Best GRE Prep Apps

GRE is one of the examinations that students take before entering graduate school. The scores that they receive in GRE will help them compete for seats in top-tier institutions especially when it comes to science-related programs. But most of the time, it is required for students to acquire grades that are in the 90th percentile or above to get admission in their place of interest.

While preparing for the exam is a task in itself, choosing the best form of prep is also an extremely important step to achieving high scores. It is common for candidates to resort to prep books considering them to be the best form of prep. But recently, students have been also been choosing prep apps that offer them the flexibility in the schedule they require. Using GRE prep apps also provide students with the option of studying wherever they are at any point in time.

Why Choose a GRE Prep App?

Due to the high popularity of GRE examinations, there are a few many prep options that are available in plenty for candidates to score better. The prep apps are an easy alternative to books and other classes that students can take for the examination. The app provides content in an interactive manner that is both interactive and easy-going, helping students to master both the content and the format for the examination in a better way.

Students will also not have to carry around all the different prep books they can procure by spending a fortune on the same. GRE prep apps often contain full-length test papers and subject-by-subject explained in detail all for an extremely low cost or even for free. The apps generally contain features like-

• hundreds of practice questions
• detailed explanations for answers to the practice questions
• test-taking strategies that can help the candidate score better
• explanation of test format and content

Top 7 GRE Prep Apps

While there are plenty of apps for GRE prep, not all of them might be perfectly suited for one’s requirements in preparing for the test. A few of the best apps that contain the features suited for a wide audience include-

GRE Vocabulary Flashcards- Magoosh

This app focuses on making students learn the 1000 most commonly asked words on GRE to increase their vocab knowledge. The size of the app is 22 MB which is higher than other GRE apps. Students will be able to access the app on android devices of 4.1 and above. They will also be able to access it through iOS devices of 8.0 or above. Candidates who have a Mac will require a macOS 11.0 or above along with a Mac with an Apply M1 chip to access the app. The app is completely free for all its users. The features of the app include-

• 1000 vocab words
• detailed definitions along with explanations for words listed
• words arranged according to the difficulty level
• progress tracking
• access to all flashcards

Barron’s 1100 for GRE

This app focuses on the Verbal section of GRE and has to be purchased to receive full access to all its features. The app focuses on helping candidates understand and learn around 1100 words that are commonly asked for the examination. The words have been divided into 46 weeks which will be the overall time it takes for candidates to master it all. The size of the app is 10 MB and it is supported by android apps of 4.0 and above. The features of the app include-

• word definitions and access to Longman’s dictionary
• sticky notes for each word
• short stories and fill in the blanks to learn words
• flashcards
• word lists that are customizable
• audio pronunciations for words listed

GRE Prep & Practice by Magoosh

This app is provided by Magoosh which is a popular test prep provider for competitive examinations. Students will be able to receive carefully made GRE schedules, practice questions, and a guide to study the content and format of the test as part of the app. While candidates will be able to download the app for free, they will have to pay a nominal amount to access the premium content. The size of the app is 18 MB and candidates will be able to access it on android devices of 4.1 and above. Candidates will also be able to use it on iOS apps of 9.0 and above. A few of the features of the app include-

• 1,000+ practice questions
• 40 sample questions
• progress tracking
• 70 video lessons explaining sample questions for free users and 200+ video lessons for premium users
• GRE schedule
• talk to GRE prep experts

Varsity Tutors- Prep for GRE Exam

This app is provided by Varsity Tutors and is considered to be comprehensive with respect to both GRE content and practice questions. Students will be able to focus on either Verbal or Quant skills or both depending on their weaknesses. They will also be able to find their strengths and weaknesses by taking the diagnostic tests that the app offers. The size of the app is 17 MB and students will be able to access it on android apps of 6.0 and above. The features of the app include-

• timed full-time practice tests
• diagnostic tests to track strengths and weaknesses
• feedback of general scores and improvement made
• 20-minute study sessions to boost concentration
• flashcards for the content of Verbal and Quant sections

GRE Test Prep- Galvanize

This app focuses on all the processes the candidate will have to go through right from the beginning of their preparation to getting admitted to a university. The size of the app is 13 MB and students will be able to access the app on an android device of 5.1 and above. The app is also accessible on iOS devices of 12.0.0 or later. Students will be able to practice for GRE by using 100s of practice questions. They will also be able to interact with other users while studying and compare scores to understand where they stand. A few of the features include-

• 100’s of practice questions with detailed explanations
• GRE Score Predictor to track progress
• Exam Readiness Indicator to track work required to reach the target score
• Timed practice tests
• Study with friends

Manhattan Prep GRE

The Manhattan Prep which is powered by Kaplan is one of the leading GRE prep material providers. The GRE prep app that they have developed has been designed to allow students to study at their own pace. The features included in the app are-

• 1,000+ practice questions with complete explanations for answers
• 6 quizzes that students can take to test their knowledge
• Students will be able to track their progress
• contains critical vocab words and concepts that benefit the Verbal section
• 800+ drills for all GRE topics
• 500 vocabulary flashcards

Students will be able to access the app through both Android and iOS devices.

Ready4 GRE

This pocket GRE test prep offers most of both their video lessons and practice questions to candidates free of cost. The video explanations that the app has included are for both the content of the examination and for the prep questions that are listed. Students will be able to answer the questions with a built-in timer that helps them track their pace. They will also be able to use the mock tests and prep strategies mentioned. The features offered include-

• analytics to record one’s strengths and weaknesses
• video explanations for every question along with answers
• full-length mock tests to estimate GRE score
• customizable method of studying where students can use either Verbal or Quant lessons
• students will be able to learn random topics rather than follow a strict syllabus

In order to get full access to the content provided by the app, students will have to pay a total of $29.99. The size of the app is just 4.3 MB and it requires students to have an android device of 4.2 or above.

Are GRE Prep Apps Enough?

While most students are using the prep apps as an additional prep material, it isn’t always advisable to be used as the only preparation method. This is largely due to the lack of in-depth explanations given for subject content and the extra focus the apps have on practice questions and flashcards. Students who are well-versed with the content of the examination will be able to highly benefit from the apps whereas those who wish to study for the exam from scratch will have a hard time understanding the concepts and flashcards.

Candidates who have already purchased the prep books of respective organizations will find that most of the app content has been taken from the practice questions sections in the prep books. This will render the app installation useless unless it is used as a travel companion which students can use to practice questions irrespective of the time and location. Ideally, a student should be opting for prep courses or books according to their level of knowledge and use the apps as additional prep which will benefit them in the long run.