GRE Prep 2023 ® GRE Prep 2023 ® with Online Practice by Ron Woldoff, MBA GRE® Prep 2023 For Dummies® with Online Practice Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com Copyright © 2022 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission GRE is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS) This publication is not endorsed or approved by ETS. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: WHILE THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS WORK, THEY MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES, WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS OR PROMOTIONAL STATEMENTS FOR THIS WORK THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHORS ENDORSE THE INFORMATION OR SERVICES THE ORGANIZATION, WEBSITE, OR PRODUCT MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR SITUATION YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH A SPECIALIST WHERE APPROPRIATE FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHORS SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002 For technical support, please visit https://hub.wiley com/community/support/dummies Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com Library of Congress Control Number: 2022936300 ISBN 978-1-119-88660-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-88661-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-88662-4 (ebk) Contents at a Glance Introduction Part 1: Getting Started with the GRE CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3: Knowing the GRE Planning Your Time 13 Planning for Exam Day: Everything Outside the Exam 21 Part 2: Tackling the Verbal Section One Word at a Time 27 Upping Your Best GRE Verbal Score What Are They Saying: Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence Getting the Gist: Reading Comprehension Critical Thinking: Argument Analysis Questions Expanding Your Vocabulary to Boost Your Score 29 33 51 67 77 Part 3: Math You Thought You’d Never Need Again 97 CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 5: CHAPTER 6: CHAPTER 7: CHAPTER 8: Raising Your Best GRE Math Score 99 with Numbers and Operations 105 CHAPTER 11: Solving Algebra and Functions 129 CHAPTER 12: Drawing Geometry 157 CHAPTER 13: Simplifying Word Problems 191 CHAPTER 14: Interpreting Data and Graphs 213 CHAPTER 15: Comparing Quantities 235 CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 10: Working Part 4: Getting the Essays Right CHAPTER 16: Writing 251 the Essays Well and Fast 253 Your Essays 269 CHAPTER 17: Practicing Part 5: Full-Length Practice Exams: Show Time .279 CHAPTER 18: Practice Exam CHAPTER 19: Practice Exam 1: Answers and Explanations CHAPTER 20: Practice Exam CHAPTER 21: Practice Exam 2: Answers and Explanations 281 307 321 345 CHAPTER 22: Practice Exam 357 Exam 3: Answers and Explanations 383 CHAPTER 23: Practice Part 6: The Part of Tens 393 CHAPTER 24: Ten Key Facts about the GRE 395 Mistakes You Won’t Make (While Others Will) 399 CHAPTER 26: Ten Ways to Build Your Skills with the Online Exams 403 CHAPTER 25: Ten Index 407 multiplying, 141–142 Review button, 16 simplifying, 139–140 Review Screen, 16 subtracting, 140–141 rhetoric, 92 radius, 175 rhombuses, 173 ranges, 215–216, 245–246 right angles, 158 ratios right circular cylinders, 184–185 amounts in, 123–124 right triangles, 164, 169–172 combining, 126–127 Ritzer, George (author), 64 defined, 126 roots, 80–82 example questions, 122–127 rounding, 100 maintaining, 124–126 rout, 92 total numbers of items, 122 rueful, 92 rays, 157 ruminate, 92 reaction, 44 Reading Comprehension questions formats of, 51–53 multiple-choice questions, 52 number of, passages biological and physical science, 55–58 humanities, 61–63 social sciences, 63–65 sentence-selection questions, 53 strategies for answering yourself before looking at answer choices, 55 avoiding traps, 54–55 context, 53–54 gist of passage, 54 realism, 41 real numbers, defined, 105 recant, 92 recidivism, 92 recondite, 48, 92 rectangles, 173 rectangular solids, 185–186 redress, 92 refutation, 92 refute, 45, 92 renovate, 80 repose, 92 reprobate, 92 repudiate, 92 rescind, 92 resilience, 42, 92 respite, 92 restive, 92 retaking GRE, 24 reticent, 92 reverent, 92 S sagacious, 92 salacious, 92 salubrious, 92 sanction, 92 sanguine, 40, 92 SAT, 397 satiate, 92 savor, 92 saxophone, 79 scanty, 92 scatter plots, 229–230 scheduling for home, 18 for testing center, 18 scien (root), 82 scientist, 82 scores calculating, 10 canceling, 11 checking, 10–11 old, 11 range by sections, seeing, 11 scratch paper, 23 seasonal, 42 secrete, 92 sections of GRE, 8–9 sectors, 181–182 security, 42, 93 sedulous, 93 seethe, 93 segments, 157 segregate, 81 seminal, 93 Index 419 Sentence Equivalence questions somn (root), 82 defined, 34 somnambulist, 80 examples of, 35, 44–49 son (root), 82 number