both the gre and the gmat are exams used in the admissions process for business schools. though the format of these two standardized tests stayed the same for many years, huge changes happened in 2023. both tests became much shorter and even eliminated question types.

so, now more than ever before, you may be pondering whether you should take the gmat vs the gre, as well as which test is the right one for you. let’s take a look at the key differences between the gmat and gre so that you can decide which exam best showcases your skills.

table of contents

• gmat vs gre: high-level overview
• is the gmat focus enough for business school?
• is the gre enough for business school?
• gmat vs gre: exam structure differences
• gmat vs gre: content differences
• how does it feel to take the gre vs gmat?
• gmat or gre: which is easier? – take a practice test!
• gre or gmat: which score helps you stand out more?
• gmat to gre score conversion

gmat vs gre: high-level overview

gre

the gre, which stands for graduate record examinations, is an exam produced by the educational testing service (ets). for a long time, it has been the test of choice for most graduate schools. and it continues to become more and more popular. the gre is also now a valid option for law schools as well as a large number of business schools. in fact, over 1,300 mba programs accept the gre.

gmat

the gmat, on the other hand, is an entrance exam only for business schools. the graduate management admission test is designed by the graduate management admission council (gmac) specially for mba programs.

is the gmat focus enough for business school?

yes… except for harvard (and possibly other schools in the future).

first of all, around the world, there are over 7,700 business programs at 2,400 universities that accept the gmat focus as is. however, harvard recently added a new requirement of a separate written assessment since the gmat focus doesn’t include an essay. ultimately, harvard wants to see how well you—and not chatgpt or some other ai—write and communicate.

so, to attend harvard, you have to take the new gmac business writing assessment exam, too. though hbs is the only business school with this requirement right now, there’s a possibility that other universities will adopt this same requirement in the future.

is the gre enough for business school?

yes, for the business schools that already accept the gre. while many business schools (over 1,300 of them) accept the gre, not all of them do. therefore, it’s essential for you to confirm the requirements of the specific schools that you’re considering.

for the ones that do accept the gre, you do not have to take any additional test. the gre’s issue essay is a way to demonstrate your writing skills unassisted by ai. since harvard deems the issue essay acceptable for that purpose, other universities will likely continue to do so as well.

gmat vs gre: exam structure differences

quick comparison

sections, number of questions, and length

gre

the gre has 5 sections:

• issue essay – 30 minutes for 1 essay
• 1st quantitative reasoning – 21 minutes for 12 questions
• 2nd quantitative reasoning – 26 minutes for 15 questions
• 1st verbal reasoning – 18 minutes for 12 questions
• 2nd verbal reasoning – 23 minutes for 15 questions

after the essay section, the order of the remaining sections is random.

gmat

the gmat has 3 sections:

• data insights – 45 minutes for 20 questions
• quantitative reasoning – 45 minutes for 21 questions
• verbal reasoning – 45 minutes for 23 questions

at the start of the test, you choose the order of the sections that you’ll see.

cost

gre

within the united states and its territories, the gre costs $220 for the exam itself. there may be additional fees for various services, such as sending out additional score reports. for more information, see how much does the gre cost?

gmat

the gmat costs $275 if you take the exam in a test center or $300 if you take the test online.

gmat vs gre: content differences

quant section

both exams test math topics that you covered in high school. it’s primarily a lot of algebra and statistics. the main difference is that the gre tests geometry, but the gmat doesn’t.

as for question types, half of the gre and all of the gmat quant questions are standard multiple choice. the gre introduces a little more complexity with numeric entry (you have to write in your answer) and multiple answer (select 1 or more answers that are correct).

key differences

additionally, the gre has a unique question type: quantitative comparison. it comes with its own strategies that can be learned, but it definitely adds another layer of reasoning that can be tricky.

lastly, the gre math section allows you to use an on-screen calculator whereas the gmat does not (gmat only lets you on the data insights section).

to recap, when thinking about whether you would do better on gre or gmat math, consider:

• how comfortable are you with geometry?
• how well do you do on questions that aren’t multiple choice?
• how important to you is calculator access?

for examples of all the different gre math question types, check out gre math practice questions with explanations.

verbal section

the gre and gmat verbal sections do have some similarities, but they diverge a lot more compared to the math sections.

both exams test reading comprehension with passages that are similar in length and based on similar topics. they also ask a similar number of questions (around a dozen). the majority of questions are standard multiple choice, but the gre has a couple wrinkles. the first is that some questions are multiple answer (select 1 or more answers that are correct). and there is an occasional select the sentence (you have to click on the right sentence in a passage).

both exams also test critical reasoning (aka paragraph argument), but the gmat asks this question a lot more. expect to see around 10 of these on the gmat but only 2 or 3 on the gre.

key differences

where the gre is most different is with its text completion and sentence equivalence questions, which comprise nearly half of the verbal section. these test not only your knowledge of vocabulary words (many of which are often advanced) but also your ability to parse complex grammar. though you’re not directly tested on grammar, being able to navigate tricky sentences to discern clues and meaning is an important skill.

so, when thinking about whether you’d perform better on gre verbal or gmat verbal, be sure to ask yourself:

• how strong is your vocabulary?
• how well do you perform on critical reasoning (aka paragraph argument) questions?

for examples of all the gre verbal question types, check out gre verbal practice questions with explanations.

gmat unique section – data insights

one third of the gmat is devoted to rather unique question types that involve a combination of math, verbal, and data interpretation. data sufficiency is the most unique type, and you’ll probably see around 6 of these. the rest of the section (14 questions) typically deals with charts and tables and graphs. and these are found in a variety of formats, such as two-part analysis and multi-source reasoning.

whereas the gmat devotes nearly an entire section to charts and graphs, the gre asks only a handful of data interpretation questions. so, if this is a weak area for you, then the gre may be the better exam for you. with that said, you can always improve your data skills (which will be helpful for both exams!).

for examples of all the gmat data insights question types, check out guide to gmat data insights.

gre unique section – issue essay

only the gre has an essay section built into the exam itself. you get 30 minutes to analyze a passage and construct your response in a clear and concise manner. it’s important to note that this essay is graded separately from the math and verbal sections. your essay is scored from 0 to 6 and is independent from your overall scaled gre score.

for an example of a gre issue essay prompt, check out gre issue essay: strategies + 8 real student essays with scores.

the gmat’s separate essay

though the gmat focus has no essay section itself, as mentioned earlier, certain schools may require you to take the business writing assessment exam, too. in that case, similar to the gre, you would get 30 minutes to analyze a provided argument and critique its reasoning.

how does it feel to take the gre vs gmat?

difficulty adaptivity

one thing that sets the gmat versus other exams is that it’s “question adaptive.” this just means that, within a section, the question you see next is determined by your performance on earlier questions. for example, if you’ve answered 4 hard math questions correctly in a row, your next math question is going to be even harder.

the gre, on the other hand, is section adaptive. for example, the first verbal section is 12 questions of a mix of difficulties. depending how well you do on that entire section, the 2nd verbal section will either be easier, about the same, or harder. it’s important to note that which 2nd section you get has a large impact on your score. if you don’t do well on the first section, even acing the easy 2nd section may only get you an average score in the end.

pacing and guessing

another unique feature of the gmat is that there’s no “go back” button while you’re taking the exam. so, if you don’t know how to answer a question, you’re forced to guess and move on. depending on how you like to take tests, this can be very stressful.

you may get a chance to revisit a question at the very end of a section. but the gmat has some unusual rules. you can only view previous questions in a section after you’ve answered all of its questions. and even then, you’re only allowed to change the answer to a maximum of 3 questions.

as for the gre, you are free at any time to jump to any question within a section. this opens up a lot more strategies since you could:

• quickly click through the entire section to answer the questions you find easiest first
• skip a question that looks hard at first glance and return to it whenever you want to tackle it
• answer your favorite question types first (say, multiple choice) before doing other types

in short, the test-taking experience is quite different for both exams. for most, the gmat is the more challenging exam given its question adaptivity and no option to freely skip between questions.

test options and test dates

both tests can be taken in person at a test center or online at home. the gre and gmat are both offered throughout the year, though you should register early for your preferred test date—especially if you want to take the exam at a test center. for more information on test dates and registering for an exam, see:

• gre test dates
• gmat test dates

amount of studying required for the gre or gmat

this depends greatly on what your starting point is and how far you are from your target goals. if you’re already familiar with the exam content and/or are already scoring well on practice tests, then you may only need a month or two to further refine your score. but if you’re just starting out and/or need to increase your score by a considerable amount, then you may choose to study for several months. the amount of time you have each day to study is also a consideration.

for more information as well as recommended study schedules, take a look at:

• how long should i study for the gre?
• how long should you study for the gmat?

gmat or gre: which is easier? – take a practice test!

from the sections above, you may already be forming an opinion as to whether the gre or gmat is easier for you. you can also read some of our own thoughts here:

• how hard is the gre?
• how hard is the gmat?

but the single best way to tell is to take a practice test in each. that will give you the best idea as to how difficult the tests are, which question types are the most challenging, and which exam you’ll perform the best on. these can also serve as a good indicator of where you currently stand and how much studying may be ahead of you.

• free gre practice test
• free gmat practice test

also, if you don’t have time to take a full test in each, try a shorter diagnostic quiz. these won’t give you the full test experience, but they’ll still give you a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses in both exams. and the short time that you spend on this can go a long way in answering whether gmat vs gre is better for you.

• gre diagnostic quiz
• gmat diagnostic quiz

gre or gmat: which score helps you stand out more?

given that many business schools have no preference towards either test, it’s more about percentiles. that is, how well did you do in comparison to other test takers? if you score in the 90th percentile on the gre vs the 80th percentile in gmat, that gre score is going to stand out more.

• gre score percentiles
• gmat score percentiles

with that said, it really comes down to the requirements and averages listed by the schools that you’re interested in. if your gmat score meets or surpasses the averages listed by a school but your gre score doesn’t, then you’ll want to submit your gmat score.

