Free GRE Exam Flashcards

Peeking at the answer choices before predicting your own word. Cover the choices, read the full sentence for its logic (contrast, cause-effect, definition), predict a word or phrase that fits, then match your prediction to the closest choice.

Yes, but know the stakes: GRE Text Completion gives no partial credit. Every blank in the item must be filled correctly for the item to count as correct, so treat blank 2 with the same predict-first approach even under uncertainty.

A contrast or reversal. Words like 'however,' 'but,' 'although,' and 'despite' flip the direction of meaning, so the blank should contrast with (not restate) the idea that came before it.

Because the blanks are often logically dependent in one direction only: solving an easier blank can supply the context needed to solve a harder one, but each blank still needs its own textual justification rather than a guess based on the answer choices' wording.

Look for the closest synonym in meaning and degree, not an exact match. GRE answer choices rarely restate your prediction verbatim; the correct choice captures the same sense (e.g., 'hesitant' or 'unwilling') that fits the sentence's logic.

They must each complete the sentence with essentially the same overall meaning. It is not enough for two words to be synonyms in general usage; plugged into the sentence, both must produce logically equivalent sentences.

Whether you can spot the true synonym pair versus 'trap' words that fit the sentence's tone individually but have no partner producing an equivalent sentence. An unmatched word, however well it fits alone, cannot be part of the correct answer.

No. Like Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence is all-or-nothing: you must select both correct choices to earn credit for the item, with no credit for selecting just one.

Predict a word for the blank first, then scan the six choices for the two words closest to your prediction. Group any choices that are synonyms of each other; a word with no synonym partner among the six is unlikely to be correct.

Text Completion with one blank has five choices and one correct answer; Sentence Equivalence has six choices and requires selecting exactly two that create equivalent sentences. Both give zero partial credit, but Sentence Equivalence specifically tests recognition of synonym pairs.

A directly stated fact from the passage, not an inference. 'According to the passage' questions test whether you can locate explicit text support; the correct answer should be nearly restatable by pointing to a specific sentence.

'Suggests' or 'implies' asks for an unstated logical conclusion the author wants you to draw. Unlike directly-stated questions, the correct answer will not appear verbatim in the text but must still be strongly supported by it, not merely plausible.

The passage's main idea or primary purpose. Establishing the author's central thesis and tone before diving into detail questions helps you evaluate answer choices against the passage's overall point rather than an isolated sentence.

You click on the specific sentence within the passage that best answers the question, rather than choosing from separate answer choices. There is no multiple-choice list for this question type; the sentence itself is your selected answer.

Any number of the three choices from zero to three could be correct, and you must select every correct one and no incorrect ones. There is no partial credit for selecting only some of the correct choices.

'Bene-'/'bon-' means good (as in benevolent, bona fide). Its opposite, 'mal-,' means bad (as in malevolent, malign) -- recognizing paired opposite roots helps you narrow Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence choices quickly.

'Abstruse' means hard to understand or obscure. 'Perspicacious' means having keen insight or shrewd judgment -- the two are near-opposites in the sense of clarity of understanding, a common contrast pattern in GRE Text Completion.

'Laconic' means using very few words; terse and concise. Its near-opposite is 'loquacious' or 'garrulous,' meaning excessively talkative -- the 'loqu-'/'dic-' root family relates to speaking (loquacious, diction, interlocutor).

'Ephemeral' describes something short-lived or quickly fading (referring to duration). 'Capricious' describes impulsive, unpredictable change in behavior or mood (referring to inconsistency), not necessarily duration -- don't conflate 'temporary' with 'fickle.'

'Omni-'/'pan-' means all, as in omniscient (all-knowing) or panacea (cure-all). 'Mono-'/'uni-' means one, as in monotonous (one unvarying tone) or unilateral (one-sided) -- quantity-related roots frequently appear in GRE vocabulary questions.

Because the relationship depends on the value of x: if x = 2, A > B, but if x = 0.5, A < B, and if x = 1, A = B. Since different valid values of x produce different comparisons, the answer is 'the relationship cannot be determined' -- always test fractions and values near 0 or 1, not just whole numbers.

Try 0, 1, -1, a fraction between 0 and 1, and a large number. These special values expose sign flips, fraction behavior, and scale effects that a single 'normal' number would hide, quickly revealing whether the comparison is consistent or variable.

(A) Quantity A is greater, (B) Quantity B is greater, (C) the two quantities are equal, or (D) the relationship cannot be determined from the given information. Choice (D) is only correct when different valid inputs produce genuinely different outcomes.

No. When both quantities are fixed numbers with no variables or unknowns, the relationship between them is fixed, so the answer must be (A), (B), or (C) -- (D) 'cannot be determined' is reserved for cases involving variables or unspecified conditions.

Parentheses first (5-3=2), then exponents (2^2=4), then multiplication (2x4=8), then addition (6+8=14). PEMDAS/order of operations errors are a common source of avoidable GRE arithmetic mistakes.

