Portable GRE Exam
®
The Staff of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to the GRE
How the GRE Is Organized
Paper-and-Pencil Strategies
Scoring
Test Registration
Chapter 2: Verbal Section
Vocabulary—The Most Basic Principle for Verbal Success
Chapter 3: Sentence Completions
The Seven Basic Principles of Sentence Completions
Kaplan’s Four-Step Method for Sentence Completions
Chapter 4: Analogies
The Four Basic Principles of Analogies
Kaplan’s Four-Step Method for Analogies
Chapter 5: Antonyms
The Six Basic Principles of Antonyms
Kaplan’s Four-Step Method for Antonyms
Chapter 6: Reading Comprehension
The Seven Basic Principles of Reading Comprehension
The Three Common Reading Comprehension Question Types
Kaplan’s Four-Step Method for Reading Comprehension
Chapter 7: Quantitative Section
Classic GRE Math Techniques
Chapter 8: Quantitative Comparisons
The Two Basic Principles of Quantitative Comparisons
Kaplan’s Six-Step Method for Quantitative Comparisons
Avoid QC Traps
Chapter 9: Word Problems
The Two Basic Principles of Word Problems
Kaplan’s Three-Step Method for Word Problems
Backdoor Approaches to Word Problems
Backsolving
Elimination
Chapter 10: Data Interpretation
The Two Basic Principles of Data Interpretation Questions
Kaplan’s Three-Step Method for Data Interpretation Questions
Chapter 11: Analytical Writing Section
Holistic Scoring
The Four Basic Principles of GRE Writing
Kaplan’s Five-Step Method for GRE Writing
The Issue Essay
Applying Kaplan’s Five-Step Method to the Issue Essay
The Argument Essay
Applying Kaplan’s Five-Step Method to the Argument Essay
Kaplan’s 22 Principles of Effective Writing
Analytical Writing Practice Prompts
Analytical Writing Sample Essays
Other Kaplan Books on Graduate School Admissions
Chapter 1: Introduction to the GRE
The GRE® General Test—developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS)—assesses verbal
reasoning, math reasoning, and analytical skills that students have acquired over years of
study in secondary-and university-level education. It is required by many American graduate
or professional schools as part of the application process, along with other requirements such
as application forms, essays, and transcripts from previously attended schools.
The GRE is a “standardized” test, which means that every test must cover the same concepts
in basically the same way. This is done, essentially, so that schools can compare one student
to another, and is why Kaplan can give you the tips and strategies to get the score you want.
HOW THE GRE IS ORGANIZED
The exam consists of three scored sections, with di erent amounts of time allotted for you to
complete each section.
Analytical Writing
Time
75 minutes
Length
Two essay prompts
Format
Perspective on an Issue and Analyze an Argument
Content
Tests ability to understand and analyze arguments and to understand and draw
logical conclusions
Verbal
Time
30 minutes
Length
38 multiple-choice questions
Format
Sentence Completion, Analogy, Reading Comprehension, and Antonym
Content
Tests vocabulary, verbal reasoning skills, and the ability to read with
understanding and insight
Quantitative
Time
Length
Format
30 minutes
30 multiple-choice questions
Quantitative Comparison, Problem Solving, and Data Interpretation (graph
questions)
Content
Tests basic mathematical skills, ability to understand mathematical concepts,
and quantitative reasoning skills
In China, the GRE is given in what is called “Split-Test Administration.” This means that you
must take the Analytical Writing section (two hours) on computer and you must take it
before you can register for the paper-based version of the Quantitative and Verbal sections
(two and a half hours) of the GRE. ETS suggests that you take the computer-based Analytical
Writing section at least several weeks before you take the paper-based sections so that there
is time to transfer test data, and for you to receive your admission ticket. For example, if you
plan to take the paper-based sections on the June 2008 date, you must take the computerbased Analytical Writing section between September 23, 2007 and May 3, 2008.
