GRAD School / MBA News and GMAT / GRE Strategy

Stay current with the latest grad school or MBA admissions news as well as proven GMAT and GRE strategies.

Switching from the GMAT to the GRE: Cautionary Tales

I cannot count the number of times I've been asked by MBA candidates (and even folks considering the LSAT for law school admissions) who have for whatever reason been turned off by the GMAT - shouldn't I just take the GRE? After all, in every corner of the internet it seems that the GRE is championed as the easier exam - and why wouldn't it be?

Data Sufficiencies Part 1 (Exam Overview and Question Types)

In this article, we’re going to discuss best practices for data sufficiency questions on the GMAT exam. You can either read this article or watch this GMAT technical mathematics video on YouTube. To make things easier to digest, we’ve broken the contents of the video up into 3 parts. In this segment, hosted by one of MyGuru's most experienced GMAT tutors, we will specifically discuss the frequency and format of data sufficiency questions and their strategic implications. In segments 2 and 3, we’ll work through examples of data sufficiency questions and provide a clear outline of the problem-solving process.

ETS Bungles Additional GRE Short Form Practice Exam Launch

At long last, ETS has finally converted more of their official online practice exams to the short form of the test that was launched September 22, 2023 - and it only took about four months! That said, as of today, January 22, the ets.org/gre PowerPrep practice exam purchasing website could not be more confusing.

What to Do If Your GRE Score Is Plateauing

Whenever you’re working toward improving a skill and pursuing a long-term goal, your path is likely to go through some periods of significant progress and other periods of stalled progress, or plateaus. This is often a natural part of the process of improvement, but sometimes those plateaus can be stubborn, and they may indicate you need to take a new approach. Plateaus can be especially problematic when the goal you’re pursuing is one with significant impacts on your life, as is the case when studying for the GRE.

The GRE has lots of downstream effects that influence your future path. Your performance on the GRE will determine what kind of grad school you get into, which will then determine the course the rest of your career takes. Therefore, as you go about your GRE prep, it’s crucial to be smart and responsive when you hit a plateau in your progress. 

Luckily, people tend to hit plateaus in their GRE prep for a few relatively common reasons, and they can each be addressed in different ways. In this article, we’ll look at some possible causes for your stalled progress in your GRE prep, and we’ll offer solutions for changing your approach so you can start seeing improvements again.

Timing Strategies for the New GRE

The new GRE is going into effect on September 22, 2023, and there are some major changes on the horizon. Most importantly, the overall length of the test is being cut in half, from 3 hours and 45 minutes total for the old GRE down to 1 hour and 58 minutes for the new GRE. 

However, while the overall length of the new GRE is shorter, timing is still going to be a major challenge, and something you’re going to want to focus on a lot as you go about your GRE prep. You’ll be working against the clock throughout the test, and if you’re not prepared for that, it’s going to significantly hurt your scoring potential.

In this article, we’ll walk you through some tips and strategies for improving your timing as you study for the new GRE.

The Newer, Shorter GRE--Everything You Need to Know

You may have heard the news by now—there are significant changes coming to the GRE, starting in September of this year (2023). The GRE does change from time to time, though it’s been a while since it’s undergone any change on this scale. 

The updated GRE is going to make the test-taking experience very different from what students have encountered over the past several years. If you’re in the middle of your GRE prep, and you’re thinking of scheduling a test date during or after September, 2023, you’ll want to keep reading so you can be prepared for what to expect.

GRE Data Interpretation Strategies

One of the most important question types on the quantitative section of the GRE is Data Interpretation, which is sometimes referred to as Data Analysis. Unlike, say, the algebra and geometry questions, Data Interpretation questions don’t rely so much on your knowledge of mathematical formulae. Rather, they primarily test your ability to make sense of numerical information that’s presented graphically, usually in the form of some kind of graph or chart. 

While the actual mathematical concepts are not always as challenging as other GRE quant question types, Data Interpretation questions can be surprisingly tricky. And it’s important to learn how to work with them, since they account for approximately 20% of your GRE quant score. In this section, we’ve collected several tips and strategies for you to consider as you go about your GRE prep.

