Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary in a Box
by Kaplan
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Book Reviews of Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary in a Box
Book Review: Good but Not Enough
Summary: 4 Stars
About me: I'm aweful at vocabulary and reading comprehension.
About the test: The first three questions of each section on the test put you into a bracket. To get a high score you need to anwer the first three questions correctly to be in a high bracket.
My first experience with the GRE: I memorized every word in this box. I felt more than confident in my ability to get a decent score. HOWEVER, the first three words on the test were words that were not in the box. I was put in the lowest bracket and only saw ONE word from this box. I made a 470.
After this: I went to a booksstore and looked through vocabulary books until I found a book that had some words I had seen on the test(simpler words than in this box). I had to look through a lot of books. Finally I found them in the Kaplan Vocabulary Prep Level One for the SATSAT Vocabulary Prep Level 1. I learned most all of the words in this book as well as the GRE box.
GRE take two: Much improvement. I could tell during the test that I was in a harder bracket. I recognized most all the words, there was a mixture from this box and from the SAT book (granted I had forgotten some of the meanings!). My score was a 620 (not great, but I am very happy with it).
Overall: I recommend this box, it is convinient and you can definitely learn the words. As for the example sentences that some have complained about - they may not be an accurate use of the word, but they will help you remember the meaning (which is all I cared about). However, if you vocabulary is abysmal, you will need this as well as a teaching aid with more simple words.
Book Review: Probably the best way to prepare for the veberal section of the GRE
Summary: 4 Stars
Your score on the verbal section is ultimately going to be determined by how well you know the words used in it. And the only way you can improve your score is to broaden your vocabulary.
I would say that the vocab in this box falls into three different categories:
Category 1: Everyday words that you use frequently, such as: Lavish, Livid and Malleable.
Category 2: Words you may not ever use, but you do see used in magazines like The New Yorker, and you may not know the exact definition: Efficacy, Obsequious and Sanguine.
Category 3: Words you've never heard of: Zephyr, Coterie and Inchoate.
On the GRE test I found that most of the words you needed to know where in category 1 and 2. Nothing in category 3 was touched, and it's not surprising since you have to come up with convoluted sentences or analogies to use them. Zephyr means "a gentle breeze; something airy or unsubstantial"; Coterie is "an intimate group of persons with a similar purpose," such as a clique.
I would say that about 200 words in the box fall into category 1, and the remaining 300 are split between categories 2 and 3. I would give the box 5/5 stars, but there were just too many pathetically easy words in it -- I was paying for a lot of cards I immediately put aside.
So did the flash cards help me? I think so. As can be expected, not all of the words on the test were in the box , but there were definitely words I learned that did appear.
After I bought this box I found out that you can get it in electronic form as an iPhone app. So before buying this, you should see if you think the app will better fit your study habits.
Book Review: A little on the easy side
Summary: 3 Stars
Though the format of these cards were excellent, and though it was convenient to have ready-made pocket-sized cards for study on the go, I wasn't a huge fan of this product. For one thing, the words were too basic: it would probably be a good study set for someone whose weakness is verbal and needs to study hard to attain a 600, but for anyone with verbal strengths aiming at a very high score, the words were simply too basic (e.g., words like "abyss" and "rejuvenate" that most people probably learned in the 5th grade). In addition, the GRE tests on more than the first or second word definition, and these cards only gave the most commonly used definition. I would have preferred cards that had an entire dictionary definition, complete with all possible meanings, on the back.
So if your goal is to scrape by with a 600-650, this is a good set for you. If you're aiming any higher, you'll probably have to make your own flash cards based on harder word lists in study books.
Book Review: GRE Vocab Cards
Summary: 4 Stars
Bought these cards to study for the GRE general test. I haven't taken the test yet, so I can't comment on how many of these words showed up on the test. But as for the cards themselves, they seem to be pretty good. I knew 30-35% of the words before-hand, but that still left hundreds of words to learn. There is a good variety of words in the cards, but the definitions were definitely lacking. They seemed to all be 3-4 word definitions made up by the author, rather than dictionary definitions. Sometimes I agreed with them, sometimes they seemed really wacky. And the synonyms were pretty vague as well, sometimes barely relating.
The card stock was somewhat light. These aren't thick index card stock, but they aren't super thin either. Good enough, but sometimes the cards get stuck together and you don't even notice.
Overall they are good, with a good variety of words. Hopefully they help me out on the test
Book Review: Good base, but used with other sources
Summary: 3 Stars
I have been using these flashcards on and off now for a month and have found them very useful. However, while studying them, I have been using an online dictionary as well to hear the pronunciation of the words. In the process, I noticed that some words have multiple, unrelated definitions whereas the cards only give one of them. It may be the case that they always give you the definition that would be used in the GRE, but I find it helpful for memorization to see all fo the definitions and lump them together under that word. I was somewhat disappointed int he quality of the cards because I tried using them while exercising indoors and my sweat warped them pretty badly.
In conclusion, I think they are definitely useful if you don't want to make your own, but I wouldn't plan to use them as the sole source of vocab.