I’m sure this has been posted before, but when I searched, I got back a ton of threads that I didn’t necessarily want to wade through.
Anyway, I’m taking the GRE soon, and I would like to hear from those of you that have taken it how you studied for it? I’ve searched on the web for study solutions, and you can imagine the hit count I received. I don’t mind ordering and paying for good tutorials, but I want to get it right the first time.
Things I’m looking for: the usual stuff like test taking strategies, DOs and DON’Ts, etc. Basically I want to coach myself (or have someone else coach me if that’s the consensus).
Do: Take the practice tests in the GRE Test Book. Your library should have a copy. You really don’t need to spend money on your own book.
Don’t: Panic. I studied for two days before my test–and by study I mean took a handful of practice tests–and did just fine.
Do: Get a tutor for the subject you feel is your weakest. I met with a math tutor the Friday before my test for an hour and I don’t know if it helped my math score (it was really, really bad, but nothing could have saved me at that point) but it sure made me feel better and more confident. I think that’s important. If you’re nervous, you won’t do as well.
Don’t: Panic. Really, it’s not that big of a deal. The test isn’t that scary. They give you 4 hours to finish it, I was done under two.
Do: Practice writing short, coherent, perfect essays. You want to do well on the writing portion.
Definitely use the training computer programs. The GRE is only given on computer now, the format can be confusing and cost you time. I used one of these and it simulated the test exactly. Typically they come as a CD with a book.
I was happy with my results - I got a perfect score on the math section.
Thanks for the quick reply and encouragement pepperlandgirl. I’m concerned about the math too. I was an honors math student back in the day. Unfortunately, ‘the day’ was about 20 years ago. I’ve since discovered if you don’t use it, you lose it. I’ve been a computer programmer all my adult life (I’m 42), and when the last round of layoffs, I was a casualty, so I went back to school and got the degree I never finished (Magna Cum Laude Yahooo!). Now that I’m back in the swing of things, I want to continue.
All the ETS tests are formulaic, based on umpteen years of drones doing the same thing over and over and over. Taking a number of practice tests familiarizes you with the formula for each section (including how incorrect answers are written). A side benefit is that, as you get the feel for how it’s done, you become more relaxed. You begin to realize that you’re not being tested on what you know, you’re being tested on your ability to take the test.
If you’re stressing about a section, it means one of two things:
You don’t know the subject matter. Study up and/or get a tutor (depending on which seems more appropriate).
You haven’t gotten a feel for the formula. Keep taking tests on the problem section(s).
Well, as far as the math goes, the section is not that difficult. I did some research and it seems that overall, more students score higher in math than verbal. I completely inverted the average scores–almost exactly. Not because the math section is difficult, I just don’t test well in math.
It covered algebra, word problems, graph reading, basic geometry, and basic trig (really basic). They don’t allow calculators, and you really don’t need them. I was frustrated because, on a day-to-day basis, my math skills are pretty decent. I certainly understood all of the questions and problems, I just didn’t do too well with the follow-through. I think if you find a GRE book and took a practice test, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the math section.
I’ll agree with what everyone else says about the math. I was a terrible math student all through school and college, and the first time I took the GRE my math score was only in the lower 500s. Fast forward about 10 years, and I had to take the test again. I’d become somewhat better at math, and actually interested in it, but I still wasn’t any great shakes at it. Nonetheless, mainly by studying an old college algebra textbook and doing all the problems it had involving simultaneous linear equations I raised my math score to 680. I had a study guide and practice tests too, but I think the algebra book helped me more. Oddly enough, my analytical score was exactly the same.
The moral? Forget about calculus and all that high-falutin stuff, and just bone up on first year algebra.
Actually, now that it’s only on computer I feel hopelessly outdated as far as strategies. I don’t envy you having to do an essay; I guess the only thing to do there is think about ways to organize your thoughts, since you have no idea what they will ask.
I got two non-restful hours before mine and did fine (perfect scores (even with the errors) on math and analytical).