of, sonic boom, 82 strategies for sonorous, 82, 93 completing text with own words, 37 soporific, 93 eliminating wrong answer choices, 38 spate, 93 gist of text, 36 specious, 93 interpreting text, 35–36 Spectrum (Nishiwaki), 61 interpreting text without looking at answer choices, 37 spendthrift, 93 transition words, 39 square, 172 time management, 30 sentence-selection questions, 53 sequence, 152–153 spurious, 93 square root, defined, 139 square roots adding, 140–141 serenity, 80 multiplying, 141–142 sets and groups, 203–204 simplifying, 139–140 empty sets, defined, 203 null sets, defined, 203 probability, 207–208 sets, defined, 203 sets formula, 204 Venn diagrams, 203–204 sets formula, 204 shard, 93 shirk, 93 shoddy, 93 shrapnel, 79 silhouette, 79 simony, 79 simultaneous equations, 147–151 sinuous, 93 skeptic, 93 skepticism, 93 skittish, 93 slander, 93 slope formula, 144 slope-intercept form, 146 slope of a line, 144 slothful, 93 snacks, 22 social sciences passages, 63–65 solecism, 45, 93 solicitous, 93 solutions, 137, 147 solving for x example questions, 135–139 factoring back out, 137–139 FOIL method, 135–137 with a number, 134 subtracting, 140–141 s:s:s√2 triangles, 170–171 s:s:s√3:2s triangles, 171–172 standard deviation, 219–222 stentorian, 93 stigma, 93 stint, 93 stipulate, 93 stoic, 48, 93 stolid, 48, 93 stratify, 93 strength, 41 strengthening arguments, 70–72 striated, 93 strut, 93 study skills, study time, planning, 13–14 sublime, 93 substitution method, 149–151 subterfuge, 93 succumbing, 42 suffixes, 80 Sullivan Principles, 60 sums, defined, 106 supercilious, 93 superciliousness, 49 superfluity, 49 superfluous, 68, 93 supersede, 93 supine, 94 supplementary angles, 159 Supplement for Test Takers with Disabilities, 19 suppressing, 42 420 GRE Prep 2023 For Dummies, with Online Practice surface area, of cubes, 187–189 sweeping generalization, 71 sybarite, 94 missing words, 40 transition words, 39 time management, 30–31 sycophant, 94 therefore, 39, 69–71, 74–75 sympathize, 81 thrall, 94 3-D shapes T cubes, 186–188 Tabibito kaerazu (Nishiwaki), 61 tables defined, 224 example questions, 224–225 interpreting, 224–225 tablets, 23 tacit, 94 taciturn, 94 taciturnity, 43 tangent, 175 tangential, 94 tantamount, 94 tawdry, 94 team-work problems, 199–200 temerity, 94 tempestuous, 94 tenacious, 94 tendentious, 94 tenuous, 94 tepid, 94 testing centers adverse testing conditions, 24–25 complaining to, 25 directions to, 22 earplugs, 404 scheduling for, 18 transportation to, 22 what not to bring, 22–23, 398 what to bring, 21–22 test-taking ability, test-taking experience, preparing for, Text Completion questions defined, 33–34 examples of, 34, 41–43 number of, strategies for completing text with own words, 37 eliminating wrong answer choices, 38 gist of text, 36 interpreting text, 35–36 interpreting text without looking at answer choices, 37 cylinders, 184–185 example questions, 184–188 rectangular solids, 185–186 thwart, 94 tilt, 94 tilting, 59 time and distance problems, 192–193 time management, 30–31 timidity, 80, 94 tirade, 46, 94 titillate, 94 titular, 94 top score, achieving, 1–2 torpid, 94 tortuous, 94 tractable, 94 Transfer Display button, 101 transgression, 94 transience, 94 transition words, 39 transmute, 94 transparent, 94 transpire, 94 trap answers, 34, 46 trapezoids, 173 trend lines, 230 trepidation, 94 triangles area of, 165–167 characteristics of, 164–165 defined, 162 equiangular, 163–164 equilateral, 163–164, 167 example questions, 165–167 isosceles, 164 number of sides, 161 perimeter of, 165–166 Pythagorean theorem, 168–169 right, 164, 169–172 truculence, 94 truculent, 48, 94 turgid, 94 Index 421 practice exam tutelage, 94 typist, 80 answers and explanations, 383–385, 387–389 tyro, 94 questions, 363–368, 372–377 Reading Comprehension questions, U scoring, Sentence Equivalence questions, ubiquitous, 7, 95 Text Completion questions, umbrage, 95 unassuaged, 95 uncouth, 95 undermine, 95 undermining arguments, 68 unequivocal, 44 unerringly, 95 ungainly, 95 unions, 203 unison, 95 units digit defined, 107 example questions, 107–108 units of measurement, 193–194 unruly, 95 untenable, 95 time management, 30–31 verbiage, 95 verbose, 95 vertical angles, 159 vestigial, 45, 95 viable, 48, 95 vicissitude, 95 vigor, 95 virtuosity, 95 virulence, 95 visage, 42, 95 viscous, 95 vision, 42 vituperate, 95 vocabulary words flashcards, unwilling, 43 in literature, 96 upbraid, 95 most common, 82–96 urbanity, 95 overview, 77 prefixes, 78–80 V roots, 80–82 suffixes, 80 vacillate, 95 vagabond, 95 vociferous, 95 vainglorious, 95 volatile, 96 valorous, 95 volition, 96 vantage, 95 voluble, 96 vapid, 95 volume of cubes, 186–187 variegated, 95 vehement, 95 veneer, 49, 95 venerate, 95 Venn diagrams, 203–204 veracious, 48, 95 Verbal Section Argument Analysis