Table Of Content8GRE
Practice
Tests
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8GRE
Practice
Tests
Third Edition
Kathy A. Zahler
Christopher Thomas
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Contents
Getting Started ix
What Is the GRE General Test? ix
Test Structure and Format ix
Verbal and Quantitative Question Types xi
How to Use the Practice Tests xii
Scoring the Verbal and Quantitative Test Sections xiii
Scoring the Analytical Writing Section xiii
GRE Practice Test 1 1
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 2
Issue Topic 3
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 8
Argument Topic 9
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 13
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 22
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 31
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 39
GRE Practice Test 1: Answers and Explanations 47
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 47
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 48
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 49
GRE Practice Test 1: Answer Key 51
GRE Practice Test 1: Answer Explanations 53
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 53
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 55
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 58
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 60
GRE Practice Test 2 65
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 66
Issue Topic 67
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 72
Argument Topic 73
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 77
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 87
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 97
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 106
v
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vi Contents
GRE Practice Test 2: Answers and Explanations 114
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 114
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 115
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 117
GRE Practice Test 2: Answer Key 118
GRE Practice Test 2: Answer Explanations 121
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 121
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 123
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 126
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 129
GRE Practice Test 3 133
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 134
Issue Topic 135
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 140
Argument Topic 141
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 145
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 154
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 164
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 172
GRE Practice Test 3: Answers and Explanations 180
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 180
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 181
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 183
GRE Practice Test 3: Answer Key 184
GRE Practice Test 3: Answer Explanations 186
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 186
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 188
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 191
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 193
GRE Practice Test 4 197
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 198
Issue Topic 199
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 204
Argument Topic 205
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 209
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 219
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 229
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 237
GRE Practice Test 4: Answers and Explanations 246
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 246
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 247
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 249
GRE Practice Test 4: Answer Key 250
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Contents vii
GRE Practice Test 4: Answer Explanations 253
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 253
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 255
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 257
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 260
GRE Practice Test 5 263
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 264
Issue Topic 265
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 270
Argument Topic 271
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 275
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 285
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 295
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 304
GRE Practice Test 5: Answers and Explanations 312
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 312
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 313
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 315
GRE Practice Test 5: Answer Key 316
GRE Practice Test 5: Answer Explanations 319
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 319
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 321
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 323
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 326
GRE Practice Test 6 329
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 330
Issue Topic 331
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 336
Argument Topic 337
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 341
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 351
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 361
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 370
GRE Practice Test 6: Answers and Explanations 378
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 378
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 379
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 381
GRE Practice Test 6: Answer Key 382
GRE Practice Test 6: Answer Explanations 385
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 385
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 387
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 389
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 392
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viii Contents
GRE Practice Test 7 397
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 398
Issue Topic 399
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 404
Argument Topic 405
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 409
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 419
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 429
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 437
GRE Practice Test 7: Answers and Explanations 445
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 445
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 446
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 448
GRE Practice Test 7: Answer Key 449
GRE Practice Test 7: Answer Explanations 451
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 451
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 453
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 456
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 458
GRE Practice Test 8 463
Section 1 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue 464
Issue Topic 465
Section 2 Analytical Writing: Analyze an Argument 470
Argument Topic 471
Section 3 Verbal Reasoning 475
Section 4 Verbal Reasoning 485
Section 5 Quantitative Reasoning 494
Section 6 Quantitative Reasoning 501
GRE Practice Test 8: Answers and Explanations 509
Analytical Writing: Scoring and Sample Responses 509
Analyze an Issue: Sample Response with a Score of 6 510
Analyze an Argument: Sample Response with a Score of 6 512
GRE Practice Test 8: Answer Key 513
GRE Practice Test 8: Answer Explanations 515
Section 3. Verbal Reasoning 515
Section 4. Verbal Reasoning 517
Section 5. Quantitative Reasoning 519
Section 6. Quantitative Reasoning 522
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Getting Started
his book contains eight practice tests for the GRE General Test. They follow
Tthe test format in use for all GRE exams. Each one has been carefully crafted
to match the real exam in terms of content, question types, and level of difficulty.
Taking these practice tests will give you a good idea of what you’ll encounter when
you take the real exam. You’ll learn about the test structure and content, you’ll
familiarize yourself with the directions for each question type, and you’ll get a good
idea of how well you are currently prepared for the actual GRE.
What Is the GRE General Test?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required for entry
by most college and university graduate programs. The General Test covers
basic verbal and quantitative skills. There are also GRE tests in various specific
subjects, which are required by certain graduate programs. All of these exams
are created and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For
complete information, including instructions for registering to take the exams,
visit www.gre.org.
The following sections describe the features of the current GRE test format.
More information is available at the GRE website.
Test Structure and Format
The revised GRE General Test, administered starting in August 2011, has two
formats: a computer-based test and a paper-based test. The computer-based test is
offered in the United States, Canada, and many other countries. The paper-based test
is offered in areas of the world where computer-based testing is not available.
The revised GRE General Test has three parts:
• Analytical Writing (2 tasks). In this part of the test you will write two
short essays in response to prompts provided. One essay will “analyze an
issue” and the other will “analyze an argument.” Pools of topics may be
found on the GRE website. The topics on your test will be selected from
these pools.
ix
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