• gre scores for top universities
• top mba programs

gmat to gre score conversion

test takers, admissions officers, and even test makers would all love some kind of calculator that converts gmat scores to gre scores and vice versa! however, no such accurate tool exists in reality. ets years ago attempted to offer one, but they have since removed it given its inherent flaws. and gmac has gone on record to say that there’s simply no formula that allows you to equate the two exams.

in other words, you can’t directly compare the scores of both exams because they represent very different things. case in point, half of the gre tests verbal (and with a greater emphasis on vocabulary), but only one-third of the gmat does. similarly, half of the gre consists of quant questions, whereas math makes up two-thirds of the gmat (given its emphasis on mathematical reasoning skills in the data insights section).

the good news is that business schools know very well about the asymmetries described above. thus, if you submit gmat scores, they’ll evaluate you in the context of other gmat test takers. likewise, if you submit gre scores, they’ll assess you in relation to other gre takers.

take a look at the tables below to see the different average scores and score ranges for both exams at some of the top business schools.

average gre and gmat scores for the top 20 mba programs

this chart was compiled from data about each program’s incoming class of 2025. many schools still list the average scores for the prior version of the gmat (aka “classic gmat”) , so we’ve also added a column that shows the corresponding gmat focus score, per gmac’s score concordance table.

gre and gmat score ranges for top mba programs

many business schools also provide a full range of scores that they accept for both gre and gmat (classic edition):

other mba programs list the middle 80% of scores that they’ve accepted for gre and gmat (classic edition):

closing thoughts

deciding whether the gmat vs gre is the better option involves an honest evaluation of your skills, needs, and weaknesses. the good news is that you’ve already started down the path to figuring out your application process just by reading this post!

no matter whether you decide to take the gmat or gre, we’re here to help. check out magoosh gre prep or magoosh gmat prep today!

the post gmat vs gre: which should i take? (2024) appeared first on magoosh blog — gre® test.

a high gre score is often an important part of getting into the graduate program of your choice. the quantitative reasoning section (a.k.a. gre math) might be a source of anxiety for students. rest assured! you don’t need to be a mathematician to do well on the gre quant section! in this post, we will outline a number of gre math tips and resources that will help you build comfort and familiarity with both the concepts and the way the gre tests those concepts.

get a sneak peek at magoosh’s online gre prep by watching the intro to gre math lesson video!

table of contents

quick gre math tips for all test-takers
gre math tips for time management
gre math tips for each question type
gre math tips by concept areas

quick gre math tips for all test-takers

using (and not using) the calculator on the gre

the gre is unique in that it is given entirely online. you are not allowed to use your own calculator. instead, there will be a calculator provided on the computer. for more details, check out our gre calculator guide.

one big piece of advice: don’t immediately jump to the calculator for every problem! for one thing, the ets calculator (provided on the gre) is a bit cumbersome to use if you’re used to working with a physical calculator. pointing and clicking on the calculator is time-consuming. make good use of your scratch paper instead.

secondly, it will be a much better use of your time to think about the concepts within the problems rather than the computations involved. often, problems are set up in a way to make the calculations easy, but if you approach them wrong you might waste time doing unnecessary button-pushing. generally, you should avoid calculator use unless working out big multiplications, divisions, etc.

gre math tips for time management

pacing yourself

pacing is key on the gre math section. according to ets, each quantitative reasoning section contains 20 questions to be done in 35 minutes. so, that works out to a bit more than a minute and a half per question. if you find yourself taking more than 2 minutes on a given problem, consider moving on. the online test has a way for you to mark questions for later review.

the qr sections are also adaptive. the difficulty of the second set of questions depends on how you did on the first set. so be very careful with the first set of questions! and don’t be discouraged if you start seeing really hard problems on the second set, because that means you’ve already done pretty well on the first set!

for more about leveraging your brainpower to help your pacing on gre math problems, check out our post on how to do gre math faster.

gre math tips for each question type

multiple choice

one great thing about single-answer multiple-choice problems is that the correct answer is sitting right there in the list of answer choices! check out our video on when and how to use backsolving and process of elimination to locate the correct answer.

it’s also important to realize that some multiple-choice problems have multiple answers! in other words, you will be asked to mark all choices that are correct. these problems can be especially tricky and require a lot of thought.

quantitative comparison

quantitative comparison questions are probably the most unique question types that you will encounter on the math gre. instead of solving for a specific value, you are asked to reason about the relationships of mathematical expressions, using concepts and properties of numbers. sometimes, the correct answer may even be “relationship cannot be determined!”

these problems tend to be more about concepts than computations. if there are variables, plug in a lot of different values while sticking to the restrictions of the problem. try to think of as many cases as possible before choosing an answer.

here are a few more resources that will help you get started: our videos on quantitative comparison and qc strategies – picking numbers.

numerical entry

approximately 10% of the problems in the gre math section will be numerical entry. these are similar (in spirit) to the grid-in problems on the sat. rather than choosing from a list of answer choices, you’ll have to provide the answer yourself. be careful not to make arithmetic mistakes (“silly errors”), and always check your work!

more tips and more information can be found on our post about gre numerical entry and here’s a set of numerical entry problems to test your skills.

gre math tips by concept areas

now that you know what the format of questions will be, let’s talk about the content of the gre math section. i will even break down each content area further into its various quant concepts.

the four main content areas are arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. let’s look at each of them in more detail.

arithmetic

topics in arithmetic include basic number properties, operations, estimation, proportional relations, percents, and sequences. these are your basic math essentials. be careful though! while the content is not really advanced stuff, the problems in this area can still be quite tricky. you have to really know your numbers to succeed! check out our gre arithmetic: overview and practice to try your hand at some practice questions.

algebra

algebra encompasses all the various techniques that ask you to solve for an unknown. simplifying expressions, solving equations, factoring polynomials, and even graphing functions fall under this category. you will also see questions that ask you to set up algebraic equations to solve word problems. our gre algebra: overview and practice post goes over everything you’ll need to know regarding this topic.

geometry

geometry is the visual side of mathematics. you’ll need to be familiar with the properties of lines, angles, circles, triangles, quadrilaterals, and other polygons. there will be questions about area and perimeter, as well as proportional thinking in similar figures and the proper use of the pythagorean theorem, as well as a light sprinkling of three-dimensional figures (aka, solid geometry).

to make sure you’re up to speed on key gre geometry formulas and concepts, check out our video lessons on geometry strategies and angles in circles.

data analysis

topics covered under data analysis include basic statistics (mean, median, mode, range, etc.), as well as interpretation of data displayed in graphs, charts, and tables. further topics delve into probability, random variables, and the normal distribution. if you are good at real-world applications of mathematics, then data analysis is your area! in any case, make sure to check out our gre data interpretation practice and our post on the gre math trick of the dash method to brush up your skills for this concept area.

if data analysis isn’t your forte, our video lessons on standard deviation, introduction to probability, introduction to counting, and venn diagrams can help you out.

conclusion

through a combination of a positive mindset, lots of practice, and access to the best of the best prep materials, you can get the gre math score you need to pursue your goals!

ready to dive deeper into our gre math tips? check out these other posts:

• math formulas cheat sheet
• how to round to the nearest integer

the post the best gre math tips to get your dream score appeared first on magoosh blog — gre® test.

for those of you regularly browse the shelves of bookstores, to simply walk in and pick up a book that is captivating and charged with gre verbal type of language is tantamount to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.

to save you the time of engaging in such a futile search, here are some recommended reads that are topical, engaging, and filled with enough gre vocabulary to keep you frequently underlining unfamiliar words and adding them to your pile of gre vocab flashcards.

the best american series

the annual best american series culls the best writing from hundreds of journals and magazines. not only are you provided with engaging and informative articles and stories, but you also can choose from a variety of subjects. that’s right — the best american series is not one book, but many books, broken down into different genres.

nonfiction

for nonfiction aficionados, one option is to check out the best american science and nature series. and, for those who are a little more intrepid, and up for the truly challenging stuff, the best american essays is for you. the thoughtful, eloquent prose therein will prime your brain for the more-difficult elements of the gre’s verbal section.

you can also find some excellent gre-like nonfiction reading in the following options: best american sports writing (yes, sports writers use gre vocab as well), best american travel writing (travel writers love descriptive gre words), and best american food writing. food writers use some very flowery–or should i say floury writing that is absolutely gre-worthy.

fiction

if you prefer fiction for your gre practice, the best american line of books still has you covered. the best american short stories is a great place to start; it gives you a wide variety of stories. but if you like specific genres of fiction, you may enjoy gre reading practice with best american science fiction and fantasy or best american mystery stories.

last but certainly not least, there is the best american nonrequired reading. this series collects both fiction and nonfiction. if you want to read the widest possible variety of texts, this is a good all-in-one option.

so, whatever your predilections, the best american series has something to tickle your fancy. or, for a potpourri of genres, styles, and voices, you can order the whole bunch. your reading brain will grow exponentially.

the classics

a great place to start for fiction is the classics. i lean towards 20th-century literature. especially from a gre prep angle, the language, and the way words are used, is more consonant with the language found on the gre. if you find the works of jane austen or charles dickens highly enjoyable reading, read them! indeed, they use gre words such as supercilious, peremptory, and impetuous as though those words were colloquial (perhaps back then they were).

otherwise, you can try modern library’s top 100 fiction works of all time (they also have a non-fiction list) if you need some guidance on where to start reading. besides the odd take on language, namely james joyce’s finnegan’s wake, most of these novels will have many gre vocabulary words.

by the way, a fun little tidbit: if you want to read the first few pages of any of these books to see whether the story is for you and whether gre words abound, go to amazon. click on the image of any novel and you will be able to read at least the first ten pages of it (depending on the book, you can read much more than that).

from doing this amazon preview experiment myself, i discovered that novels by robert ludlum and agatha christie are especially gre-like. what gre-practice worthy novels can you find? feel free to share your recommendations in the comments below.

tips and tricks for reading practice

it’s important to remember that the resources i’ve shared with you collect a wide variety of writing. while nearly all of the writing is good for gre prep, some of the novels, essays, short stories and so on will be more useful to you than others. here are a few tips and tricks for using the books above.