The percent change is (100-80)/80 x 100 = 25%. The original ('old') value is always the denominator because percent change measures the increase relative to the starting point, not the ending point -- using the wrong base is a frequent GRE trap.

Add the exponents when the base is the same: x^3 * x^5 = x^(3+5) = x^8. This rule only applies when the bases match; different bases cannot be combined this way.

Average equals the sum of all values divided by the count of values. A single large outlier pulls the average toward it more than it would affect the median, since every value contributes to the sum -- watch for GRE problems designed around this sensitivity.

x = (-b +/- sqrt(b^2 - 4ac)) / 2a, used for ax^2 + bx + c = 0. Use it when the quadratic does not factor cleanly with integers; if it does factor easily, factoring is faster than the formula.

The inequality sign flips. For example, if -2x < 6, dividing both sides by -2 gives x > -3, not x < -3 -- forgetting this flip is one of the most common GRE algebra errors.

Slope = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), the change in y divided by the change in x ('rise over run'). Keep the order of subtraction consistent between numerator and denominator or the sign will be wrong.

Absolute value measures distance from zero (or, here, distance of x from 5), so |x-5|=3 means x is exactly 3 units from 5 in either direction: x = 8 or x = 2. Always solve absolute value equations by considering both the positive and negative case.

Area = pi*r^2 (squares the radius, gives a two-dimensional measure); circumference = 2*pi*r (linear, gives a one-dimensional measure). A quick check: area answers should carry squared units, circumference answers should not.

a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where a and b are the two legs of a right triangle and c is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle, always the longest side). It only applies to right triangles.

The sides are in the ratio x : x*sqrt(3) : 2x, where x is opposite the 30-degree angle, x*sqrt(3) is opposite the 60-degree angle, and 2x (the hypotenuse) is opposite the 90-degree angle. Memorizing this ratio avoids re-deriving it with the Pythagorean theorem each time.

Area = 1/2 x base x height, where the height must be measured perpendicular to the chosen base -- not along a slanted side. Using a non-perpendicular side as the 'height' is a common GRE geometry mistake.

Read the axis labels, units, and legend carefully first. GRE graphs sometimes use thousands, percentages, or indexed values instead of raw counts, and misreading the units leads to answers that are off by orders of magnitude even when the arithmetic is correct.

Standard deviation measures how spread out the values are around the mean, while the mean only tells you the central value. Two data sets can share the same mean but have very different standard deviations if one is tightly clustered and the other widely dispersed.

Multiply each group's average by its own size (weight), sum those products, then divide by the total combined size -- you cannot simply average the group averages together unless the groups are equal in size.

Median is the middle value when data is ordered, and it is resistant to outliers, unlike the mean, which outliers can pull sharply in one direction. Problems with skewed data commonly hinge on recognizing this median-versus-mean distinction.

One 'Analyze an Issue' task, in which you develop and support your own position on a complex, general-interest issue in 30 minutes. The previously required 'Analyze an Argument' task, along with the unscored research section, was eliminated when ETS shortened the GRE on September 22, 2023.

State a clear thesis position in the introduction, develop two or more specific supporting examples in body paragraphs, briefly acknowledge and rebut a counterargument, and restate a nuanced position in the conclusion. Budget roughly 5 minutes to outline, about 20 minutes to write, and the last 5 minutes to proofread.

A 6 is insightful, compellingly argued, and well-organized with clearly developed examples, while a 3 is limited and underdeveloped, with weak or unclear support for its position. Essays are scored 0-6 in half-point increments by trained human raters plus an automated scoring engine.

A 0 is reserved for essays that are blank, written in a foreign language, merely copy the prompt, are entirely off-topic, or are illegible -- not simply for a weak-but-genuine attempt, which instead falls somewhere in the 1-3 range for being underdeveloped or seriously flawed.

Each essay is scored by at least one trained human rater and is also processed by ETS's automated e-rater scoring engine; if the human and automated scores disagree significantly, a second human rater adjudicates. Your final score is never from the automated system alone.

ETS scores you on the quality of your reasoning and support, not on which side you pick. A nuanced position that qualifies when and why a claim holds (or doesn't) often demonstrates more sophisticated analysis than a rigid, one-sided stance.

Briefly acknowledge the strongest opposing view in a short paragraph, then explain concisely why your position still holds. It should support your thesis, not become the centerpiece of the essay or crowd out your own examples.

The rubric explicitly rewards essays that develop a position with specific, well-chosen supporting examples and clear reasoning. Vague assertions without concrete development read as underdeveloped analysis even when the underlying thesis is reasonable.

Draw from a familiar, defensible domain such as history, science, current events, or personal experience -- the specific topic of your example matters far less than clearly explaining how it supports your stated thesis. A generic but well-connected example scores better than no example at all.

Favor depth over breadth: one or two well-developed, specific examples with clear reasoning typically outscore three underdeveloped ones. Only add a third example if there is enough time to fully connect it to your thesis, not just list it.