This chapter presents a sample GRE diagnostic test. The test is half the length of the real GRE. Its questions have been designed to match real GRE questions as closely as possible in terms of format and degree of difficulty. You should use this test as a launching point to determine your strengths and weaknesses, and to identify how far your current score is from your score goal. You can also take this test on your tablet, smartphone, or computer. See page 2A for information.
Use the diagnostic test to plan your study by following these four steps:
1. Take the diagnostic test under test conditions. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Take the test as if it were the actual GRE. Work through the test from beginning to end in one sitting. Mark your answers directly on the test pages. Observe the time limit given at the start of each section. If you have not finished a section when time runs out, mark the last question you answered and note how much longer it takes you to complete the section. This information will tell you if you need to speed up your pace, and if so, by how much.
2. Answer every question. On the real GRE, there is no penalty for wrong answers, so it makes sense to answer every question, even if you have to guess. If you don’t know an answer, see if you can eliminate one or more of the answer choices. The more choices you can eliminate, the better your chance of guessing correctly.
3. Check your answers in the Answers and Explanations section at the end of the test. Pay particular attention to the explanations for questions you missed.
4. Fill out the evaluation charts. These charts are located at the end of the Answers and Explanations section. Mark the numbers of the questions you missed, and the charts will show you in which sections of this book you need to spend the most study time.
30 minutes
For this task, you will be given a brief quotation that states or implies an issue of general interest. You will also be given instructions on how to respond to that issue. You will then have 30 minutes to plan and write a response.
Be sure to follow the instructions that you are given. In writing your response, support your ideas with reasons and examples drawn from your reading, your studies, and your personal experiences. Your response will be evaluated based on how well you organize and express your ideas, how well you support your opinions with reasons and examples, and how well you follow the rules of standard English grammar and usage.
Take a few minutes to plan your response. When you are finished writing, make sure to review your work and make any necessary revisions.
30 minutes
For this task, you will be given a brief passage that presents an argument. You will also be given instructions on how to respond to the passage. You will then have 30 minutes to plan and write a response in which you evaluate the argument according to the instructions that you are given. Be aware that you are not being asked to present your own personal views on the topic.
In writing your response, be sure to support your ideas with reasons and examples. Your response will be evaluated based on how well you analyze the argument presented in the prompt, how well you organize and express your ideas, and how well you follow the rules of standard English grammar and usage.
Take a few minutes to plan your response. When you are finished writing, make sure to review your work and make any necessary revisions.
25 questions — 35 minutes
This section includes three types of questions: Reading Comprehension, Text Completion, and Sentence Equivalence. Read the following directions before you begin the section.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Multiple-Choice Questions—Select One Answer Choice: Select one answer choice from a list of five choices.
Multiple-Choice Questions—Select One or More Answer Choices: From a list of three answer choices, select all that are correct.
Select-in-Passage. Select the sentence in the passage that meets a certain description.
Text Completion Questions
For each blank, select one choice from the corresponding list of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.
Sentence Equivalence Questions
Select the two answer choices that (1) complete the sentence in a way that makes sense and (2) produce sentences that are similar in meaning.
In Questions 1 to 6, for each blank, select the choice that best completes the text.
1. The professor regarded the student’s theory with ___________, considering the overall idea creative, but the logic behind the specific details unsound.
deliberation
ambivalence
indifference
condescension
consternation
2. Dylan’s unwavering belief in the priority of self-interest was tantamount to ____________ : he took it as axiomatic that, since he could never be sure of others’ beliefs or desires, he should focus only on his own.
selfishness
solipsism
fortitude
determinism
negligence
3. A retreat to nature appealed to Thoreau for reasons other than the solitude that it provided. Thoreau believed that (i) _______________ the untamed put him in touch with an (ii) _______________ that, by definition, could not be replicated by the schemings of 19th-century man.
4. Alarmists attribute the startling rise of student debt to the greed of for-profit universities. But, in focusing on the (i) _______________ of these institutions, the critics overlook the more troubling trend in American culture: the belief that education is just another (ii) _______________ whose value can and should be quantified economically.
5. The inability of economists to (i) ____________ the causes of financial recessions should not, as some critics believe, be taken as a commentary on the limits of economics as a science. In every science, be it physics, chemistry, or psychology, the practitioners of the field put faith not in their results but in their (ii) ____________: as long as they are adhering to the appropriate mode of analysis, the scientists are confident that questions that can be answered eventually will be.
6. Scientific discovery is generally (i) _______________ process, building on and supplementing the discoveries made by previous researchers. But those discoveries that tend to alter the trajectory of human thought are often made in isolation of previous (ii) _______________. Darwin’s discovery of evolution, for example, though mainstream today, was not obviously (iii) _______________ by the work of any naturalists before him.
Question 7 is based on the passage below. Select one answer choice.
In the country of Bunrose, the government has a monopoly on tobacco products. Thirty years ago, in response to a rise in tobacco-related illnesses, the government decided to limit its sale of tobacco products. Despite the loss in tobacco-related revenue, the government’s net revenue was no less this year than it was 30 years ago.
