I am graduating this fall and still debating on what area of study to pursue in graduate school. I read somewhere that I can take the GRE and my scores will be valid for 5 years. So, I definitely want to take the test while I have the good study habits. My question is, what type of material is on the test? Calculus, Physics, Statistics, etc... Also, are there any good test simulations that I can depend on entirely? I am trying to avoid having to get various books if there is an online test prep that teaches everything or maybe even guarantees a certain score or your money back that would be best. I'm looking for someone who has gone this route in preparation for the GRE. Any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance!
I can only speak from my experience with the LSAT, but prep courses are worth every penny. Don't cheap out on test prep, you're doing yourself a huge disservice. Besides, you're probably not going to be motivated enough to really prepare for and do your absolute best on a standardized test unless you have a specific goal in mind to motivate you.
I am studying for the test right now, I am scheduled to take it Oct 13th. I have mainly been using the Official ETS Guide which comes with a Powerprep CD that is very similar to the actual GRE test. There are some other books out there but are no where close to the actual GRE type questions. Also this website is very helpful with giving you math and verbal skills to touch up on. There is a lot of vocabulary so this site will give you some of the most common words on the GRE and have good practice questions as well http://magoosh.com/gre/gre-ebook/
Thanks Pete, are you graduating soon, if not how far removed are you from studying? Let me know how it goes I'm highly interested in seeing if it works! Thanks again for your feedback.
No problem. I graduated December 2011. I have been studying for the past two months now. For me the hardest part as has been the verbal sections. So many vocabulary words that we just do not use on a normal basis. I am not sure what your strength is, but definitely make flash cards and touch up on your geometry formulas. I haven't done half of this crap since 10th grade haha.
Used to teach for Kaplan and scored a 163/170 verbal and 166/170 Quantitative when I retook it this past year. My personal thoughts on preparing: -The programs you will apply for matter. A lot. Science grad programs put major weight on the math and are less concerned with verbal. So keep that in mind. A lot of the programs will list what they want to see on your scores if you check their admissions website. -The math, IMO, can be prepped for on short notice far more than the verbal. Look, you're not going to quintuple your vocabulary in a couple months. You can go nuts trying to memorize definitions and roots...but you're more likely going to short circuit and trip over yourself cramming like that. Vocabulary and reading comprehension skills take time. Instead of flashcards, I would recommend focusing on workbooks and practice tests. Get the feel of how to work through the passages and fill in the blanks. FYI, they ditched the this:that as X:? stuff. -The math never goes beyond basic geometry and algebra. If you need a calculator, you're doing it wrong. You need to become "fluent" in seeing shapes within shapes - they love building complex looking shapes out of 30-60-90, 45-45-90, and 3-4-5 right triangles. You need to be able to determine partial circumferences and areas quickly. -The basics behind the math problems can be learned with a little studying. The questions won't present them in a simple straight forward manner, but turns them into a mind twister logic puzzle. Get the basics down, then go through all the work books you can to ready yourself. Again, the name of the game is recognizing the simple math behind the question. -Timing is the last major piece to the puzzle: you are going to be intentionally pressed to finish in the allotted time. Go through the entire section looking for questions that are easy right off the bat. Then go through again for ones you can solve with a little bit of scratchwork. Then go through one last time and give the toughies your best shot - cut it down to 2-3 answers and guess. -You also have a writing section now, but depending on the program you are looking at, that may or may not be worth stressing over. The keys there are: Don't try to write above your level of English and ding yourself with syntax/spelling errors. Keep it clear and organized Use 2-3 concrete examples (not vague hypotheticals) Don't go with the first thought that pops in your head...because half the people taking the test will write about that. Be a little more creative and original. The people reading/scoring these essays are already sick to death of the topic, so give them something fresh. Take absolutely no less than 3 practice tests before you take the real thing. Ideally take 5-8. On test day, chill out. Calm down. Relax. Freaking out will only give you mental tunnel vision.