That said, both parts of the Split Test (paper and computer) must be taken within a year’s
time (for example between May 15 and May 14 of the following year). The paper-and-pencil
sections are typically given twice per year. The exam consists of three scored sections, with
di erent amounts of time allotted for you to complete each section. In 2007, ETS canceled
the proposed September 2007 GRE Test Change. Instead of one major overhaul as originally
planned, ETS will introduce revisions to the GRE gradually. As of this printing, no changes to
the GRE Split-Test have been announced. However, two new question types will be
introduced into the computer-based GRE in November 2007. For the most up-to-the-minute
information on GRE test changes, please visit us at Kaptest.com/newgre.
PAPER-AND-PENCIL STRATEGIES
Here are some targeted strategies for each section of the paper-based GRE.
Verbal Section
Before you start a Verbal Section, glance over it completely, but quickly, to familiarize
yourself with it. With Reading Comprehension, you can preview question stems, but don’t try
to memorize them or answer the questions without reading the passages. Do the questions
you’re most comfortable with rst. Make sure you set aside about 10 minutes in each Verbal
Section for Reading Comprehension.
The short Verbal questions are in ascending order of di culty, so always try to be aware of
where you are in a set. If you nd yourself running into trouble with a particular group of
questions, move on and come back to them if you have time. Don’t get hung up on hard
questions. On the GRE, quantity counts. The easy questions are worth as many points as the
hard questions, so rack up as many points as you can.
Quantitative Section
Like short Verbal questions, Quantitative questions are arranged in ascending order of
di culty, so try to be aware of the level of each question. This will help you determine how
much time you should be spending on the question and whether or not it’s a question that
should have an obvious answer.
In addition, calculators are not permitted on the GRE, so don’t forget to utilize that scratch
paper. Feel free to skip around within this section as well; do all the problems you can do,
then come back to the harder ones.
SCORING
The Analytical Writing section is scored on a scale of 0–6 in half-point increments. (See
Chapter 11 for details on this scoring rubric.) The Verbal and Quantitative sections each yield
a scaled score within a range of 200 to 800. These scaled scores are like the scores that you
received if you took the SAT. You cannot score higher than 800 on either section, no matter
how hard you try. Similarly, it’s impossible (again, no matter how hard you try) to get a
score lower than 200 on either section.
But you don’t receive only scaled scores. You will also receive a percentile rank, which will
place your performance relative to those of a large sample population of other GRE takers.
Percentile scores tell graduate schools just what your scaled scores are worth. For instance,
even if everyone got very high scaled scores, universities would still be able to di erentiate
candidates by their percentile score.
Percentile ranks match with scaled scores di erently, depending on the measure. Let’s
imagine that our founder, Stanley H. Kaplan, were to take the GRE this year. He would (no
doubt) get a perfect 800 on each measure type, but that would translate into di erent
percentile ranks. In Verbal, he’d be scoring above 99 percent of the population, so that would
be his percentile rank. But in the Quantitative section, many other people will score very
high as well. Di cult as this section may seem, so many people score so well on it that high
scaled scores are no big deal. Mr. Kaplan’s percentile rank for Quantitative, even if he doesn’t
miss a single question, would be in only the 96th percentile. So many other people are
scoring that high in Quantitative that no one can score above the 96th percentile!
What this means is that it’s pretty easy to get good scaled scores on the GRE and much
harder to get good percentile ranks. A Quantitative score of 600, for example, might be okay
if you’re applying to a humanities program; but if you’re applying to science or engineering
programs, it would be a handicap at most schools. Even a score of 700 in Quantitative is
relatively low for many very selective programs in the sciences or engineering—after all, it’s
only the 79th or 80th percentile.
The relative frequency of high scaled scores means that universities pay great attention to
percentile rank. What you need to realize is that scores that seemed good to you when you
took the SAT might not be all that good on the GRE. It’s important that you do some real
research into the programs you’re thinking about. Many schools have cut-o scores below
which they don’t even consider applicants.