7. Which of the following, if true, best explains why the government’s net revenue did not decrease since it limited the sale of tobacco products?
In addition to limiting its sale of tobacco products, the government also ran advertisements highlighting the dangers of tobacco use.
Many members of the government’s legislature were in favor of the government’s decision to limit tobacco use.
Twenty years ago, most of the people using tobacco were aware of its health risks.
All health care in Bunrose is government-funded.
Consumers who saved money on tobacco products spent the majority of that money on private goods.
Questions 8 to 10 refer to the passage below. For each question, select one answer choice, unless the instructions state otherwise.
8. According to the passage, what accounts for most scientists’ reactions of “amusement and scorn”?
Doubt about the plausibility of Wilson’s theory
Concern that attempting to achieve consilience would undermine the credibility of their given field
Lack of familiarity with the approach necessary to achieve consilience
An inability to reach a consensus about what would constitute consilience
Ambivalence toward the approaches of scientists in other fields
9. Select the sentence that explains why Wilson was in favor of consilience.
10. It can be inferred from the passage that scientists would be more open to attempts at consilience if which of the following was true?
Scientists in other fields also accepted consilience.
The approach necessary to achieve consilience was part of the repertoire of each scientist’s given field.
Evidence was discovered that definitively proved the reducibility of one science to another science.
Consilience was limited to only certain fields.
The realization of consilience did not rely on empirical data.
In Questions 11 to 14, select the two answer choices that (1) complete the sentence in a way that makes sense and (2) produce sentences that are similar in meaning.
11. The coffee shop’s business plan, though _________________ in the short-term, would ultimately undermine the owner’s goal of maximizing profits.
lucrative
venal
deliberate
profitable
profligate
felonious
12. Though not without some justification, the athlete’s decision to forgo college only reinforced the widely held belief of his _________________.
impetuosity
recklessness
miserliness
diligence
consilience
denigration
13. Offering only loose guidelines, the recipe gave cooks the opportunity to practice _________________ when creating the dishes.
indolence
creativity
thoughtfulness
ingenuity
expertise
haphazardness
14. Despite the strides made in contemporary neuroscience over the past 50 years, knowledge of certain brain processes is incomplete and, in some cases, downright _________________.
lackadaisical
negligible
porous
fleeting
interminable
anachronistic
Questions 15 to 17 refer to the passage below. For each question, select one answer choice, unless the instructions state otherwise.
15. The passage is primarily concerned with
debating likelihood that a novelist will introduce real-life experiences into his fiction
analyzing the effect that Dostoevsky’s experience with the firing squad had on his novels
arguing for a commonly held belief about the relationship of an author’s experiences and the content of the author’s novels
evaluating Dostoevsky’s ability to make his characters’ lives believable
highlighting the impact that intense personal experiences have on novelists
16. The author most likely mentions Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov in line 9–10 in order to
provide examples of novels that were influenced by actual events in Dostoevsky’s life
emphasize the “existential and redemptive” elements in Dostoevsky’s work
suggest that the themes in The Gambler are not representative of Dostoevsky’s mature novels
illustrate the influence that Dostoevsky’s experience with the firing squad had on his novels
correct a misconception about the similarities between the two novels
17. In the context of the passage, hackneyed in line 1 most nearly means
controversial
cliché
exotic
forgettable
ill-conceived
Question 18 is based on the passage below. Select one answer choice.
From 1980 to 2000, overall expenditures on prescription drugs in Centerville had increased. To curb this increase, the government of Centerville banned pharmaceutical companies from increasing the prices of their drugs. Nonetheless, ten years following the ban, per capita expenditure on prescription drugs in Centerville had increased.
18. Which of the following, if true, most likely explains why the government’s action did not achieve its desired effect?
Citizens aged 65 or older, who are the greatest consumers of prescription drugs in Centerville, accounted for a larger percentage of the population in 2010 than they did in 2000.
To offset the potential loss in revenues caused by the ban, pharmaceutical companies decreased their advertising budgets.
The population of Centerville increased from 2000 to 2010.
During the time period, the government passed laws that loosened restrictions on more affordable generic drugs.
Because of the ban, several foreign prescription drug manufacturers limited their advertising in Centerville.
Questions 19 to 20 refer to the passage below. For each question, select one answer choice, unless the instructions state otherwise.
19. The passage is primarily concerned with
explaining why Beethoven wrote his Ninth Symphony
evaluating Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
identifying the differences between the first three movements of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and the last movement of his Ninth Symphony
analyzing the context in which Beethoven wrote his Ninth Symphony
questioning the text that Beethoven used in the fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony
20. Which of the following can be inferred about the author’s opinion toward Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony? (Indicate all that apply.)
He agrees with most music critics’ interpretation of the first three movements.
He considers the fourth movement largely unnecessary.
He believes that the fourth movement offers nothing of merit to those studying Beethoven’s symphonies.