questions, building core skills, 29–30 practice exam answer keys, 319 answers and explanations, 307–310, 313–316 questions, 287–292, 297–302 practice exam answers and explanations, 345–347, 350–352 questions, 327–331, 336–340 W warranted, 96 wary, 96 water, 22 weakening arguments, 68, 70–72 weak subject areas, strengthening, weariness, 41 Web 2.0, 64–65 weighted averages, 196–197 welter, 96 whet, 96 whimsical, 96 whole numbers, defined, 105 whorl, 96 422 GRE Prep 2023 For Dummies, with Online Practice Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Sociology, The (Ritzer), 64 work ethic, winsome, 96 wreak, 96 wistful, 48 word problems averages evenly spaced integers, 195–196 example questions, 195–197 missing-term averages, 194–195 weighted averages, 196–197 work problems, 197–198 writhe, 96 X x f(x) functions, 153–155 solving for example questions, 134–139 counting methods, 208–212 factoring back out, 137–139 mixture problems, 201–202 FOIL method, 135–137 probability defined, 204 either/or probabilities, 206–207 multiplying consecutive probabilities, 205–206 in sets and groups, 207–208 setting up fraction, 205 sets and groups, 203–204 simplifying steps, 191–192 team-work problems, 199–200 time and distance, 192–193 units of measurement, 193–194 with a number, 134 xy rectangular grid (coordinate plane), 142 Y yore, 96 Z zealot, 96 zeitgeist, 96 work problems, 197–198 Index 423 About the Author Ron Woldoff completed his dual master’s degrees at Arizona State University and San Diego State University, where he studied the culmination of business and technology After working as a corporate consultant, Ron opened his own company, National Test Prep, to help students reach their goals on college entrance exams He created the programs and curricula for these tests from scratch, using his own observations of the tests and feedback from students Ron has taught his own GMAT and GRE programs at both Northern Arizona University and the internationally acclaimed Thunderbird School of Global Management Ron has also assisted at various high schools, where he led student groups and coached student instructors to help others prepare for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT. Ron lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his lovely wife, Leisah, and their three amazing boys, Zachary, Jadon, and Adam You can find Ron on the web at nationaltestprep.com Dedication This book is humbly dedicated to all those whom I’ve helped reach their goals You have helped me become better at everything I — Ron Woldoff, Phoenix, Arizona Author’s Acknowledgments I would like to thank my friends Ken Krueger, Lionel Hummel, and Jaime Abromovitz, who helped get things started when I had this crazy idea of helping people prepare for standardized exams I would absolutely like to thank my wife, Leisah, for her continuing support and always being there for me For the team behind this book, I would like to thank agent Bill Gladstone of Waterside Productions in Cardiff, California, for bringing me this opportunity Also thanks to Thomas Hill for his patience and help in bringing the manuscript through editing and production Also thanks to technical editor David Lynch, who reviewed my work and kept me honest and on track — not always easy to Big thumbs up to Lindsay Lefevere and Elizabeth Stilwell, our acquisitions editors, who were ultimately responsible for trusting me and Tom to revise this edition and for handling all the little things to keep it going For previous contributors, I would like to acknowledge Suzee Vlk, who broke ground on the GRE For Dummies series, along with Michelle Rose Gilman and Veronica Saydak, who eventually took the reins from Suzee Finally, a rockin’ shout-out to Joe Kraynak, my co-author in crime, for providing such valuable guidance on previous GRE For Dummies editions and my very first For Dummies project This book reflects all of your voices and talent Publisher’s Acknowledgments Managing Editor: Michelle Hacker Production Editor: Mohammed Zafar Ali Acquisitions Editor: Elizabeth Stilwell Cover Image: © Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock.com Development Editor: Thomas Hill Technical Editor: David Lynch Proofreader: Debbye Butler Take dummies with you everywhere you go! 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GRE Prep 2023 ® GRE Prep 2023 ® with Online Practice by Ron Woldoff, MBA GRE? ? Prep 2023 For Dummies? ? with Online Practice Published by: John Wiley &... share with you Your success, after all, is why we’re both here GRE Prep 2023 For Dummies with Online Practice Getting Started with the GRE IN THIS PART . Get the details about signing up for. .. The GRE Is Different from the SAT and ACT xiv GRE Prep 2023 For Dummies with Online Practice 395 396 396 396 397 397 CHAPTER 25: The GRE Also Measures