• make sure your reading is not so laden with vocabulary as to be inscrutable — you want to be reading more than underlining. to avoid this, simply choose a book or article that is less rife with challenging words. work your way up to this level but do not start there.
• for those with e-books, you can avail yourself of the latest internet tools to make your own flashcards. and, with the megastore a moribund feature of the shopping landscape, we may soon be doing most of our reading – gre prep or otherwise – in the futuristic glow of an e-reader.
• whether on an e-reader or in paper-based form, the books below offer an alternative to sifting through magazines looking for engaging stories. now you need not wander through a cavernous bookstore or click through the endless forest that is amazon.com.
• if you’re interested in shorter reading, head over to vocabulary in context: the new york times, the economist, the atlantic monthly, and the new yorker.

takeaway

reading is an excellent way to supplement vocab lists and flashcards. as you hone your skills as a word detective, you will significantly augment your vocabulary.

and, of course, for the best advice for all your test prep needs, the folks here at magoosh have got your back from a free gre practice test to choosing a study schedule, that’s right for you.

best of luck in your mission to master gre verbal

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]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-vocabulary-books-recommended-fiction-and-non-fiction/feed/ 124 untitled design (10) screen shot 2020-11-25 at 4.37.12 pm 100 best nonfiction « modern library //www.catharsisit.com/gre/active-reading-strategies-for-the-gre/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/active-reading-strategies-for-the-gre/#comments tue, 01 oct 2024 16:00:58 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=15729 here’s your mission: read the following passage and then we’ll talk: passage once american men returned from the wwii battlefields, they quickly displaced the women who had temporarily filled jobs otherwise reserved for men. with most women reverting to their domestic roles, the dramatic increase in the number of infants born is perhaps not too […]

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here’s your mission: read the following passage and then we’ll talk:

passage

once american men returned from the wwii battlefields, they quickly displaced the women who had temporarily filled jobs otherwise reserved for men. with most women reverting to their domestic roles, the dramatic increase in the number of infants born is perhaps not too surprising. yet, such factors alone cannot explain the increase in the number of births from 1946-1951. murray suggests that both women and men’s perspectives changed, mostly because of america’s success in the war. this optimism, in part, fueled the rapid growth in population. however, many argue that women, in returning to the home, were able to focus on raising a family, regardless of their levels of optimism.

welcome back!

without looking at the passage above (you might want to put your hand over the passage or scroll down a bit to hide it), try to recount what you just read. speak the words aloud–pretend that you are giving your friend a general recap of the passage.

if you come up with a statement that sounds something like this: “it was about women in america and how they had more kids,” then it’s likely that your attention waned after the first couple of sentences; it might have even derailed by the time you got to the name “murray” (you might not even remember reading that name).

passive reading

like many people who haven’t had to spend much time laser-focused on the content of short, info-dense passages, you probably had difficulty formulating a thorough summary of the text. this is in large part because your brain was in passive mode: it was simply stringing words together, and, once word was piled upon word, it got lost in the woods, so to speak. don’t worry. you are not alone. 99% of the adult population would respond similarly.

here’s the thing: gre passages are meant to be so dull that, after the first couple of lines, your attention is likely to wander. the good news is that we can use the predictability of gre passages to our advantage. to do so, we need to understand how a paragraph is designed.

active reading

by simplifying all the major components in your head, you will easily be able to come up with what i call a “snapshot” — a simplification of the important parts of the paragraph. also, by paying attention to structure words, you won’t get lost in the sea of information.

categorizing the passage in this way is what i call active reading, the topic of this post. below, i discuss how to read actively.

the three tenets of active reading

1. notice connections between paragraphs

the paragraph at the beginning of this post represents one possible paragraph structure. you’ll want to open up a gre book (preferably the official guide) to see how the passages, especially the longer ones, are organized. they actually don’t vary much from the passage above.

early in the text, a field of study will often be mentioned. then a theory from this field will be mentioned. evidence supporting this theory will typically follow. in longer passages, the author might critique the theory or contrast it with some other theory.

once you can recognize and anticipate these structures, it will be easier for you to categorize the information in the passage.

2. pay attention to “structure words”

“structure words” make up the glue that holds the paragraph together. but they are more than that: they show us how the sentences are logically connected.

here are five of the most important types of structure words. the one you should pay the most attention to is “contrast words.”

contrast words

however, though, although, still, nonetheless, at the same time, on the other hand, otherwise, but, yet, notwithstanding

intensifying words

indeed, moreover, in fact

illustrative words

for example, for one, to illustrate

cause words

because, since, for that reason

effect words

therefore, thus, hence, consequently, as a result

3. make connections within paragraphs

it’s okay to slow down for a second and even look away from the screen. you’ll want to “digest” what’s being said. this is the golden pillar of active reading. specifically, ask yourself, “what is the paragraph saying?” i call these ‘paragraph snapshots.’ you force yourself to make important connections in the paragraph while summarizing key points in your head.

you might be thinking, “doesn’t that take a long time?” well, when you get to the end of the passage, you’ll have a very good idea of what the passage is about. consequently, you’ll be able to answer the questions more easily than if you had to hesitate among possible answer choices (which typically happens when you have an imperfect understanding of the passage). in the end, reading actively saves you time.

you don’t need to understand every detail in the paragraph. it’s best to come back to this only if a detail is related to a question. seeing the text a second time and within the context of a question will often make it is easier to digest.

apply what you’ve learned

it’s easy to understand how active reading works. it is much harder to apply. our basic instinct is to try to get through the passage as quickly as possible. if your rc practice is currently focused on improving your reading speed, you might want to reevaluate how your approach. again, by more effectively “packaging” textual information the first time around, you’ll be both more efficient and more accurate when you answer the questions.

tips to help you read actively

1) look away from the passage after each paragraph

this is a strategy to get your brain used to taking snapshots of the paragraph. if you’re focused on the screen, it’s easy to become distracted by the words dancing in front of your face. by looking away, you can more easily come up with a quick summary, or snapshot: “it’s about two different theories on the population increase after wwii. one is that people were more optimistic about starting families; the other that women who were working were able to go back and start a family.”

2) take notes…(for a while)

sometimes it’s hard to organize the clutter of thoughts pin-balling through your head as you read a passage. start off by taking short notes. the ultimate goal, though, is to wean yourself off written summaries so that you’ll only need to take mental snapshots.

3) look away after you’ve read the passage

the same as point #1, except now you’ll want to answer the question: “what was the primary purpose of the passage?” putting this in your own words is a good idea, since, especially on longer passages, there’s typically a question that asks you to do so.

active reading in action

let’s take the paragraph from the beginning of the post and dissect it the way you should if you’re actively reading the passage.

passage…again

with most women reverting to their domestic role, the dramatic increase in the number of infants born is perhaps not too surprising. yet, such factors alone cannot explain the increase in the number of births from 1946-1951. murray suggests that both women and men’s perspectives changed, mostly because of america’s success in the war. this optimism, in part, fueled the rapid growth in population. however, many argue that women, in returning to the home, were able to focus on raising a family, regardless of their levels of optimism.

key takeaways

the most important structure words are contrast words, because they change the direction of the paragraph. in other words, someone—it could be the author or somebody the author talks about in the passage—disagrees with something or somebody else in the passage. understanding the twists and turns in the paragraph that result from “contrast words” is key to understanding the passage. remember, the passage is not just about imparting information; it is about subtle distinctions that arise from a debate.

in that initial paragraph, notice how the first sentence introduces the topic. after that, it is straight into a contrast word. therefore, the second sentence does not completely agree with the first.

1st sentence: women returning to home cause of more babies
2nd sentence: other factors also account for more babies

notice that the second sentence does not completely disagree with the first sentence. it just qualifies, or limits, the first sentence.

in the next sentence, we get murray’s view. always notice when the author brings up another point of view.

murray’s view: people became more optimistic; made more babies

now there’s another contrast word: “however.” this signals that we are getting another point of view.

other view: women were able to focus on raising a family

one final point

once you’ve noticed the relationships between sentences in a paragraph and the meanings they convey, you will be able to deal with the questions more confidently. indeed, you’ll be able to formulate an answer in your head. and if you do have to consult the passage (as you should), you’ll know where to look.

all in all, becoming an adept active reader will help you home in on the correct answer instead of having to fumble frantically through the morass of words that make up the answer choices.

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]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/active-reading-strategies-for-the-gre/feed/ 22 text completion //www.catharsisit.com/gre/what-to-do-2-weeks-before-the-gre/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/what-to-do-2-weeks-before-the-gre/#comments tue, 01 oct 2024 16:00:52 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=12539 so, here you are, wondering what to do with the two weeks before your gre exam. you are not alone! that’s a common thing for test-takers to ponder as test day draws ever closer. of course, we have some advice for you, but first determine whether you a marathoner or a sprinter? marathoner or sprinter? […]

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so, here you are, wondering what to do with the two weeks before your gre exam. you are not alone! that’s a common thing for test-takers to ponder as test day draws ever closer. of course, we have some advice for you, but first determine whether you a marathoner or a sprinter?

marathoner or sprinter?

you most likely fall into one of two camps. you’ve been meticulously following your gre study schedule for months, and with about two weeks to go until test day, you are getting very nervous wondering what to do in the remaining time. i will call you the marathoners.

or!! you just started prepping and think it pretty crazy that others have spent months doing so. in the short time you’ve been studying, you’ve improved steadily but hope there’s a way to accelerate the process in the remaining two weeks. if this is you, then you belong in the group that i call the sprinters.

the marathoners

though you may be tempted to start sprinting in the last two weeks, feverishly pulling all-nighters, resist that temptation. you want to continue at about the same pace. indeed you may even want to taper off those last few days before the exam—more on that in just a moment.

marathoner! here’s your plan of action

review

review questions you’ve missed in the past. take the time to understand why you missed those questions. try them again to see if you continue to get them wrong. if not, that is great. identify how your thinking/approach changed. if you continue to miss certain question types, do your best to determine why.

this reconnaissance should shape your prep, to an extent. for instance, if you missed a question because you did not know vocabulary, trying to memorize 1,000 words in the last two weeks is not a good idea. on the other hand, if you mixed up one of these pesky ‘p’ words, say ‘portentous’ with ‘pretentious’, you may want to review them. better yet, you may want to revisit those words that you tend to often confuse.