GRE Reading Comprehension Tips & Strategies

One of the main challenges of the GRE’s Reading Comprehension questions is that, unlike math, there are no set formulas to learn. This can make Reading Comprehension seem harder, if not impossible, to study for. It seems like the necessary skills are more deeply ingrained—you either have them, or you don’t.

But that’s actually not true. You actually can take lots of steps in your GRE prep to improve your ability to work with Reading Comprehension questions. In this article, we’ll take you through some of the most powerful tips and strategies you can use to improve your ability to tackle GRE Reading Comprehension questions and raise your score.

7 Tips for Mastering GRE Quantitative Comparison Questions

While much of the subject matter on the Quant section of the GRE will be familiar to you, one common question type is likely to be unfamiliar: Quantitative Comparisons. QC questions are extremely important to focus on in your GRE prep, as they account for over a third of the entire Quantitative section of the test. However, it’s likely that you haven’t encountered this particular question structure before.

How to Study GRE Vocabulary - 9 Helpful Tips

If you’re studying for the GRE, then you’re probably already aware that vocabulary is a big component of the test. The GRE—or Graduate Record Examination—contains many questions that test your knowledge of academic English. Unfortunately, there’s no way to gain a comprehensive knowledge of every possible word you might encounter on test day. The English language is simply too vast. Even studying official past tests will only help you insofar as it teaches you the kind of words you’re likely to encounter on the test. The actual vocab words you’ll encounter on test day are unlikely to include many repeats from past tests.

But all that doesn’t mean there’s no way to prep for the vocabulary on the GRE. It just means you’re going to have to more strategic in the ways you study. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of helpful study tips, so you can make the most of your GRE prep.

How Long Do You Need to Study for the GRE?

If you’re considering applying to grad school, then there’s a good chance you’re going to have to contend with the GRE. The GRE—more fully known as the Graduate Record Exam—is used as an admissions test by many graduate schools in the US and Canada, for a variety of academic disciplines. The GRE’s wide applicability has to do with the fact that it measures a broad and general range of skills, including verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking.

Technical Mathematics Part 1 (Exam Overview and Question Types)

In this article, we’re going to discuss best practices for doing technical mathematics on the GMAT exam. You can either read this article or watch this GMAT technical mathematics video on YouTube. To make things easier to digest, we’ve broken the contents of the video up into 3 parts. In this segment, hosted by one of MyGuru's most experienced GMAT tutors, we will specifically discuss the frequency and format of technical mathematics questions and their strategic implications. In segments 2 and 3, we’ll work through examples of technical mathematics questions and provide a clear outline of the problem-solving process.

GMAT Vs. GRE Compared— Should you take the GMAT or GRE?

Should I take the GRE or the GMAT?

If you’re considering applying to grad school, you may have asked yourself this question. Figuring this out is a crucial stage in your grad school trajectory, as these tests not only require significant lead-time for registration, preparation, and score reporting, but the GMAT and GRE are also structured differently, serve different purposes, test you on different skills, reward different thinking styles, and can be viewed somewhat differently by MBA programs and grad schools.

Is a GRE Tutor Worth It?

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) plays a critical role in the admissions process for many of the world’s top graduate schools. Considering that a difference of 15 points can make or break your chances of being accepted into the programs with the highest-earning job placements and determine whether or not you qualify for scholarships that could save you thousands of dollars in the long run, hiring a good GRE tutor is an investment worth considering. Of course, whether or not a GRE tutor is worth the cost depends on your needs and goals as a student. If your raw score is relatively close to your goal and you consider yourself to be a self-motivated student, a tutor may not be necessary. But if your score needs serious improvement and you thrive with the one-on-one attention that only a tutor can provide, hiring a GRE tutor may be for you. In this article, we’ll investigate a variety of factors and considerations to help you decide if a tutor is right for you.

