Last Updated: September 03, 2022
8 Best Books for GRE Quantitative Section
The New Revised GRE Quantitative Section is easy to crack, given the correct amount of preparation and practice with the right kind of material. While there are hundreds of books available for this niche topic, most of them are not good investments for both your time and money. Selecting the best preparation material is as important as using it to study.
Before going out to purchase a GRE Quant preparation book, understanding the different parts of the GRE Quantitative section is a necessity.
GRE Quantitative Section majorly tests the following four areas:
- ALGEBRA which includes Linear Equations, Quadratic Equations, and Coordinate Geometry.
- ARITHMETIC which includes Decimals, Fractions, Percentages, Ratios, Numbers, and their properties.
- GEOMETRY which includes Lines, Angles, Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals, Polygons, and 3D figures.
- DATA ANALYSIS which involves Probability, Statistics, Graphs, Tables, Charts, and Distribution data.
The best books to ace the GRE Quantitative are those that cover all these concepts, contain tips to ace them, and also contain practice questions ranging from easy to challenging for each section of the GRE Mathematics. Since most books cannot offer all of the above together, the best results will require two to three books; one which explains each topic scientifically and elegantly, one which contains a large number of practice questions and mock test papers, lastly if you find yourself weak in a particular section, a book that contains practice questions for that section alone.
List of Best GRE Mathematics Prep Books
Books | Price | Parameters |
McGraw-Hill’s Conquering the New GRE Math | $32.19 | - Exam Info
- Practice Questions
- Practice Tests
|
Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions | $16.26 | - Practice Questions
- Answer Explanations
- Strategies and Tips
|
Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021 | $22.55 | - Practice Tests
- Online Reports for Student Performance
- Study Plans
|
The Powerscore GRE Quantitative Reasoning Bible | $43.08 | - Practice Tests
- Detailed Answer Explanations
- Exam Drills
- Chapter Reviews
|
Nova’s GRE Guide | $29.95 | - Comprehensive Subject Review
- Exercises and Drills
- Practice Questions
|
Kaplan’s GRE Math Workbook | $31.31 | - Practice Questions
- Concept Reviews
- Practice Tests
- Advanced Practice Section
|
Princeton Review’s Cracking the GRE Mathematics | $19.95 | - Practice Test
- Drill Questions
- Strategies and Tips
|
Barron’s GRE with Online Tests | $22.99 | - Exam Overview
- Diagnostics Exam
- Practice Questions
- Answer Explanations
- Online Practice Tests
|
1
McGraw-Hill's Conquering the New GRE Math
Cost- $32.19
This book is one of the older versions of authentic GRE test prep materials. It covers the different types of questions that are generally asked for the GRE along with intensive practice sessions and other materials to improve the overall math skills of the student. The difficulty level of the questions in this book may not be equal to that of the official test, but if the student is looking for a book that can brush up on basic math skills, then this would be the right choice.
Pros-
- It deals with multiple-choice questions, entry-level questions, problem-solving questions, quantitative comparisons, etc.
- At the same time, the book provides insight into the syllabus as it is focused on ETS for the test. This includes both basic math and advanced math but only from perspectives that are required for the test.
- The book also contains practice questions and other prep tools that candidates can make use of.
- It contains 3 practice tests.
Cons-
- Reviewers claim that there are plenty of typos and other errors in the book.
- The content provided has been reviewed to be too elementary for GRE prep and the explanations provided for questions are not up to the mark.
2
Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions
Cost- $16.26
The Official GRE prep book has been published by ETS and according to reviews is better than the 1st edition. Apart from the syllabus and tips about the test, the book contains information regarding the structure, score, and other facts relating to the exam. The book contains over 150 questions all of which are real questions taken from official tests giving a real-time experience when used as practice material.
Pros-
- The book contains 150+ test questions along with answers and explanations.
- The Math review included in the book only covers topics related to the exam and contains hints and tips to help crack the exam easily.
- The questions provided in the book have been taken from real GRE examinations which will provide candidates with additional practice.
Cons-
- Reviewers claim that the content for the book is the same for both editions of the book released.
- The kindle version of the book lacks most of the equations and diagrams present in the print version.
- The general review is regarding the low difficulty level of the questions provided that can leave candidates unprepared.
3
Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus 2021
Cost- $22.55
This book provides a layer-by-layer approach to revealing strategies that are used in the test. Kaplan provides over 1700 questions with answers given in an explanatory format. It also aids in helping one understand their level of improvement after each test.
Pros-
- It contains five full-length online tests which can be used to practice for the exam in the same computer-based format the official exam has.
- There is also one full-length test available in the hardcopy of the book making it easier to understand the format of the test and prepare for the same.
- The online tests offer an individual personalized summary regarding the student’s performance which helps one to make personalized study plans according to the position they stand in.
Cons-
- Most of the information provided in the book contains content that does not pertain to the examination.