STOP.
This is the end of Section 3.
25 questions — 40 minutes
This section includes four types of questions: Multiple-Choice Questions—Select One Answer, Multiple-Choice Questions—Select One or More Answers, Numeric Entry Questions, and Quantitative Comparisons. Read the following directions before you begin the section.
Numbers: All the numbers shown in this section are real numbers.
Figures: Assume that the position of all points, angles, and so on are in the order shown and the measures of angles are positive.
All figures lie in a plane unless otherwise stated.
All straight lines can be assumed to be straight.
Note that geometric figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Do not try to estimate lengths and sizes of figures in order to answer questions.
Multiple-Choice Questions—Select One Answer
Select one answer choice from a list of five choices.
Multiple-Choice Questions—Select One or More Answers
Select one or more answer choices following the directions given.
You must select all of the correct answer choices and no others in order to earn credit for the question.
If the question specifies how many answer choices to select, you must select that number of choices.
Numeric Entry Questions
Indicate your answer in the box provided with the question.
Equivalent forms of an answer, such as 1.5 and 1.50, are all correct.
You do not have to reduce fractions to lowest terms.
Quantitative Comparisons
These questions present two quantities, Quantity A and Quantity B. Information about one or both of the quantities may be provided in the space between the two quantities. You must compare the two quantities and choose
if Quantity A is greater
if Quantity B is greater
if the two quantities are equal
if the relationship between the two quantities cannot be determined
Each of the following questions consists of two quantities, Quantity A and Quantity B. You are to compare the two quantities. You may use additional information centered above the two quantities if additional information is given. Choose
if Quantity A is greater
if Quantity B is greater
if the two quantities are equal
if the relationship between the two quantities cannot be determined
Working at a constant rate, Bob can produce 
widgets in 8 minutes. Working at a constant rate, Jack can produce 2x widgets in 40 minutes, where x > 0.
From 1992 to 1993, the price of a home increased by x%.
From 1993 to 1994, the price of the home then decreased by x%.
Line p is defined by the equation 2y + 3x = 6
The length of rectangle x is 20% greater than the length of rectangle y.
The width of rectangle x is 20% less than the width of rectangle y.
For Questions 9 to 14 select one answer choice, unless the instructions state otherwise.
9. If the function f(x) is defined as f(x) = 3(x + 2) + 5, then f(a – 2) =
3a
3a + 5
3a + 11
3a – 1
3a – 6
10. If the ratio of stocks to bonds in a certain portfolio is 5:3, then which of the following CANNOT be the total number of stocks and bonds?
8
50
120
160
200
For Question 11, write your answer in the box.
11. What is the greatest integer, x, such that (125x/256) < 1?
For this question, indicate all of the answer choices that apply.
12. If (x3)(y5) > 0, and (x2)(z3) < 0, which of the following must be true?
x > 0
z < 0
xy > 0
yz < 0
< 0
xyz < 0
13. Five friends agree to split the cost of a lunch equally. If one of the friends does not attend the lunch, the remaining four friends would each have to pay an additional $6. What is the cost of the lunch?
$20
$24
$80
$100
$120
14. If a six-sided die is rolled three times, what is the probability that the die will land on an even number exactly twice and on an odd number exactly once?
Questions 15 to 17 are based on the data below. For each question, select one answer, unless the instructions state otherwise.
15. For how many years did expenses exceed revenue?
1
2
3
7
8
16. The percent change in profit from 2007 to 2008 is approximately what percent greater than the percent change in profit from 2008 to 2009?
500%
600%
1,500%
1,600%
1,700%
17. If the revenues in 2009 were $3 million less, and the expenses for 2009 were $4 million more, then the average (arithmetic mean) annual profit for the 10 years shown would be approximately how much less?
$300,000
$400,000
$600,000
$700,000
$1,000,000
For Questions 18 to 20, select one answer choice, unless the instructions state otherwise.
18. In 1998, the list price of a home was 
greater than the original price. In 2008, the list price of the home was greater than the original price. By what percent did the list price of the home increase from 1998 to 2008?
10%
12.5%
16
%
33%
50%
19. The figure above represents a square photograph bordered by a frame that has a uniform width of 3 inches. If the frame and the picture have the same area, and each of the photograph’s sides measures x inches, which of the following equations is true?
(x +6)2 = 2x2
(x + 3)2 = 2x2
(x + 9)2 = 2x2
(x + 3)2 = 4x2
(x + 6)2 = 4x2
20. On the xy-plane, the center of circle O is at point (3,2). If the point (10,2) lies outside of the circle and the point (3,8) lies inside of the circle, which of the following could be the radius of the circle?
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
STOP.
This is the end of Section 4.
Use the following scoring rubric to grade your essay. Grade yourself as honestly as possible regarding the organization, structure, fluency, and accuracy of your writing. Then compare your essay to the sample high-scoring response that follows.
