In search of books or textbooks to study for the upcoming PGRE

[zheng89120]

Hi, so as many of you who are in 3rd year or so know, the PGRE is coming this October and November.. exciting times.. So from what I have heard, there are barely any exclusively PGRE-prep books.. Hence I look forward to some input on what kind of books (in general) that would be a good idea to study for the rest of the summer and before the exam..

My personal crack at good books are:
Electrodynamics (Griffiths)
Quantum Mechanics (Scherrer or Shankar)
Thermodynamics (Schroeder)
Modern Physics (Serway)

I also know that there are at least 4 former PGRE tests floating on the internet (check the PGRE forums).. so don't need to mention those.. thanks, and good luck on all your applications!

PS. any suggestions for non-print resources would be good too, including e-books..

 

[TonyG]

Hi there,

I completely understand the importance of preparing for exams like the PGRE. It can be a daunting task, but with the right resources, you can definitely succeed.

Firstly, I would like to suggest some additional books that could be helpful for your PGRE preparation:

1. "Introduction to Electrodynamics" by David J. Griffiths (as you mentioned)
2. "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by David J. Griffiths
3. "Thermal Physics" by Charles Kittel and Herbert Kroemer
4. "Concepts of Modern Physics" by Arthur Beiser
5. "Introduction to Solid State Physics" by Charles Kittel

Apart from these textbooks, I would also recommend practicing problems from "Schaum's Outline of Physics for Engineering and Science" by Michael Browne. This book covers all the major topics in physics and has a large collection of practice problems to help you prepare for the exam.

In addition to books, I would suggest using online resources such as Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare. These are great platforms to review concepts and practice problems. You can also find e-books and study materials on these websites.

Lastly, I would highly recommend taking practice tests from the previous years' PGRE exams. This will give you a better understanding of the exam format and the types of questions asked. As you mentioned, there are several former PGRE tests available online, so make sure to utilize them in your preparation.

I wish you all the best in your preparation and good luck on your applications!