Oh, yeah, if you need help organizing and writing an essay in a limited amount of time, I’ll be more than happy to email you some strategies. I’ve been working with students all semester, helping them with various tests from run-of-the-mill midterms to the GRE and CBEST exams. Just let me know.
To agree with everyone, the math is easy. The verbal is evil. EVIL. ie, don’t worry if you get a 600. I got a 770 on the SATS in verbal, with no studying. I studied for a while for the GREs and got a 620. Oh well, it gave my a 1420 with my 800 in math, so it’s all good. And the easy isn’t bad.
what a coincidence! I was in almost exactly the same position, except I was 39 when my GREs came around (I’m 48 now). I practiced, practiced, practiced with the books. The only thing I really needed the practice with was the math - I’d forgotten my basic geometric formulae and such, but the practice brought me right up to speed. The end result? Four GREs, two 780s, two 790s. The kicker? With those GREs and a Summa cum Laude, I *still[/] didn’t get into graduate school. The moral? Unless you’re talking hard sciences, don’t sweat the academics above a certain point. If anything, my GREs worked against me - at least one professor who interviewed me sounded somewhat disgruntled that mine were higher than his had been.
It depends on what field you’re trying to enter. I was trying to get into grad school for clinical psych, and whatever they were looking for, I wasn’t able to discover or convey. But had I been trying to get into a less personal specialty, I probably would have gotten in with no problem. But still, with a few exceptions, I suspect 700s are as good as or better than 800s.
Oh, for the psych GRE, what I did was to read a Psych 101 textbook cover to cover about 5 times. No one told me to do it that way, but I had a gut feeling that that way the way to go, and it worked. Again, it undoubtedly depends on the subject.
Thanks to everyone for the advice posted in this thread. I’ll be retaking the GRE some time in the next year, and I’d like to do well this go 'round. (The first time I took the test, the results indicated that a half-dead sugar beet was smarter than I was.)
Don’t buy the Kaplan book. It sucks. Princeton Review was way better.
Print off and study the math review on the GRE website. They actually have a 60-something page review of all the math that they cover.
For verbal, I subscribed to all the “word of the day” emails I could find. I also made sure to actually look for words I didn’t understand in everything I read, wrote them down, then looked them up. Finally, I found some lists online by looking up “GRE word list” and made sure I was okay with all the words on there.
You can download 2 GRE practice tests from the GRE website. I think it’s called PowerPrep. Also has test taking tips. Worth the effort, at least to get used to the computer based format. I think it is still offered on paper, but not as frequently.
Well, with the screwy way that the percentages lay out, you’re likely right (depending on what test you’re talking about). I got a 650v, 750m and 5.5 on the essay, and the essay and quantitative percentiles were in the low 80s while the 650 verbal was about 92 (likely skewed because of international students).
The most important thing I’d say to do is to get familiar with the way the Computer Adaptive Test works! The CAT doesn’t score the same way that a standard test does; your success at previous questions (whether or not you get them correct) is what determines the challenge level of the next question, and the rough level that you’re ending up with at the end will be your score. Hence, it ends up that the first 1/3rd of questions end up being crucial, while the final 1/3rd will basically just barely tweak your overall score.
As a result, the paper tests that come with books might be useful to get an idea of just how questions are formed, but for really good prep you really should beat to death any computer-based test you can get your hands on!
**1. **Where you went undergrad. The grad profs know the programs around the country. Where you went tells them a lot about a lot.
**2. **Your subject-specific GRE
**Way 3. **Your general GRE. This makes sense when you think about it. Why would an English Dept. care what you got on your Math? Answer: At the grad level, they don’t.
I might be in luck here, as
**1. **I’m going to apply to grad school the same place I received my undergrad.
**2. **I just emailed the head of the program, and he replied that I don’t need to worry about the subject specific GRE, even though they offer one in my field (Computer Science)
**3. **I don’t have anything to add here, but I wanted to use three points as you did.