in math, the example could be applying the wrong formula. or perhaps you need practice with negative exponents. whatever the case may be, your review should be specific and thus manageable.

routine

stick to your study routine. if this means taking a test every week, then do so (you may even want to throw in an extra test, though, remember, no all-nighters!).

another important routine should be a consistent time falling asleep and waking up each night. establish this routine no less than a few nights before the exam. you want to make sure you are rested and in your natural flow for the day of the exam.

rest

rest is summed up nicely above in routine. but there is more to add. in general, you should not be studying three to fours hours a day leading up to the exam. taper back a little. one to two hours should be fine. the key is you don’t want to be overtaxed, but be ready to perform your best test day.

the sprinters

alright, you’ve been at this for a pretty short time, but you’ve made headway and you’re looking to level-up your skills even more during this final two-week push. let’s go!

sprinter! here’s your plan of action

continue to learn

if you’re sprinting through, then there is likely still a lot to learn, in terms of straight content and applicable strategies and techniques. keep plugging away at those. but wait! there’s more: a crucial part of the learning journey is how you perform once you’re tackling questions under a time crunch. thus, it is very important, if you haven’t already, to take a full-length practice test. to get you started, try out a free practice test from magoosh that includes a detailed score report with a topic-by-topic breakdown of your performance.

routine and rest

okay, sprinters. you are on a different track. you do not have the luxury of tapering off much before the end like your buddies on the marathoner side of the aisle. after all, you are not just reviewing, but actively learning new information. still, you do not want to be hurtling pell-mell towards your test date, eyes glazed and hair a flutter. give yourself at least a little bit of a buffer. one way to do so is to condense the rest and routine bit from the marathoners down into a 48-hour time frame. for example, if your test is on thur. at 8:00 a.m., get to bed at a reasonable hour on tuesday night. doing so will make it much easier for you to get to sleep at a reasonable hour wednesday night.

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]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/what-to-do-2-weeks-before-the-gre/feed/ 17 two weeks until the exam //www.catharsisit.com/gre/can-i-use-scratch-paper-on-the-online-gre/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/can-i-use-scratch-paper-on-the-online-gre/#respond mon, 30 sep 2024 09:38:32 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=25077 whether you’re taking the gre at a test center or opting for the at-home exam, scratch paper is an invaluable resource. ideally, you want the scratch paper scenario you use in practice to match the one you’ll have on test day. this article will let you know what to expect for those taking the gre […]

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whether you’re taking the gre at a test center or opting for the at-home exam, scratch paper is an invaluable resource. ideally, you want the scratch paper scenario you use in practice to match the one you’ll have on test day. this article will let you know what to expect for those taking the gre at home or at the test center.

at-home scratch paper rules

according to ets, at-home guidelines, for security purposes, traditional scratch paper is not allowed. but! they do offer alternatives:

small desktop whiteboard: test-takers may use a small desktop whiteboard with an erasable marker for note-taking and calculations during the exam. the whiteboard offers a surface to jot down important information, work through problems, and organize thoughts.

sheet of paper in a transparent sheet protector: another option is to use a single sheet of paper enclosed in a transparent sheet protector. this setup allows you to write on the paper with an erasable marker, providing a similar experience to using traditional scratch paper.

note: pencils and pens are not permitted for any form of note-taking during the online gre. you must use an erasable marker.

once you’re done conquering the gre, you’ll need to show your proctor that you’ve erased all your notes. this step ensures that no unauthorized information leaves the highly controlled test-taking environment.

test center scratch paper rules

if you are taking the gre at a test center, you will get unlimited scratch paper on test day. if you ask, you will receive.

here’s what ets says about scratch paper usage:

“the test administrator will provide you with scratch paper for use during the test. scratch paper is not to be used before the test or during breaks. all paper, in its entirety, must be returned to the test center administrator at the end of the testing session. if you are observed using any document or paper other than the scratch paper given to you by test center staff, it will be confiscated. you may not bring your own paper and you may not remove any paper from the testing room at any time, or write on anything other than the paper provided (e.g., computer or workstation).”

practice with what you’ll use on test day

for those taking the exam at a test center, you should feel free to use good old paper and pen/pencil during your preparation. however, for those taking the exam at home, who are accustomed to using traditional scratch paper, jotting down notes on the whiteboard or sheet protector might feel a bit alien at first. but here’s the deal: practice makes perfect.

start by choosing the tool that you feel most comfortable with – either the small desktop whiteboard or the single sheet of paper in a transparent sheet protector. next, take the time to practice with it during your study sessions. train yourself to use the space efficiently, develop strategies for notation, and become proficient at erasing your work quickly and completely.

and because practice truly does make perfect, here is a full-length, free practice test from magoosh that includes a detailed score report with a topic-by-topic breakdown of your performance. this is a great way to mimic test day conditions and try out your preferred scratch paper strategy.

whichever note-taking tool you end up using on the gre, your success hinges on your understanding of the concepts, problem-solving skills, and dedication to practice.

best of luck as you prepare for the exam! and, remember, for the best advice for all your test prep needs, the folks here at magoosh have got your back

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]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/can-i-use-scratch-paper-on-the-online-gre/feed/ 0 scratch paper //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-calculator-policy/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-calculator-policy/#respond mon, 23 sep 2024 12:25:22 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=25105 here’s a common question for the quantitative section of the gre: “can i use a calculator during the test?” why, yes! but, don’t make the mistake of thinking access to a calculator is a gift. in reality, if not approached with moderation, it can hurt rather than help. in this article, we will shed light […]

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here’s a common question for the quantitative section of the gre: “can i use a calculator during the test?” why, yes! but, don’t make the mistake of thinking access to a calculator is a gift. in reality, if not approached with moderation, it can hurt rather than help. in this article, we will shed light on the calculator’s role, and offer best practices for its use.

calculator? yes! but…

yes, the gre does provide a simple, on-screen calculator during the quantitative section, but its functionality is limited compared to traditional hand-held calculators. it can do about as much as the most basic calculator apps you find on cell phones.

speed vs. accuracy: a balancing act

it is crucial to know that not every problem on gre quant requires a calculator. in fact, over-reliance on it, especially for easier problems, can impede your progress. while calculator use can be helpful for problems that require you to work with larger numbers, multiple steps, or decimals and percents, it’s important to remember that it is not an automatic ticket to the correct answer. it won’t necessarily solve complex problems faster than logic or intuition. furthermore, the on-screen calculator interface is not intuitive, and the time you devote to using it could negatively impact your overall pacing. thus, it can be helpful, but you have to find the right balance between speed and accuracy.

math or problem-solving?

when it comes to the gre, the challenge is not really the math itself. rather, the challenge is how we approach and solve the problems. believe it or not, many test-takers actually find that they don’t need a calculator for a lot of the questions. how can that be ? here’s a fun fact: the test makers know that time is short; therefore, if a question seems to require a bunch of complicated calculations, look to the answers. the answers often provide shortcuts to the solution–some value options are just way too big or small and can be eliminated immediately or after working a couple steps of the problem. relying on the power of the process of elimination (poe), is very likely a faster, calculator-free way to get to the correct answer.

calculator strategy

• complex calculations: save the calculator as a last resort for tough calculations.
• problem-solve first: if the question seems especially complex, look to the answers and recall what simple rules may apply.
• mental math: for simple calculations practice mental math so the potentially awkward interface doesn’t slow you down.
• practice makes perfect: still think you need the calculator? practice before test day, so you can quickly recognize when you’ll need the calculator and also know its functions to save precious test time.

the gre lets you use an on-screen calculator, but it’s all about how and when you use it. it’s a handy tool, but don’t let it slow you down. balance your problem-solving skills, mental math, and calculator use for a great gre quant score. remember, it’s about picking the right approach for each question. once you can do that with confidence, you’ll greatly increase your chances on the gre.

conclusion

consider how you will implement calculator use on the gre quantitative section as an essential part of your overall test prep. it can be an amazing time saver or suck, depending on how often reach for it. the only way to determine the right mix and improve your math skills so you don’t need the calculator as often is to practice as much as possible. to get you started, try out a full-length, free practice test from magoosh that includes a detailed score report with a topic-by-topic breakdown of your performance.

happy studying!

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]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-calculator-policy/feed/ 0 can you use a calculator on the gre- //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-exam-reschedule/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-exam-reschedule/#comments mon, 16 sep 2024 23:41:23 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=17203 life doesn't always go as you planned. if you're dealing with a gre exam reschedule, then we're here to help! click here for tips on how to reschedule.

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sometimes life doesn’t go quite as planned. maybe you’d scheduled your gre exam for what you thought was the perfect day. you were all set. but! then you discover that you have an event that will keep you up really late the night before that’s no good! you should be well-rested for your gre exam. there are many reasons people reschedule their gre exams. it’s an incredibly common occurrence! so, if life throws a wrench in your test-taking plans, you’re going to need to reschedule. curious about just how to do that? well, we’re here to guide you through the process.

but first, let’s get clear on ets’s rescheduling policy.

the rules

ets is pretty good about making sure it explains its policy for rescheduling a gre test. however, you have to know where to look. it’s not front and center on its website (although, that certainly would be convenient), which is why we’re going to explain everything you need to know in this article. still, if you’d really like to see the policy for yourself, you can find it in the gre information bulletin.

the deadline

for test-takers in most countries, you must reschedule your test no later than four days before the date of your exam. however, if you are taking the gre at a test center in mainland china, you must reschedule no later than 10 days before your scheduled exam. if you miss the deadline to reschedule, you have no other option than to forfeit the money you paid for the initial test and then register (and pay) for a new test.

the fee(s)

the good thing about rescheduling your test before the cutoff is that it’ll be less of a financial burden than forfeiting and registering for a whole new test. but! ets loves to take your money, so, of course, it will still charge a fee for what it calls “special handling requests.” here’s what you can expect to pay to reschedule your exam:
 

special handling request	fee
rescheduling fee — china	$53.90
rescheduling fee — all other areas of the world	$50
changing your test center	$50


*note: if you’re changing the date and the location, you have to pay both fees.

rescheduling your gre exam

1. go to ets and log into your online account.
2. once you’re logged in, navigate over to your “my gre” page. that’s where you’ll find your upcoming gre test date and location.
3. after you select the reschedule option, a window will open where you will be able to change your test’s date, location, or both.

at home process

if you’re rescheduling an “at home” exam, you’ll get the option of selecting the two-month period during which you’d like to take the test. you’ll then be presented with available test dates. once you select an available date, you’ll be presented with available times. when you find the one you desire, hit the register button.


testing center process

if you’re rescheduling a test at a center, you will select your appointment date, type in the location where you’d like to take your rescheduled exam, choose the two-month timeframe, and then hit the “continue” button. a map with nearby locations and available time slots will appear. once you select a location, you’ll be shown the available times. when you find a time and location that works, you’ll select register.

