After a month of studying and taking my first GRE practice test, any advice?

[Dirkwww]

So i have been studying for a about a month and a half and i took my first practice test today. I scored a Q158 (74th percentile) and a shockingly low V152 (56th percentile). To be honest for my first practice test, i am kind of happy with the Q score, but the V score is very low, i alway thought i was more skilled in that area. Do you guys have any good advice for raising my V score as well as how these scores look on average for programs (Clinical, I/O, Social)?

thanks for your time

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[Marissa4usa]

So i have been studying for a about a month and a half and i took my first practice test today. I scored a Q158 (74th percentile) and a shockingly low V152 (56th percentile). To be honest for my first practice test, i am kind of happy with the Q score, but the V score is very low, i alway thought i was more skilled in that area. Do you guys have any good advice for raising my V score as well as how these scores look on average for programs (Clinical, I/O, Social)?

thanks for your time

I don't have any "good" advice per se. The verbal section of the GRE was the bane of my existence for several years (keep in mind that English isn't my first language, though, and I only ever studied for the old, but never the new format of the GRE). Generally, I just recommend that you keep studying and practicing. From what I understand so far, you've just been studying but not actually taking many practice tests, correct? I think the new GRE is less focused on memorization and more on testing skills that are more directly related to what you'd be doing in graduate school (which arguably may or may not be be the case) so just "studying" may not be the best use of your time. What helped me the most when I studied for the final time I took the GRE was just taking timed practice tests until the cows came home (literally ) - I don't think I was actually more prepared than the previous times I had taken the test in terms how much information I knew but just taking practice tests literally almost every day for 2 months finally did the trick. And don't slack on the math section - make sure you keep studying for that as well: The second time I took the GRE I slacked on studying for the math) because I had gotten a high score the first time) and then received a lower score than the first time.

 

[mewtoo]

Remember that the practice tests aren't the most reliable for showing how you will actually score, even the powerprep ones from ETS. They are considered more difficult than the actual test. I know for me personally I scored in the 1100 range on the practice and was in the 1200 range for the real thing. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve. Take more tests, get an average, and then worry. Not all practice tests are created equal, especially from test prep companies.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

Remember that the practice tests aren't the most reliable for showing how you will actually score, even the powerprep ones from ETS. They are considered more difficult than the actual test. I know for me personally I scored in the 1100 range on the practice and was in the 1200 range for the real thing. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to improve. Take more tests, get an average, and then worry. Not all practice tests are created equal, especially from test prep companies.

I mean those aren't terrible scores anyways.