| GRE Test Study Guide | GRE Test Flashcards |
Practicing for the GRE
To do your best on the GRE, you need to prepare in advance. Does this mean you need to spend six months doing nothing but studying? No - such extreme focus will likely leave you burned out. But some simple strategies and tips will help you get yourself ready for the big test.
Practice
You will do better on the test if you know what to expect. Practice tests are available online and in study guides. The testing center may be able to send you some free study guides, or you can buy them at any bookstore.
As you practice for the verbal and quantitative sections, time yourself so you will get used to the pace of the test. For each section, you'll have about one minute per question.
It may seem more difficult to practice the writing portion of the GRE, but you can find online sites that will give you practice writing essays and feedback on how you can improve. As you practice writing issue essays, get used to asking yourself the following types of questions about your essay topics:
- What is the central point of the statement?
- Do I agree with the statement? Why or why not?
- What examples can I use from my own life and experiences or from my readings to support my opinions?
For the argument essays, ask yourself these questions:
- What claims and conclusions does the statement make?
- What evidence does the writer use to support the claims and conclusions?
- Is the writer's reasoning sound? If not, what could be changed in the statement to better support the claims and conclusions?
- What reasonable alternative claims and conclusions could be made?
Become comfortable with the computer functions
When you register for the GRE, you should receive a software tutorial that will let you try out the computer functions used during the test, such as the mouse and scroll bar. If you arrive early for your test, you will also have 30 minutes at the testing center to get used to its computers.
Read the test instructions in advance
Use the tutorial and study guides to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the test directions before you ever get to the testing center. Yes, you will be able to read the directions during your test, and you can press Help anytime to review them again. But then you are spending time reading directions that you could be spending answering questions.