But be careful! If a school tells you they look for applicants scoring 600 average per section,
that doesn’t mean they think those are good scores. That 600 may be the baseline. You owe it
to yourself to nd out what kinds of scores impress the schools you’re interested in and work
hard until you get those scores. You can de nitely get there if you want to and if you work
hard enough. We see it every day.
A nal note about percentile rank: the sample population that you are compared against in
order to determine your percentile is not just everyone else who takes the test the same day
as you do. ETS doesn’t want to penalize an unlucky candidate who takes the GRE on a date
when everyone else happens to be a rocket scientist. So they compare your performance with
those of a random three-year population of recent GRE test takers. Your score will not in any
way be a ected by the other people who take the exam on the same day as you. We often
tell our students, “Your only competition in this classroom is yourself.”
TEST REGISTRATION
You should rst obtain a copy of the GRE Registration Bulletin. This booklet contains
information on scheduling, pricing, repeat testing, cancellation policies, and more. You can
receive the booklet by downloading it from gre.org. To register for the Split-Test
administration of the GRE, use one of the options below. As of this printing, the fee is U.S.
$175.
Register Online
You can register online (if you are paying with a credit card) at gre.org. Once the
registration process is complete, you can print out your voucher immediately (and can reprint
it if it is lost).
Register by Mail
Complete the registration form found in the GRE Registration Bulletin. Mail the fee and
completed form. ETS advises that you allow up to four weeks for processing.
Chapter 2: Verbal Section
Let’s begin with an important part of the GRE, the Verbal section. You’ll have 30 minutes to
complete 38 questions, which are broken down into four types: Sentence Completion,
Analogies, Reading Comprehension, and Antonyms. The chart below shows roughly how
many questions correspond to each question type and how much time you should spend on
each question type.
There are two basic things that the Verbal section tests: your vocabulary and your ability to
read a particular kind of passage quickly and e ciently. You may have wondered how the
material we covered earlier about test construction is going to help you in the GRE Verbal
sections. Well, just like the math questions, which are the same from test to test (just with
different numbers), the Verbal questions are the same (just with different words).
VOCABULARY—THE MOST BASIC PRINCIPLE
FOR VERBAL SUCCESS
The GRE tests the same kinds of words over and over again. We’ll call these words “GRE
words,” and we’re going to make a point of including them in the rest of this chapter. That
way, you can get a feel for what they look and sound like, and you can see them used in
context. The GRE words used in context in this vocabulary section will appear in boldface. So
if you see a word in this book that’s unfamiliar, take a moment to look it up in the dictionary
and reread the sentence with the word’s definition in mind.
Word Groups
The GRE does not test whether you know exactly what a particular word means. If you have
only an idea of what a word means, you have as good of a chance of correctly answering a
question as you would if you knew the precise dictionary de nition of the word. ETS isn’t
interested in nding out whether you’re a walking dictionary. They want to see if you have a
broad and diverse (but classically based) vocabulary.
The words in the list on the next page all mean nearly the same thing. They all have
something to do with the concept of criticism, a concept often tested on the GRE.
Criticize/Criticism
aspersion
impugn
belittle
inveigh
berate
lambaste
calumny
objurgate
castigate
obloquy
decry
opprobrium
defamation
pillory
denounce
rebuke
deride/derisive
remonstrate
diatribe
reprehend
disparage
reprove
excoriate
revile
gainsay
tirade
harangue
vituperate
A Thesaurus—Your New Best Friend
The criticize group is not the only group of synonyms whose members appear frequently on
the GRE. There are plenty of others. And lists of synonyms are much easier to learn than
many words in isolation. So don’t learn words with a dictionary; learn them with a thesaurus.
Make synonym index cards based on the common groups of GRE words and peruse those
lists periodically.
If you think this suggestion might be fallacious, then check this out: the words in the list
on the next page all have something to do with the concept of falsehood. Their precise
meanings vary: erroneous means “incorrect,” whereas mendacious means “lying.” But the
majority of test questions won’t require you to know the exact meanings of these words. You
will most likely get the question right if you simply know that these words have something to
do with the concept of falsehood.