Analyze an Issue: Scoring
Wherever there are successful entrepreneurs, there will be individuals who argue that education is not a necessary component of financial success. It is certainly true that there are cases of individuals who succeeded in the business world and became quite wealthy without the benefit of an extensive education. Heavyweight boxer George Foreman is one such individual, who went on to have great financial success despite dropping out of high school. Hairstylist Vidal Sassoon and media mogul Walt Disney also dropped out of high school, going on to earn fortunes in their respective fields. And steel magnate Andrew Carnegie gained his enormous financial success without even finishing elementary school!
Admittedly, these individuals were all able to build large businesses and earn great financial rewards without the benefit of an extended formal education, so clearly education is not necessary for a financially-rewarding career. Yet, the Bureau of Labor Statistics records show a distinct positive correlation between educational attainment levels and annual earnings, so it is safe to say that for most people who are not blessed with a stroke of entrepreneurial genius, a good education will result in a better paying job.
One purpose of education is to earn more money, to be sure, but this is not the only goal. Education brings so many more benefits than simply monetary ones. One of its purposes, simply put, is to help us become more fulfilled and live happier lives. On a strictly materialistic level, an educated person with a better paying job is likely to be more satisfied with her standard of living and lifestyle. Education is also critical for helping individuals develop the skills to do work they truly enjoy, which further increases happiness.
Along with helping us lead happier lives, education helps us to develop relationship skills and the emotional maturity to handle life’s setbacks. Individuals who play on school sports teams have to learn to deal with other players as they bask in the glory of victory or suffer the agony of defeat. Physical education classes include as part of a curriculum teach students the value of teamwork and how to manage conflicts with other players. Teacher-student interactions can also reveal valuable lessons about how to deal with authority, lessons different from those a student might learn at home. Finally, the friendships inevitably forged as part of the school community’s social structure help students to deal with relationships in ways that prepare them for what is to come later in life.
Another important purpose of education is to help students become better problem solvers. This skill may be developed in math courses, where numbers are used to work out problems. It may also be taught in science courses like engineering, where structural queries are posed and students must find ways to work out solutions. Students in the social sciences learn to problem-solve from investigating historical and present-day situations involving human interactions. Even in literature and other humanities courses, problem-solving techniques can be modeled through the messages some literary works convey.
In addition to improving problem-solving, education further serves to build self-confidence. A student who must research data for a school science project will become more adept at navigating through the maze of available information to find concrete facts that address a scientific question. The student who must give an oral presentation in history class strengthens his or her ability to speak in front of peers. Through composition courses and the requirements of essay tests, students become more confident as writers and learn to hone their written skills. Simply the process of answering questions in class can help students to become more confident speakers, skills that may benefit them enormously in later job interviews.
Education also helps individuals to become more valued contributors, in whatever realm they choose to interact. A more educated worker will often have additional skills that enable him to gain not only financial rewards, but also more responsibility in his work. This individual is able to use his judgment more often and to contribute his expertise. He makes leadership decisions based on his own unique perspective, an opportunity that might have been lost had he not had the necessary training for advancement.
Without the education that he obtained before becoming president, for instance, John F. Kennedy might not have been in a position during the Cuban Missile Crisis to make the decisions he did to respond to Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev, and the U.S. might not have avoided a catastrophic war with the Soviet Union. Nobel Prize–winning scientists Marie and Pierre Curie might never have discovered radium or developed their theory of radioactivity without obtaining their educations in science. Their training brought them to a level of skill where they could know enough to experiment and finally succeed, making contributions for which history will always remember them.
Not many of us will be remembered in history for our contributions. But even the first-grade teachers or school social workers who help in a circumscribed community will, due in part to their educations, make contributions that change student’s lives. Those students will go on to positively affect others, as Jimmy Stewart’s character, George Bailey, recognized about his own contributions in the Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life. Education helps provide individuals with better financial prospects in their jobs, certainly, but that is only part of what it does. Its greater purpose lies in helping empower us as thriving individuals by increasing our own personal happiness, relationship skills, emotional maturity, problem-solving abilities, self-confidence, and societal contributions.
Use the following scoring rubric to grade your essay. Grade yourself as honestly as possible regarding the organization, structure, fluency, and accuracy of your writing. Then compare your essay to the sample high-scoring response that follows.
Analyze an Argument: Scoring
The Borlarvia government proposes that fisherman give paid boat tours as a way of ensuring their own livelihood while also preserving the porpoise. To support this recommendation, the government explains that the porpoise has become endangered due to overhunting, that fishermen have a high degree of knowledge about the porpoise’s habitat, and that tourists have shown interest in the boat tours. The government’s proposal also relies on the central assumption that boat tours, if offered, would earn fisherman enough money to make a good living. To evaluate whether the recommendation is likely to have its predicted result, we must examine several questions pertaining this assumption of the government’s plan.
The first question that would need to be answered is: will the tourists pay for boat tours? The government’s proposal mentioned that tourists have expressed interest in the boat rides, but expressing interest does not necessarily equate to a willingness to pay for the tours. If the tourists would compensate the tour guides monetarily, then the plan might have a greater chance of succeeding. If it turns out, however, that the tourists aren’t willing to pay for the tours and would only attend them if they were free, then the government’s plan would not help fishermen earn their living.
