Saturday, March 7, 2009

GRE Study Tips


What is GRE?


Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a commercially-run standardized test that is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools principally in the United States, but also in other English speaking countries.

Created and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), the exam is primarily focused on testing abstract thinking skills in the areas of math, vocabulary, and analytical writing.


The GRE is typically a computer-based exam that is administered by select qualified testing centers. However, paper-based exams are also offered in areas of the world that lack the technological requirements.


Why should students take the GRE?

• It’s the way to get into grad school – what if you decide later to apply to grad school? You’ll already have your scores to send to schools.

• It gives you more opportunities – the scores are good for five years, so you’ll have something to fall back on.

• You’ll have all the time you need to study and prepare – as soon as you register, you’ll get prep materials to help you prepare.


How should you study for the GRE?

A variety of resources are available for those wishing to prepare for the GRE. Upon registration, ETS provides preparation software called PowerPrep, which contains two practice tests of retired questions, as well as further practice questions and review material.

Since the software replicates both the test format and the questions used, it can be useful to predict the actual GRE scores. Several companies such as, IMS Learning Resources and VISU provide courses, books, and other unofficial preparation materials.

You can prepare yourself for the GRE by becoming familiar with the test format, reviewing fundamentals, and taking practice tests. Here are eight ways to help you study:

1. Familiarize yourself with the overall format of the test. There will be two sections for each of these areas, plus an extra unscored section. The content of the unscored section will vary.

2. Take as many practice GREs as possible. The more practice you get, the more familiar you’ll become with the test’s format, and the more comfortable you’ll be when you actually take it.

3. Review the directions for each section of the test before you take it. Skipping the directions will save time during the test.
4. Be aware of the time frames allocated to each section. GRE Format: Verbal Section: 30 multiple choice questions (30 minutes), Quantitative Section: 28 multiple choice questions (45 minutes), Analytical Writing: This section contains two subsections – Present Your Perspective on an Issue and Analysis of an argument, each requiring you to write a short essay. (45 + 30 minutes)

5. Familiarize yourself with the question formats for each section. The verbal section has four types of questions: antonym, analogy, sentence completion, and reading comprehension. The math section contains quantitative comparisons and basic problem -solving, and the analytical section features analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning essay questions.

6. Increase your vocabulary. The verbal portion of the GRE is essentially a vocabulary test.

7. Review basic math such as geometry, algebra, proportions, fractions, percents, decimals, the order of operations and anything else you might have learned in high school math.
8. Try solving a few logic puzzles and games to prepare for the math portion of the exam.

In life, some things you just don’t forget — like riding a bike or every single detail about your favourite artist. But academics can be different.

It’s possible to get a little rusty and forget things you’ve learned along the way. That’s why taking the GRE Test (and practicing for it) while you’re still in college makes good sense.

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