GRE Biology Subject: Which Campbell Reece Edition?

[BattlePope]

Hi guys and gals,

 

So, I'm going to be taking the GRE Biology Subject test in April. I know everyone says not to take it if you don't have to but unfortunately, I need to. It seems that pretty much everyone recommends reading the Campbell Reece Biology textbook in preparation. My question is: which edition is best? Should I just try to get the most recent one? Or are they all pretty similar and should I just go for the cheapest? Some of the used one's can be had for under $5.

 

Finally, any topics I should focus more heavily on? So far, I've just been reading through this outline/study guide of the Campbell Reece Biology book:

 

http://www.course-notes.org/Biology/Outlines

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[MackF]

Hi guys and gals,

 

So, I'm going to be taking the GRE Biology Subject test in April. I know everyone says not to take it if you don't have to but unfortunately, I need to. It seems that pretty much everyone recommends reading the Campbell Reece Biology textbook in preparation. My question is: which edition is best? Should I just try to get the most recent one? Or are they all pretty similar and should I just go for the cheapest? Some of the used one's can be had for under $5.

 

Finally, any topics I should focus more heavily on? So far, I've just been reading through this outline/study guide of the Campbell Reece Biology book:

 

http://www.course-notes.org/Biology/Outlines

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Didn't take the subject test, HOWEVER I did use a 2012 book to study for my GRE general.  I moved into a rental house at school and literally found it in one of the bedrooms.  I can't imagine it has changed very much over the past year or two.  If you can get a 2012/13 edition for under 5 bucks I say go for it! The test material can't possibly be that different to justify a huge price increase.  Good luck, I've heard BIO GRE is a killer.

[Monochrome Spring]

I went for the cheapest older edition I could get. The material is pretty basic and I don't think that much has changed.

 

In all honesty, if you're going to use the Campbell book to study for the biology subject GRE, and if you think that the subject GRE is important for your applications, I would study the entire book. I don't think that you need any resource outside of the book, as long as you dedicate the time to mastering the Campbell materials.

 

Goodluck!

[BattlePope]

Thanks for the responses. I already took the general GRE and did quite well on it actually (Magoosh was a life saver). I am applying for a biology program and unfortunately I was not a biology major in undergrad. Because of this, I need to take the biology subject GRE. I've heard it's a doozy as well and would have skipped it otherwise but two of the programs I'm applying to require it. 

 

Thanks for the help, going to go through the Campbell book as best I can. Pretty much everything I've read has said that it's the best way to prepare.

[Monochrome Spring]

When you get your practice booklet in the mail, definitely go through it and pay close attention. I noticed that there were multiple questions re-used in the actual test, and I was kicking myself for not paying more attention on the practice booklet.

 

Also, when I got out of the test, I had never felt more stupid after an exam in my life. But I did okay (75th percentile). Not great, but definitely not horrible either So, don't stress out too much during the exam or immediately afterward.

[sunpenguin]

Something I also found helpful was to re-purchase access to the Mastering Biology online companion to the Campbell textbook and take all the online quizzes multiple times until I really knew and understood the answers. It gives you an interactive way to test yourself on what you're reading in the textbook, and there are also animated tutorials you can use to help reinforce most of the major concepts.

[BattlePope]

When you get your practice booklet in the mail, definitely go through it and pay close attention. I noticed that there were multiple questions re-used in the actual test, and I was kicking myself for not paying more attention on the practice booklet.

 

Also, when I got out of the test, I had never felt more stupid after an exam in my life. But I did okay (75th percentile). Not great, but definitely not horrible either So, don't stress out too much during the exam or immediately afterward.

 

Thanks for the advice. I apologize for my ignorance but what practice booklet might you be talking about? Is it the same as this one?

 

https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/practice_book_biology.pdf

 

I haven't received any practice booklet (that I know of) yet so I'm hoping the one above is the same.

[TerryB5]

Just right for your question - chapter 9 test answers.