The GRE is Changing—What You Need to Know
This post was written by GRE Instructor Tyler Johnson. Big news in the GRE world as ETS announces the first format changes since 2011! Details are still being released; we’ll update this post whenever new information becomes available.
Your GRE Study Calendar
Studying for the GRE on your own? Load up your GRE study calendar right now—it’s time to get organized. Read more
Most Common GRE Vocabulary Words
The most common GRE vocabulary words are rare but reasonable. The vocab questions don’t test the simplest GRE Vocabulary words, like cat or go. They also don’t test the hardest GRE Vocabulary words, like conodont or acnestis. The words tested on the GRE fall between these two extremes. They aren’t words that you see every day, but you’ll eventually run into them if you read plenty of high-quality writing—which is one thing the GRE is testing for! Read more
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.
What is the GRE?
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized test administered by testmaker ETS and used by graduate programs (including some business and law schools) to evaluate applicants. Taking the GRE is a standard step in the application process for most programs, and your score can hold considerable weight in your application. Admissions committees consider your GRE score, GPA, extracurriculars, and application materials to determine whether you qualify for graduate programs and whether you would be a good fit.
GRE Work Problems
You can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE courses absolutely free. Ready to take the plunge? Check out our upcoming courses here.
Problems involving work and rates can be a problem for many test-takers, but with a clear method to set them up and a little clever plugging in, you can learn to knock them out efficiently and accurately. Read more
What Are the Hardest GRE Math Problems?
And what do they tell us about prepping for the GRE?
Students often ask me, “Where can I find the most difficult questions on the GRE?” In this blog entry, I’ll show you the top three hardest GRE Math problems, ranked by percent of students who got them wrong. Before we get there, I should say: you don’t need to correctly answer questions like these to get a very, very good score on the GRE. This is a test that favors accuracy and consistency on mid-range questions over the ability to get the very hard ones. One can nab a score in the 90th percentile or above without getting any of the very hardest GRE Math problems correct. In case you’re curious, though, this is what the hardest GRE Math problems look like. Each of these questions were correctly answered by fewer than 20 percent of GRE test takers.
Start the drum roll.
How to Study: Reviewing a GRE Practice Test
You can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE courses absolutely free. Crazy, right? Check out our upcoming courses here.
You’ve been studying for the GRE for a while now, and you’ve taken at least two GRE practice tests. (If not, start with this article instead!) Last time, we started discussing how to review a GRE practice test at a high level. This time, we’ll go even further: you can learn something from every single question on your GRE practice test. Here’s how. Read more
How is the GRE Adaptive, and What Should You Do About It?
When we say that the GRE is an adaptive test, we mean that the questions you are given on it vary depending on your performance. If you answer more questions correctly early on, you’ll subsequently see harder questions. If you answer fewer correctly, you’ll see easier questions. But how does this work exactly, and what does the GRE’s adaptive format mean for you as you’re developing your test-taking strategy?
How to Review a GRE Vocabulary Question
If you want to master the GRE, think like a scientist. Each practice text completion or sentence equivalence question you miss gives you two new pieces of data. When you put enough data together, you learn, grow, and improve. Read more