Falsehood
apocryphal
fallacious
canard
feigned
chicanery
guile
dissemble
mendacious/mendacity
duplicity
perfidy
equivocate
prevaricate
erroneous
specious
ersatz
spurious
Know Your Roots
Another good way to improve your vocabulary and, in turn, do well on the Verbal section is
to become familiar with the meanings of word parts—their “roots” or etymology. Because
GRE words are so heavily drawn from Latin and Greek, roots can be extremely useful, both
in deciphering words with obscure meanings and in guessing intelligently.
You’ll learn more words in less time if you learn them in groups. Once you know, for
example, that the root PLAC means “to please,” you have a hook for remembering the
meanings of several words: placate, implacable, placid, placebo, and complacent.
Sometimes you can use roots to gure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Suppose, for
example, you come across the word circumnavigate and don’t know what it means. If you
know that the root CIRCUM means “around” and that the root NAV means “ship, sail,” then
you can guess that circumnavigate means “to sail around,” as in “circumnavigate the globe.”
But don’t get too excited. Roots o er the common heritage of words thousands of years old
—but things have changed a lot. Roots don’t always point to the right way to go. Example:
Affinity is of the root FIN, meaning end. But affinity means “a kinship” or “attractive force.”
Sometimes, the meaning is close, but the spelling has gone haywire. Example: Cogent is
actually of the root, ACT/AG (to do, to drive, to lead). Cogent means “convincing” or “having
the power to compel.” These two are somewhat close in meaning, but you can see what we
mean about the spelling.
There are other problems with using roots to pinpoint a de nition. Looking at the
etymology of a word is a great trick if you know Greek, Latin, or French. For example, DEM
in Greek means “people.” DEMocracy essentially means government of the people. Neat and
tidy. Right? Sure, but you do have to know the meaning of the root cold. And there are
exceptions.
Example: The word venal. The root VEN/VENT means “to come” or “to move toward.” But
venal means “corrupt or capable of being bought.” Adventure, convene, event, avenue,
advent, and circumvent clearly spring from the root meaning. Venal is a bit of a stretch.
Example: The word pediatrician has PED for a root. PED has to do with the foot. But a
pediatrician is a children’s doctor. A podiatrist is a foot doctor.
ETS’s Favorite GRE Words
The research team at Kaplan works hard to keep tabs on GRE vocabulary words and nd out
which words appear more frequently than others. The following words all turn up time and
again on the GRE, so it makes sense to memorize these words if you don’t already know
them. Of course, some words appear on the GRE more frequently than others.
The top 12 words
The next 20 most
The next 20 most
on the GRE are:
popular words are:
popular words are:
Abstain
Advocate
adulterate
antipathy
anomaly
assuage
enigma
equivocal
erudite
fervid
lucid
opaque
placate
precipitate
prodigal
zeal
apathy
bolster
audacious
cacophony
capricious
deride
corroborate
dissonance
desiccate
enervate
engender
eulogy
ephemeral
garrulous
gullible
ingenuous
homogenous
lethargic
laconic
malleable
laudable
misanthrope
loquacious
obdurate
mitigate
ostentation
pedant
paradox
pragmatic
philanthropic
propriety
prevaricate
vacillate
venerate
volatile
waver
Vocabulary Wrap-Up
In review, the best ways to improve your GRE vocabulary are the following:
Study word groups.
Learn word roots.
Learn words in context.
Memorize the top GRE words.
A broader vocabulary will serve you well on all four GRE Verbal question types (and will
also be extremely helpful in the Analytical Writing section). In the next chapter, we will look
at each of the four Verbal question types, starting with Sentence Completions.
Chapter 3: Sentence Completion
You will nd about six Sentence Completions per Verbal section. In each of them, one or two
words from the sentence will be missing. This question type tests your ability to recognize
the point of the sentence and find the best word(s) to fit this meaning.
The directions for Sentence Completions will look something like this:
Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted.
