Kolby Jeff - GRE math prep course

NOVAs Jeff Kolby Derrick Vaughn Additional educational titles from Nova Press (available at novapress.net):

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Copyright 2011 by Nova Press Previous editions: 2010, 2009, 2008 All rights reserved. Duplication, distribution, or data base storage of any part of this work is prohibited without prior written approval from the publisher. ISBN-10: 1-889057-59-2 ISBN-13: 978-1-889057-59-0 GRE is a service mark of Educational Testing Service, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this book. 11659 Mayfield Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90049 Phone: 1-800-949-6175 E-mail: info@novapress.net Website: www.novapress.net If you dont have a pencil in your hand, get one now! Dont just read this bookwrite on it, study it, scrutinize it! In short, for the next four weeks, this book should be a part of your life. When you have finished the book, it should be marked-up, dog-eared, tattered and torn. Although the GRE is a difficult test, it is a very learnable test.

This is not to say that the GRE is beatable. There is no bag of tricks that will show you how to master it overnight. You probably have already realized this. Some books, nevertheless, offer "inside stuff" or "tricks" which they claim will enable you to beat the test. These include declaring that answer-choices B, C, or D are more likely to be correct than choices A or E. This tactic, like most of its type, does not work.

It is offered to give the student the feeling that he or she is getting the scoop on the test. The GRE cannot be beaten. But it can be masteredthrough hard work, analytical thought, and by training yourself to think like a test writer. Many of the exercises in this book are designed to prompt you to think like a test writer. For example, you will find Duals. These are pairs of similar problems in which only one property is different.

They illustrate the process of creating GRE questions. The GRE math sections are not easynor is this book. To improve your GRE math score, you must be willing to work; if you study hard and master the techniques in this book, your score will improvesignificantly. This book will introduce you to numerous analytic techniques that will help you immensely, not only on the GRE but in graduate school as well. For this reason, studying for the GRE can be a rewarding and satisfying experience. To insure that you perform at your expected level on the actual GRE, you need to develop a level of mathematical skill that is greater than what is tested on the GRE.

Hence, about 10% of the math problems in this book (labeled "Very Hard") are harder than actual GRE math problems. Although the quick-fix method is not offered in this book, about 15% of the material is dedicated to studying how the questions are constructed. Knowing how the problems are written and how the test writers think will give you useful insight into the problems and make them less mysterious. Moreover, familiarity with the GREs structure will help reduce your anxiety. The more you know about this test, the less anxious you will be the day you take it.

The math section consists of three types of questions: Quantitative Comparisons, Standard Multiple-Choice, and Graphs.

They are designed to test your ability to solve problems, not to test your mathematical knowledge. There are 2 math sections, each is 35 minutes long, and each contains about 20 questions. The questions can appear in any order.

FORMAT

Quantitative Comparisons Standard Multiple-Choice Nonstandard Multiple-Choice Graphs Numeric Entry

GRE math is very similar to SAT math, though surprisingly slightly easier. The mathematical skills tested are very basic: only first year high school algebra and geometry (no proofs). However, this does not mean that the math section is easy.

The medium of basic mathematics is chosen so that everyone taking the test will be on a fairly even playing field. This way, students who majored in math, engineering, or science dont have an undue advantage over students who majored in humanities. Although the questions require only basic mathematics and all have simple solutions, it can require considerable ingenuity to find the simple solution. If you have taken a course in calculus or another advanced math topic, dont assume that you will find the math section easy. Other than increasing your mathematical maturity, little you learned in calculus will help on the GRE. As mentioned above, every GRE math problem has a simple solution, but finding that simple solution may not be easy.

The intent of the math section is to test how skilled you are at finding the simple solutions. The premise is that if you spend a lot of time working out long solutions you will not finish as much of the test as students who spot the short, simple solutions. So, if you find yourself performing long calculations or applying advanced mathematicsstop. Youre heading in the wrong direction.

The GRE is a standardized test. Each time it is offered, the test has, as close as possible, the same level of difficulty as every previous test.