The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardised test often required for graduate school admission. It assesses a student's critical thinking, analytical writing, and verbal and quantitative reasoning skills. Scoring well on the GRE can be challenging, but with the proper preparation and strategies, it is possible to achieve a good score. Below are the top tips to make your GRE experience a great one.
Memorising Directions
Memorising directions for tests such as the GRE is integral to preparing for the exam. It helps you to become familiar with the format of the test and the instructions for each section and question type. This can save time on test day and reduce the chances of surprises that may throw you off your game.
When memorising the directions, it's essential to understand the format of the test and the instructions for each section and question type. This includes the number of questions, the time allotted for each section, and the types of questions that will be asked. Knowing this information beforehand allows you to move through the test more quickly and efficiently.
By thoroughly knowing and understanding the directions, you can also reduce the chances of confusion and mistakes. This is important as you want to earn points due to understanding the instructions. Therefore, memorising the directions is an essential part of a GRE study plan, as it can save time, reduce confusion, and give you a mini-brain break during the test.
Do Easy Questions First
On the GRE test, all questions within a subsection are worth the same amount of points, regardless of their difficulty level. Therefore, it makes sense to do the easy questions before attempting the more challenging ones. This strategy lets you collect the easy points first and build your confidence before tackling the more complex questions.
When you encounter a question on test day that seems confusing or complicated, spend less time on it. Skip it and use the test's marking function to indicate that you didn't answer. Then move on to the next question. By doing this, you can focus on answering the questions you feel confident about and can respond quickly, increasing your chances of getting a higher score.
After you've made your first pass through the subsection and answered all the easy questions, return to the questions you marked and complete them. They are more accessible than you thought. This strategy allows you to work on the questions you feel most comfortable with first, which can help reduce test-taking anxiety and increase your chances of success.
Answer Every Question
On the GRE test, there is no penalty for guessing on questions. This means that even if you are unsure of the answer, it's to your advantage to make a guess. This is because you can get the answer correct and earn points, whereas leaving a question unanswered guarantees you will not earn any points.
When guessing, it's best to make an educated guess if you have time. This means using the process of elimination to narrow down the possible answers based on the information you know. Even if you are still trying to figure out the solution, you can still eliminate one or more of the options as definitely incorrect.
If you need more time to make an educated guess, it's still beneficial to guess randomly. Even if your guess is incorrect, you won't lose any points.
It's important to note that this strategy applies to the computer-delivered GRE, where the test-takers can move back and forth between the questions, and not to the paper-delivered GRE, where you will be required to answer the questions on the section in sequence.
Process of Elimination
The process of elimination is a strategy that can be used to help answer questions when uncertain of the correct response. It involves eliminating answer choices that you know are incorrect to increase the chances of guessing the correct answer.
When using this strategy, it is essential to read the question and all the answer choices carefully and look for keywords or phrases that can help you eliminate specific options. For example, if the question asks for the opposite of a word, you can eliminate any answers similar in meaning to the original word.
It's important to note that this strategy is beneficial for multiple-choice questions and other types, such as fill-in-the-blanks and sentence completions, where you can eliminate the grammatical or semantically incorrect options.
Using the process of elimination is a helpful strategy that can increase your chances of guessing correctly on the GRE test and can be particularly useful when you are unsure of the correct answer.
Use Word Tone for Vocab Question
The GRE Verbal section includes vocabulary questions, which can be challenging to answer if you're unfamiliar with the words' meanings. One strategy that can be used to help answer these questions is to use a word tone.
Word tone refers to whether a word is generally positive or negative in connotation. Words with similar meanings can have different tones. For example, while "notoriety" and "eminence" both generally mean "fame," notoriety has a negative tone, and eminence has a positive one.
When using this strategy, you should pay attention to the context of the question and use the tone of the word to help you eliminate answer choices that are not appropriate. For example, if the context of the question is negative, you can eliminate answer choices with a positive tone.
This strategy can help you to narrow down your choices even if it doesn't lead you to the definitive answer. It's important to remember that this strategy can be used in conjunction with other techniques, such as the process of elimination, and it's not a standalone strategy.
Stay Calm
Staying calm during the GRE test is crucial for success. The test can be a stressful experience, and it's easy to let that stress affect your performance. However, it's essential to remain calm and composed, even when faced with difficult questions or when you feel like you've forgotten something you studied.
When you feel stressed or anxious, it's essential to take a deep breath and remind yourself that you can do it. Avoid dwelling on past mistakes or worrying about future questions. Try to focus on the task at hand and stay in the present moment.
