ETS GRE POWERPREP Practice Tests: Complete Guide (Which to Use & When)

The 5 Official ETS POWERPREP Tests (Quick Answer)

ETS offers five official POWERPREP practice tests total: two free POWERPREP Online tests (POWERPREP 1 is untimed; POWERPREP 2 is timed) and three paid POWERPREP PLUS Online practice tests. Most students should plan to take all five, but save them for the final phase of prep so you don’t burn scarce official questions before you’re ready.

 

Table of Contents

1. Should you use POWERPREP as a diagnostic?
2. POWERPREP vs POWERPREP PLUS (What’s the difference?)
3. The 5 official ETS POWERPREP tests (what you get in each)
4. How to access the free tests in your ETS account
5. Critical rules for POWERPREP Plus (so you don’t accidentally waste a test)
6. My recommended order + timeline (work backward from test day)
7. How to review POWERPREP tests so your score actually goes up
8. What about the Official GRE Mentor Course?
9. Other official ETS materials worth buying (beyond POWERPREP)
10. FAQ

 

"POWERPREP" tests are the official GRE's practice tests and are very very similar to the real GRE. ETS (the company that creates the GRE) questions are valuable since they're rare - the company doesn't release very many questions or tests, and third-party tests and questions are never consistently realistic. Our goal, therefore, is to maximize the number of ETS questions we can access.

In other words, use all 5 Powerprep tests.

 

Should you use POWERPREP as a diagnostic?

Usually, no.

If you take an official POWERPREP test on day 1, you’ll get a “starting score”… and then you’ll immediately want to retake it later (when you’re stronger). But you can only see the test for the first time once, and repeating the same test tends to inflate your results because you remember passages, answer choices, or setups.

Instead, use a third‑party diagnostic like Gregmat's (even if it’s a little inaccurate) to get your baseline and identify weak areas. Then save official ETS exams for when you can extract maximum value from every question.

P.S. Want help interpreting your POWERPREP score report (once you DO take one) and turning it into a weekly plan? I work with students online nationwide and can build a targeted study strategy based on your missed questions.

 

POWERPREP vs POWERPREP PLUS (What’s the difference?)

• “POWERPREP Online” = the two free practice tests

• “POWERPREP PLUS Online” = the three paid practice tests

And here’s what actually changes:

POWERPREP Online (free)

• 2 tests total (Test 1 + Test 2)

• Includes both untimed and timed options (POWERPREP 1 = untimed; POWERPREP 2 = timed)

• Provides correct answers for Verbal/Quant

• Does NOT give Verbal/Quant scores for the untimed test (POWERPREP 1) because it’s untimed

• Gives you scored sample essays + rater commentary so you can compare your writing (but it’s not the same as your essay being officially scored)

• The quant is a bit easier than the real GRE

POWERPREP PLUS Online (paid)

• 3 tests total (Practice Test 1, 2, 3)

• Timed, the most realistic (especially for quant), and designed to simulate the real GRE experience with score reports

• Includes answer explanations (and ETS describes additional insight like difficulty levels / score reporting features)

• Provides scores on Verbal, Quant, and Analytical Writing

• Costs money per test (ETS lists $44.95 per practice test on the U.S. POWERPREP page as of today)

The 5 official ETS POWERPREP tests (what you get in each)

1) POWERPREP Online — Practice Test 1 (Free, untimed)

• Best for: getting familiar with question types and interface without time pressure

• Key detail: because it’s untimed, ETS does not provide Verbal/Quant scores

2) POWERPREP Online — Practice Test 2 (Free, timed)

• Best for: a realistic timing run-through with a real score report

• Key detail: timed test → you get Verbal/Quant scores

3) POWERPREP PLUS Online — Practice Test 1 (Paid, timed + scored + explanations)

• Best for: a high-quality “dress rehearsal” late in your prep

• ETS lists POWERPREP PLUS at $44.95 per practice test on its U.S. POWERPREP page

4) POWERPREP PLUS Online — Practice Test 2 (Paid, timed + scored + explanations)

• Same category of value as the other paid tests

• Also matters because Official GRE Mentor includes access to POWERPREP PLUS Practice Test 2 (more on that below)

5) POWERPREP PLUS Online — Practice Test 3 (Paid, timed + scored + explanations)

• Same value tier as PPP1 and PPP2

• From an ETS product perspective, it’s just as “official” as the other two paid exams

How to access the free tests in your ETS account

1. Log in to your ETS account

2. Go to Shop for Test Preparation

3. Add one or both FREE POWERPREP Online practice tests to your cart - they're hidden at the very bottom of that page

4. Submit the order (yes, even though they’re free)

 

If you want help turning your POWERPREP results into a score-raising plan, I offer online GRE tutoring nationwide. The fastest way to improve is to stop “studying everything” and start targeting the exact question types and habits that are costing you points.

Critical rules for POWERPREP Plus (so you don’t accidentally waste a test)

These matter because people buy a POWERPREP PLUS test, click it once, and then learn too late that they can’t “reset” it.

• Complete your practice test within 90 days of purchase

• Your results are available for 90 days after the test is accessed

• Each order/purchase allows one attempt

• POWERPREP Plus Practice tests cannot be reset

• (The free POWERPREP tests CAN be reset and there's no 90 days B.S.)