How Do the Best GRE Tutors Help You Improve Your GRE Score?

gre-tutorIf you want to improve your GRE score, you have many options at your disposal. You can self-study using free or extremely low-cost GRE prep materials from ETS, invest in a slightly more expensive self-paced GRE course, or enroll in a more expensive live in-person or online GRE course. Most people would agree though, that if you have the financial means, the most efficient and effective way to improve your GRE score is to enlist the help of a private GRE coach.

How to Study for the GRE: 15 Tips

how-to-study-for-the-GREIf you are thinking about how to study for the GRE, perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that proper planning will lead to a higher GRE score. The GRE is not like an IQ test. The more you study for the GRE, in general, the higher you will score. One basic mental mistake students often make is to keep toxic thoughts in their head about being “bad at math” (or verbal) and thus viewing GRE prep as a process they must endure, but which probably won’t help all that much. That’s wrong. While perhaps not a completely linear relationship, the more you prepare, the better you’ll do. Yes, how you prepare matters a lot too (more on that below). But just showing up and putting in the time is certainly an important part of the battle here.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Specific Content Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on words that require specific content knowledge. 

This video covers questions with specific content on the MAT. There are questions which will require additional background or contextual information the MAT. It is unlikely that students will have a grasp on all facts needed to complete these analogies, so it is essential to maintain good test taking skills to approach these questions. See below for our approach to questions with specific content.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Classification Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on classifying words based on groups. 

The MAT tests many types of analogies including classification analogies. These classification analogies are a form of analogy that compares terms based on what group the term belongs to. This video demonstrates a strategy to approach to identify the answer to these sometimes seemingly obscure terms.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Affix Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on affixes. 

The MAT tests on a number of analogies, including affix analogies. Affixes are part of a word that indicate a definition. At the beginning of a word, these are called prefixes. At the end of the word they are referred to as suffixes. As prior videos have described, it is important to have a working knowledge of affixes to succeed on the MAT. Below we provide a systematic strategy on approaching these affix questions. 

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Action Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on words that are action oriented. 

In preparing for the MAT, the action analogy requires specificity. While many students will encounter terms that are unfamiliar, there are ways to diligently break down the question and answer in order to increase the likelihood of reaching a correct answer.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Degree Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on words that are lesser or greater than their counterparts. 

This video provides an approach to degree analogies where terms are compared based on their relationship. These terms typically are related by a lesser or greater degree than the other term. These questions require a systematic approach and can be challenging. We recommend that you watch this video a couple of times in order to hone your approach to these question types.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Proper Place Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on proper nouns. 

This video looks at proper noun style questions, which may require some contextual knowledge. The MAT is a test that primarily tests on the ability to define relationships through analogies. This video uses an example of geographical landmarks to illustrate how to approach proper noun questions.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Math Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that focuses on math. 

The MAT presents as an alternative to the GRE for many students applying to graduate programs. MAT math focuses primarily on definitions and sequences rather than calculations. The MAT is composed of 120 questions over the course of 60 minutes. The main focus of this test is on test taker’s ability to solve analogies. We hope this video aids you in preparing for common math analogies on the MAT.

ETS Introduces Online Live-Proctored Official GRE At-Home Testing

official GRE at-home testingCOVID-19 has made taking in-person standardized tests such as the GRE impossible indefinitely across much of the world. Just in the past week Pearson Vue, the largest testing center company in the U.S., announced that all of their centers country-wide are closed until at least April 16. In response to these circumstances, beginning March 23, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) is at least temporarily offering a “GRE General Test at Home” for test takers in several nations including the U.S., Canada, and Hong Kong.

How Important is the GRE Analytical Writing Measure?

A high GRE Analytical Writing score won’t help you get admitted to a top graduate program, but a below average score can keep you out of one.

The Analytical Writing measure assesses critical thinking and analytical writing capabilities. It evaluates your ability to communicate and support complicated ideas, design and test arguments, and engage in a clear and intelligible discussion of an issue. It doesn’t assess how much you know about a specific topic.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Grammar Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style analogy that tests your grammar mastery. 

Grammar may be something you wanted to avoid by taking the MAT instead of the ACT, SAT, or GMAT. But the way that the MAT tests grammar is based on the relationships between punctuation marks and what they actually indicate from a definition standpoint, rather than sentence completion as seen on the GMAT.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Pivot Terms

In this continuation of our MAT review video series, we approach working through a standard MAT style Analogy via a technique using the “Pivot Term.”

