10 important things to get through GRE

10 important things to get through GRE

In order to pursue a Masters or a Doctoral program in the US, you need to get through the GRE. The examination assesses candidates' verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Preparation for the test will depend on the amount of time you have and your way of preparation.

Do you really want to get through the new GRE and get into a graduate school? Here are some important tricks and tips that will help you get good grades in all the three sections of this exam.

1. Take GRE Practice Tests every weekend- Most of the candidates take the practice tests for the last 10 days before exam. I do not recommend this strategy. Instead I advise you to go for practice tests every weekend since it helps you to identify your weak areas and you can focus more on them.

2. Avoid being casual in the quantitative section- Please do not make the mistake of being casual about the quant section as the new GRE has raised the difficulty level of these questions, they are not hard but tricky. Without enough practice and proper strategies, you cannot score well.

3. Familiarize yourself with the test content- It is important for you to become familiar with the content of each section before taking the practice tests. The subjects on which you will be tested and the types of questions under each section are to be read properly.

4. Understand the type of response required- The questions under the Verbal and the Quantitative Reasoning measures have a variety of formats. Make sure what is exactly asked in the question as some of them require you to select a single answer option, others require you to select more than one answer option, and yet, some others require you to give a numeric answer.

5. Don't waste time on one question- There is an option of 'mark and review' on the testing software that helps you revisit the marked questions to review it. So it is better to skip the questions that you might have difficulty answering.

6. Analytical Writing Measure-It is important to plan your time. Within the 30-minute time limit for each task, you'll need to have sufficient time to think about the issue and compose your essay. Although the GRE examiners understand the time constraint and will consider your response a first draft, you still have to give your best.

7. Use context to help you –If a question in the passage reading section asks about a particular line, don’t go back to the passage and read just that line, instead read at least two sentences before and after the line in question. This will give you an idea of where the point started and where it is advancing to.

8. Understand what the question is asking – The comprehension section has the most tricky questions. If you find any difficulty in understanding what a particular question is asking, start reading the options for the answer and pick the first one that sounds right. Many a time more than one option will seem correct or even partially correct, but only one will be the absolutely right one.

9. Underline the key words while reading–While reading a passage underline the key words or sentences that contain the main idea. This will save a lot of time while answering the questions related to the passage.

10. Avoid extreme answers. – Sometimes answers that use words like never, always, completely, etc. are used just to avoid the extreme answers. Read carefully what exactly is asked.