I was wondering if anyone would share their secrets to a high GRE score. I am super nervous about the exam.
Successful GRE scores
- Thread starter aestrell
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If only I knew
...
Buy a few of the practice books and get to work. Figure out what you need to study for and set a study schedule. I used the Kaplan GRE book and the Princeton Review book titled 1014 GRE Practice Questions. I also used the Kaplan GRE words in a box, but I didn't find it very useful.
...Buy a few of the practice books and get to work. Figure out what you need to study for and set a study schedule. I used the Kaplan GRE book and the Princeton Review book titled 1014 GRE Practice Questions. I also used the Kaplan GRE words in a box, but I didn't find it very useful.
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I won't know how successful my score was until March, but I think studying vocab words is a waste of time. You either know the words, roots, and annexes or you don't. I gained more help from watching "The Big Bang Theory" than I did from studying any word list out there. My best advice would be to do as many quizzes and tests as you possibly can, review your mistakes, figure out how to fix them, and don't make the same ones again. It's the same method I've used for my job for the past 10 years and it works. I scored 630 V 770 Q.
I used the GRE flash cards in-a-box to study for the math section. I've been out of HS for ten years, and was NEVER strong in the math department, so I needed the refresher. Total godsend... if only I hadn't waited so long to start prepping! I did a very last minute job of it because, frankly, I didn't schedule my undergrad stuff well (saved the harder courses for last and decided to combine them with a number of upper level bio electives), and, I'll be honest... I was straight up burned out.
My scores weren't great (namely because of time management- I spent too much time on a few questions and ended up not making it through the final two math questions and having to rush the heck out of the last 8 of the verbal ones)... I got 650/650. I decided not to retake because while I know I could have done better on the verbal, I'm quite certain I would have done worse on the quantitative. (Lot of fortuitous guesswork there!)
But yeah... if math is an issue for you, I definitely recommend the flash card box. It has verbal cards in it as well, but I didn't really bother with the verbal.
My scores weren't great (namely because of time management- I spent too much time on a few questions and ended up not making it through the final two math questions and having to rush the heck out of the last 8 of the verbal ones)... I got 650/650. I decided not to retake because while I know I could have done better on the verbal, I'm quite certain I would have done worse on the quantitative. (Lot of fortuitous guesswork there!)
But yeah... if math is an issue for you, I definitely recommend the flash card box. It has verbal cards in it as well, but I didn't really bother with the verbal.
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I would also recommend taking the free Kaplan online tests. I think that they really helped me, and gave me an accurate prediction of my actual test score.
Agreed on the online tests! I'd forgotten about those. They'll give you a basic idea of where you stand and what you could stand to improve on, as well as some familiarity with the testing format.
Online, I scored about 50 points higher on the verbal and 95 lower on the quantitative relative what I got on the actual GRE. The quant jump was because of test prep, and the verbal drop was because I spent far too much time on a tricky comprehension question and ended up having to rush through all the easy stuff that followed it.
Online, I scored about 50 points higher on the verbal and 95 lower on the quantitative relative what I got on the actual GRE. The quant jump was because of test prep, and the verbal drop was because I spent far too much time on a tricky comprehension question and ended up having to rush through all the easy stuff that followed it.
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Completely disagree on the vocab.
I pretty much studied vocab words, and studied some more, and then studied some more. 760V 770Q. I didn't really need much quant help(read princeton review to get a sense of the questions), but verbal score probably went up 150 points from start of studying. Different strokes for different folks!
Practice computer tests is also great advice as mentioned.
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On the practice test, I think my quant scores ranged from 520 - 720, depending on when I took the test and what mood I was in 😉, and I got a 760 on the actual test. On the verbal, my practice scores ranged from 400 - 520, and I got a 500 on the actual test. So I think it is a pretty accurate indicator of how you will do on the actual test (providing that there are no extenuating circumstances).
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I studied the vocab words (learned like 750), and I actually did worse on the verbal section than the first time when I didn't study at all. I think studying the math will help you more because you can always apply those concepts to different questions but you won't necessarily know the words even if you study... i'm not saying studying the words is a bad idea and won't help...i'm more saying to focus a lot on the math
If you are going to study for the verbal, your best bet might be to familiarize yourself with some of the more common word roots as opposed to the actual words themselves... especially if you are operating on a limited time frame.
Most of the study guides I've seen included anywhere from 250-800 "common" GRE words... that's a lot of memorization, and far more than I'd ever be capable of.
Most of the study guides I've seen included anywhere from 250-800 "common" GRE words... that's a lot of memorization, and far more than I'd ever be capable of.
Reading a NYtimes article a day is a great way to increase your vocab for the GREs. Once I started studying for them I noticed almost every article on the nytimes site has at least one gre word in it... And you read them in context, which makes it easier to learn them.
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I'm with SOV on this one. I got the box of 500 commonly used words and learned a few every day. I was studying them up until the day of the test and had about 495 of them down. I also got a practice book and did the problems and practice tests. My verbal score went from a 530 to a 640. Granted, many of the words I learned were not on the test, but I'm attributing my success to broadening my vocabulary.
With the math, I would again just suggest a study book. Read through it and taking the practice tests to refresh basic math skills.
My biggest advice for the day of the test is pace yourself. If there is a question that you do not know the answer to make an educated guess and move on. No point in staring at the question hoping the answer will come to you. Don't waste time or else you won't answer all the questions. The first time I took the GRE I didn't answer the last two quant questions, the second time I did. My score went from 710 to 780.