A “Pivot term” is a term that cannot relate to the blank in the analogy; it helps you correctly determine the relationship between the given terms in the original analogy before evaluating answer choices. It’s imperative to identify this relationship before looking to the answer choices, as you will be better able to narrow your focus to pair the blank to one term vs. anything in the list of choices.

GMAT vs. GRE: Does it Matter When Applying to MBA Programs?

Should I take the GRE or the GMAT?

It’s an increasingly common question given the growing acceptance of the GRE. 10 years ago, very few MBA programs accepted the GRE as part of their admissions requirements. 5 years ago, a growing number of schools accepted the GRE in theory, but it was still a clear minority of students who were in fact applying to MBA programs with a GRE score instead of a GMAT score.

5 Benefits of Earning a Master's Degree Online

grad1Master’s degrees are becoming increasingly common, and it’s not hard to see why. In some fields, an advanced degree is necessary for even entry-level jobs, and for others, like STEM fields, it can mean an even higher salary, more and better prospects and more exciting work. But, it’s also not hard to see why many professionals are reluctant to take the plunge into traditional graduate school. Doing so means leaving the workforce, moving to a new city and going into tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

GRE/GMAT Study Planning Fundamentals: Choosing a GRE Preparation Method

This is the first in a multipart series on how to go about studying for the GRE or GMAT. We don’t plan on going into detail on specific concepts covered on the GRE or specific test-taking strategies in this series. Instead, the intention is to cover higher level, foundational issues around preparing for these exams, such as what type of support to get, what materials to use, what mindset to cultivate, etc. This article is being posted on our GRE blog, but we’ll switch from GRE to GMAT over time, as the concepts are broadly applicable to both exams.

Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Review Series: Conversion Analogies

In this continuation of our MAT review video series we discuss a slightly different and generally considered to be trickier type of analogy tested on the MAT.

One of the slightly more complex question types on the Miller Analogies Test involves needing to recognize changes in the literal letters in the words used in the analogy instead of analyzing a more typical contextual or meaning-based analogy. These types of analogies can be particularly tricky, because if you are not aware that they happen, it's possible to fall into what Stefan describes as some "cleverly laid" traps hiding in the answer choices.

Here are some key takeaway from this MAT analogies video:

  1. Start by understanding accepted analogies (e.g., you can't relate word B to C)
  2. Identify the pivot term in the analogy
  3. Recognize MAT analogy relationships can be based on letters or rhyme, not always context. 
  4. Words that are "kind of" or "sort of" alike is generally not specific enough for an acceptable MAT analogy
  5. Avoid clever traps (e.g., the relationship trap, where you focus on one relationship between two words that doesn't exist between the other two words)

This video was produced by MyGuru Director of Online Instruction and expert online MAT tutor Stefan Maisnier. Visit our YouTube channel for more MAT analogy videos.

Three Ways to Worry Less for a Higher GRE Score

There are two games you must win if you want to score well on the GRE. The first is what I call the “outer” game. It consists of the how-to’s for getting right answers — the x’s and o’s, if you will — including math concepts, vocabulary, formulas, strategic elimination strategies, time management, and other such tangible applications. The outer game is where GRE students spend most of their time, and it’s what our online GRE prep courses do such a great job of teaching.

How to Leverage Psychology and the Science of Skill Acquisition to Improve Your GRE Score

studying for GREThere is certainly a lot of content you must master to earn a high score on the GRE. Your mathematics, verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, and writing skills will be tested and obviously are key to earning a 90thpercentile GRE score (or better).

Perfecting the GRE Quantitative: Become an Exponents Expert

exponents.jpgLike the thousands of other humanities people getting ready to take the GRE, you may not have thought about exponents since high school. You probably spent your undergraduate years thinking a lot more about existentialism than exponents, and now need to feel confident enough about that tiny superscript number to work with it over and over again on the GRE.

