Prepare Well For The GRE

Now let us see some of the finer points to be kept in mind about how to prepare for the GRE test. Before you start preparing for the test, you must understand the exam pattern of the GRE. The GRE has two forms i.e. the GRE General test and the GRE Subject test. The General test of GRE is compulsory for all applicants while the subject tests are optional. There are eight different subject tests and the candidate may need to take a particular subject test if the University of his Choice demands it. The General GRE is composed of five sections, the Analytical writing, the Quantitative Reasoning, the Verbal Reasoning section, the Unscored section, and the Research section.

In the Analytical Writing Section you need to write two essays. For the first essay you need to analyze an issue and for the second you need to analyze an argument. Time allotted is 30 minutes for each task. While you prepare for the test you need to practice writing these sample essays under similar time constraints. You must learn how to make an outline of your idea and gather your thoughts quickly. From your study guides you will know the techniques of how to prepare for the essay test. You can also make use of the free essay writing software available on the net. Scores are graded on a 0-6 scale with half-point increments.

In the Quantitative reasoning section of GRE you have to make use of your mathematical skills to process the given information and come to the conclusion. You need to revise and learn the basic concepts of algebra, geometry, data analysis and number reasoning. You must solve as many practice problems as you can. Study guides include all the techniques of fast calculations and effective use of diagrams and figures to solve the maths problems. Solving puzzles from the newspapers is also a great source of preparation for the GRE test. This section consists of 2 parts with 20 questions each with duration of 35 minutes for each part. The score level is between 130-170 with 1-point increments.

The GRE Verbal section is designed to test your Reading Comprehension skills and abilities to analyze the relationships between different components of sentences and words. It includes multiple choice questions based on sentence completion and reading comprehension. The study guides can teach you how to prepare for the Verbal section. There are various web sites available that offer you practice on this section of the test. Learning speed reading can also help you save your valuable time in the exam. You must read quality articles like editorials and try to understand the usage of some keywords and phrases in them. This section consists of 2 parts with 20 questions in each part of a duration of 30 minutes each. Scores are rated on a scale of 130-170 with 1-point increments.

Test Taking Strategies

GRE is a standardized test and requires a standard approach to attempt it. Taking a good preparatory course can definitely prove to be beneficial. The POWERPREP II Software is a good base for practice tests. There are various institutes like Kaplan and Princeton that offer some good courses on how to prepare for the GRE. You can get feedbacks about these institutes from the internet. These institutes are specialized in coaching for competitive exams like the GRE and they tell you exactly how to prepare for that exam. At these institutes you are also taught the test taking strategies. An elimination process is one such strategy useful for saving the time in the exam. An elimination process is about how to look for wrong answer choices immediately and discard them from the given answer choices. Working backwards using the given answer choices is also one of the strategies that are useful when you solve mathematical problems. GRE does not involve negative marking for the General test. Therefore, you must not leave any answer blank. Always keep some time reserved to mark the answers which you could not find out.


After reading this article, I am sure you would have realized how to prepare for the GRE. Always think of your dream university and that will keep your motivation levels high while you prepare for the exam. Get enough study materials and join a good course if you can. Plan your study and take lots of practice tests. This will prepare you for the GRE test completely.

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