I'm planning on applying to some psychology doctorate programs, but still need to take the GRE. I've found a few threads on here that discussed the best study guides, but a lot were at least a few years old.
For the past few years there has been a new revised version of the GRE that is quite different from the previous one. The current test is pretty much like most standardized tests in which the items are valued equally and the raw scores are then normed into scaled scores. The previous version was based around item response theory, such that problems earlier on in the test set the overall anchoring point, resulting in the subsequent problems being adjusted in difficulty depending on earlier performance and shifting one's score to smaller and smaller degrees further on in the test. Thus, there were different test-taking strategies for the previous version, because earlier problems in a particular subsection were worth comparatively more than later ones, so you should spend more time making sure you get the earlier question right. Currently, you need to balance between speed and accuracy. You don't want to get problems wrong by being too hasty, but you also don't want to miss out on completing as many problems as possible, because you're going too slowly. Thus, any study materials you use should be for the recent revised GRE so that it gives the overall study and test-taking techniques for the current version and not the previous one.
Is there a study plan or guide that you feel worked best?
I really liked the Manhattan Prep series,
Amazon product
It has six guides for the quantitative section and two for the verbal section, each with divided into sections with their own practice problems, and there is a separate "5 lb. book" of just practice problems and tests. How much you need to use them or any other guides or how much you'll need to study overall really depends on your individual skills and background.
If anyone has taken the GRE recently, what was it like and how hard is the Quantitative Reasoning portion? I've also found practice tests, but I'd really like a study book too.
The difficulty level is subjective, based on both the level of math involved and the style of the GRE quant section. It's different from typical standardized tests of quantitative reasoning in that they are not simply looking for you to give the correct solution to a particular equation, formula, etc. It's structured such that there are two quantities, A and B, given, which can be anything from an integer to a variable to a set to the length of a side of a polygon, etc. The answer options are then "Quantity A is larger than B," "Quantity B is larger than A," "Quantity A is equal to B," or "there is not enough information to tell." So, it's a very different style than your typical math test and requires more advanced reasoning than simply being proficient in a particular area of math.
The verbal section is also somewhat atypical as the reading comprehension section takes a different style than other reading comp tests. Normally, we try to extrapolate out from the text to its logical implications, but the GRE is very exacting about not inferring more from the text than is explicitly stated or implied. The questions will even try to trip you up by offering a possible logical inference from the text as a wrong answer. It can help to find a quote or direct paraphrase from the text to "justify" your chosen answer.
As for the doctorate questions, how important is research experience when getting into a program? I was supposed to be a research assistant this year, but the professor cancelled the study. I believe the programs I am going to apply to say research isn't necessary, but is recommended. Does this have any impact on acceptance to a program?
Research experience is always important, even if you don't want to be a researcher as a career, to get admitted to a good program, to help you have a solid foundation upon which build more advanced skills in grad school for you thesis and dissertation, and to help you be a better consumer of scientific literature.