Beneath the sentence are
ve words or sets of words. Choose the word or set of words for each blank that
best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
THE SEVEN BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SENTENCE COMPLETIONS
Principle 1. Every Clue Is Right in Front of You
Each sentence contains a few crucial clues that determine the answer. In order for a sentence
to be used on the GRE, the answer must already be in the sentence. Clues in the sentence
limit the possible answers, and finding these clues will guide you to the correct answer.
Since the student knew the form and content of the questions in advance, the test was quite ——— for her.
long
unpleasant
predictable
ridiculous
indelible
What are the important clues in this question? Well, the word since is a great structural
clue. It indicates that the missing word follows logically from part of the sentence.
Speci cally, the missing word must follow from “knew the form and content … in advance.”
That means the test was predictable.
Principle 2. Look for What’s Directly Implied and Expect Clichés
We’re not dealing with poetry here. These sentences aren’t excerpted from the works of Toni
Morrison or William Faulkner. The correct answer is the one most directly implied by the
meanings of the words in the sentence.
Principle 3. Don’t Imagine Strange Scenarios
Read the sentence literally, not imaginatively. Pay attention to the meaning of the words, not
associations or feelings that you have.
Principle 4. Look for Structural Road Signs
Structural road signs are key words that will point you to the right answer, such as since. The
missing words in Sentence Completions will usually have a relationship similar or opposite to
other words in the sentence. Key words, such as and or but, will tell you which it is.
On the GRE, a semicolon by itself always connects two closely related clauses. If a
semicolon is followed by another road sign, then that road sign determines the direction. Just
like on the highway, there are road signs on the GRE that tell you to go ahead and that tell
you to take a detour.
“Straight-ahead” signs are used to make one part of the sentence support or elaborate
another part. They continue the sentence in the same direction. The positive or negative
charge of what follows is not changed by these clues. Straight-ahead clues include and,
similarly, in addition, consequently, since, also, thus, because,; (semicolon), and likewise.
“Detour” signs change the direction of the sentence. They make one part of the sentence
contradict or qualify another part. The positive or negative charge of an answer is changed by
these clues. Detour signs include but, despite, yet, however, unless, rather, although, while, on the
other hand, unfortunately, and nonetheless.
Principle 5. Look for Key Words
Key words are descriptive words or phrases that clue you in to the missing words in a
sentence. Unlike road signs, where a small set of words tells you a sentence’s direction, key
words can be any words in a sentence that re ect its theme, give you a sense of its logic, or
provide clues to the author’s intent. Let’s look at this example.
During their famous clash, Jung was ambivalent about Freud, so he attacked the father of modern psychoanalysis even
as he ——— him.
enlightened
chastened
revered
despised
understood
The key word in this sentence is “ambivalent.” An ambivalent attitude re ects both positive
and negative feelings. You know the negative side of Jung’s attitude resulted in his attacking
Freud. However, even as he attacked Freud, Jung must have done something positive in
order to display “ambivalence.” You can immediately eliminate (B) and (D) since they’re
negative words. Choice (C) looks good since revered is a positive word. You can rule out (A)
since it doesn’t make sense in the context of the sentence. Choice (E) doesn’t work because
understood doesn’t contrast with “attacked.”
Principle 6. Paraphrase Long or Complex Sentences
You may encounter a sentence that, because of its length or structure, is hard to get a handle
on. Here’s an example:
Museum directors understand the need to establish the provenance of every work of art they acquire, from its creation to
its most recent owner; such establishment can be hindered, however, by a number of obstacles, including disingenuous
dealers who attempt to ____________ the truth.
impede
reveal
overshadow
ascertain
obscure
When faced with a complex sentence like this, put it in your own words. We can sum up the
44 words above in 14: “It can be di cult to establish provenance because insincere dealers
try to ——— the truth.”
If dealers are “disingenuous,” or insincere, what would they try to do with the truth?
They’d try to hide it. The word overshadow has to do with hiding, but it means “to take
attention away from something by appearing more important.” Obscure is the better t in
context. Notice, too, that when we simpli ed the sentence above, we introduced the straightahead road sign because restating sentences in simpler terms can help clarify their direction.
