Best GRE Books: The Official Guide and Top Prep Books for the Shorter GRE

Sriram Venkataraman

03/11/2026

10 min read

The best GRE book to start with is the one written by the people who make the test: The Official Guide to the GRE General Test, Fourth Edition, from ETS. It is the only guide that uses real GRE questions throughout, and its publisher says nearly every chapter was adjusted for the shorter test that ETS introduced in September 2023. Pair it with ETS’s free POWERPREP practice tests, then add one third-party book for strategy and extra practice in your weaker section.

This guide covers the official books first, then the main third-party books from Manhattan Prep, Kaplan and The Princeton Review, with what each is good for and whether the current edition covers the shorter GRE. Edition details come from ETS and from each publisher’s own page, checked 31 Oct 2026.

If you are new to the test, start with our GRE exam pattern guide so the books make sense.

Why does the edition matter for GRE books?

The GRE changed on 22 September 2023. According to the ETS test structure page, the test now takes about 1 hour 58 minutes and has five sections: one Analytical Writing task (“Analyze an Issue”, 30 minutes), two Verbal Reasoning sections (12 and 15 questions) and two Quantitative Reasoning sections (12 and 15 questions). Before that date it took about 3 hours 45 minutes, with six sections, including a second essay task (“Analyze an Argument”) and 20 questions in each Verbal and Quant section.

The Verbal and Quant measures are still there, so older books still teach useful content. But a book written for the longer test has the wrong practice-test length, includes the “Analyze an Argument” essay that is no longer on the test, and can throw off your pacing. Before you buy, check that the edition says it covers the shorter GRE, and avoid second-hand copies of older editions for full-length practice.

What official GRE prep material does ETS publish?

ETS lists its books on its GRE prep books and services page. All are available in print or as eBooks, and the questions in them are real GRE questions written by ETS.

Sources: McGraw Hill’s pages for the Official Guide, Fourth Edition, the Quantitative Reasoning practice book and the Verbal Reasoning practice book, and ETS’s POWERPREP page, all checked 31 Oct 2026.

Is the Official Guide enough on its own?

It is the most important book, but it is not a full course. Its strength is accuracy: the questions are real GRE questions, and the explanations show how ETS treats right and wrong answers. Its weakness is teaching: it explains the format and strategy more than the underlying content, so most students need another book to learn or revise the maths and vocabulary, and it has only two full tests in print. ETS says the guide also gives access to two POWERPREP Online practice tests through your ETS account at no extra cost.

Use it in two ways: work through the question-type chapters early to learn the format, and save the two full tests in the book for the middle and end of your preparation, when you want a realistic score check.

When are the official practice question books worth adding?

The Verbal and Quant practice books are the best source of extra real questions once you have finished the Official Guide. Each has 150 questions sorted by type and difficulty, so you can drill the question type that costs you the most marks. Buy the one for your weaker section first. ETS also sells the two together, and all three books as a bundle.

What free official GRE resources should you use?

Before spending anything, use what ETS gives away. On its GRE preparation page, checked 31 Oct 2026, ETS offers:

• Two free POWERPREP Online practice tests. Test 1 can be taken untimed, and ETS notes that you get no Verbal or Quant scores if you take it untimed. Test 2 is timed. Both include correct answers and scored sample essays with rater commentary.
• The Math Review PDF. A free review of about 100 pages covering the maths concepts you may see on the Quantitative Reasoning measure.
• Math Conventions. A short free PDF on the notation, terms and assumptions the GRE uses in Quant questions.

Treat the two free POWERPREP tests as your most valuable practice tests. Take one at the start to find your baseline and keep one for the final weeks before your test.

Which third-party GRE books are worth buying?

Third-party books do not use real GRE questions, but they do more teaching than the official books. The best of them explain the maths from the basics, give strategies for each question type and offer far more practice. These are the main ones, by publisher, current edition and whether the publisher says the edition covers the shorter GRE.

Sources: Simon & Schuster’s publisher pages for the Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book, GRE All the Quant and GRE All the Verbal and for Kaplan’s GRE Prep Plus, Ninth Edition, and Penguin Random House’s page for GRE Premium Prep, 37th Edition, checked 31 Oct 2026. Publishers release new editions often, so check that the copy you buy is the current one.

Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems

This is a practice book, not a teaching book. Its strength is volume: more than 1,400 problems in the book and online, grouped into sets by topic and question type, written by Manhattan Prep’s instructors to mirror the GRE in content and style. It suits students who already know the basics and need repetition. Pair it with a teaching book if you still need to learn the content.

Manhattan Prep GRE All the Quant and All the Verbal

These two books are the strongest choice for learning content. All the Quant builds from fundamentals to the hardest topics, which suits students who have not done school maths for several years. All the Verbal starts with vocabulary and builds to sentences, paragraphs and full passages, which helps with Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence and Reading Comprehension. Manhattan Prep also sells both together as All the GRE.

Kaplan GRE Prep Plus

Kaplan’s book covers everything in one place: an overview of the test, content review for both sections, strategies and full-length practice tests, with online access to a question bank and video lessons. It is a sensible first book if you want one structured plan rather than a set of specialist books.

The Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep

The Princeton Review’s book puts test-taking technique first: its publisher highlights tactics for avoiding traps, pacing yourself and guessing logically. Its 37th edition includes six full-length practice tests, two in the book and four online. It suits students who want strategy and plenty of full-length practice.

Which GRE books should you buy for your situation?

Two or three books are enough for most students. Buying more usually means finishing none of them. Whatever you choose, keep the official questions at the centre: they are the best guide to how the real test words its questions.

How should you study with GRE books?

1. Take a diagnostic first. A full practice test shows which section needs the most work before you spend money.
2. Learn the content. Use a teaching book (Manhattan Prep, Kaplan or The Princeton Review) for the topics and question types you are weakest in.
3. Practise with real questions. Move to the Official Guide chapters and the official practice books, sorted by question type.
4. Review every mistake. Keep a log of each question you got wrong and why: a content gap, a misread question or a timing problem.
5. Take full tests under timed conditions. Use the official tests in the book and POWERPREP in the final weeks, at the same time of day as your real test.

For section-by-section help, read our guides to GRE maths, GRE vocabulary and the GRE Analytical Writing task, and try the GRE sample questions with answers.

Before you buy any book, find out where you stand. Take the free GRE mock test to see your starting score in Verbal and Quant, and choose the books that fix your weakest area.

If the GRE is part of a plan to study abroad, our counsellors can help you build a university list and a test timeline. Talk to an admissions counsellor.