GRE® Premier 2015 with 6 Practice Tests: Book + DVD + Online + Mobile

by Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan's GRE® Premier 2015 is a comprehensive prep system that includes both book and mobile-enabled online components. Get access to in-depth strategies, test information, and practice questions to help you score higher on the GRE.

Kaplan's GRE Premier 2015 contains 2,200+ total practice questions with detailed explanations, covering the Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing sections, and strategies for handling all the question types you’ll encounter on Test Day. It also comes with a digital copy of the book and study plans to help you make the most of your time preparing for the GRE.

Kaplan's GRE Premier 2015 features:
- 2,200+ practice questions with detailed explanations
- 6 full-length practice tests (5 realistic Multi-Stage Tests available online and 1 in the book)
- 500-question online Quiz Bank®, for customized quiz creation and review of GRE practice questions
- Mobile-enabled online resources: study anywhere on any device with an internet connection
- Online study plans: learn how to make the most of your time, no matter how much or little time you have until Test Day
- A digital copy of this book to read online on your computer, tablet, or smartphone
- DVD on stress management, study planning, and the graduate school application process
- Academic support from Kaplan faculty via our Facebook® page: facebook.com/KaplanGradPrep

Kaplan guarantees that if you study with this book, DVD, and online resources, you will score higher on the GRE—or you'll receive a full refund.

Genres: Nonfiction

600 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2014

Reviews

[Andrea Menzies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but does not really help with the test at all.

[SJ L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will primarily use this review to discuss how useful this book is to prepare for the GRE, and base my star rating entirely on the value of this book in preparing for the GRE. Then, a brief ramble to examine the state of my brain as I study for this test.


First, the book. This is much cheaper than a course (obviously) and with discipline and good study skills it will help you increase your score significantly. There is a pretty useful explanation of basic math concepts, reading comprehension, and the writing in the book's introduction. I found ETS's math review much better (and that's free online right here: ) but this book's distinguishing factor and the reason it's worth your money are the explanations for each practice test.

Graduate school is an expensive process, but if you're willing to take the plunge you probably have the ability to impose your own structure and discipline regarding test preparation. I think paying for a Kaplan course is outsourcing your discipline and structure. This book is the course.

Best part - Answers are explained in about a paragraph. That's incredibly valuable. What I've been doing is taking sample tests, looking up the incorrect answers, copying down their explanations, and then reattempting the one's I've missed the first time through. In math (I'm focusing on math because it's more systemic and I think you have a much higher likelihood of increasing your math scores by repetitive practice in the weeks prior to your test than you do by studying the reading or writing sections) you learn a lot by studying your mistakes and then reattempting them. The reason this book is worth getting is that it does not just provide an answer key but also quick explanations so you can learn the method behind that type of question. That's why it's worth it.


Worst part - There are not 6 practice tests in this physical book. There is one at the end of the book. There are two sets of practice sets (two verbal reasoning, two math) with 60 questions each. Embedded in the practice problems are mini question sets. Maybe those are added up to count another test. But that makes a total of 3. The six practice tests includes ones that are available online. That's fine, but just be aware that if you're commuting or don't have access to a computer that only a couple of sample tests are available in the physical book. Just plan accordingly.


Rant time - And now, what's happening to my brain? It's turning to mush. I set a 42 day study schedule, no fiction or nonfiction reading for pleasure, no job searching, no creative writing, no nonprofit stuff, just study for the GREs. I must say, I'm turning to mush. Even this review is slightly cheating on the process, but I just can't take it anymore. It's snowing outside and school was canceled, it's perfect creative conditions, and here I am studying ratios and percentages. I hate my (intellectual) life for the time being. I suppose it's kind of fun to tackle these problems, again and again, but for the love of God do I miss thinking. Contemplation of the divine and the mystical through science. I just needed to say that.

Hermann Hesse calls learning “the ecstasy of discovery” and I agree, but is this learning? I recently looked at a list of the books I love and was struck by how many are concerned with the metaphysical and science. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not in an ecstatic glow while studying for the GREs. Far from it. And when I begin to contemplate the why behind this process, when I allow myself to go down the rabbit hole of why do we study like this, what does mastery on this test demonstrate, is the next set of academic hurdles really worth it, is this just part of the price of admission? But honestly, those thoughts distract. The goal here is to score higher, not to ask why. Forge ahead. Compartmentalized thinking is highly recommended, I will allow those thoughts to surface more fully post exam day.

Well, about time I got back to studying. This book is recommended, whether or not I recommend the process of studying for a graduate school entrance test and getting your phd or whatever is another question.

[Mrs Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This text was extremely helpful for learning test structure, practice, and overview. I found out I was taking the GRE a month before I took it, and the Kaplan Premier helped organize and prioritize my studying. The text goes into extreme detail on how the test is structured and exactly what is expected by question types. The practice tests were also great for preparation! Using strategies I learned from the practice tests I was able to manage my time better on test day.

If you are looking for detailed review, this is not the book to get. When I had detailed questions about math concepts I realized that the text was insufficient in clarifying my questions and had to turn to the internet. This wasn't such a bad thing- at least I knew what I needed to review in more detail! This book does review all concepts that will be on the test, but Kaplan provides other guides for more detailed review (the math/verbal reasoning guides are sold separately).

This is how I rank the various bits of the Premier package:

Book: 5/5
DVD: 0/5 (This seemed pretty useless to me)
Online: 5/5
Mobile: 0/5 (What they mean by "mobile" is that you can use their website on a mobile device- there is no app that comes with this book)

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is taking the GRE and needs to be pointed in the right direction. This guide helps focus your study efforts. I would also recommend the Kaplan GRE Vocabulary Flash Cards. The app that comes with the physical cards was fantastic!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's okay. Using this, my percentile changed:
Quantitative: +7%
Verbal: +5%
Writing: -2%
It had, however, been a long time (> 2 years) since my previous GRE.

I advise using this and spending a lot of time preparing for the analytical writing section by using some other books. For the verbal and quantitative tests, this along with the free online exams is probably sufficient.

[Chelsie Heichel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very helpful and I think it really prepared for the the GRE...at least in the format of it. I personally struggle with math, so I found that section wanting a bit for basic math skills that I need refreshed, but that is a small complaint. I highly recommend this guide.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neutral rating - I'm still reviewing and studying a lot of this and have a few practice tests to take. It was helpful and clear; I'm just still using it.

[Mills College Library]

378.167 G78611 2014

[Nitesh Chowdhery]

good