A second question to be asked, in addition to knowing whether tourists will pay for the tours, is how much revenue is likely to be generated by the boat tours consistently, on an annual basis? If the projected earnings are sufficient to replace or exceed the fishermen’s normal earnings throughout the course of the year, then the boat tour plan would be more likely to achieve its intended result. If the annual revenue would be too low, on the other hand, or if perhaps tour income might be too seasonal to cover what the fishermen would need to earn over a full year, then the government’s plan would not provide enough income for the fisherman and would be ineffective.
Along with investigating revenue-related questions, we must also ask about the likely impact of weather and other external factors on the tours. If the weather in Borlarvia is steady year-round, boat tours would be more likely to succeed. If the weather is unpredictable, often rainy, or otherwise problematic, then the boat tour plan would be less effective. Other external factors might also come into play, such as the potential setbacks posed by economic downturns and the risks of water pollution by Borlarvian manufacturing firms or petroleum companies. Economic slow-downs tend to result in people spending less money on non-essential expenses, meaning that fewer tourists would schedule boat rides, and business revenue would diminish. Large-scale pollution could also prevent boat tours during the waste clean-up process, reducing the overall income to the fisherman and thwarting the plan’s success.
One final question regarding whether the fishermen could make a good living giving boat tours concerns the fishermen themselves. Do Borlarvian fishermen have the skills and the willingness to successfully conduct boat tours? Knowing a great deal about the habitat of a species does not automatically translate into making a person a good tour guide. Running a successful tour business requires skills that the fisherman might not be accustomed to using on a daily basis, such as dealing with the general public--including children--and managing safety concerns for passengers on their boats. Tour guides would have to be adept at public speaking as well. If the fisherman did have the skills and the willingness to perform this type of job, the government’s plan would stand a better chance of succeeding. Otherwise, the plan would not work, because the fishermen would not be effective as tour guides.
The Borlarvian government makes the claim that conducting boat tours will enable fisherman to make a good living while preventing the porpoise from becoming extinct. If this is to be the case, the answers to several key questions will need to be obtained first, to determine whether it would be possible for fisherman to make a good living from this endeavor. The willingness of tourists to pay, the amount of expected revenue, the impact of weather and external factors, and the skill and willingness of the fishermen themselves would all need to be assessed to evaluate whether the plan proposed by the government would be likely to have the predicted result.
1. B The word in the blank describes how the professor regarded the student’s theory. The clause after the comma provides the clue. Since the professor views parts of the theory as “creative” and parts as “unsound,” the professor’s view is conflicted. Of the choices, the word that best matches conflicted is ambivalent.
2. B The word in the blank clarifies Dylan’s “belief in the priority of self-interest.” The clause after the colon further clarifies this belief, telling you that “he could never be sure of others’ beliefs or desires.” Solipsism, which is the philosophical belief that we cannot be sure of the existence of other minds, is the best choice.
3. B and D There are more clues for the first blank, so start there. Since “a retreat to nature appealed to Thoreau,” he most likely absorbed himself in the untamed. The word closest in meaning to absorbed is immersion. What did “immersion in the untamed” put Thoreau in touch with? A good guess would be the word untamed. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to untamed is unpredictability.
4. B and F Since there are more clues for the first blank, start there. The word in the blank describes what component of the institutions the critics focus on. Since the critics are focused on the “greed” of the institutions, a good prediction for the blank is greed. The word closest in meaning to greed is avarice. Now look at the second blank. The word in the blank is described as something “whose value can and should be quantified economically.” A good prediction is good. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to good is commodity.
5. C and E Since there are more clues for the first blank, start there. The word in the blank describes what economists are unable to do, with respect to the causes of recessions. The fact that critics are wrong about this inability implies that, on its face, the inability might be something negative. What would economists be expected to do? A good prediction is explain. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to explain is delineate. Now move to the second blank. The clause after the colon indicates that economists put their faith in “the appropriate mode of analysis.” A good prediction for the blank is approach. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to approach is methodologies.
6. A, F, and I There are the most clues for the first blank, so start there. The first blank describes the type of process that most scientific discoveries are. Since they “build on and supplement” previous discoveries, the process is most likely cumulative. Now move to the second blank. The contextual clue but indicates that discoveries that “alter the trajectory of human thought” are made in a process that is the opposite of cumulative. These processes must thus not build on previously established models. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to models is paradigms. Now look at the third blank. The contextual clue “for example” indicates that Darwin’s discovery will provide an example of the previous fact. Since such a discovery must have been made in isolation of previous scientific work, the work of others must not have anticipated Darwin’s work.
7. D First, understand the situation. By limiting the sale of tobacco products, the government decreased a revenue source. Despite that, the government’s net revenues stayed the same since the laws limiting tobacco sales were put into effect. The correct answer will provide a piece of information that explains how the government ended up making more money, despite the ban.