4. when you’ve registered for a new test date, time, and/or location, you’ll be prompted to confirm all the information.
5. if everything looks correct, you’ve made it to the last step–the one where ets collects the fee.

last minute test rescheduling

as mentioned above. this option doesn’t exist. if you wake up feeling sick on test day, it’s too late to reschedule the exam. thus, if you just don’t show up to your exam, you won’t get a refund and you’ll have to pay full price to register for a new test date. that’s like paying twice to take the test once no good!

is there anything you can do to avoid losing your refund and having to pay to register for a new test date?

well, yes. but! it won’t be easy.

if you truly were sick, you can contact ets to see what they say. some test-takers have reported that ets was willing to give them a voucher to retake the exam later. but ets was only willing to offer this to students who sent in a letter from a doctor certifying that they were indeed sick. if you attempt to go this route, be patient. ets may take quite some time to investigate the matter.

don’t sweat it!

unless you’re attempting to reschedule after the deadline, rescheduling really isn’t a big deal. sure, it will cost you a $50 (or more) fee. but think about that fee in the grander scheme of your graduate school education.

ultimately, graduate school is going to cost you many thousands of dollars. an extra $50 for a reschedule is probably worth it if it means you’ll score better and have a better chance of getting admitted to the program of your choosing.

magoosh is here to help

if you are looking for help in order to achieve your dream gre score or master other application elements, consider a magoosh premium plan. we have all your gre preparation resources covered from study plans to application support.

best of luck!

the post how to reschedule your gre test: a step-by-step guide appeared first on magoosh blog — gre® test.

]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/gre-exam-reschedule/feed/ 12 two weeks until the exam //www.catharsisit.com/gre/one-month-gre-test-prep/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/one-month-gre-test-prep/#comments thu, 12 sep 2024 15:00:37 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=9284 wondering how to study for the gre in a month? magoosh has the study plan you need to get ready for the gre in a short period of time.

the post one month gre study schedule for advanced students appeared first on magoosh blog — gre® test.

]]> the content in this post applies in 2024 to the new, shorter gre!



for those who are focused and ambitious, a 30-day gre study schedule can work really well, as long as you have the time it will demand.

however, if you feel that life will intrude in one way or another, or if you need to improve your score by hundreds of points, this schedule may not be for you. if an honest look at life’s daily demands reveals that dedicating hour upon hour to gre study will be unlikely, ask yourself: is pushing back your test date possible?

if you are able to register or reschedule your exam for a later date, that might be in your best interest, and then you can check out some of magoosh’s other, longer schedule options.

however, if you are all-in on preparing for the gre in thirty days, we’ve got you! just remember, this is an aggressive plan, and you will need to be able to dedicate, on average, 1.5-2.5 hours a day at least six days per week.



click here to download a pdf of the study schedule!

for advanced gre students: an emphasis on reviewing & drilling

this schedule was designed with advanced students in mind, which means that most of the assigned lessons skew toward refining the test-taking skills you already have. before you dive in, ask yourself whether you currently have a working knowledge of the fundamentals–the basic topics, techniques, and strategies necessary to successfully navigate the gre exam. if that’s not you or you’d benefit from more introductory material, we do have a 30-day option for beginners. also, because this schedule assumes that you won’t need to cover much (or any) of the introductory lessons, there is also a greater emphasis on practice questions and review.

now, if this schedule is mostly a good fit, but at certain points you find the higher-level content a bit too challenging, you can always make modifications to better suit your own prep needs. once you have a sense of your personal strengths and weaknesses, you can explore all the available lessons on the magoosh dashboard, swap out lesson material that you aren’t quite ready to tackle for introductory or mid-tier concepts, and set up custom practice sessions that focus on your desired topic(s) of study.

table of contents

• essential material
• optional material
• about the material
• day 1 – introduction
• day 2 – intro to gre math i
• day 3 – practice test
• day 4 – practice test review
• day 5 – intro to gre math ii and vocabulary strategies
• day 6 – reading comprehension i
• day 7 – flex day
• day 8 – arithmetic and fractions
• day 9 – percents and ratios
• day 10 – counting and probability
• day 11 – reading comprehension ii
• day 12 – reading comprehension iii
• day 13 – timed practice sections
• day 14 – flex day
• day 15 – algebra i
• day 16 – algebra ii
• day 17 – awa day (the issue essay)
• day 18 – advanced qc strategies
• day 19 – word problems
• day 20 – text completion
• day 21 – flex day
• day 22 – geometry i
• day 23 – geometry ii
• day 24 – sentence equivalence
• day 25 – practice test
• day 26 – practice test review
• day 27 – coordinate geometry
• day 28 – statistics and data interpretation
• day 29 – final review day!
• day 30 and beyond…

essential material

• magoosh gre prep
• ets’s official guide to the gre book 
• ets powerprep free tests 1 & 2: if you would prefer to take the practice test on paper, you can print out a copy of ets’s paper-delivered test. however, taking the paper-based gre is pretty rare these days. if you are like most test takers and will be taking the exam online, we highly recommend that your practice and prep are also online–mimic the medium you’ll be using on exam day as much as possible.
• magoosh’s gre vocabulary flashcards app and magoosh’s gre math flashcards app: they’re free and you can use them on the web, iphone/ipad or android!
• magoosh’s complete guide to the gre pdf: this comprehensive, web-based guide to the gre gives you the quick but very helpful overview you need to understand this test. you’ll see how the gre is designed and scored, what skills it tests, how to find and use the best gre prep, and how to study for each test section.
• reading materials and journal (error log): more detail on each of these below, in the “about the material” section.

optional material

• top 5 free gre practice resources: this page includes instructions on where to find good full-length gre practice tests, and how to take practice tests and incorporate them into your studies. this page also has links to magoosh’s free gre diagnostic quizzes.
• quizlet.com: gives you online access to flashcards, making it easier, say, to quiz yourself on your mobile device
• vocabulary.com: provides conversational example sentences and a flood of example sentences. if you are really trying to achieve a high verbal score, you can also check out lists of crazy hard gre words that other users have compiled.

about the material

about vocabulary

if you are striving for a top-notch verbal score, daily review of vocab is vital. 30 days is not a lot of time; however, you can certainly memorize a few hundred (maybe more) words in that timeframe.

make use of magoosh’s gre flashcards, but don’t limit yourself to just these words. whenever you encounter a word you don’t know, look it up, make a flashcard, and add it to your own flashcard deck. you can go the old-fashioned route with hand-written, paper cards or opt for a digital version like quizlet.

organizing flashcards

as you work through your flashcards you’ll want to organize them into three piles/categories. one category is for words that are “new” to you and you’re just trying to absorb their definitions/usage. another category is for words that you’ve almost mastered–maybe you still need context clues to grasp their meanings. the final category represents a “done” stack that is only rarely reviewed.

reading material

we cannot stress the importance of reading to build your reading comprehension skills, refine your understanding of grammar and usage, and expand your vocabulary. you have to challenge yourself to read material that is written at the same level as the passages you’ll encounter on test day. check out the links below for reliable sources and advice:

non-fiction, scholarly books, history and social science topics are preferable.

how to practice with recommended sources: scientific american, atlantic monthly, the new yorker, national geographic, the economist, arts and letters daily, or the new york times (a sunday subscription is a great idea!).

error log

a notebook or digital document to keep a written record of the questions that you miss. for each question you enter into your log do the following:

• try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
• read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
• watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
• be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• when you come across vocabulary that you don’t know or only sorta know in a question, be sure to add it to your flashcards. we use words that are trending on the gre to create our content.

not sure how to set up your error log? here’s a free template.

about older ets prep materials

note: ets launched the shorter version of the gre in 2023. so, what does that mean if you have older prep materials? good news!! you do not need to go out and buy new ones. because there were no changes to the content that ets tests, there have been no real changes to the prep books that cover that content. in fact, at the time of this writing, ets hasn’t even released a new edition of its own prep material, the official guide, but does provide the following note:

“the practice tests in this book are for the general test that was administered before september 22, 2023. however, because the shorter gre includes the same question types (except for the analyze an argument essay task which has been removed), this book is a great way to prepare for the shorter gre.”

thus, if you have older versions of prep materials, you should be all set to dive in. just be sure to skip any content related to the analyze an argument part of the awa, and be sure to review the gre’s updated timing and structure.

using this guide without a premium magoosh subscription

without your own magoosh account, you won’t be able to access many of the lessons, practice questions, and practice tests that are linked in the daily tasks; however, there are a number of lessons and practice materials that are publically available, and, of course, you can also follow the daily breakdown of topics and activities using the official guide or any other material(s) you are using for your gre prep.

day 1 – introduction

1.) go to ets.org/gre, and read about the content of the gre. click on and read each sub-heading link.

2.) watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

note: many lessons are only available to those with a magoosh premium gre subscription—sign up here for a free trial!

general introduction

what’s on the gre?

math section breakdown

verbal section breakdown

computer adaptive testing

skipping questions and pacing

learn from your mistakes

stress management

build your error log

if you haven’t done so already, now is the time to be sure you have this essential document at the ready.