- The explanations provided use the methods of intuition than math, especially in the probability section.
- The practice questions provided are more basic than the questions one will encounter during the official examination.
4
The PowerScore GRE Quantitative Reasoning Bible
Cost- $43.08
This is the best available book for preparing for the math section of the GRE General Test. It has over 500 pages and costs around $20 (which is quite reasonable). It covers all sections needed to prepare for the GRE. You also get free online Flashcards/Formulas.
The book contains information that is useful for both the mathematically challenged and the expert. They provide unconventional methods to solve problems within the given time frame during the exam. And the best part of the book is the glossary it contains mathematical terms that will help the student understand questions better.
Pros-
- The book has more than 350 questions with detailed explanations for each.
- It contains chapters that have been divided based on content, with each section containing a comprehensive review of the required chapters.
- It contains a breakdown of multiple-choice, numeric entry, and quantitative comparison questions along with drills to determine the level you are at.
Cons-
- The book contains extensive information that is irrelevant to the examination.
- The practice questions provided in the book are too basic and simple when compared to the questions in the official test.
- The book also has multiple typos and general errors that suggest a lack of proofreading.
5
Nova’s GRE Guide
Cost- $29.95
This has been rated as the best book for GRE Quant Section by most test-takers. It provides many shortcuts to understanding and remembering concepts through worked-out examples. This is spread across 23 chapters throughout the book and also includes a diagnostic test that helps the student assess their base score.
Pros-
- The book contains a comprehensive review of all the chapters for the Mathematics section of the test. This is roughly 23 chapters in all.
- The book also contains 164 examples and over 600 exercises in all after every chapter making the student learn for the test chapter by chapter thoroughly.
- The questions have been arranged according to their difficulty level which progresses as one progresses through the text.
Cons-
- Reviewers claim that the instructions and examples provided in the content section are not sufficient for answering the prep questions provided in the sets.
- The solutions provided for problems have been stated to be more complex and time-consuming than necessary.
- The kindle edition of the book has a few many typos and other general errors that can make the learning process confusing.
6
Kaplan’s GRE Math Workbook
Cost- $31.31
Kaplan is one of the trusted prep material providers for most competitive examinations. This Math Workbook is focused more on providing practice than dealing with the key concepts of the exam. Candidates will be able to learn about strategies and tips for all types of questions that appear on the test.
Pros-
- It contains more than 1000 practice questions including new questions in every different edition.
- The book contains a review of concepts that are indispensable for the test while leaving out the rest for self-study.
- The book has 6 full-length practice tests in all, helping the students to understand their progress in learning for the test.
- The book contains an advanced practice section that one can attempt upon completing the other exercises.
Cons-
- The explanations provided for questions are not organized in a user-friendly manner and reviewers claim that the answers have been poorly explained.
- Candidates who purchased the kindle edition claim that the graphic labels of figures and even some charts are missing in the book.
7
Princeton Reviews' Cracking the GRE Mathematics
Cost- $19.95
This book contains preparation strategies and techniques that are tailor-made for the GRE test. It focuses on gaining that extra point more than following conventional standards of problem-solving. They focus more on shortcuts and other methods to increase the pace at which the student solves problems without compromising the accuracy of the answers.
Pros-
- Cracking the GRE Mathematics has 1 full-length practice test and over 150 practice problems that demonstrate the different strategies that can be used for the test.
- There is also a collection of 200 drill questions that the student can use for self-study since it contains answers and explanations regarding the process in which one can reach that solution.
- The book also contains strategies and tips that one can use for gaining higher scores on the test.
Cons-
- The content provided in the book has been reviewed to be too simple to be of use for the examination.
- Reviewers claim that the wordings used to explain problems and answers are unnecessarily confusing.
8
Barron’s GRE with Online Tests
Cost- $22.99
This book includes a timetable that you can either customize to your needs or follow as provided. There are practice tests that can be availed even on smartphones and laptops allowing the student to practice anywhere at any time without hindrance. The book is an ideal purchase to prepare for GRE as a whole and not just the Math section.
If an aspirant makes the most of the Practice and Preparation material that they buy, work hard, and manage their time well, they can score high on the exam. Try to use free GRE quant tests and prep materials made available on our website.
Pros-
- This book contains an overview of the exam, the exam structure, the syllabus, and other advice on the exam.
- They provide a diagnostic test that contains answers and explanations attached to it. This lets the student calculate the initial grade they can get and improve based on the same.
- The book has both verbal and quantitative questions including reading comprehension and math strategies.
- Online practice tests are available along with the book which includes 2 full-length GRE papers with answers.
Cons-
- Reviewers claim that the answer key for the diagnostic test is missing which makes the test useless for those who wish to assess themselves before prep.
- Candidates who purchased the kindle version of the book have been unable to access the answer keys to all practice tests provided.
- The book has several typos and other general errors that reflect poor editing.