this time, which material will serve me well in this regard. And I will like to know where I can get more simulator for the test apart from the power prep. Thanks.

Thank you DanjaNinja ... I've received the GRE ebooks. Great job!

geniuzio: Thank you DanjaNinja ... I've received the GRE ebooks. Great job!

You welcome bro.

kenkool: Thanks so much op for this write up, wish I saw this earlier before taking the test, I took the test few months back but am not ok with my scores especialy the verbal( The reading comprehension part sucks!). I realy wanna improve on it this time, which material will serve me well in this regard. And I will like to know where I can get more simulator for the test apart from the power prep. Thanks.

For the Verbal, Grubber works pretty well. You can add Princeton Review (i'll be adding it to the mailing list) and Barron's to get a broader perspective. But Grubber works really well.

Unfortunately, PoWERPREP II is the only GRE simulator i know of. I think you can find others via google but i think the exercises in the various books you downloaded contain quality questions that would serve just fine.

thanks so much danjaninja... just got the last link waiting for the first one. i really appreciate.

haffikem: thanks so much danjaninja... just got the last link waiting for the first one. i really appreciate.

You welcome bro....which first link are you referring to?

kenkool: Thanks so much op for this write up, wish I saw this earlier before taking the test, I took the test few months back but am not ok with my scores especialy the verbal( The reading comprehension part sucks!). I realy wanna improve on it this time, which material will serve me well in this regard. And I will like to know where I can get more simulator for the test apart from the power prep. Thanks.

[s]
I found a standalone simulator for the GRE...Turns out its way better than POWERPREP. Holla me if you need a copy.[/s]

This is no longer valid advise. The official GRE materials are the recommend study materials. Nothing even comes close.

DanjaNinja: I found a standalone simulator for the GRE...Turns out its way better than POWERPREP. Holla me if you need a copy.

Thanks bro I need it.

DanjaNinja: I found a standalone simulator for the GRE...Turns out its way better than POWERPREP. Holla me if you need a copy.

I need it bro,can it work on BB or it can only work on android and pc?

shakol91: I need it bro,can it work on BB or it can only work on android and pc?

Pc Only.

DanjaNinja: I found a standalone simulator for the GRE...Turns out its way better than POWERPREP. Holla me if you need a copy.

sent you a mail...
im still waiting for it.

Thanks.

tolutweety: sent you a mail...
im still waiting for it.

Thanks.

Got your mail. Please bear with me, would upload d file when i subscribe for more data.

good one

op thanks so much for the detailed explanation given. pls i will like a study partner for the GRE exam. i plan to take mine in DEC so i need serious minded study buddies to prepare with. the more the merrier so i will like a group of say 4 ( 1 guy and 2 ladies preferably with arts or english related background) . Also, peeps applying to canada and Norway will be appreciated.. PM me to show your intention to join . thanks.

lequatee: op thanks so much for the detailed explanation given. pls i will like a study partner for the GRE exam. i plan to take mine in DEC so i need serious minded study buddies to prepare with. the more the merrier so i will like a group of say 4 ( 1 guy and 2 ladies preferably with arts or english related background) . Also, peeps applying to canada and Norway will be appreciated.. PM me to show your intention to join . thanks.

follow this thread www.nairaland.com/1851971/learn-gre-word-list#1851971.20

geniuzio: Thank you DanjaNinja ... I've received the GRE ebooks. Great job!

Hello bro, I will appreciate it if you could help forward the GRE materials. Am also preparing to write in Oct.

shakol91: follow this thread www.nairaland.com/1851971/learn-gre-word-list#1851971.20

please i have sent the blank emails to the above stated mail address and i am yet to get the e-books. please i am waiting. thanks.

lequatee: please i have sent the blank emails to the above stated mail address and i am yet to get the e-books. please i am waiting. thanks.

maybe you have to consult us student visa thread and post your question. I know you will definitely meet someone that will send you the materials

DanjaNinja: Got your mail. Please bear with me, would upload d file when i subscribe for more data.

hi danja, please i will like to get copies of the E-book to aid my preparation. thanks in anticipation.

lequatee: hi danja, please i will like to get copies of the E-book to aid my preparation. thanks in anticipation.

Send a blank mail to "selfstudy.version2@gmail.com" and "selfstudy360@gmail.com".

amscholar001: Hello bro, I will appreciate it if you could help forward the GRE materials. Am also preparing to write in Oct.

send a blank mail to "selfstudy.version2@gmail.com" and "selfstudy360@gmail.com".

[quote author=DanjaNinja]Send a blank mail to "selfstudy.version2@gmail.com" and "selfstudy360@gmail.com".[/quote
I have done that already and no book has been sent to me. its been like 4 days now.