Practice Calculator?

[merriebeth.salazar]

I can not locate the practice calculator in the student center. I see options that come with my subscription like my free tests and flash cards -- can anyone point me there?

[tommywallach]

The calculator you use on tests is actually onscreen, so you don't see it unless you have the test on. As for a calculator to use while practicing, we don't have that as a resource online. Every phone has a calculator, or you can access one of many online calculators (just make sure you don't use any buttons that the official GRE calculator doesn't have).

Good luck!

-t

[center.ron]

I appreciate this information. But its awfully strange that you do not have a calculator available for practicing while using the books. I am using the third edition--it implies that a calculator IS available to use for practicing while using the book, and there are even specific questions marked with a calculator sign, which is supposed to indicate that you are to "use the calculator here." Maybe this has been altered in later editions--but you should have one anyhow; people want to be sure that they have practice with the same calculator that they will be using during the actual exam, and not just one they can get on their phone.

[tommywallach]

Hey Ron,

Keep in mind, we're not talking about our practice tests. We're just talking about doing questions in our books. And as I said, every phone has a calculator, as does every computer (and they're all over the internet). I'm not sure what else we would do. To include a calculator with every book would be hugely wasteful, given that there are so many available already.

Good luck studying!

-t

[center.ron]

Hi thanks Tommy,

Yes we are talking about doing questions in the books (several of which are marked with a calculator, with a note at the beginning of the book directing your customers to the "student center" online for access to the calculator) As I said, your books (at least in third edition) say that you have a calculator online available for the questions in the book. You should therefore have a calculator available online for the questions in the book. I hope i am making myself clear...as it stands you are misleading your customers. It doesn't matter all that much, since there are tons of other places online where you can download the exact calculator that is used on gre. The fact that you cannot do so here on your site, contrary to what is implied in your books, does not make you look good. Otherwise, I have found the books great so far.

[tommywallach]

Hey Ron,

I'm sorry you feel misled by the books. There is a calculator you can use on our website while taking tests, but you're right that you have to use your own while doing homework questions elsewhere. For most people, this isn't an issue, because it's rare for anyone to do all of their studying for this test in front of a computer connected to the internet (so almost everyone requires the use of a separate calculator at some point). I disagree that it makes us look bad, given that it isn't a lapse that should create undue difficulty for anyone, but again, I apologize if you did expect to have a calculator furnished on the website, and hope it wasn't too much of a struggle to find one elsewhere.

Glad you're enjoying the books otherwise, and good luck with your studies!

-t

[laura.a.hague]

I would just like to chime in and say that I was also under the impression that there would be a calculator available for practice in the student center. It says in the book that there will be one and to use it when the calculator symbol indicates to do so throughout the chapters. It is misleading and I agree that people will want to use a calculator that is just like the one on the test to get used to it (as it also says in the book). I'm not trying to "beat a dead horse" here but I wanted to also give my feedback as another student trying to use these materials to study in hopes that this will be bettered for future students. Thank you!

[tommywallach]

Hey Laura,

There is one. It was there from the beginning. It's in the student center. He just couldn't find it. It's right above the practice test, a green hyperlink button that says "calculator." (When we were talking, I'd assumed he'd really looked. It was actually fairly obviously present.)

-t