GRE Guide: Single Question Passages

gre exam.jpgPerhaps the most overwhelming thing about the GRE is the test itself, as a whole. This article from HappySchools outlines the content and general format of the exam. The terrain covered by even the most conservative subsections can feel constantly in flux – and when most questions are asked only a single time on the test, prepping on a smaller scale often feels futile. But further compartmentalization actually breaks the test into fully digestible pieces, and when we look at the species of questions that exist in a micro-sense, we can see better when certain skills are being evaluated more than others. Noticing these differences is key to succeeding on the test, as going without often leads us to throw all of our skills at each question, a process that is draining and overwhelming. By noting the differences and curating our approach in a more fine-tuned way, we can save energy for later in the test, and have a better sense of question-consciousness, where we as test takers are responding to the questions as they are being asked, and not as we fear them to be.

GRE: Practice (Tests) Make Perfect

free practice test gre.jpgAs you're planning to take the GRE, you'll want to set up a structured study plan for yourself.  There's no single, correct way to do this, and each student approaches this test slightly differently.  Some students may opt for a rigorous prep course, while others might work with a tutor.  Still other students strike off on their own, get a few books, sign up for a few online resources and study the material themselves.  No matter which approach you decide to take, though, you'll want to find a way to structure your studying and measure your progress—and one of simplest and most effective ways of doing that is to simply take tests as you go along.

The Formula for a Great GRE Essay

editorial.jpgWhen's the last time you read the editorial section of a newspaper?  In case you haven't picked one up in awhile, that's the section in which the editors, speaking for the newspaper as a whole, express the paper's stance on pertinent issues of the day.  Strong editorials don't have to be particularly long, but they clearly articulate the point of view of the editorial board, offer strong support for why the editors feel the way they do, address and refute counterarguments, and wrap up with a strong reiteration of the main argument, sometimes with a call to action.  The best editorials capture the passion and conviction of the writers—in a manner such that those who already agree will be galvanized, and those who disagree may in some cases be persuaded to rethink their point of view.  These skills, it just so happens, encapsulate the kind of writing that can knock a GRE essay out of the park.

Of Course It's Flawed: The Argument Essay

gre argument essay.jpg

One of the key differences between the college entrance exams (SAT, ACT) and the graduate level exams (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, etc) is that by the time you’re ready to apply to graduate school, colleges and universities expect you to have developed a deep ability to reason critically and to think logically.  After all, one of the fundamental skills in graduate school is learning how to tear apart not only everyone else’s work, but also—and perhaps especially--your own.  To do well in most master’s or doctoral programs, you’ll need to critically evaluate, identify inconsistencies and flaws, and identify limitations.  And that’s why, even though it may seem like just a simple yet annoying exercise, the GRE Argument Essay is so important.

Decisions: GRE or MAT?

What if I told you that there was an alternative to the GRE that included no essays, almost no math, was administered in less than one-third of the time and offered for less than half of the cost? If you’re a liberal arts grad like me, you’d probably be rather excited about this incredible entrance requirement alternative! Well, this exam already exists. It’s called the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) and it is accepted by hundreds of graduate schools across the country, primarily for acceptance to programs with focuses in the humanities and social sciences.

Developing A GRE Study Plan: Five Concepts to Consider

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Time management is important in all walks of life: at home, at school, and at work.  In this article, we'll talk about time management when you are creating and executing a GRE study plan. Before reading this article, if you’d like to take an interesting, short quiz from Mind Tools on how good your time management skills actually are, click here.

How to Ace the GRE Writing Section


The purpose of the GRE’s Analytical Writing section is to test your critical thinking & analytical writing skills. These skills include your ability to properly articulate and support a complex idea, and build strong arguments while composing a well-structured and coherently written essay. One thing to note is that this does not assess your specific knowledge on a given topic.