Choice A: If the government ran advertisements, then it spent money, meaning its net revenue would have been even less. You want to explain why the revenue went up. Choice A is incorrect.
Choice B: How members of the legislature felt about the law would not affect the government’s net revenues. Choice B is incorrect.
Choice C: People’s awareness of the health risks of tobacco is irrelevant. Choice C is incorrect.
Choice D: If tobacco use went down, then there were probably fewer tobacco-related illnesses. Fewer tobacco-related illnesses would result in an overall decline in the country’s health care expenditures. If all health care in the country is government funded, then Bunrose’s loss in tobacco-related revenue would be offset by the decrease in its health care expenses. Choice D explains the discrepancy.
Choice E: If consumers spent the money they saved on private goods, then that money was not going back to the government. Thus no information is given about how the government could have recouped the money it lost by limiting tobacco sales. Choice E is incorrect.
8. C This is a detail question. To answer the question, find textual evidence that explains the “amusement and scorn.” The evidence is in paragraph two. At the end of the paragraph, the author explains why the “entrenched methodologies” explain the resistance. The reason given is that the thinkers of a field will be “unfamiliar with” the new tools and concepts needed to achieve consilience. The correct answer is thus C.
Choice A: A contradicts information in the passage. You are told that “most scientists agree with Wilson’s basic premise.”
Choice B: B is not supported by the passage.
Choice D: D is not supported by the passage.
Choice E: E is not supported by the passage.
9. Sentence 2 The first sentence explains what consilience is, not why Wilson believed it. In the second sentence, the author provides an explanation for Wilson’s belief, that is, the reducibility of all the sciences.
10. B To answer an inference question, you must draw a conclusion from text in the passage. The passage tells you that scientists are reluctant to accept approaches toward consilience because they are “unfamiliar” with the tools necessary to achieve it. Thus it can be concluded that if they were familiar with the tools, they would be more likely to accept consilience.
11. A and D The contrast signal though indicates that the effect of the business plan on the short-term goals of the coffee shop contrasts with the effect on the long-term goals. Since you are told that the plan will “undermine” the long-term goal of maximizing the coffee shop’s profit, it most likely has a beneficial effect in the short-term. Of the choices, the words that best match beneficial are profitable and lucrative.
12. A and B The contrast signal though indicates that the perceptions of the athlete’s decision contrast with the fact that it had “some justification.” The prediction should thus be a word related to actions done without justification. A good prediction is impulsive. Of the choices, the words closest in meaning to impulsive are impetuosity and recklessness.
13. B and D The opportunity given to the cooks is described by the fact that the recipe offered “only loose guidelines.” If the guidelines were loose, then the cooks were able to practice flexibility. Of the choices, the words closest in meaning to flexibility are creativity and ingenuity.
14. B and C The contrast signal despite indicates that the meaning of the word in the blank contrasts with the fact that there have been “strides” in neuroscience. The word downright indicates that this description is more extreme than “incomplete.” A good prediction would be lacking. Of the choices, the words closest in meaning to lacking are porous and negligible.
15. The author begins the passage by introducing a commonly held belief (“There exists a linear and continuous relationship between the themes and characters of a novelist’s works and the life of the novelist himself”) and then moves on to mention that this belief is not always valid. The author then uses Dostoevsky’s life and novels to show that though not always valid, the belief has merit. The answer that best captures the main point of the passage is C.
Choice A: A is not supported by any information in the passage.
Choice B: B is too narrow. Though the author does discuss the impact of the firing squad on Dostoevsky, he does this to make the larger point that Dostoevsky’s experiences influenced his novels.
Choice D: D is incorrect because the passage is not concerned with the “believability” of Dostoevsky’s novels.
Choice E: E is too narrow. The author suggests that intense experiences affected Dostoevsky, but this idea is not the main point of the passage.
16. To answer a purpose question, you should determine why the author provides the given information. In this case, you want to know why the author mentions Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. The author mentions Dostoevsky to show that a novelist’s experiences are reflected in the novelist’s works. The author uses these novels as examples of novels whose themes were influenced by events in Dostoevsky’s life. The best answer is thus A.
Choice B: B is incorrect because it does not address why the author mentions these novels. Though the author does suggest that they have “existential and redemptive” themes, the author’s concern is how Dostoevsky’s experiences led to his development of these themes.
Choice C: C is incorrect because the passage does not suggest any concern with a contrast between the different themes of Dostoevsky’s novels.
Choice D: D is incorrect because it is too narrow. Though the author suggests that Dostoevsky’s experience with the firing squad influenced the themes of his novels, the author mentions the novels to support his main point.
Choice E: E is incorrect because the choice is not supported by anything mentioned in the passage.
17. B When answering a vocabulary in-context question, use clues in the sentence to make your own prediction for the correct answer. The first sentence states that “It is a belief so common as to be hackneyed.” Hackneyed must thus have a definition similar in meaning to common. Of the choices, the word closest in meaning to common is cliché.