3.) take a look at your week ahead and schedule about 2 hours for a full-length practice. it’s planned for day 3 in this schedule, but you can move that around if needed. if you haven’t done so yet, this is a perfect opportunity to take magoosh’s free gre practice test.

secondary activities (if needed or time permitting)

here are a couple options to incorporate additional verbal practice:

1.) arts and letters daily is a great resource for links to gre-level reading material. once per week, choose one or more articles that are around 5-20 pages long. while reading, try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. when you encounter words you don’t know or only sorta know, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper. a quick google search will yield definitions.

after you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.

2.) use the magoosh flashcard app and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. at the end of seven days (yes, seven), you’ll have encountered 70 words–not too shabby! for a deeper understanding of these words in context, refer to vocabulary.com.

if you’re someone who needs to prioritize math, here are options for weekly supplemental activities:

1.) check out the og’s math review and work through the topics and associated exercises. there are also plenty of practice questions, organized by difficulty, that you can explore.

2.) dig into the topics in the collaborative math review built by ets and kahn academy.

2.) use this week to review as many cards as possible in the first three gre math flashcard decks: algebra, fractions, ratios, & percents, and geometry.

day 2 – intro to gre math i

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

mental math: gre estimation

mental math: doubling and halving

metal math: squaring shortcuts

picking numbers

backsolving

practice

if you have a magoosh premium or trial subscription, navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → multiple choice → select all. do 10 questions. as you work through this set, try to identify any clues that indicate you can plug-in or backsolve as a solution option.

pacing note

since you’re on a rather tight prep timeline, you should start focusing on the pacing piece of the gre puzzle as soon as possible. an effective pacing and skipping strategy is a major component of success. but! be kind to yourself: increasing your speed while maintaining your accuracy will not come overnight. it is a process.

if this feels like a lot to you, work in stages. set achievable goals as you attempt to improve your pacing! try to answer questions at a pace of three minutes per question. the next day, set a faster pace, like two and half minutes per question.

do this day by day until you are answering questions at the target times:

math ≈ 1:45 per question

verbal ≈ 1:30 per question

of course, those target times vary–the greater the question complexity, the longer it will take to solve it.

difficulty note

ideally, you should select adaptive difficulty. that setting will most accurately reflect the variety of questions that you’ll encounter on test day. however, you should feel free to select the difficulty that best fits your current ability level. if you are struggling with some of the basic concepts, you might opt for easy/medium until your accuracy improves. just keep in mind that adaptive difficulty will more closely match a realistic test experience.

please note, if you frequently only work on questions from one category of difficulty, you could exhaust that particular group, which means that you might start seeing repeat questions during custom practice or during a practice test.

review

today, you are going to start making use of your error log. as you review the results of the mixed math practice set, add each incorrect question to your log and do the following:

try to determine and make note of why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

don’t just skip over the questions you got right! double check that you got them right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 3 – practice test

in magoosh, take a full-length practice test!

in your magoosh dashboard, navigate to practice → practice test.

be sure that you have around 2 hours of uninterrupted time. you want your practice test experience to be as realistic as possible. remember! there are no breaks given during the five sections of the gre.

if this is your first full-length test, this is an important moment! not only will you start to get a sense for how you feel taking the gre but, at the end, you will also find out your all important baseline scores. these will be the scores (math, verbal, awa) you build from as you push towards your goal, the scores you need to reach to feel confident when applying to your chosen graduate programs.

if you’ve already taken a practice or official gre test, that’s great! you already know where you’re at, score wise, and know how close (or far) that score is from where you need it to be.

note: don’t worry about reviewing your test immediately after you complete it unless you have enough gas left in the tank. you’ll kick off the next study session with a deep-dive review.

day 4 – practice test review

open your error log for a deep-dive review of your practice test. consider the following:

• try to recall which question types you struggled with the most.
• can you find any patterns?
• are you making careless mistakes? if so, reflect on the reason: working too fast? misreading the question? figure out where you should slow down when testing.
• and don’t forget the usual digging-in-to-details steps:
• try to determine why you missed the question
• read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
• watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
• be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• add any vocabulary that you don’t know or only sorta know to your flashcards.
• double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 5 – intro to gre math ii and vocabulary strategies

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

number sense

the use and abuse of formulas

flashcards

word roots

mnemonics

practice

1.) if you have a magoosh premium or trial subscription, navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → and launch math quick practice at the top of the screen (you’ll see a lightning bolt icon). work through those 10 mixed practice problems.

2.) navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal → text completion → select “clear all” and then only check the box next to basic sentences. do 5 questions.

review

as you review the results of this practice set, add each incorrect question to your log and do the following:

try to determine and make note of why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)

add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations. steps.

day 6 – reading comprehension i

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

the short passage

how to answer a gre question

detail questions

vocabulary in context

primary purpose

answer traps

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal → reading comprehension → check clear all and then only check the box for short passages. do 10 questions. don’t worry if you don’t end up doing exactly 10 questions. you might do a few more or less depending on the number of questions associated with the passages you are given.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:

• try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
• read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
• watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
• be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.
• double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations.

day 7 – flex day

rest, review, practice or catch-up

if you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! you deserve one! but, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:

spend some quality time with your error log. revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.

do more practice and review in the og or through your magoosh dashboard. you can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.

if you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.

break out those math and verbal flashcards!

day 8 – arithmetic and fractions

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

operations with fractions

comparing fractions

comparing fractions ii

operations with proportions

word problems with fractions

quiz: arithmetic and fractions

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all and then only check arithmetic and fractions. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice and quiz that you missed, log the following:

try to determine why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

secondary activities (if needed or time permitting)

additional verbal practice options:

1.) continue with arts and letters daily or your preferred reading material. choose one or more articles and try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. with those words, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper.

after you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.

2.) continue using the magoosh flashcard app and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. at the end of this week (if you started this last week), you’ll have encountered 140 words. for a deeper understanding of these words in context, refer to vocabulary.com.

additional math practice options:

1.) continue the og’s math review and dig into its practice questions.

2.) carry on with topics in the collaborative math review built by ets and kahn academy.

2.) use this week to review as many cards as possible in the next three gre math flashcard decks: number properties i, number properties ii, and statistics & probability.

day 9 – percents and ratios

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

working with percents

number sense and percents

percent increases and decreases

sequential percent changes

combining ratios

quiz: percents and rates

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all and then only check percents and ratios. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice and quiz that you missed, log the following:

try to determine why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 10 – counting and probability

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

introduction to counting

fundamental counting principle

introduction to probability

complementary events and simple rules

probability of event a or event b

independent events

quiz: probability

practice

1.) navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all and then only check the box next to counting. do 5 questions.

2.) navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all and then only check the box next to probability. do 5 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:

try to determine why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 11 – reading comprehension ii

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

inference questions

multiple answer questions

multiple answer questions – inference

structure questions

advanced question types

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal → reading comprehension → check long, medium and short passages. do around 15 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:

try to determine and make note of why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps

day 12 – reading comprehension iii

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

elements of the argument

weakening the argument

strengthening the argument

assumption questions

wrong answer choices

don’t forget the conclusion

eliminating all the answers

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal→ reading comprehension → select clear all→ check the box for paragraph arguments. do 8 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:

try to determine and make note of why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 13 – timed practice sections

mixed practice verbal and quant

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal → launch a verbal gre section (look for the book icon near the top of the screen). you’ll have 23 minutes to complete the 15 questions.

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → math → select all math. launch a math section (look for the book icon near the top of the screen). you’ll have 26 minutes to complete the 15 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:

try to determine and make note of why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.

did any fall into your skip or guess bucket? did you recognize them immediately and quickly move on? it’s a good idea to train those instincts so they become second nature by test day.

day 14 – flex day

rest, review, practice or catch-up

if you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! you deserve one! but, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:

spend some quality time with your error log. revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.

do more practice and review in the og or through your magoosh dashboard. you can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.

if you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.

break out those math and verbal flashcards!

day 15 – algebra i

1.) watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

factoring quadratics

factoring combined

advanced numerical factoring

factoring rational expressions

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all and then only check algebra. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

secondary activities (if needed or time permitting)

additional verbal practice options:

1.) continue with arts and letters daily or your preferred reading material. choose one or more articles and try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. with those words, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper.

after you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.

2.) continue using the magoosh flashcard app and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. at the end of this week (if you started this last week), you’ll have encountered 210 words. for a deeper understanding of these words in context, refer to vocabulary.com.

additional math practice options:

1.) continue the og’s math review and dig into its practice questions.

2.) carry on with topics in the collaborative math review built by ets and kahn academy.

2.) use this week to review as many cards as possible in the next three gre math flashcard decks: mixed practice i, ii, and iii.

day 16 – algebra ii

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

two equations, two unknowns i

two equations, two unknowns ii

three equations, three unknowns

absolute value equations

absolute value inequalities

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all and then only check algebra. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

day 17 – awa day (the issue essay)

awa overview

writing tips for the 4 major scoring components

issue essay task overview

issue essay brainstorming

issue essay format

how to practice

score your awa essay–use this link to analyze the issue essay you wrote during the practice test. it will help you better understand the process and the score your essay was given by the magoosh ai tutor.

note i: score your awa essay above leads you to the scoring rubric that will be used by the official readers when they evaluate your essay. even though the essays you write in your magoosh dashboard will be scored and given detailed feedback on how to improve by the magoosh ai tutor, it’s still important for you to read through and be familiar with the scoring rubric.

note ii: there could still be out-dated content pertaining to the argument essay in the above lessons. you can skip/ignore any references to the now retired argument task.

day 18 – advanced qc strategies

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

qc questions and inequalities

qc strategies – picking numbers

qc questions & algebra

summary of qc strategies

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → quantitative comparison → select all→ do 10 questions. be sure to watch for opportunities to use plugging-in as you solve these qc questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

day 19 – word problems

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

age questions

average speed

multiple traveler

shrinking and expanding gaps

work questions

double matrix method

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all→ check the boxes for word problems. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

day 20 – text completion

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

understanding the sentence

intro to shift sentences

multiple shifts

intro to double blank sentences

intro to triple blank sentences

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal → text completion→ select all. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

day 21 – flex day

rest, review, practice or catch-up

if you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! you deserve one! but, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:

spend some quality time with your error log. revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.

do more practice and review in the og or through your magoosh dashboard. you can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.

if you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.

break out those math and verbal flashcards!

day 22 – geometry i

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

lines and angles

triangles part 1

triangles part 2

right triangles

special right triangles

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → clear all→ only check the box next to geometry. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

secondary activities (if needed or time permitting)

additional verbal practice options:

1.) continue with arts and letters daily or your preferred reading material. choose one or more articles and try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. with those words, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper.

after you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.