GRE Quantitative Reasoning Strategy: Trigonometry Strategies


While you may be taking the GRE to get into graduate school, it may relieve you to know you won’t have to use math that you’ve learned past your sophomore or junior year of high school. Long-winded and drawn out problem solving and arithmetic is not the style of the GRE. So what’s the catch? If the math is so easy, why are you even reading this article on how to tackle the math section? The challenge behind this section draws from the way these limited mathematical concepts are presented to you. In a sense, you need to often systematically deconstruct the problem in the way it’s presented, to determine what is really being asked of you. Once you are able to determine what the question is asking, the actual “number-crunching” or math involved is much less than you might think.

Simple but Powerful Test Taking Strategies: Part 2


academic-strategies.jpgIn part one of our “Common Test Taking Strategies” series, we noted that strategy is an intrinsic part of preparing for standardized tests, and that without the proper strategies even the most advanced students find themselves performing below their full potential.  We discussed several proven test taking strategies, including using official test prep materials produced by the same company administering the exam (i.e., the Real ACT Prep Guide if you’re taking the ACT), focusing on what the question is actually asking, scanning all potential answers before choosing one, assuming nothing when deciding which answer is best, and making abstractions concrete.

In part two, we’ll cover five additional test taking strategies:

  • Reading and retention “pauses” for long reading comprehension passages
  • Answering easy questions first
  • Time management
  • Providing overly structured responses
  • Test “mentality”

GRE Verbal Strategy Review: Text Completion


Overcoming_Test_Anxiety_with_Mindful_Relaxation_Techniques.jpgOf all the different questions that students work on as they prep for the GRE Verbal, none seem to routinely cause as much trepidation as the Text Completion. If you’ve taught the GRE as much as I have, then you know the particular sigh of fear and pre-emptive defeat that students give when they turn to page to see a sentence riddled with long underscores.

The Importance of Vocabulary on the GRE

gre-vocabularyVocabulary is one of the biggest and most important aspects of the GRE. You will need to start studying vocabulary well before you take the test, because it is a slow process. There is a limit to how many words you can effectively study at one time; it is impossible to learn thousands of words by cramming at the last minute.

There are no real shortcuts, either. Some people try to learn root words in an attempt to minimize study time, but this technique does not work very well on the GRE, for various reasons:

The Making of a Stellar Score on the GRE

describe the imageI often hear people wonder whether it is possible to increase one’s GRE score. They believe that a standardized test score is more or less set in stone, one’s score changing plus or minus two points depending on the day. This line of thinking is actually woefully inaccurate; with a combination of diligence, resources, and the proper approach, you can greatly increase your score. Indeed, I’ve seen a couple of Magoosh students increase their scores by 29 points. 

A Review of GRE Test Prep Options

Screen Shot 2013 11 19 at 12.32.13 PMWith so many GRE test prep options available, it can be hard to know where to start looking.  Hopefully this outline of the types of options available will help you get an idea of what would work best for you.

When Should You Do Your GRE Test Prep Online?

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There are two different ways to think about the concept of doing your GRE test prep online: 1) working with an online GRE tutor and 2) enrolling in an online GRE prep course. In this article, we’ll focus on the idea of working with an online tutor. 

Preparation Tips for the GRE Verbal Section

shutterstock 141058120The verbal section of the GRE consists of three types of questions: reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence. Since the ability to analyze texts critically is of fundamental importance in research, a good score on the verbal section of the GRE is very reassuring to graduate admission committees. 

Tips to Improving Your GRE Verbal Score

gre verbal scoreLet's look at some tips that can help to improve your GRE Verbal score. The GRE's Verbal section includes three main question types: text completion, sentence equivalence, and reading comprehension. Following is a brief explanation of each of the 3 question formats, along with tips for improving your score on each question type. At the end, you'll find a sample GRE Verbal problem, with explanation.

GRE Test Prep: 3 Geometry Concepts to Know

gre trigLet’s look at three math concepts that are very helpful on the GRE’s Quantitative Reasoning sections.  Each concept involves triangles.  The first concept, triangle inequality, can be used with any triangle.  The second concept, Pythagorean Triples, can be used with right triangles.  And the third concept, a shortcut for finding the ratio of triangle perimeters or areas, can be used with similar triangles.  To illustrate the first concept, we’ll start off with a sample GRE problem.