Principle 7. Use Word Roots
If you can’t gure out the meaning of a word, take a look at its root to try to get close to its
meaning. Etymology can often provide clues to meaning, especially when you couple a root
definition with the word in context.
KAPLAN’S FOUR-STEP METHOD FOR SENTENCE COMPLETIONS
Step 1. Read the sentence, looking for structural road signs and other clues to where the
sentence is heading.
Step 2. In your own words, predict the answer.
Step 3. Select the choice that most closely matches your prediction.
Step 4. Read your choice back into the sentence to make sure it fits.
Sentence Completions Practice Set
Try the following Sentence Completions. Time yourself; you only have 30–45 seconds to do
each question.
1. The yearly nancial statement of a large corporation may seem ——— at
persistent reader soon finds its pages of facts and figures easy to decipher.
rst, but the
bewildering
surprising
inviting
misguided
uncoordinated
2. The giant squid’s massive body, adapted for deep-sea life, breaks apart in the reduced
pressures of higher ocean elevations, making the search for an intact specimen one of the
most ——— quests in all of marine biology.
controversial
meaningful
elusive
popular
expensive
3. Organic farming is more labor intensive and thus initially more ———, but its long-term
costs may be less than those of conventional farming.
uncommon
stylish
restrained
expensive
difficult
4. Unfortunately, there are some among us who equate tolerance with immorality; they feel
that the ——— of moral values in a permissive society is not only likely, but.
decline … possible
upsurge … predictable
disappearance … desirable
improvement … commendable
deterioration … inevitable
5. He must always be the center of attention; he would rather be criticized than ———.
ignored
selfish
remembered
praised
different
Sentence Completions Practice Set Answers and Explanations
1. A
If you use the Four-Step Method, you will first look for road signs in the sentence. You should
recognize the key word but, which indicates that the correct answer will mean the opposite
of how the nancial statement is described at the conclusion of the sentence, “easy to
decipher.” In your own words, that opposite may be “di cult to understand.” Choice (A),
bewildering, is your answer. None of the other choices is an opposite of “easy to decipher,”
and they can be eliminated.
2. C
This is a pretty straightforward Sentence Completion. The key here is the word intact, which
means that although specimens have been collected, they have often (if not always) not been
intact when recovered. You can fairly assert that recovering an intact specimen is di cult.
When you look for a synonym for difficult in the answer choices, you should recognize elusive
(C) as your answer.
3. D
The key word in this sentence is, again, but. You also get a big clue with the phrase “longterm costs” in the second half of the sentence. Your answer, expensive (D), is the only answer
that has anything to do with costs.
4. E
Use the Four-Step Method for Two-blank Sentence Completions. Your road signs in this one
are unfortunately in the rst half of the sentence and not only in the second. Unfortunately tells
you that the answer will be words containing a negative charge. Not only tells us that both
words will fit that charge.
5. A
The semicolon between these clauses is a context clue; these two ideas are closely related or
elaborate upon each other. Since the blank is in the second clause, you’ll look to the rst for
direction. There you discover that this person requires lots of attention. The second clause
will be consistent with this notion; it explains just how much he needs this attention. He
would rather be criticized than have what happen? Not get any attention. A prediction: “He’d
rather be criticized than ignored.”
Choice (A) matches the prediction, but look at the others just to be sure. Scanning the other
choices quickly, you see that all of the remaining options do not support the rst part of the
sentence. None of these other choices reinforces the idea that he always has to be the center
of attention.
Chapter 4: Analogies
You will nd about eight Analogies per Verbal section. In each of them, you are given a pair
of words. You must determine the relationship between them and choose the pair of words
from the answer choices that shares the same relationship. This question type tests your
vocabulary to some extent, but it really tests your ability to make strong connections
between words.
The directions for Analogies look like this:
This question consists of a pair of words or phrases that are separated by a colon and followed by
ve
answer choices. Choose the pair of words or phrases in the answer choices that best expresses a relationship
similar to that expressed in the original pair.