• You can use Quit w/Save and resume later

 

My recommended order + timeline (work backward from test day)

The rule

Schedule your final POWERPREP PLUS about 7–10 days before your real GRE. Then work backward, spacing the five tests every 7–14 days, depending on how many weeks you have.

Why this order works

You want official tests to function as:

1. Validation (Are you improving?)

2. Training data (What exactly is still breaking?)

3. Timing practice (Can you execute under pressure?)

That only happens when you’re already in “serious prep mode.”

Example schedule (5 tests, 5–9 weeks out)

Let’s say your GRE is on a Saturday:

• T - 9 weeks: POWERPREP 1 (untimed)

• T - 7 weeks: POWERPREP 2 (timed)

• T - 5 weeks: POWERPREP PLUS 1

• T - 3 weeks: POWERPREP PLUS 2

• T - 10 days: POWERPREP PLUS 3

If you’re on a tight timeline (4–5 weeks total)

Still take all five—just tighten the spacing:

• Week 1: POWERPREP 1 (untimed)

• Week 2: POWERPREP 2 (timed)

• Week 3: POWERPREP PLUS 1

• Week 4: POWERPREP PLUS 2

• Week 5: POWERPREP PLUS 3 (7–10 days before test day)

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How to review POWERPREP tests so your score goes up

Step 1: Build a “error log” immediately after the test

For every missed question (and every question you guessed on), write:

• Question type (e.g., TC/SE/RC; algebra/geometry/data)

• Why you missed it (concept gap, setup error, rushed reading, fell for trap, etc.)

• What you’ll do differently next time (one sentence)

Step 2: Separate skill problems from execution problems

• Skill problem = you didn’t know something (concept, vocab, reading skill)

• Execution problem = you knew it, but did it wrong (rushing, messy work, misread, wrong strategy)

This matters because the fix is different:

• Skill problem → learn + drill

• Execution problem → process change (timing strategy, scratchwork rules, re-read triggers)

Step 3: Redo the entire test (selectively) 7–14 days later

Not to “get a new score.”
To see if you:

• stop missing the same types of questions

• recognize the same traps

• execute cleaner under time

Step 4: Turn your review into a 10–14 day mini-plan

Your practice test should create your next study block. Example:

• 3 weakest Quant topics → targeted drills

• 2 RC patterns you consistently miss → focused RC work

• 1 timing change → implement on all timed sets

If you want, this is exactly the kind of thing I do with tutoring students: we turn a POWERPREP score report into a weekly plan that targets the specific reasons you're losing points.

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What about the Official GRE Mentor Course?

ETS often lists Official GRE Mentor alongside POWERPREP products, which confuses people.

Here’s the short version:

• It’s a self-paced course from ETS with hundreds of practice questions

• ETS states it includes access to POWERPREP PLUS Online — Practice Test 2 (timed + scored)

• If you’re taking the shorter GRE, ETS has also explicitly documented that the “Analyze an Argument” essay task was removed and Analytical Writing is now the Issue task only

My take:

• If you want a structured ETS platform and like guided modules, it can be useful - but it will spoil many questions from Powerprep Plus Test 2.

• It is not a complete learning tool by any means - it is only a source of practice questions.

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Other official ETS materials worth buying (beyond POWERPREP)

If you want more official questions (and you should), the official books are still the best next stop.

ETS current pricing (from its Prep Books & Services page):

• The Official Guide to the GRE General Test, Fourth Edition — $45 (plus shipping)

• Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions (Vol 1, Third Edition) — $25

• Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions (Vol 1, Third Edition) — $25

• Official GRE Super Power Pack — $80 (bundle of the three above)

• ScoreItNow! Online Writing Practice — $20

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FAQ

How many official ETS POWERPREP practice tests are there?

Five total: two free POWERPREP Online tests and three paid POWERPREP PLUS Online tests.

Which POWERPREP test is untimed?

POWERPREP Online Practice Test 1 is untimed.

Why didn’t POWERPREP 1 give me a Verbal/Quant score?

Because it’s untimed. ETS explicitly notes that untimed users don’t receive Verbal/Quant scores.

Which POWERPREP test is timed?

POWERPREP Online Practice Test 2 is timed.

How many POWERPREP PLUS tests are there?

Three: Practice Test 1, Practice Test 2, and Practice Test 3.

Can I reset a POWERPREP PLUS test and take it again?

No. ETS states the paid practice tests cannot be reset.

How long do I have access after I buy a test?

ETS says you must complete the test within 90 days of purchase, and results remain available for 90 days after the test is accessed.

Can I quit mid-test and resume later?

Yes. ETS says you can use Quit w/Save and resume later (timed or untimed).

Does Official GRE Mentor include a practice test?

Yes. ETS states it includes access to POWERPREP PLUS Online — Practice Test 2.

 

Questions? If you’d like a second set of eyes on your POWERPREP performance (and a plan that tells you exactly what to do next), I work with students online across the U.S. and internationally.

- Vince Kotchian

We've got San Diego offices in Sorrento Valley and Carmel Valley. We also offer online GRE tutoring.