The GRE com

ninamcguinness says:

GREs and similar exams are pretty hard, particularly if you haven’t practised. Make sure you buy the study guides and use them, and try and take a course, if you can afford it. The more familiar you are with the format, and the more practice you have, the better you are likely to do.

Good luck

fuchsia_52 says:

I know how you feel. I went into the GRE with a dislike for standardized tests and serious test anxiety, particularly about the quantitative part of the exam. I did get the books and CDs and studied, but not as much as I could have. I would recommend taking a course, if you can afford it. But if you can’t, get all the books and CDs from the library and set time aside to study each day, take the practice tests, etc. I thought it was rather difficult, half of which was the stress induced by the scary atmosphere of those computer testing sites. Cameras are on you the whole time, you have to check in and out at designated times and show ID to get back in, etc.

I refused to take it a 2nd time, as I’d already spent so much time and money on the first time around. And given my anti-standardized test stance, I decided that any school that turned me down because of one section of that stupid test wasn’t the kind of school I wanted to attend anyway. I ended up doing well on the verbal and writing (above 80th percentile) and not so well on the quantitative section. I explained the latter in my personal statements by addressing other work that showed that my quant skills were up to par for a social science PhD program. I was admitted to all 3 programs I applied to, so I guess it worked!

Good luck!

Lilel says:

Are you taking both the General and the Psychology one? I took the psych one and did well, if you know it then you know it and if you don’t know it just skip the question because you lose less points bu not answering then by answering wrong. But the general one I took a kaplan review and will be taking it this summer.

With the general one you could do okay if you study damn hard and memorize the math equations you learned way back when (like geometry) and study lots of vocab. I would not suggest taking it before either taking a review course and/or reading a book. It is a tricky computer adaptive test so it’s not like the normal tests you’ve taken. You can’t skip questions and it’s on a screen so you can’t highlight during the reading passages.

gillen s says:

its near impossible ur screwed

irockarolex says:

It is very easy

carlos t says:

the math part is weak and the english part is just vocab words (words like ‘esoteric’, ‘exculpate’ ‘abberation’ yada yada yada), the generic ‘hit parade’ list. if i were you i wouldn’t worry. just find a list of the words. the math part is almost at kid level.

most importantly: DO NOT PAY FOR A COURSE. i was in a research program at berkeley that made us go to one, and they paid. i went to two sessions and it was the biggest waste of my time as well as the programs money. all they do is sit there and read a book to you, the same book you could buy for 30 something bucks at B&N.

Happy Guesser says:

Okay, first, don’t bother talking to the college admissions people, call the grad department directly, talk to the grad coordinator, and ask them what they weight more with the GRE. Ask them to be specific and tell you the score they’re looking for. While you’re at it, ask them exactly how many people they are planning to accept Fall. If they’re only taking 7 people, and you score the lowest possible score on your GRE that they will accept, then you NEED to know what else you can do to make YOUR application stand out. So ASK THEM THAT! Also, address your GRE score in your letter to the school, particularly is you don’t do so well on it. Highlight in the letter any applicable volunteer work you’ve done, and name names of people you’ve worked with. Get letters from important people you’ve worked with, also, to give you more credibility.

Okay, as far as the test goes, I would imagine you need to score high in all catagories, but math/quantitative is probably most relevant. But you need to find this out, right? Anyway, the thing that most people don’t do is study. They SAY they study, they PLAN to study, they may even buy the software and test prep books to study….but then they do NOT study. And that’s a mistake. My husband scored adequately, the lowest number he could score and the grad school would accept, but he was NOT accepted. Now, it may not have anything to do with his relatively low GRE…but it MIGHT! Right??!!! So definately study. In fact, if you can afford one of those horrendously over-priced test prep classes, I’d recommend going for it! People who tell you it’s easy are lying. People who tell you they scored high and did NOT study, are, well, lying. People who tell you….oh, you get the point. Study!

Don’t let whatever happens discourage you, though, for going to grad school. Make sure you’re applying at several, and don’t set your hopes on Ivies only. Be realistic. There are some terrific programs with good reputations that you can get into with a good cv/resume, letters of recommendation, and a solid undergrad gpa, to where the GRE isn’t such a huge deal.

Greatest of luck to you!!!

Randy D says:

I took it, but it’s been a looooonnnnnnnnnggggggg time ago, as in 1973, and I did fairly well, I think. I scored something between 1000 and 1100 but I just can’t remember that long ago. I can tell you that I approached it and the SAT the exact same way: I either knew the stuff, or I didn’t, and cramming just pumps up our anxiety and causes mistakes that would not happen if I relaxed and took my time. I never studied for either exam, and I scored an 1190 on my SAT on the first and only time I took the exam, in 1969. Remembering that score makes me all the more sure I scored like a 1050 or somesuch on my GRE. To what extent the exam has changed since "way back then" and to what extent the scoring has changed since "the dark ages", I don’t know, but I can tell you that in any exam I took, I did better going in relaxed and not rushing or panicking. All that does is cause unneccessary mistakes. You probably know more than you give yourself credit for, so just relax. You’ve done your learning to this point, so go to the exam just to prove it and show ‘em what’cha know. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for. God Bless you.

guneetkalra123 says:

its hard..just focus

C Wil says:

Not very hard when you compare it to the other graduate exams.
Plus, the majority of the prep material made is for either the ACT/ACT or the GRE, so you should have your pick of choices for preparation. GOOD LUCK.

stuffmeister22304 says:

Since I earned the score below, I would be a good source.
I got the math score by reading and doing practice tests in "How to Prepare for the GRE Test with CD-ROM"( by Sharon Weiner Green and Ira K. Wolf) This book has 6 practice tests. I did all practice tests. To be extra sure you do well, you can do each practice test twice! The BEST WAY to prepare is by doing practice tests and then figuring out what kind of questions you need practice on. Then you can take extra effort to study on these areas.
I also did 20 practice essays, based on topics given by ETS. By the way, my essay score was low…I can’t help you with essays

Lastly, studying GRE vocabulary flash cards helped my verbal score. I can’t find what I used used, but you can use "Kaplan GRE Exam Vocabulary Flashcards Flip-O-Matic (Flip-O-Matic)," which is sold at Amazon.com.

bartathalon says:

If you get a study guide and study it real well then the GRE is easy but if you just go and take it then you probably won’t do so well. I have heard that if you score a 700 or better then your set. I had one brother study for a month and he scored a 750 and then my other brother studied for two days and scored a 720 so studying more really does help.

The math parts are easy but the verbal parts are pretty challenging i have to admit.

stealth_n700ms says:

I suppose it’s of any other test. The least difficult you can make it.

JeremyBro25 says:

what is gre

Andoryu.net says:

Do more past semester questions to analyze the trend of questions that usually comes out.

Time Warped says:

I did not feel that the content was hard. It is purely basic skill testing, and a higher level of word recognition than you experienced on the SAT or ACT. What I found difficult about taking the exam, was how little time they gave you between sections of the exam. As soon as they said, "times up"… time was literally up and we were directed to another section of the exam. I didn’t remember the SAT being that way. I found that to be very hard as I have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and am not able to switch cognitive gears that quickly.

I started preparing for the exam about 4 months in advance because I do not do well on exams when I cram. Much of the math I had forgotten as well… but a good review book, such as the Princeton Review helped me a lot. It helps you review as well as giving you insight into the exam and how it works.

I would also recommend the two books, Word Smart I, and Word Smart II.

If you do not feel you are good at exams, then you may have some test anxiety as well. To assess this part of yourself, or for further information on text anxiety, I would recommend a simple google search. There are many resources out there on the topic. You will need to be relaxed, be able to pace yourself, and to give your best effort.

The best thing that I like about the Princeton Review, was that they went over all the math that you would be required to complete on the GRE. Then, while taking the GRE, when I came across a problem that did not look familiar to me, I reminded myself of the math I had reviewed and I then found myself remembering more and the problem made more sense.

I don’t quite understand how the GRE is scored, but one of my professors commented that my score was extremely high. I did not do so well on the SAT… so I think the preparation I did was key to my success.

DD says:

what is easy in life??

devyn_d says:

There are some good answers here, and some bad ones; I think you’ll be able to tell which are which.

When I registered for the GRE, I was sent a CD that had a practice test on it. It turned out to be exactly like the real GRE, so if you get such a practice test, take it. Also, when I took the actual GRE (in January ’04), it seemed difficult, but I got a score of 800/800/6.0 (yes, really) — not that you’ll probably get that score yourself, but you’ll almost certainly get a better score than you feel you’re getting while you’re taking it. The 800/800 was also the score I got on the practice test, so your practice score might be a good guide.

Also, it’s a "Computer Adaptive Test", meaning that the questions will more or less move toward your level of ability. If the questions seem like they’re getting harder as you go on, it’s a sign that you might be doing well. In any case, take whatever practice test you can, and try not to worry about it. If you’re a good student, you’ll get into a good school even without a perfect score. Just try to enjoy the test — see it as a challenge or a game, and don’t feel like your future depends on it, because it really doesn’t.

Best of luck! With a practice test or two, I’m sure you can do well.

Rafa Granger_brasileira says:

study a lot. I am sure you are capable!

mrkwooley says:

Looking at all of the other answers, I’d say most of them are good advice. If you studied hard in undergrad, you should pass. But my clearest recollection of the exam was that it was long, hard, and turned my brain into jelly.

saadpapa says:

well its not as difficult as it sounds…..just prepare well for it n learn the stratergies in the books….refer the book by KAPLAN n the OG that the GRE council releases each year….take a few online practisce tests abt a week b4 ur actual test….well thts wht helped me….
All the best

diamond maker says:

HARDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

rockinanshu says:

They are easy …just be sure you have enough practice fro taking them

aniski7 says:

Apply for it early and they will send you a practice CD which has some tests and such. Do those and if you know someone who has the booklet, try that. Its not worth it buying the book but if you are nervous it might be an idea. It shows the format of the test and some test questions. Will be good practice and you will be more confident in your skills.
As for what is required by each school…look at their websites, most have reqs listed and what they expect you to get. If its the general GRE then you need to get a minimum of 1200-1400 for quantitative for most programs and minimum of 4.5 in written. It is tough but if you practice a couple weeks or so in advance you should be good.

skibaaurora says:

It all depends on what you are going for. It also depends what school you are attending as well.