THE FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ANALOGIES
Principle 1. Every Analogy Question Consists of Two Words, Called the Stem Pair,
That Are Separated by a Colon
Below the stem pair are five answer choices. Analogy questions look like this:
MAP : ATLAS ::
key : lock
street : sign
ingredient : cookbook
word : dictionary
Principle 2. There Will Always Be a Direct and Necessary Relationship Between the
Words in the Stem Pair
You express this relationship by making a short sentence that we call a bridge. A bridge is
whatever simple sentence you come up with to relate the two words. Your goal when you
build your bridge should be to keep it as short and as clear as possible.
A weak bridge expresses a relationship that isn’t necessary or direct. For the sample
Analogy question on page 22, weak bridges include the following:
Some maps are put in atlases.
A map is usually smaller than an atlas.
Maps and atlases have to do with geography.
A page in an atlas is usually a map.
You know you have a weak bridge if it contains such words as usually, can, might, seldom,
may or may not, some, or sometimes.
A strong bridge expresses a direct and necessary relationship. You know you have a strong
bridge if you can stick the phrase “by de nition” into your sentence. For the same sample,
strong bridges include the following:
Maps [by definition] are what an atlas contains.
Maps [by definition] are the unit of reference in an atlas.
An atlas [by definition] collects and organizes maps.
Strong bridges express a de nite relationship and can contain an unequivocal word, such as
always, never, or must. The best bridge is a strong bridge that ts exactly one answer choice.
You might think that the words trumpet and jazz have a strong bridge. Don’t be fooled.
Though the words are related, you can play many types of music other than jazz on trumpets.
You can also play jazz on instruments other than trumpets. Therefore building a strong bridge
is impossible. Trumpet and instrument have a strong bridge; a trumpet is a type of instrument.
That fact is always true and is therefore a strong, definite relationship.
Principle 3. Always Try to Make a Bridge Before Looking at the Answer Choices
ETS uses certain kinds of bridges over and over on the GRE. Of these, we have identi ed ve
classic bridges. Exposing yourself to them now will give you a feel for the sort of bridge that
will get you the right answer. Try to answer these questions as you go through them.
Bridge 1. Definition (is always or is never)
PLATITUDE : TRITE ::
riddle : unsolvable
axiom : geometric
omen : portentous
syllogism : wise
circumlocution : concise
Bridge 2. Function/purpose
AIRPLANE : HANGAR ::
music : orchestra
money : vault
finger : hand
tree : farm
insect : ecosystem
Bridge 3. Lack
LUCID : OBSCURITY ::
ambiguous : doubt
provident : planning
furtive : legality
economical : extravagance
secure : violence
Bridge 4. Characteristic actions/items
PARRY : FENCER ::
sonnet : poet
pirouette : dancer
building : architect
sword : dueler
dress : seamstress
Bridge 5. Degree (often going to an extreme)
ATTENTIVE : RAPT ::
ecstatic : happy
critical : derisive
inventive : innovative
jealous : envious
kind : considerate
So there you have them, the ve classic bridges. Keep them in mind as you practice for the
Analogy section of the GRE. (Answers: 1. C, 2. B, 3. D, 4. B, 5. B).
Principle 4. Don’t Fall for Classic Analogy Traps
The right answer to an Analogy question will have the same strong bridge as the stem pair.
Wrong answer choices, on the other hand, come in two principal varieties: many will contain
weak bridges; others will contain strong but wrong bridges. Some of these wrong answers are
designed to be tempting traps. Here are four classic traps often found on GRE Analogy
questions:
1. The Both Are trap: The words aren’t directly related to each other, but they are both
related to a third word. Examples: turquoise : jade are both types of gems; biography :
novel are both types of books.
2. The Same Subject trap: the words are in the same subject area as the stem words, but they
don’t share the same bridge.
3. The Cliché trap: the words sound natural together, but don’t actually have a clear and
logical relationship. Examples: compulsive : gambler, faithful: servant.
