I’ve just recently taken the GRE exam and I’ve scored a decent 325(168Q – 157V – 4 AWA). I’m gonna come right out and say it – I’m pretty sure I could have gotten 330 had I been a little more careful, and though I’m not a 100% satisfied with the score and perhaps not qualified enough to be giving advice, here is my two cents. Advance at your own peril.
Resources/websites used:
Magoosh Vocabulary app (PlayStore Link )
Prep4gre app (PlayStore Link )
Manhattan GRE (Link )
Galvanize GREprep ( Link )
Crunchprep (Link )
QSLeap (Link )
PowerPrep II (Contains two full-length tests from the GRE test-makers, ETS themselves – Link)
Not all the above websites are free – I just made full use of the free trails they all provide. Be wary you use them at the right time, lest your trial version expires just when you need it the most.
Preparation:
A word of warning – this is just how I personally prepared for the exam. I don’t insist that this is the optimal, or even a correct solution. This is just something that has worked for me and something, I hope, you can devise your own plan based on. Please feel free to omit any part of this post you do not feel comfortable with.
Here’s a blow-by-blow recollection of my preparation as it were.
I started my GRE prep with an offline course for a month last summer. I won’t lie, I did not find it very useful and it just served to educate me on the basic format of GRE. I did most of my preparation on my own and in the last two months. In hindsight, I would not have attended the classes as a simple internet search would probably have sufficed.
To kick off my GRE preparation, I started off with 2-3 weeks of vocabulary building from the Magoosh app with about 500 words. That was just the beginning; you pretty much have to keep building your vocabulary all throughout your preparation – maybe at a more comfortable pace.
After I had felt I picked up enough vocabulary, I started practicing verbal questions on QSLeap. Though I fumbled a bit at the start, I got the hang of it soon enough. CrunchPrep was quite useful at this point of my preparation, providing helpful hints.
The Reading comprehensions are a completely different ball game, if you will. Vocabulary alone gets you nowhere and I really have no advice for this section but to perhaps keep practicing and I can’t, by any means, put it any better than this, CrunchPrep’s Guide.
The quant section of GRE is very easy and I don’t see any reason why students with a mathematical background (as most of my target audience are, I reckon) should fret it. You just need to refresh your high school math concepts and you’re good to go. A little practice wouldn’t hurt, but two weeks are all you should need to ace the GRE Quant section – three, tops. Again, QSLeap and Prep4GRE were my go-to for quant practice.
The AWA section of the GRE too can be left for the last 2-3 weeks before your test date. ETS doesn’t really need you to use all the fancy vocabulary you pick up preparing for GRE. You can easily score a 4 just by using plain and simple sentences and just sticking to what is asked (Trust me on this, I’d know). It also helps to refer to essays graded 5 or 6 which are easily available on the internet.
Also, during the last 30-40 days, I gave a lot of full-length tests. They helped me not only build my mental stamina but also determine where I was going wrong. My advice would be to write a full-length test every weekend and prepare during the weekdays – be sure you don’t overexert yourself, though. An hour per day would be just fine. Try to give at least 4 full-length tests before you write the actual exam – two of which should be PowerPrep.
Bonus Tips :
Review every single question after you write a practice test – even the ones you’ve got right. You might pick a new technique here and there.
Take the practice tests seriously. Don’t be taking breaks in between. Try and recreate the actual test center atmosphere.
GRE isn’t your everyday test. Be patient – you cannot improve by 5-10 marks overnight. Also, conviction helps.
Reading general news articles from papers like New York Times, Wall Street Journal may improve your RC score.
As easy as quant can be, make sure you don’t neglect it too much.
Make sure you finish all your mock tests at least a week before your actual test. No point practicing so hard you burn-out during the actual GRE.
If you have difficulty remembering words (like I did), just remember the context of the word. The GRE doesn’t directly ask for the meanings of the words anyway.
Do check out the GRE material provided by ETS. Helps you determine how difficult (or easy) the actual test is.
GRE is as much a test of endurance as it is of Math and English. Be mentally prepared for an intense four-hour session before the exam.
There is a 10-min break between sections during the GRE. Make the most of it – take a granola or a chocolate bar which will help you get through the remaining sections. Yes, food is allowed.
Yeah, that’s pretty much it – that’s my GRE story. Hope whoever’s reading this post finds it helpful and benefits from it. Let me know in the comments if you have any doubts or need more help in specific parts of your preparation. I’ll stick around and be glad to help. Peace.
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