Kaplan - Kaplan GRE & GMAT Exams; Writing Workbook, 3rd Edition

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GRE& GMAT Exams
Writing Workbook

Third Edition

The Staff of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

Contents

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The material in this book is up-to-date at the time of publication. However, the Educational Testing Service may have instituted changes in the test or test registration process after this book was published. Be sure to check gre.org or mba.com for updates. If there are any important late-breaking developmentsor any changes or corrections to the Kaplan test preparation materials in this bookwe will post that information online at kaptest.com/publishing. Check to see if there is any information posted there for readers of this book.

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Kaplan has prepared students to take standardized tests for more than 50 years; longer than the GRE and GMAT have even been around. Our team of researchers and editors know more about preparation for these exams than anyone else, and youll find their accumulated knowledge and experience in this book.

The GRE and GMAT are standardized tests, and so, while every test is not identical, every test covers the same content in essentially the same way. This is good news for you; it means that by studying the material in this book, you can prepare for the Analytical Writing tasks you can expect to encounter on test day.

The main focus of this book is reviewing the writing and logic skills you need to get a good score on the Analytical Writing section of the GRE or GMAT. Strategic reviews and practice will help you brush up on all the skills youll need for test day.

If possible, work through this book a little at a time over the course of several weeks. Writing is a process and its hard to do it all at once.

The GRE & GMAT Exams Writing Workbook is divided into several chapters, each serving its own very important purpose. With careful review and practice, the content and strategies contained in this book will help you to score your best on the GRE or GMAT.

Getting Started

The first thing you need to do is find out exactly what to expect on the GRE or GMAT. In the first chapter of this book, well provide you with background information on the Analytical Writing sections of each test. The next chapter provides all the information you need to know about how your essays are scored and what your scores mean.

Once you know about what to expect on the test, chapters three and four cover essential information for writing a top-scoring essay. We cover grammar, mechanics, and style as well as strategies for writing effective paragraphs and essays. Well also review logic terminology (for the Argument essays) as well as the Kaplan Five-Step Method to help you do your best. The final chapters of this workbook cover sample GRE and GMAT prompts. Using these prompts, you can practice the skills you have learned to write strong essays. In addition to sample prompts, weve also included sample top-scoring essays so you can review the qualities that earn an essay a high score. Youll find a word list at the end of the book containing over 500 vocabulary words and definitions to help you craft wining essays.

About 250,000 international students pursue advanced academic degrees at the masters or Ph.D. level at U.S. universities each year. This trend of pursuing higher education in the United States, particularly at the graduate level, is expected to continue. Business, management, engineering, and the physical and life sciences are popular areas of study for international students.

If you are an international student planning on applying to a graduate program in the United States, you will want to consider the following.

If English is not your first language, you will probably need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or show some other evidence that youre proficient in English prior to gaining admission to a graduate program. Graduate programs will vary on what is an acceptable TOEFL score. For degrees in business, journalism, management, or the humanities, a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (250 on the computer-based TOEFL) or better is expected. For the hard sciences and computer technology, a TOEFL score of 550 (213 on the computer-based TOEFL) is a common minimum requirement.

You may also need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as part of the admission process.

Since admission to many graduate programs and business schools is quite competitive, you may want to select three or four programs you would like to attend and complete applications for each program.

Selecting the correct graduate school is very different from selecting an undergraduate school. You should research the qualifications and interests of faculty members teaching and doing research in your chosen field. Also, select a program that meets your current or future employment needs, rather than simply a program with a big name.

Begin the application process at least a year in advance. Be aware that many programs offer only August or September start dates. Find out application deadlines and plan accordingly.

Finally, you will need to obtain an 1-20 Certificate of Eligibility in order to obtain an F-1 Student Visa to study in the United States.

Kaplan English Programs

If you need more help with the complex process of graduate school admissions, or assistance preparing for the TOEFL, GRE, or GMAT, you may be interested in Kaplans programs for international students. Kaplan English Programs were designed to help students and professionals from outside the United States meet their educational and career goals. At locations throughout the United States, international students take advantage of Kaplans programs to help them improve their academic and conversational English skills, raise their scores on the TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, and other standardized exams, and gain admission to top programs.

General Intensive English

Kaplans General Intensive English classes are designed to help you improve your skills in all areas of English and to increase your fluency in spoken and written English. Classes are available for beginning to advanced students, and the average class size is 12 students.

TOEFL and Academic English

This course provides you with the skills you need to improve your TOEFL score and succeed in an American university or graduate program. It includes advanced reading, writing, listening, grammar, and conversational English. You will also receive training for the TOEFL using Kaplans exclusive computer-based practice materials.