18. A First, identify the situation: The government banned price increases on prescription drugs, but per capita expenditure on prescription drugs went up. The correct choice will provide information that resolves these apparently contradictory facts.
Choice A: If this choice is true, then it can be inferred that, per person, the amount spent on prescription drugs increased. This information thus helps to explain the discrepancy. The correct answer is A.
Choice B: The actions that the pharmaceutical company took to offset losses in revenue are irrelevant to the situation.
Choice C: If the population increased, you would expect per capita expenditures to have decreased, not increased.
Choice D: More affordable generic drugs would more likely lead to a decrease in per capita expenditure, not to an increase.
Choice E: The source of the drugs is irrelevant.
19. The main point is expressed in the passage’s first sentence. The author spends the rest of the passage evaluating the pros and cons of the symphony. The best answer is B.
Choice A: Though the author “wonders about the impetus behind this decision to use Schiller’s Ode to Joy,” nowhere else in the passage does the author consider Beethoven’s motivations.
Choice C: The author does discuss the differences between the first three movements and the last movement, but the author discusses these differences in the context of criticizing the fourth movement.
Choice D: The author mentions Beethoven’s deafness as one of the reasons for the symphony’s positive reception. However, this issue of deafness is not addressed anywhere else in the passage. This choice is thus too narrow in scope.
Choice E: The author does discuss the text of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, but he does so to make a larger point about what he considers the symphony’s flaws.
20. A and B
Choice A: The author states: “the first three movements of the symphony rightfully receive nearly universal praise from music critics and composers alike.” The use of the word rightfully implies that the author agrees with these critics.
Choice B: The author states: “One wonders about the impetus behind this decision to use Schiller’s Ode to Joy, a text that praises the divine that is always implicit in Beethoven’s work, but that does so in such an overt way that the previous movements are almost rendered superfluous.” The use of the word superfluous implies that the author believes the movement is unnecessary.
Choice C: Though the author questions the use of text in the fourth movement, he says nothing to imply that the movement is of no scholarly value. Thus this choice cannot be inferred.
1. C The simplest way to simplify the comparison is to rewrite the value of Quantity B using a base of 2: 8 = 23, so 820 = (23)20 = 260.
2. A The simplest way to answer this question is to recognize how x2 + kx + c factors to (x – 6)(x + 1). You arrive at this result by subtracting 6 from both sides of the first equation to get x2 – 5x – 6 = 0. Then identify that c = –6 and k = –5, so c = (–6 × 1) and k = (–6 + 1). Thus (x – 6)(x + 1) = 0, so x = 6 or –1. Solving the second equation the same way gives (y + 3)2 = 0, so y = –3. Since x = 6 or –1, x > y.
3. C Using the 
formula, you know that Bob’s rate is: 
, and Jack’s rate is 
To arrive at an expression for Quantity A, use R × T = W. 
t = 5x. Solve for t:
To arrive at an expression for Quantity B, use R × T = W. (
)t = 6x. Solve for t:
The values in the quantities are equal.
4. A Since the fractions in the two columns have the same numerator, the fraction with the smaller denominator will yield the larger quantity. Thus the comparison is:
Since 
will be smaller than 
which means that the denominator in Quantity B is smaller than the denominator in Quantity A. Therefore, the value of Quantity B is greater than the value of Quantity A.
5. A It might be tempting to choose C here since the percent increase and decrease are the same. However, note that since the price of the home is greater in 1993 than in 1992, the percent decrease will be taken from a bigger whole than will the percent increase. This means that the decrease from 1993 to 1994 will be greater than the increase from 1992 to 1993. Thus the price of the home in 1994 will be less than the price of the home in 1992.
6. B It might be tempting to use your calculator to determine the value of both columns. However, it is important to recognize that Quantitative Comparison questions will almost never require such time-intensive calculations. The more efficient approach is to see how the factors in the two columns differ. Rewrite the following as:
Quantity A → (20 × 21 × 22 … 72) × 73
Quantity B → 18 × 19 × (20 × 21 × 22 … 72)
Note that the two quantities share the factors of 20–72, inclusive. Thus the real quantities to be compared are 73 in Column A and 18 × 19 in Column B. (18 × 19) is greater than 73.
7. A To determine the y-intercept of the line, substitute 0 for x and solve for y. Thus:
To determine the x-intercept of the line, substitute 0 for y and solve for x. Thus:
The y-intercept of the line is 3 and the x-intercept is 2. Quantity A is greater.
8. B Substitute values. Let the length of rectangle y = 10. The length of rectangle x is thus 1.2(10) = 12. Let the width of rectangle y = 10. The width of rectangle x is thus 0.8(10) = 8. The area of rectangle x is thus 12 × 8 = 96. The area of rectangle y is thus 10 × 10 = 100. The area of rectangle y is greater.
