Kaplan GRE Exam 2010 Premier Live Online (Kaplan Gre Exam Premier Live)

Comment: The Kaplan book isn't completely unhelpful: the diagnostic test is useful for figuring out what areas you need to study, and it's decent for a math review. It also goes over what a CAT is and how CAT strategy differs from the old pen/paper strategies.

However, I found the free materials supplied by ETS (mainly the PowerPrep program) after registration were much more helpful. Kaplan gives you verbal section techniques that can be helpful if you have no idea what any of the words mean, but the ETS verbal questions don't have obscure words so often as words that don't mean exactly what you think. The Powerprep questions are much more similar to what you'll find on the actual GRE.

If you're going to take the GRE, I'd suggest you stick with the PowerPrep software and other resources they give you. Powerprep has two full-length tests and three practice sets for each question type (analogies, antonyms, etc). I didn't think this book was worth the cover price.

Comment: Going through and getting stuck on a problem is bad enough, but then finding out out it was because they printed the problems wrong makes it even more frustrating! I have not even started the Online material, but I hear it is just as bad if not worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment: This book is good for practicing computer adapted tests (CAT).If you want to get the feel and acclimate yourself to computer adapted tests, this is the book for you. I am used to paper based exam and I am very wary of the new GRE format. I took my first GRE exam last week and I scored in the top 90th percentile, thanks to this book. Not including the diagnostic test, you will have access to fifteen online simulated GRE tests, which to my opinion almost similar to the actual GRE test that I took last week. There are six monthly quizzes (allowed access for six months), five full length practice questions (allowed access for 6 months also) and four free full length tests in Kaplan's website for all "registered" users good for 3 months.

I bought this book off Amazon.com and I didn't know if it's worth its price because a lot of people gave this book less than three stars. The book was discounted so I thought it's worth a try. In order to use this book you have to register to Kaplan's website, the instruction is on PAGE 4, which I unfortunately missed, so I was left searching the internet and inside the book for a good frustrating 30 minutes of my life. Kaplan could have printed the instruction on the back cover or front cover to save customers time.

Once you are registered, Kaplan will send you email of your code so you can use their online tests and everything went beautifully afterwards. Kaplan will not send you junk mails if you opt out in their marketing offers. It's the best little money I have spent on a review book. I did not use the live online session because I only have less than six weeks to review so I cannot give opinion on this feature. So here's my two cents:
Feature #1 About the GRE: this book explains what to expect and what to do about GRE test day. It has eight fast facts videos lasting 2-3 minutes each which I find useful, especially tips to concentrate on the first six questions and what to bring on test day like tylenol,lol. The tips are direct. It has also GRE study sheets that you can print.
Feature #2 Analytical Writing: English is not my native language, so I really find this feature useful. It helped me with writing strategies, like be concise, don't mince words and be honest with your opinions on a subject matter but not too weird, you know what I mean?;)

If you want to get a better score, you might want to check out other GRE review books which I used: BARRON'S,and NOVA. But nothing beats Kaplan's for interactive tests.

Last thing, if you are weak on your math foundation, you might want to try Nova math bible and study Barron's for a good period of time and finish off with Kaplan because Kaplan assumes you have good foundation.

Comment: I bought the 2009 version of this book in the spring, intending to study and then take the GRE in December. Well of course you get busy and don't study too much over the summer so the bulk of my studies began in October. Guess what? The online support portion of program expired! So I bought another book. This time, the Kaplan website says my registration code has already been used (like someone went to the bookstore, wrote down the code out of a book, took the number home and got free online program). I was so upset. I did call (the recording simply tells you to send an email) so then you have to wait for the email to get answered. Well, the day that I set aside to get started was a complete waste because of the registration number snafu, but the next day I was told I had the program added to my account. OK.

Aside from that frustration, the math study materials are OK if you are fluent in basic math. There are a huge number of typos in this book. So many that I quit writing them down. In the math section particularly there are several places where a "+" sign was misprinted as an "=" sign, etc. For such a prestigious name like Kaplan, you'd think they'd at least proofread their books before sending to print.

I did think their essay section was pretty good, but not because of the way they overload you with do's and don'ts - if you simply read the essay assignments and then read the "Grade 6" essays they give as examples, you can get a very good idea of how your essays should be crafted. The verbal vocabulary section was too monotonous. I found the Kaplan GRE Vocab prep application available for iPhone and iPod Touch to be very useful because I could whip my Touch out anywhere when I had ten free minutes or so and get some vocab in. I highly recommend that as as a supplement. I had bought the flash cards way back in the spring, but to be honest they don't exactly fit in your pocket and I only cracked them open once. If anyone once a near-mint set at a bargain, let me know...

Comment: I purchased this after looking at a friend's copy. The book itself is very thorough, has lots of practice questions. I liked this better than other books I used because it deals with the skills you need to answer the GRE questions effectively, not just review of the concepts. The online features you get with the book are excellent - lots more practice quizzes and tests. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is planning to take the GRE.