Rating  - Decent as a backup plan
I purchased both these and the Baron's GRE cards, studied each religiously for about 3 weeks, and took my test. I much preferred the Barron's cards to these. The cards are flimsy and, while the words are hard, the ones that actually appeared on my test were the ones that both Kaplan and Barron covered. I also preferred the definitions and format of the Barron's cards. More of the synonyms/antonyms on the Barron's cards also appeared on the actual test and one part of the analogy did too.
These Kaplan cards are good to get if you have plenty of time, but the words were needlessly difficult and might serve more to make you paranoid.
Rating  - A bit pricey, but nice
Even though I bought these on a whim because they were right next to the GRE test prep books, I do not regret the purchase. They are on the expensive side but I figured if it helps me improve my abysmal vocab skills, then it's worth it. I did well on the verbal part, so all in all I have a positive view of the Kaplan study materials.
Pros:
1) Sample sentences (these are awesome because it's a lot of work making your own flashcards if they include relevant sentences)
2) Synonyms (for the most part very good, but sometimes the synonyms were a bit of a stretch)
3) Very compact
Cons:
1) Too flimsy (they bend very easily, which I didn't like)
2) The words are too easy (claims to be the "hard words" but I saw even harder words on my real GRE test)
3) Pricey
Rating  - Great flash cards - save time
The cards are great and will save you a lot of time since you don't have to make any yourself. I have not taken the exam yet but my overall opinion of the product is positive. They are business card size and slightly thinner than a business card but this makes them very transportable.
Rating - Great Idea Poorly Executed
Vocabulary flash cards for the GRE are a great idea. The 500 words given from Kaplan are fine. Unlike previous reviewers, I find the definitions to be sufficient. They're short and could definitely be more involved, but they're sufficient.
I was most disappointed with the presentation and actual execution of the idea. The flash cards themselves are very small, about the size of a "Chance" or "Community Chest" card in the classic monopoly game. The writing is even smaller, and after a little bit of time studying, it becomes a bit straining on the eyes. The poorest part, however, are the cards themselves. They're not glossy or laminated, such as a nice deck of playing cards. They're just paper, thinner than a notecard. They're easily ripped, would stain with any water or food, and bend and wear very easily. I'm disappointed. I've used Kaplan a lot, this is the most inferior product I've seen from them. I will most likely return the cards for a vocab building book and just make my own cards.
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Customer Reviews for Kaplan Publishing,1419552201,9781419552205,1419552201,371 |