2.) continue using the magoosh flashcard app and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. at the end of this week (if you’ve kept up the pace), you’ll have encountered around 280 words!

3.) in your dashboard, work through additional verbal timed sections.

additional math practice options:

1.) continue the og’s math review and dig into its practice questions.

2.) carry on with topics in the collaborative math review built by ets and kahn academy.

3.) use this week to review as many cards as possible in the final three gre math flashcard decks: mixed practice vi, v, and vi.

4.) in your dashboard, work through additional quant timed sections.

day 23 – geometry ii

1.) watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

quadrilaterals

polygons

circles

circle properties

circles, arcs, and sectors

geometry strategies part iii

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → clear all→ only check the box next to geometry. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

day 24 – sentence equivalence

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

synonymous sentences 1

synonymous sentences 2

beware of the pseudo-synonyms

avoiding pseudo-synonyms: practice activities

read carefully 1

read carefully 2

difficult words in a sentence equivalence

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → verbal → sentence equivalence → select all categories. do 15 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.

day 25 – practice test

in magoosh, take a full-length practice test!

try to be sure that you have around 2 hours of uninterrupted. you want your practice test experience to be as realistic as possible. remember that there are no breaks given during the gre.

in your magoosh dashboard, navigate to practice → practice test.

as always, don’t worry about reviewing the test immediately after you finish. that’s for the next session.

day 26 – practice test review

open your error log for a deep-dive review of this last practice test.

consider the following:

reflect on the testing process: are you satisfied with your performance?

if yes, try to articulate the pacing choices etc. that helped you navigate this practice test successfully.

if no, try to determine what went wrong? did you spend too long on a question that you should have skipped or guessed? were you feeling tired or feeling frustrated by distractors?

as always, work through the following:

determine why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 27 – coordinate geometry

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

slope-intercept form

distance between two points

reflections in the xy plane

graphs of quadratics

practice

navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → all math → select clear all→ check the box for coordinate plane. do 12 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.


day 28 – statistics and data interpretation

watch the following magoosh lesson videos:

mean, median, mode

quiz: statistics

data interpretation strategy

quiz: data interpretation

practice

1. navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → math → data interpretation. do around 8 questions.

2. navigate to your dashboard and select practice → custom practice → math → statistics. do 10 questions.

review

for each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:

try to determine and make note of why you missed the question

read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations

watch any recommended lesson videos. don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. you’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.

be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. if you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.

day 29 – final review day!

you are almost at the finish line!

pick out a few topics that you want to brush up on or questions that you want to review from your error log, or you could even re-watch a few lesson videos. keep it light and easy! today is not the day to overtax your brain.

watch this final lesson: test day

day 30 and beyond…

day before

focus on feeling your best for test day!

no gre preparation

eat a large, healthy, leisurely dinner—no alcohol

go to bed earlier than usual

day of

absolutely no last minute cramming!

eat a large breakfast, full of protein

do relaxing, fun activities to pass time until the test

if you have any remaining time before your exam, focus on a concentrated review

for whatever days remain before your test, keep up the work on gre math and verbal. some suggestions for what to do:

by selecting question type and difficulty on your “dashboard,” keep doing magoosh problems or do problems you’ve previously attempted over again to see how you do a second time.

keep watching magoosh lesson videos on whatever topics you feel you need to review.

keep reading challenging material to build vocabulary and acclimate to complex sentence structures.

keep drilling your vocab flashcards and your math flashcards.

if you have time for more practice tests, you can check out the free and paid versions of ets power prep. another highly recommended source for practice tests are those produced by manhattan prep.

you have done an incredible amount of work, so be proud of what you’ve accomplished!

good luck!

takeaways:

do your best to follow this list, and you will improve dramatically in a very short time. again, if you can’t commit the hours to this study plan, you may want to consider postponing your test or choosing one that works on a different timeline.

for more personalized support, you can sign up for a premium magoosh gre prep plan. we have affordable 1 month or 6 month subscriptions, or you can test out the material with a free 1 week trial. happy studying!

the post one month gre study schedule for advanced students appeared first on magoosh blog — gre® test.

]]> //www.catharsisit.com/gre/one-month-gre-test-prep/feed/ 77 30 day gre study guide //www.catharsisit.com/gre/what-is-the-gre-test/ //www.catharsisit.com/gre/what-is-the-gre-test/#comments tue, 10 sep 2024 17:15:02 +0000 //www.catharsisit.com/gre/?p=17512 if you're applying to graduate programs, there's a good chance you'll need to take the gre test. find out all you need to know about the gre test here!

the post what is the gre test? all you need to know (2024) appeared first on magoosh blog — gre® test.

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taking the gre test is an important decision that can greatly impact your future. understandably, you may have many questions about the exam, so we’ve put together this complete guide to answer them all. let’s dive right in!

table of contents

• what is the gre test?
• why is the “examinations” in gre plural? that scares me
• what is this shorter gre test i keep hearing about?
• do i have to take the gre? is it optional nowadays?
• gre as a choice for business schools and law schools
• what is on the gre test?
• verbal reasoning
• quantitative reasoning
• analytical writing
• complete guide to the gre test ebook pdf
• what score do i need?
• how hard is the gre test?
• how do i best study for the exam?
• when and how do i take the gre test?
• wrapping up: that’s all there is to know
• wait, i have more questions about the gre! (an faq)

what is the gre test?

the gre—which stands for graduate record examinations—is a computer-based standardized test that many graduate schools require as part of their admissions process. furthermore, as the exam has grown in popularity, many business schools and law schools that require test scores now accept the gre in place of other exams (such as the gmat and lsat).

though these schools all use the gre as a factor in evaluating candidates, they are not the ones offering it as an entrance exam. instead, the educational testing service (ets)—an independent organization—creates and administers the exam.

why is the “examinations” in gre plural? that scares me

for the most part, whenever you see the acronym gre, it’s actually referring to a single examination: the gre general test. so, if a school merely says that they require the “gre,” they mean the gre general test. thus, there’s no need to be afraid! you most likely only need to take one exam, not multiple. phew!

however, some programs may also require a gre subject test, which is indeed a separate exam. gre subject tests, as the name implies, focus on how well you know a specific subject. as of 2024, there are tests for math, physics, and psychology.

if a program also requires a gre subject test, they will explicitly state which one. many programs also clarify that they do not require any subject tests. for schools that are silent on the matter, some candidates may choose to take a gre subject test to supplement their applications.

what is this shorter gre test i keep hearing about?

though the gre name has remained the same for nearly a hundred years, the format of the test has not. the most recent overhaul happened in 2023 when the length of the exam was chopped in half (many sections were shortened and the experimental section was completely removed). and that’s why you’ll sometimes see it called the short gre or shorter gre or even new gre or updated gre.

historical fun facts aside, what’s important for you in 2024 is that you’ll be taking the 2-hour version of the test, not the 4-hour version.

do i have to take the gre? is it optional nowadays?

it depends! it really comes down to the particular programs at the specific schools that you’re applying to. in some cases, the answer is indeed “no.” in other cases, the gre is a definite requirement. there are also many programs where the gre is optional.

case in point, consider duke university. their computer science, economics, and public policy programs all require the gre. however, many of their other programs—such as psychology and neuroscience, humanities, and electrical and computer engineering—list the gre as optional.

additionally, the requirements even vary by the type of degree that you’re pursuing. for example, a master’s in computer science at yale requires the gre, but their phd program does not (they won’t even accept gre scores).

requirements also change from year to year. in the early 2020s, there was a trend towards test optionality. more recently, some schools have started requiring standardized test scores again.

therefore, it’s essential that you research each individual program that you’re applying to as they all have different policies.

gre as a choice for business schools and law schools

for most graduate programs, either you have to take the gre or you don’t. but for business schools and law schools, often there’s an additional factor at play: deciding between two different standardized tests.

for business school—if a test score is required—you’ll need to decide between the gre and the gmat. the vast majority of mba programs accept either test and view them equally. thus, it comes down to your personal preferences—and your strengths and weaknesses—as far as which to take.

for law school, it’s a similar story. though not as widespread, more than half of us law schools accept the gre. depending on which ones you’re applying to, it may be more efficient to just take the lsat. however, if all your schools accept either exam, then you may want to consider taking the gre instead of the lsat.

what is on the gre test?

the gre measures your skills in three main areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.

