Before You Begin
HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED
Taking the GRE is a skill. It shares some aspects with other endeavors, such
as competing in athletics. It requires discipline and practice to succeed.
These are skills that can be improved through coaching, but ultimately,
improvement also requires practice. This book gives you both.
• Top 10 Strategies to Raise Your Score lists the 10 most important
GRE prep tips to help you score high.
• Part I is essential reading if you’re preparing to take the GRE. You’ll find
out about the overall structure of the GRE, and what each section of the
test covers, and about registration and testing procedures. You’ll also
learn general test-taking strategies. This part of the book also shows you
each test section and each basic type of question up close; we’ve provided
examples of each type of question (along with explanations), so you can
get a good initial “feel” for the overall test.
• Part II will allow you to dip your toes into the GRE waters by taking one
45-minute Analytical Writing Issue task, one 30-minute Analytical
Writing Argument task, one 45-minute Quantitative Reasoning test, and
one 30-minute Verbal Reasoning test. Use the results of this Diagnostic
Test to determine where you need to focus your GRE preparation.
• Parts III–V make up the coaching program. This part of the book ana-
lyzes each section of the GRE—Analytical Writing, Quantitative Rea-
soning, and Verbal Reasoning—and gives you powerful strategies for
attacking every question type you’ll encounter in the actual exam.
• Part VI consists of five full-length Practice Tests. Each test contains the
same number and mix of question types you’ll encounter on the actual
exam. To accurately measure your performance on these Practice Tests,
be sure to adhere strictly to the stated time limits for each section.
• The Appendixes provide you with a scoring guide for your practice tests,
a list of additional GRE resources, and a handy vocabulary list to help you
prepare for the Verbal Reasoning section of the GRE. We’ve also provided

reducing the number of Analogy and Antonym questions (or eliminating them entirely),
as well as adding Critical Reasoning questions based on paragraph-length arguments.
These and any other changes to the GRE are at least a year or two away, however, and
therefore are not reflected in this book’s current edition.
SPECIAL STUDY FEATURES
Peterson’s Master the GRE is designed to be as user friendly as it is complete. To this
end, it includes several features to make your preparation more efficient.
Overview
Each chapter begins with a bulleted overview listing the topics covered in the chapter.
This will allow you to quickly target the areas in which you are most interested.
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Summing It Up
Each chapter ends with a point-by-point summary that reviews the most important
items in the chapter. The summaries offer a convenient way to review key points.
Bonus Information
As you work your way through the book, keep your eyes on the margins to find bonus
information and advice. Information can be found in the following forms:
NOTE
Notes highlight need-to-know information about the GRE, whether it’s details about
registration and scoring or the structure of a question type.
TIP
Tips provide valuable strategies and insider information to help you score your best
on the GRE.
ALERT!
Alerts do just what they say—alert you to common pitfalls and misconceptions you
might face or hear regarding the GRE.
USING THIS BOOK TO PREPARE FOR THE

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Before You Beginxiv
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TOP 10 STRATEGIES TO RAISE YOUR SCORE
Regardless of the books, software, or other GRE-prep resources you’re using, certain
time-tested strategies for GRE preparation never go out of style. To attain your
optimal GRE scores and to maximize your chances of getting into your first-choice
graduate program, keep the following strategies in mind:
1. Don’t neglect your weaknesses. When preparing for the GRE, some test takers
make the mistake of focusing on their strengths, and they neglect to work on
eliminating their weaknesses. They tell themselves, “I can’t handle these tough
sections right now,” and they decide either to face them later or skip them
completely and take their chances on the actual exam. However, you can’t “hide”
your individual GRE scores from the admissions committees, and you don’t want
to be unprepared in any way. The best strategy here is to avoid spending more
time than you need on any one area of the GRE. Don’t waste time reviewing what
you already know. Instead, devote as much time as possible to improving areas
where you know you need extra practice.
2. Don’t neglect the two GRE essays. Among GRE test takers, it’s especially
common to neglect preparing for the essay section of the exam. Don’t make this
mistake! This is one area where it’s impossible to “guess” your way through the
test. What’s more, graduate schools are more frequently focusing on the GRE
essays to help them make tough decisions among applicants—many of whom
appear equally qualified otherwise. This means that your Analytical Writing score