GRE: Lessons Learned
The Graduate Record Exam (or the GRE as it is endearingly called by the thousands of stressed, graduate-school-bound individuals that take it each year) is a 3.5 hour exam that tests basic writing, verbal, and quantitative skills. In many ways, it's similar to the SAT's. That said, the GRE has several unique and important aspects which I have tried to highlight here. Sit tight, because this post is quite long!
Should I take the GRE?
The GRE is required by almost all graduate programs in the United States. This includes both Masters and Ph.D. programs. If you want to pursue such a program, the answer will most likely be a resounding YES. If you plan on attending a professional school (like business, law, or medical school) then this test is probably not for you.
When should I take it?
The GRE is offered almost every day in the US, although the frequency varies between test centers. Ideally you should take it before November of the year that you apply. GRE test scores are valid for up to 5 years, so take them when it works best with your schedule.
For example, I took it in June since I had a few weeks off to focus solely on GRE prep. I'm not inclined towards standardized testing, so I knew that I needed to spend some time properly preparing; your mileage may vary. Identify when you have time to prepare for the exam and register for the test as soon as you know what day you can take it.
A brief and tragic tale of late GRE registration: I registered sort of last minute for the GRE i.e. three weeks before my planned test date. Unfortunately, my preferred test center was fully booked on that day and I had to register to take it at the third closest test center. The test began at 7:30 am sharp and I was required to be at the test center by 7 am. That's not too bad, I told myself, in a sad and fruitless attempt to console myself. Three weeks of GRE prep soon passed and the day before the test arrived. I sat at the edge of my bed contemplating my wake-up time in an increasingly panicked state.
The trip from my house to the test center was long. It involved taking a car, a train, and a subway, as well as navigating crowded city streets. Total journey time: 2.5 hours. That's right, I had to wake up at 4 am because I didn't sign-up early enough to take it at the closest test center. Add to that, the fact that I was so anxious about waking up early, that I barely got any sleep! In the end, I drank two cups of coffee and did fine, but the moral of the story is: plan ahead.
How is the exam broken down?
Writing: 1 Argument essay (30 minutes) and 1 Issue essay (30 minutes) back to back.
Quant: 2 sections, each with 20 questions (35 minutes per section).
Verbal: 2 sections, each with 20 questions (30 minutes per section).
Research/Experimental: Additional wild card section that won't count towards your score. It can appear at any time and you won't know whether it's the experimental section or not.
How do I prepare for it?
I worked through most of the practice tests in both the official ETS books and Manhattan Prep's 5lb Book of GRE Practice Questions.
Quant: Since quant was mostly review for me, I dived straight into doing practice problems. I only stopped to review little things that I had forgotten (like basic stats). However, if you need to really review the content, there are loads of Youtube videos that teach concepts and walk through practice problems.
Verbal: I read through the verbal and writing books by Manhattan Prep because I knew that verbal was going to be a weakness for me. I would read each chapter, do the practice problems, and then go back and see exactly what I did wrong and take note of it.
I also memorized the top 101 words most likely to show up on the exam, because I'm all about low effort, high reward (so sue me, I'm lazy 😌). As I went through the practice tests, I would add other words to the list so that I could have my vocab words all in one place. Lots of words show up again and again, so make note of these words!
Writing: You don't have to write a perfect essay, but you do have to write a cohesive essay that is mostly free of grammar and spelling mistakes. Statistically, longer essays get more points, so don't get too caught up in writing perfectly at the expense of writing more. Each essay question is taken from a pool on the ETS website. Let me repeat that again: every essay question that can possibly show up on the actual exam can be found on the ETS website here (argument essay) and here (issue essay).
The essays test how well you can write analytically. The argument essay typically wants you to take a stance and defend it with supporting statements and facts. On the other hand, the issue essay wants you to analyze a scenario, find problems with the prompt (i.e. flaws in the reasoning), and also point out various things that will either strengthen or weaken the issue prompt. Unlike the argument task, the issue analysis task requires a more multifaceted approach in writing.
Scroll through the essay pools and practice writing some essays. If you're pressed for time, you can also just pick a few random essay prompts and practice brain storming content. You should get to a point where you can brain storm most of the content in 5 minutes flat, so that you can spend the other 25 minutes writing.
Other tips?
The ETS website has lots of information, including 2 full length practice tests. Since they are the company that officially makes the exam, then they are the most reliable source of practice problems and information.
If you take the computer-based version of the exam, your approximate quant and verbal score will flash up on the screen once you are done taking the exam. If you are happy with your results, I encourage you to send them out to 4 free schools before you leave the test center. As soon as you leave the test center, you will have to pay to send your scores out. I regretted not doing this; I ended up spending an extra $100 since I didn't make use of those 4 free score sends.
Conclusion
That's about it for now! If you still have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I'll try and get back to you.
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