• verbal reasoning assesses how well you analyze written material, evaluate arguments, and understand the relationships between words and concepts.
• quantitative reasoning tests your ability to comprehend, evaluate, and solve problems using numerical data, basic math principles, and critical thinking.
• analytical writing measures your capacity to express complex ideas effectively, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present them in a clear and structured manner.

here’s a quick look at what comprises the gre and its sections:

section	time	questions
verbal reasoning	41 minutes	27
quantitative reasoning	47 minutes	27
analytical writing	30 minutes	1 essay
total	1 hour 58 minutes	54 questions, 1 essay

we dive into all the details in our complete guide to the gre ebook pdf, but here are some key highlights about the exam:

• the verbal and quant portions are both split into two sections (12 questions, then 15)
• adapts by section: your performance on the 1st section dictates the difficulty of the 2nd
• no breaks between sections
• no penalties for guessing, so always answer every question!
• only about half of the gre questions are standard multiple choice

now, let’s take a brief look at each of the sections.

verbal reasoning

the verbal reasoning section ultimately tests how you read. you’ll need to parse dense passages to identify main ideas, inferences, and arguments. you’ll also need to pay attention to context clues while navigating tricky grammatical structures to determine which vocabulary words (or phrases) best fill in the blanks. and many of those vocabulary words are quite advanced!

check out our verbal review for more information.

quantitative reasoning

the quantitative reasoning section is exactly that: a reasoning test. this means you don’t have to worry about advanced calculus, trigonometry, proofs, or really anything that you studied past the third year of high school. the test primarily focuses on arithmetic, algebra, and geometry.

see our math review for more details.

analytical writing

the analytical writing section tasks you with writing a single essay. given a specific issue, you’ll need to stake a position and then support your argument. you’ll want to write an essay that’s well structured (with a clearly defined thesis), well reasoned (with examples that convincingly show your position), and well expressed.

read tips to approaching the gre analytical writing section for more on how to best craft your essay.

complete guide to the gre test ebook pdf

giving each of these sections a full discussion is more than we can do in this article. so, we’ve put together a comprehensive resource here:





that ebook goes into great detail about each of the sections and all their question types. we discuss recommended strategies and walk through several practice questions for commonly tested concepts and question types. also included are suggested resources to get the most out of your studies.





we hope you find this pdf helpful! print it out, or download it to your phone. use it as an introduction to the gre as you’re starting out, or reference it throughout your gre journey.

what score do i need?

in large part, your choice of program and school dictates what score to aim for. remember how all these programs have different requirements for even taking the gre or not? well, they all have different minimums and averages for the test results, too.

some schools will specify a certain total (or “composite”) gre score that’s needed. others will break that down by section, into separate verbal and quant requirements. some programs also place much more emphasis on one section over another. no surprise, humanities programs will typically be much more interested in your verbal score, whereas engineering programs will be looking at your quant score.

one thing is for certain: you don’t have to get the highest possible score on the gre, a 340. if you achieve that, that’s absolutely fantastic! however, acing the exam is by no means necessary.

target scores to aim for

very generally, in terms of percentiles, getting above the 50th percentile (approximately a 310 score) is a nice minimum target to aim for. that means you’re a little above average and meet the requirements or recommendations for a lot of schools. and for a rather competitive score, getting above the 75th percentile (around a 323 score) is a good target.

again, you’re going to want to research each of your schools’ requirements to find the best and most accurate answer. you can get some ballpark figures by looking at the gre score ranges for top universities.

you can also look at the averages for various types of programs: what’s a good gre score?

most importantly, examine your programs’ admissions pages for the target scores that will be most applicable to you.

how hard is the gre test?

this is another question where the answer depends a lot on you! there are all kinds of factors to consider, such as:

• what did you study in college?
• how long ago did you attend?
• is math a weakness or a strength of yours?
• how much gre prep have you done so far?

we look at these factors and more in our article how hard is the gre? we also compare sample questions from other tests you may be considering (like the gmat or lsat) or may have already taken (like the sat or act).

how do i best study for the exam?

it really boils down to a steady diet of:

1. studying content and strategies (such as through lessons)
2. doing practice questions and taking practice tests
3. learning from your mistakes

now, those are just the broad strokes. for greater detail, more nuance, and advice on how to stay on track in your studies, be sure to look at:

• how to study for the gre
• how long to study for the gre
• gre study schedules

gre test prep options

as for how to go about all of the above, you have a few options:

gre books

good if you’re a self-starter with lots of energy and motivation! while these are an inexpensive, self-paced option, they may not be the best if you need special guidance. read our reviews of the best gre books for recommendations.

in-person gre prep classes

these are good if you need motivation or if you have a compressed time frame. these are also helpful if you want to have an expert explain the test to you in person. on the other hand, they can be expensive and may not fit your schedule or be easily accessible from your location. additionally, you’ll need to do some research to find reputable classes.

gre tutors

tutors are an excellent option for those who need extra motivation or want personalized study plans and support. tutors can also be especially helpful if you are looking to address particular problem areas. however, tutoring will normally be more expensive than classes because you’re paying for one-on-one time.

the biggest issue here is finding someone qualified. a good tutor isn’t just someone that scored high on the gre. they also need strong 1-on-1 teaching skills (which are different from the teaching skills needed for a large group).

online gre test prep

while we’re obviously a little biased, online test prep offers the best of all worlds. you have lots of material (often more than any book can provide!) in a format that matches the actual gre test. it gives you a clear path forward with the ability to go at your own pace, along with some level of personalization.

good online gre prep will also be transparent. they’ll let you know what you can expect from the program and will have the data (and 足球世界杯举办地2022) to back their claims up. whichever program you opt for, look for ones that offer lots of practice similar to what you’ll see on test day. detailed answers and explanations are a must as well, and it’s even better if they offer access to experts. furthermore, a score guarantee can instill some confidence and peace of mind.

when and how do i take the gre test?

as for when to take the gre in your overall timeline, aim to take the exam the season before your applications are due. for example, if you need to submit your applications by winter, take the gre in the fall. this approach gives you ample time to adapt if, for example, you choose to retake the gre.

as for the exact date and the necessary registration steps, take a look at our article on test dates. ultimately, there’s a fair amount of flexibility. you do have more options if you’re taking the gre online at home. however, as long as you sign up months in advance, there should be plenty of opportunities to take the gre in person at a test center as well.

lastly, to read about what the experience of taking the gre test is like, please see:

• gre test day: what to expect and how to prepare
• gre test day anxiety: how to beat it and get a great score!

wrapping up: that’s all there is to know

now you know what the gre exam is all about! give yourself a pat on the back for learning all the gre basics. we hope this resource helps you in making an informed decision about the gre.

if you decide to take the gre, now is a great time to start prepping. for lessons covering all the content and strategies you need to know, as well as ample practice questions and practice tests, consider a magoosh gre premium plan.

wait, i have more questions about the gre! (an faq)

and we have more answers!

first, an essential resource about the exam is ets’s gre information bulletin. that has all the fine and tiny print for everything related to the gre.

however, it’s not a very exciting doc to read through. so, we’ve distilled some of the most important information from that bulletin into many of the answers below.

• gre procedures
• are there accommodations for disabilities or health-related needs?
• can i reschedule or cancel my exam?
• how exactly do i send gre scores to my schools?
• can my gre scores expire?
• could you tell me more about canceling my scores?
• can i use scratch paper during the test?
• can i use my own calculator?
• more about the gre
• how much can i expect to spend on the gre?
• i’ve taken the gre before. should i take it again?
• where can i find more gre resources?

are there accommodations for disabilities or health-related needs?

yes, ets does provide various accommodations for those who demonstrate need. it can be a lengthy process to be approved, so start early.

for more information, see:

• gre and disability accommodations: ensuring a fair testing experience
• gre accommodations for adhd: strategies and resources

can i reschedule or cancel my exam?

you can reschedule your exam appointment (or location) for a fee (generally around $50).

alternatively, you can completely cancel your appointment, but this is more costly. if you cancel several days in advance, you’ll only be refunded half of your test fee. but if you cancel at the last minute, you’ll receive no refund.

as for how to reschedule or cancel, you can do so online within your ets account. depending on your location, you can also do so via phone (make sure you have your appointment confirmation number handy).

how exactly do i send gre scores to my schools?

it depends whether you’re doing this on test day right after your exam concludes or further down the road. however, either way, you’ll first want to find the code that ets assigns to a particular school or program.

on test day at the end of your exam, you can select up to 4 programs to send your official scores to for free. as for what “scores” means here, you have a couple options:

• most recent: send only the scores of the test you just took
• all: send the scores of the test you just took and any other gre test in the past 5 years

additionally, for whichever option you choose, you send all the scores related to a given test. in other words, the school will see your overall total gre score, your quant score, your verbal score, and your analytical writing score from a specific test. you cannot pick and choose different scores from different tests to bundle them together.

after test day, you have to pay a fee for each program you send a score to. you also gain an additional option:

• any: send the scores of any gre test that you’ve taken in the past 5 years

can my gre scores expire?

yes. gre scores are only valid for 5 years from your test date. if you’re beyond that window, you’ll need to take the exam again.

could you tell me more about canceling my scores?

on test day at the end of your exam, you’ll be given the option to cancel your scores before seeing your unofficial test results. you may be tempted to do this if you feel you didn’t perform well. however, given the many options you have around sending (or not sending) certain scores, there is most likely no reason to ever cancel your scores. (and you may have actually done better than you were expecting!)

you should also be aware that ets in rare cases can cancel your scores. see the end of the gre information bulletin for full details, but broadly this can happen due to testing irregularities, failed identification, misconduct, plagiarism, or ets’s discretion. if any of these happen, you’ll be notified in writing and given a chance to respond (and it can be a lengthy process).

can i use scratch paper during the test?

it depends if you’re taking the exam at a test center or at home. at a test center, they will provide you with scratch paper to write on. at home, you cannot write on paper. instead, you have to write with an erasable marker on a whiteboard or on a transparent sheet protector covering a piece of paper.

can i use my own calculator?

no. regardless of whether you take the test at home or at a test center, you are not allowed to bring your own calculator. the gre provides an onscreen calculator during the quant sections.

how much can i expect to spend on the gre?

at a minimum, just taking the gre test itself will cost you $220 (in most countries). however, various fees can quickly increase that number. see how much does the gre cost? for all the details.

and, per the earlier section on how to best study for the gre, your choice of prep is an important factor in your overall costs as well.

lastly, you may be able to save some money by applying for a gre fee waiver.

i’ve taken the gre before. should i take it again?

in some cases, yes. you’ll want to reflect on your previous experience with the gre and weigh various factors such as how much time you have left before your deadlines and how much of a score increase you’re likely to achieve.

but in other cases, retaking the gre may not be the best use of your time and funds. instead, it may be more impactful to focus on other aspects of your application.

we’ve put together some general advice—along with a detailed, handy flowchart—in our article should i take the gre again?

where can i find more gre resources?

explore the magoosh gre blog for more advice, practice questions, and tips.

ets offers two free practice tests called powerprep online. since these are official tests, we recommend saving them until later in your studies so that you can get the most accurate score estimate for how you’ll do on your upcoming test.

and for even more resources, take a look at our top 5 free gre resources and study materials.

happy studying!

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