If you’re about to apply for a graduate school, the GRE is the thing you can’t skip. Lucky for you, there are plenty of prep materials to choose from: prep books, courses, online resources, etc. But there’s also a handier option that lets you study right on your phone.
Take a look at our list of the 8 best free GRE preparation apps 2024 (Android & iOS) that let you study without spending a dime. Some of these apps cover all aspects of the GRE, others are narrowly focused, but all of them are quite helpful in exam prep. Let’s dive in!
GRE Prep & Practice
If you’ve ever needed to prepare for some kind of test, high chance you’ve come across one of Magoosh’s apps.
Magoosh is one of the industry leaders when it comes to testing prep, and there are millions of people who already trust them with studying. This app comes with a bunch of useful features, and lots of them are free, which is nice. You’ll still need to buy a sub pack to get all the tools available, but that’s optional.
As for the features, you get expert-made GRE schedules that will help you learn at an optimal pace and cover all the needed topics. Plus, the app covers multiple GRE questions that you can train with (40 for free, and over 1K for paid subs). There’s also a full-on prep course with a detailed plan and guide support. To be more precise, there are over 70 vid lessons for free, and above 200 in a paid pack.
Besides, the app lets you review all the test questions and get video explanations if needed. You’ll also get to observe your progress and view all the weak spots to come back to. The app also comes with lots of articles on how to prepare for graduation and all that.
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GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
Next, there’s a vocab flashcard app that is also made by Magoosh.
While the previous app is an ultimate GRE guidance, this one is fully dedicated to vocab. It covers over 1K flashcards for the most important GRE words. All the words are split into smaller sections, so it’s easier to study and track the development. Thus, you’ll be able to study and improve your vocab every day without much effort.
All the words were picked by GRE tutors, so no worries here. Of course, there are explanations and sentence examples for every word. The app runs on a smart algorithm that provides you with an efficient learning experience. It will mark all the words you’ve got wrong and remind you to repeat them.
More to that, the app is fully free, which is great for the functionality you’re getting. You’ll get to track your studying progress via detailed graph reports. The app will highlight all the word decks and topics you need to repeat, along with the ones you’re good at.
Vocabulary Builder
Wanna guess what comes next? Yep, another Magoosh app, but it will be the last one, I promise.
This one is also dedicated to vocabulary practice, but it’s not the same as the previous one. The UI and the overall functionality are slightly different, and it also comes with some extra features. It covers 1,2K vocab words picked by GRE tutors. Plus, there’s an audio pronunciation included for each word (which you wouldn’t get in the Flashcards app).
Of course, the app also covers the explanations and sentence representatives for all the words as well, so no worries. Plus, the words are split into special decks according to the difficulty level. To get more precise, there’s a special deck for basic, intermediate, and advanced words. In fact, you need to complete the levels to unlock more decks.
The app runs on a smart algorithm that helps you study better and makes sure you won’t skip a single word. Thus, the words you get wrong will keep appearing until mastered, which is a strategy that has proven its effectiveness in memorization. Just like the previous app, this one is fully free, which is nice.
Manhattan Prep
There’s an app that will help you to get ready for a GRE.
This app is a full-on catalog of GRE queries, tests, flashcards, and more, so you’re all the way covered. To get into detail, the app covers over 1,6K of questions, over 500 vocab words, and above 100 advanced quiz queries and practices. It also covers vocab and math flashcards that help you maximize your study time and make it more efficient.
The app contains all aspects of the exam: verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing, so you’re all the way covered. It also comes with exclusive math practices and tests. All the questions and topics come with in-depth explanations, so you’ll get the best knowledge.
You’ll also get detailed stats on your strong and weak points. All the topics you get wrong will be repeated until mastered. The new questions get added regularly, you’ll keep up with all the updates. The app runs on sub packs, but you get to test the free version before paying.
Check also: 11 Best SAT Preparation Apps
GRE Test Prep by Galvanize
It’s an app to help you ace the GRE test without worries.
This app covers hundreds of GRE queries, both verbal and quant, so you’re all the way covered. All the questions get picked out by the expert tutors. Plus, the new ones get added regularly, so you won’t miss any updates. There are in-depth explanations for all the questions as well.
It also comes with quite a unique concept that lets you compare scores with other users. Along with that, you get to study with your pals in groups if you find it more efficient. There are also exclusive GRE formulas to help during studying.
The app splits the questions by topics and difficulty levels, so you’ll get to dive into studying gradually. You’ll get to do timed sim tests to exp what it’s like to be on the exam. It lets you assign goals and observe your development during the study. There’s also an indicator that displays your current exam readiness.
GRE Daily Vocabulary
Here’s a daily vocab app that will help you succeed on the GRE test.
The app is developed by The Economist, and it has a pretty unique concept. Unlike its sister apps that let you learn vocab through flashcards, this one lets you do it via passages. You’ll get The Economist passages daily, and all of them will include common GRE words.
Thus, you’ll be able to learn new words in context right away, which is nice. Plus, it’s a chance to get more educated in general. You’ll only get a passage for a day, though, but you can view all the older ones at any time. The app also contains the synonyms for all the GRE words.
This app is not a regular prep tool, so it won’t let you view the overall advancement and exam readiness. Needless to say, you won’t get to prepare for the exam using this app only – it’s just a nice addition. It is also totally free without any sub-packs.
Barron’s 1100 Words
This app is here to help you ace over 1K of GRE words.
In the first place, this app was originally a book that has quickly become a base for GRE vocab prep. This app is practically a full mobile version that lets you study on the go. As it has already said, the app covers over 1K words for you to learn. All the words are split into sections, so the overall course takes 46 weeks to pass.
Herewith, you’ll get 4 study days each week, and each of them contains 5 words and an idiom. Thus, you get to study gradually and not throw a bunch of words in your brain right away. Plus, you won’t just get vocabulary flashcards: all the words get presented in short stories with context.
However, the flashcards are included as well, and you can use them to check your knowledge and repeat all the words. As for the words you’ve already learned, there’s a book section where you can view all of them. You can also listen to the pronunciations and view various sentence representatives.
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GREMax GRE Prep
And lastly, there’s an app to provide you with an all-encompassing GRE prep exp.
The main goal of this app is to maximize your training time by making it easy to study on the go. That’s why it runs fully offline, so you can basically study wherever you are. It’s an all-in-one app that covers quantitative, vocab, writing, and verbal. Overall, there are over 700 practice questions for you to go through.
All the questions come with answers and in-depth explanations, so you’re all the way covered. Plus, there’s a bank of over 4K vocab words with definitions and audio pronunciation. In case you’re a busy person looking for smth non-time-consuming, there’s a section with bit-sized exercises that only take a couple of mins.
Besides, the app comes with several study strategies proven to be effective. It will learn from your progress and adapt to your pace. Speaking of progress, it comes with an analytical tool that will keep an eye on your results and highlight your weak points.