4. The Reverse Direction trap: this strong but wrong bridge would be right if the order of the
words were reversed. For an example, take a look at choice (A) in bridge 5 on page 25.
KAPLAN’S FOUR-STEP METHOD FOR ANALOGIES
Step 1. Find a strong bridge between the stem words. Be exible: sometimes it’s easier to use
the second word first.
Step 2. Plug the answer choices into the bridge. Make sure to keep the same word order that
you used with the stem pair.
Step 3. Adjust the bridge as necessary. You want your bridge to be simple and somewhat
general, but if more than one answer choice fits into your bridge, it is too general.
Step 4. If you are stuck, eliminate all answer choices with weak bridges. If two choices have
the same bridge—for example, trumpet: instrument and screwdriver: tool—eliminate them
both. Don’t fall for classic traps. Work backwards from the remaining choices to the
stem pair and make your best guess.
Let’s try an example to learn how to use the Four-Step Method.
AIMLESS : DIRECTION ::
enthusiastic : motivation
wary : trust
unhealthy : happiness
lazy : effort
silly : adventure
For this question, a good bridge is “Someone aimless lacks direction.” Now plug that into
the answer choices. Only (B) fits. If you were stuck, you should have eliminated (A), (C), and
(E), because their bridges are weak. Remember: if an answer choice has a weak bridge it
cannot be correct, because no stem pair that you’ll nd on the GRE will ever have a weak
bridge. To be correct, an answer choice must have a strong, clear relationship.
Analogies Practice Set
1. ELECTRICITY : WIRE ::
fluid: pipe
car : highway
river : bank
light : bulb
music : instrument
2. SCOLD : BERATE ::
predict : foresee
threaten : impend
counsel : advise
retreat : retire
respect : venerate
3. PLUMMET : DESCEND ::
kick : boot
whirl : turn
indicate : show
decorate : nullify
begin : conclude
4. RIG : TEAM ::
train : locomotive
steamer : piston
sled : rail
car : truck
windjammer : crew
5. INTEREST : ENTHRALL ::
corrupt : tempt
squeeze : crush
buoy : undergird
abstain : surrender
reproach : offend
Analogies Practice Set Answers and Explanations
1. A
A bridge for this stem might be electricity ows through a wire. When you check the answer
choices, the word pair with the same bridge is (A), fluid ows through a pipe. Does a car ow
through a highway? No; eliminate (B). A river ows between banks, not through them.
Eliminate (C). Light radiates from a bulb. Eliminate (D). Music issues from an instrument.
Eliminate (E).
2. E
It is easier to work from right to left with this Analogy. You might make the following
bridge: to berate is to scold to a great degree. Foresee and predict (A) are synonyms, as are
impend and threaten (B) and advise and counsel (C), so eliminate all three. To retire is not to
retreat to a great degree; eliminate (D). Choice (E) is your answer: to venerate is to respect to
a great degree.
3. B
To plummet is to descend rapidly. Let’s try the answer choices. To kick is to boot rapidly? No;
eliminate (A). To whirl is to turn rapidly? Yes; keep (B). To indicate is to show rapidly? No;
eliminate (C). To decorate is to nullify rapidly? No; eliminate (D). To begin is to conclude
rapidly? No; eliminate (E).
4. A
A rig is pulled by a team. Let’s try the answer choices. A train is pulled by a locomotive? Yes;
keep (A). A steamer is pulled by a piston? No; eliminate (B). A sled is pulled by a rail? No;
eliminate (C). A car is pulled by a truck? No; eliminate (D). A windjammer is pulled by a crew?
No; eliminate (E).
5. B
It is easier to work from right to left with this Analogy. To enthrall is to interest to a great
degree. Let’s try the answer choices. To tempt is to corrupt to a great degree? No; eliminate
(A). To crush is to squeeze to a great degree? Yes; keep (B). To undergird is to buoy to a great
degree? No; eliminate (C). To surrender is to abstain to a great degree? No; eliminate (D). To
offend is to reproach to a great degree? No; eliminate (E).