GRE

[Pancho Negro]

Any helpful comments or suggestions about this test are welcomed. What part to watch out for, tricks of the test, etc.

Thanks

 

[accuratehorn]

Take a GRE prep class, and/or buy the sample test booklets.
If you are a few years removed from high school math classes, and don't use that kind of math every day, you can really boost your math score. Taking the sample tests in the prep class under timed conditions helps you become comfortable with the time limits on each section, and when to make decisions on skipping a question you may not know to get the rest done on time.
It is a lot harder to raise your English scores than the math scores. You can study vocabulary lists, but it is hard to make a big difference in the time you would be taking a prep class.
Concentrate on the math, you can make a perfect or near perfect score if you brush up on it. This impresses the grad school admissions people for some reason, even if your field of study has nothing to do with math.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Buy the sample test booklets and take one to get an idea of where you stand. Time it just as you would be timed on test day. Work on your weakest area after you've finished.

To be perfectly honest, I believe the best help for me in terms of the vocabulary/verbal portion of the test was my affinity for crossword puzzles and other word games. Those things gave me a feel for the nuanced manner in which vocaulary is used on that test. Indeed, my math score on the GRE remained exactly the same as it was on my SAT, but my vocabulary score increased over 200 points from my SAT score. (Back in the day, both tests were scored on an 800 point scale, I don't know if that is still true.) Part of that was simply due to being exposed to higher vocaulary and the like while at UT, but part of it most certainly came from playing with the word puzzles as much as I did.

And if the logic section on the GRE is going to be relevant for you, then I strongly suggest going to the newsstand and buying Dell's Logic Problems magazine. Once you get the hang of solving those you will be good to go.

Good luck.

 

[AeroHorn]

Yeah, nothing like practice. When I took it (1989), I did the tests in the Barron's Guide. There were 30-35 tests in that book and I took one test every day, typically 9-12 am (it was summer vacation). Then I studied vocabulary for about 1 hour, methodically going over all the words in various books and guides. My friends and I used to get together in the evenings for one hour in the dorm and ask each other words and their meanings, etc. It is a great way to remember the words when you hear them explain the meaning. I was not worried about math and logic as I was good at it. But watch out for logic. You need to practice a lot to get the hang of solving them if you don't have much experience.

 

[Ribby Paultz]

There is no logic section on the GRE

 

[AeroHorn]

That's a bummer. I like logic. Still solve puzzles of all kinds.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

When was the logic section taken out?

Used to be three 800 point sections: verbal, math, and logic.

 

[WhoseHouse]

IMO, you waste your time if you concentrate a lot of effort learning individual vocab words. Instead, focus on learning how to answer the question if you've never heard of the word in your life. It's amazing how many you can get correct just knowing how to do a certain type of question as opposed to knowing the words (this applied to anaolgies the best). I thought the English part was much more difficult than the math, and you can brush up on your algebra and geometry using practice tests and books. Take tons of practice tests and get the ones (CD ROM probably) that explain how to do each question so you can learn shortcuts and correct the ones that you missed. I think a prep course may be a waste of time unless you are not particularly good at learning on your own. Good luck!

 

[pmg]

Hmm, I don't know. I'd would agree that taking practice tests will help you know where you stand, and help you feel comfortable during the test, but I don't know if you can really help your score. I scored ten points higher on the GRE than the SAT (recentered) 13 years prior. And I [punt]aced[/punt] the analytical portion of the GRE, but nobody cared about that and it's no longer a part of it.

 

[UTinBigD]

If they still have the essay part, be sure you can type well/fast because it is all on a computer. All though I don't think the essay is worth that much, it would be a nightmare to hunt and peck through.

I just took a lot of practice tests from books. Then made a list of all the vocab words I missed and worked on those.

 

[preznick555]

Get one of the books or cmputer programs. They have diagnostic tests which will give you tips for the areas that you did not score well on. After brushing up on math (I didn't take math at all in undergrad) the math section was a breeze....not much harder than the SAT. The vocab on the GRE is significantly more difficult, but as a previous poster said...if you focus on the test-taking strategies you can get a good score even if you don't know the words.

The analytical section is now just two essays---not very difficult.

 

[AugieBall]

Like the SAT but harder, and you are competing against a smarter pool of people. You have seen the format a million times, but practice with the computer, because that is an annoying wrinkle. If, like me, your basic strategy is answering quickly and leaving tougher ones till the end, you will have to adjust, or your score might reflect your unfamiliarity with the medium more than your actual ability to take a BS test, which I guess is what they want.