Another commonly asked question is that Can I use the “GRE: Practicing to Take the General Test: Big Book” for my GRE Preparation?
To answer this question, let’s do a comprehensive review of the GRE Big Book by ETS.
In this Article
What is the ETS GRE Big Book?
ETS, the GRE test-makers, designed the GRE Big Book in 1995. This book consists of 27 Actual GRE Past exams with 5000+ Practice Questions. Given this book was created over two decades ago, the question is, does it still apply to the current format of the GRE, or is it outdated? Let’s answer this question.
The Current GRE Versus The 1995 GRE
ETS wrote this book for the older version of the GRE. Back then, GRE was a different kind of exam.
- There used to be an Analytical Reasoning section, which has now been discontinued.
- It relied on a word list of 5000 words. Nowadays, it relies on no more than 1000 words.
- The Verbal section had questions on analogies and antonyms. These questions are no longer part of the GRE.
As for the similarities, there are many:
- The Quantitative section is almost identical. The topics and concepts have not changed much.
- Text Completions on the Verbal section are also the same.
- Reading Passages and their complexity is also indistinguishable.
Is GRE Big Book Worth Practicing?
The GRE Big Book is handy.
It offers over 600+ Math Questions. The concepts and subject areas that these questions test are precisely what the GRE tests currently. However, the level of these 600 questions is a tad easier. If you aim to score in the 154-158 range on the Math section, then the GRE Big Book is sufficient.
On the Verbal section, only the Reading Passages and Text Completions are essential. You can skip the vocabulary questions (analogies, antonyms) of the big book. The passages are lengthy and convoluted – therefore, an excellent practice for improving your speed and accuracy in reading comprehension. You can achieve a 90%+ competence in Reading Passages after practicing from the GRE Big Book.
Note: This book contains NO explanations – it only has practice questions. So, if you are stuck, you will have to look elsewhere.
Should I Buy the GRE Big Book?
Buy this book only if you are looking to significantly improve your reading comprehension. The nearly 700+ Reading Comprehension questions are ample practice to get you a top-tier Verbal score. You won’t need anything other than the Big Book to improve your passage reading for the GRE.
Do not buy the Big Book if your goal is to just improve your Math score. For the quantitative section, the Big Book is just enough to get you a decent score, but not a great one.
Key Take-Aways
It would be best if you use the Big Book for the following ONLY:
- Practicing 600+ Math Questions
- Doing the 650+ Questions on Reading Comprehensions
- Solving the 300+ Text Completion Questions