Best 5 Books to Prepare for GRE Verbal Section 2023

The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) is a standardized aptitude test that examines a candidate’s Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Critical Writing skills. This exam is conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS) for graduate admissions in the US. It acts as a key criterion for assessing the merit of undergraduate students to be granted admission to top international universities for higher studies.

The maximum score in GRE is 340. The exam is divided into three sections: Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning carry 170 marks each. The maximum score for the third section, which is analytical writing, is 5.0. 

A good GRE score is 320 and above overall. The top universities for graduate studies require a score above 160 in Verbal Reasoning. Is it hard to achieve? Maybe, but with a good deal of practice, it is achievable.

Understanding the Verbal Reasoning section

The verbal section in GRE can be quite daunting for the uninitiated. The questions are designed to confuse the test-taker into picking the wrong answer. The most strenuous part of the GRE Verbal section is its vocabulary. More than half of the verbal reasoning section examines a candidate's knowledge of sophisticated academic vocabulary.

Some questions in the vocabulary testing are such that two or more answers would seem to be correct. This implies that, unless and until the test-taker knows the exact meaning and usage of a word helps, they will face challenges in selecting the right answer. Therefore, a good vocabulary is paramount to your success in the GRE Verbal section and getting a good score overall. 

However, it is not easy to acquire proficiency in vocabulary and verbal reasoning easily; it takes time. Therefore, one needs to start solid preparation well before in time to ace this section.

Thankfully, there are a number of good GRE preparation resources available today that have made it easier to master useful vocabulary. There are well-known test prep companies who have researched the GRE for decades to compile practice workbooks and lists of words most likely to show up on the GRE. Utilizing these resources is a great time-efficient strategy to improve your skills for scoring well in this section.

Let us take a look at the best GRE verbal practice books to improve your score.

Top 5 GRE Books for Verbal Section Preparation

The verbal section questions from topics such as vocabulary, parallelism, idioms, grammar, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, and more. To gain expertise in all these, you need to select the best book for preparation. Here are some of the best books for Verbal Section preparation:

1. ETS Official GRE Guide, 3rd Edition

The ETS Official GRE Guide is published by the ETS, the official testing authority that administers the actual GRE test. The book has over 150 GRE verbal practice questions with helpful tips and tricks to get a good score. It also covers a detailed explanation of quantitative and verbal reasoning concepts. It includes test papers, challenging questions, and a CD so that the students can prepare by setting up a similar test environment. If you want to practice on the most authentic questions, then this is the best choice. 

2. Barron’s Verbal GRE Workbook, 4th Edition

This book comes from one of the oldest publishing companies for GRE preparation. Arguably the best resource for GRE verbal preparation, it includes 380 questions on verbal reasoning and a GRE dictionary that features a vocabulary list with definitions that all successful GRE test takers must master. Its questions also cover topics like sentence equivalence, single-blanked text completion, double-blanked test completion, and triple-blanked test completion.

3. Verbal Workout for new GRE by Princeton Review, 6th Edition

Among the best GRE verbal books, this competitive workbook provides winning strategies for achieving high GRE scores. It includes 250+ practice questions with detailed answer explanations. It covers all question types you would encounter on the actual test, such as text completion, reading comprehension, and sentence equivalence. It also gives essay writing tips for the analytical writing section.

4. Kaplan’s GRE Verbal Workbook, 9th Edition

Kaplan is known for guiding test-takers with comprehensive preparation for GRE. It ranks among the best books for GRE verbal preparation. It includes 200+ test-like practice questions as well as 175+ exercises on vocabulary, grammar, mechanics, and style. A new strategy sheet with Kaplan strategies has been added in the latest edition. It is an excellent resource to boost your vocabulary and learn essential strategies for every verbal question type to score higher.

5. Manhattan Prep GRE Verbal Strategies, 5th Edition

This is also one of the best books for GRE verbal preparation. It covers several useful strategies and tactics to tackle the tricky questions of the GRE verbal section. It includes an in-depth analysis of all the questions in the GRE verbal test and how to approach them. Written and updated by the 99th percentile GRE instructors, it features a diverse set of questions with useful explanations.

Conclusion

In addition to these books for GRE verbal preparation, you can also take the help of Norman Lewis’ Word Power Made Easy and Gruber’s Complete GRE Guide to complement your preparation. 

Acing the GRE verbal section alone may not be sufficient to get admission to an undergraduate university abroad. But, mastering this section will no doubt go a long way in boosting your overall score and staying ahead in the competition. Ultimately, preparing for all three sections of the GRE is crucial for getting the best score in the exam. 

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