9. B Substitute (a – 2) for x in the function and arrive at:
10. B If the ratio of stocks to bonds is 5:3, then you can represent the number of stocks as 5x, where x is an integer, and the number of bonds as 3x. Therefore, the total number of stocks and bonds will be 8x. Since x is an integer, the sum must be a multiple of 8. Of the choices, 50 is the only value that is not a multiple of 8.
11. 3 Since you are solving for x, isolate the variable by multiplying both sides of the inequality by 256. The inequality now reads: 
Next, rewrite 125x as (53)x = 53x, and rewrite 256 as (52)6 = 512. The inequality now reads: 125x < 256. Because the bases are the same:
3x < 12
x < 4
If x < 4, the greatest possible integer value for x is 3.
12. B, C, E, and F Interpret the given information using properties of positives and negatives. In the first inequality, the exponents are odd, meaning that the sign of the bases is preserved. Thus if (x3)(y5) > 0, then xy > 0. If xy > 0, then x and y are both positive or both negative. In the second inequality, you know that x2 is always positive. Thus, z3 < 0. If z3 < 0, then z < 0. Now look at the choices. Based on the inferences you made, B, C, E, and F must be true.
13. E Let c represent the cost of the lunch. The original cost per person for the lunch is: 
. After a friend drops out, the cost per person is 
The prompt tells you that the cost per person after a friend drops out is $6 more than the original cost per person. You can express this relationship algebraically as:
To get rid of the denominator, multiply through the equation by 20, the least common multiple of 4 and 5. Arrive at:
14. C The outcome you are looking for is any combination of even-even-odd. Since all three conditions must be met, you should calculate each individual probability and multiply them. The probability of landing on even = , and the probability of landing on odd = . Thus, the probability of the outcome even-even-odd = 
However, note that represents the ordering even-even-odd. The outcome in the question can be satisfied when the order is even-even-odd, even-odd-even, or odd-even-even. Since there are three arrangements that satisfy what the question is asking for, multiply by 3 = 
.
15. B The point corresponding to expenses is above the point corresponding to revenues for two of the years (2000 and 2001). The correct answer is B.
16. D First, calculate the percent change in profit for the two time periods. In 2007, the profit was approximately $18 million – $15 million = $3 million. In 2008, the profit was approximately $26 million – $12 million = $14 million. The approximate percent change in profits from 2007 to 2008 was thus:
In 2009, the profit was approximately $29 million – $18 million = $11 million. The approximate percent change in profit from 2008 to 2009 was thus:
Now the question is, 366.66 is approximately what percent greater than 21.4?
Use the percent change formula:
Plug the values into the formula:
The closest answer is choice D.
17. D profit = revenue – cost. The change in profit during this time period would be: –$3 million – $4 million = –$7 million. Since the change would distribute evenly throughout the 10-year period, the change in the average would be:
change in profit/number of years = $7 million/10 = $700,000
18. B When working with questions that provide only fractions or percents and no given amounts, the best strategy is to plug in numbers. Since the list price increases by and by , choose an original value for the list price that is divisible by 2 and 3: 600. The price in 1998 was thus 600 + (600) = 800. The price in 2008 was 600 + (600) = 900. Now use the percent change formula:
The change is 900 – 800 = 100. The original value is the price of the home in 2008, which was 800. Arrive at: 
19. A If the frame has a uniform width of 3 inches, then each side of the frame must measure x + 6 inches. The area of the larger square is thus (x + 6)2. Since each side of the photograph measures x inches, the area of the photograph is x2.
the area of the frame = the area of the larger square – the area of the photograph
Thus the area of the frame = (x + 6)2 – x2. Since the area of the frame equals the area of the photograph, you can arrive at the following equation: (x + 6)2 – x2 = x2. Add x2 to both sides: (x + 6)2 = 2x2.
20. D With a “could be true” question, you need to identify a property for the given unknown that is satisfied by only one of the choices. The distance between the center of the circle and the point (10,2) is 7. Since (10,2) lies outside of the circle, the radius must be less than 7. The distance between the center of the circle and the point (3,8) is 6. Since the point (3,8) lies inside of the circle, the radius of the circle must be greater than 6. The radius of the circle is thus between 6 and 7. Of the choices, the only value between 6 and 7 is 6.5.
The following table gives an approximate idea of the scaled score that you would receive for your performance on the diagnostic test. The figures are approximations because the scaling is different for every form of the GRE test. (This process is necessary to ensure that scores on each test form are equivalent to scores on every other test form.) So do not assume that the scaled scores shown below are exactly the ones that you would receive on the real GRE. Use this information only to get a general idea of how your performance would be rated.
Sample Scoring for Quantitative and Verbal Sections
Once you have reviewed the answers and explanations to the GRE diagnostic test and scored your performance, use that information to help you plan your GRE study program.
Two charts follow, one for the Verbal Reasoning section of the test and one for the Quantitative Reasoning section. For each question that you missed, find the item number in one of these two charts. Check the column on the left to see the test content area for that item. If you missed questions in a particular content area, you need to focus on that area as you prepare for the GRE. The chapters that cover that content area are listed in the column on the right.
