Prepare for the GRE

The GRE, or Graduate Record Exam, is a test very similar to the SAT except that it is more difficult because it is required for many students to take before their admittance to graduate school. The test consists of three parts: verbal, quantitative, and writing. It is scored similarly to the SAT in that the highest score you can obtain on the verbal and quantitative sections is 800 points each. Writing scores range from 0 to 6 and increase in half points can be awarded.

This test is scary to many students because of the material covered on it. For example, the quantitative section covers concepts you learn in middle and high school such as algebra and geometry. If you have even taken a math class in college, it was probably a higher level class such as calculus which will not be covered on the GRE. The verbal section is also tricky because, unless you are an English major, you have probably been learning vocabulary related to your area of interest rather than the type of words that will be on this test. I suggest you go about studying for each section in a different way.

Everything that is covered on the quantitative section has been taught to you before, you may just have trouble recalling it. I believe the best way to study for this part is to find a good review book (I suggest Barrons) and just do as many practice problems as you possibly can. This will give you a feel for what kind of questions will be on the test. You will then be able to look up how to do the questions you are unsure of. Start this a few months in advance so that you have time to practice anything that you may have needed to teach yourself over again.

The verbal section is mainly a test of your vocabulary and reading skills, so the best thing you can do here is read. I believe it is important to go through questions in a review book so that you will know what kinds of questions to expect, but don't spend too much time here. If you can, start a year or two in advance and read the classics such as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice. These kinds of books contain tons of the vocabulary words that will be tested on the exam. If you come across one that you don't know while reading, make sure you look it up! If you don't have this much time, find a list of the most commonly tested words and memorize their definitions. Flash cards are a good way to do this because you can separate them into piles of words that you know versus those that you do not.

I don't feel that there is much you can do to prepare for the writing section. Look over some sample writing questions and make sure that you know the directions for both types of essays so that you are not wasting time during the test reading them. You have been writing all your life so a little cramming now probably isn't going to be much help.

Overall, I suggest you start studying as early as possible if you want a high score. Many programs are very competitive these days and you will need a good score to be admitted. The summer is a great time to really focus on the GRE because, even if you have to work, you won't be distracted by trying to learn material for other classes. Good Luck!