We Took The GRE At Home. Here’s What We Learned.
You’re in luck—everything you’ve wondered about the GRE at home is here. Not only are we going to cover technical requirements, such as what to do before test day, and what to expect on test day, but we’re also going to cover the experience taking the GRE at home from the perspective of a single person (“Stuart”)—during 2020, that is. Stuart told me about his experience and so I just want to make sure you know that this isn’t necessarily what your experience will be like. Still, in case it might be helpful, we decided to report how it went down for one of our teachers. (Stuart isn’t his real name.)
To get started, what happens first?
How to Form an Online GRE Study Group
In this time of social distancing, studying for the GRE in some ways should be easier for many of us—we no longer have to fight FOMO, because we don’t get to go out, anyway. But in other ways it can be harder. Being alone and/or indoors for extended periods of time can feel isolating, and the situation that has given rise to the social distancing causes anxiety for many of us.
My plan this week was to write a post on how to create an in-person study group, but since that’s not possible (nor a good idea) at the present date, I’ve decided to share ideas for how you can create an online GRE study group.
My GRE Was Canceled. Now What?
If your test was postponed due to COVID-19, you may find yourself anxious and/or unsure about what to do from here. In this post I want to share with you your current options and address common concerns/questions.
How to Maximize Your Vocab Prep
What are the best ways to study vocabulary on the GRE? I’ve compiled my top strategies for getting the most out of your GRE Vocab prep.
Also, be sure to check out our GRE Word of the Day Vocab Series on YouTube!
How to Actually Do Combinatorics Problems on the GRE
Combinatorics—it’s a word none of us can say and none of us had ever heard of before we started studying for the GRE. It’s a fancy word that just means “the number of possibilities” or “all the ways something could go” (my definitions).
Using the Computer to Your Advantage on the GRE
The fact that the GRE is administered on a computer is tough for a number of reasons—you can’t mark up the passages on the Reading Comprehension sections, for instance. It can also be visually tiring to stare intently at a screen for four hours (though many of us are used to this from doing so at work all day).
But there are also reasons why taking a test on the computer can be a good thing. Let’s take a look. Read more
How Much Can You Expect Your GRE Score to Go Up with Studying?
As a GRE instructor, I get this question a lot. I’ll start by just sharing what I see, and note that this is just my experience: most students go up 5-8 points with study. That said, there are also students who go up 15 points, so I don’t mean the 5-8 to be read as a cap or threshold.
Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll state the obvious, which is that every person is different. So many factors play into this question, including where you start, how much you study, and how you study. But since you already know that, I want to unpack each of these in order to answer the question more specifically to you.
Can You Skip Questions on the GRE?
The GRE is a typical standardized test in some regards. For one, it’s a test of endurance—you will be sitting there for around four hours. It’s also typical in that it is a test of speed—you will face significant time pressure. And it’s a test of skill, of course—you will be tested on content that graduate schools have deemed relevant to their admissions decisions.
Should I Cancel My GRE Score?
When you finish taking the GRE, you’ll be given an option to cancel your score. This may sound like a nice option—if you really think you did terribly, it’s not too late to pretend the whole thing never happened, right? Yes, you can cancel your GRE score. But cancelling your score is not always the best course of action.
How to Study for the GRE in 2 Days
So you’re taking the GRE in a couple of days and you have no idea where to start. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’s where you find yourself. What do you do?