What To Look For In a GRE Prep Course

gre prep courseIf you’re planning to take the GRE, chances are that you aren’t treating it as a casual endeavor, but that you are planning to put a lot into it and get a lot out.  After all, a graduate education requires a huge investment and, hopefully, provides a huge return.  So it should be safe to say that you are making a committed effort to prepare.  But with all of the material that is considered essential to an undergraduate education, and the volumes more that is considered specialized, it can be easy to get lost without a roadmap. 

Simple Steps to a Higher GRE Score

There are many different ways to study for the GRE.  But most GRE prep classes, GRE prep courses, and GRE tutors have the following 5 step process in common:

GRE study tips

  • Invest in some type of test prep material that is clear and easy to understand.  Nowadays, there are more than 10 high quality options for almost every standardized test.  Your chosen GRE prep materials should include:
    • Descriptions of the major areas of the GRE
    • Key concepts being tested in each area
    • GRE testing strategies
    • Several full length GRE practice tests
    • Lots of practice GRE problems
  • Complete a diagnostic test to understand strengths and weaknesses before you really start studying
  • Plan in advance regular study time each week AND what you’ll review during each week
  • Complete lots of actual practice problems, covering all of the major conceptual areas of the test
  • Complete at least 5 different practice tests, and ensure your score is increasing each time.

However, beyond that generic plan, a customized approach based on the starting point of each individual student can truly increase GRE scores.  For example, here was our approach with one particular student:

One Customized Approach

Student was doing well with the quantitative sections of the GRE, but needed to improve verbal and writing scores dramatically.  His objective was to get admitted into top graduate school programs, which required GRE scores in the 90th percentile or better.

(1) Designed a study plan for GRE vocabulary

(2) Intensive student-specific preparation created to help the student maximize success for questions where he was familiar with words or phrases

(3) Direct observation of timed testing sections, to help improve time management and manage stress/frustration.

Results Achieved

We observed significant increase in GRE verbal score on second test date, with stated improved confidence, time management, and ability to overcome challenges during the test.

You can read a full case study on our approach with this particular GRE test-taker (coming soon).

How To Customize a Study Plan?

Developing a customized GRE study plan doesn’t need to be difficult.  The first step is simply identifying where you are strong vs. weak.  If your percentile score in GRE Quant is 85th percentile (meaning you scored better than 85 out of 100 GRE test takers on your practice GRE), but your GRE Verbal score is 50th percentile, then you should consider layering in an extra week or two of GRE Verbal prep.  If necessary, that may mean investing in additional test prep materials focused on whatever section you need extra help in.  Just keep doing extra practice and reviewing problems you miss. 

However, you do need to keep monitoring your performance across all sections as your test prep process progresses towards your test date.  We’ve seen many students who are apparently very strong in verbal but weak in math spend 2 months straight focusing on improving their math score.  Sure enough, come test day, their math score is much better.  However, lo and behold, now their verbal score is much worse.

Why did this happen?  Well, even if you are very good at GRE-verbal, you need to keep the concepts and the problem types fresh in your mind.  You can easily make a bunch of small errors, even though you know the main concepts pretty well, and end up bombing the actual test due to those small errors  piling up.

Summary

Like any standardized test, the GRE can be mastered with intelligent, careful practice that starts with basic test taking study plan development and strategy, and layers on a customized approach based on any given student’s starting point, strengths, and weaknesses.  With a calm, steady, planned approach to studying for the GRE, most students observe significant improvement, regardless of the specific prep strategy they chose: GRE class, self-study, or private GRE tutor.

What are your experiences studying for the GRE?

Applying to Business School? Revised GRE vs. GMAT: MyGuru's Perspective

Many MBA programs are now accepting the Revised GRE test for admissions.  We recently wrote a post on our blog which covers most of what you’d need to know about the specifics of the revised GRE, in case you’re unfamiliar with it.  In any case, the GMAT has dominated this market for a long time, but this new version of the GRE is making serious inroads.  Fourteen of the top 20 MBA programs accept the GRE for admissions and 3 of the six holdouts in the top 20 accept the GRE for their evening and weekend MBA programs.

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