GRE is a standardized test known as the Graduate Record Examination, which is conducted to determine eligibility to the Master and Doctoral programs at graduate schools in the USA and other countries. Although many top universities require GRE scores, there are several good universities that do offer admission without GRE scores . The exam is conducted via computer-based or paper-based modes to test analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning skills of the candidate. There are a total of 6 sections in GRE. The validity of the GRE score is for 5 years.
Verbal Section
Question pattern: There will be 2 sections with 20 questions in each section and each section is allotted 30 minutes. There will be 6 text completion questions, 4 sentence equivalence questions, and 10 critical reading questions per section.
Score scale: 130-170 (1 point increments)
Time taken: 60 minutes
Quantitative Section
Question pattern: There will be 2 sections with 20 questions in each section and each section is allotted 35 minutes. There will be 8 quantitative comparison questions, 9 problem-solving questions, and 3 data interpretation questions per section.
Score scale: 130-170 (1 point increments)
Time taken: 70 minutes
Analytical Writing Section
Question pattern: 2 essays – Issue task and Argument task
Score scale: 0–6 (half-point increments)
Time taken: 1 hour
Cultivate the habit of reading to crack the verbal section
The healthiest practice to crack this section is to have a good reading habit. You can read anything ranging from newspapers to novels or publications. But the most important part while reading is to read between the lines and through the lines. Let us consider reading a daily newspaper, underline those words which are new for you. Check the antonyms and synonyms associated with the word. Make a quick record of the words. Become familiar with the words by applying them to your daily life scenarios. This is the best way how you can improve your vocabulary without just mugging up the words.
Plan your time spent for each quantitative question
Use time judiciously to solve quantitative questions. Time is limited to answer all the 20 questions in the quantitative section. You can take no more than 1:45 minutes for answering each question. If you try out the answer for a question but couldn’t find the right answer in the options list, then leave that question and move on to the next. Don’t hang on to same question by doing it multiple times. It can drain your time as well as confidence. So, the most important criteria here is time management and proper planning. Practice questions and attend many mock tests that are available online. This can give you a basic idea about how much time you are taking to answer a question and can help you work on your weak points.
Don’t just exaggerate sentences in analytical writing
Stick on to the topic while writing the essay. There are 2 essay questions in the analytical writing section, one essay on an issue and the other on an argument. While writing the essay, don’t get confused between these two. Give well-specified examples to convince your points on the essay. Never give your personal opinion while writing the essay. The most important way to evaluate your essay is not based on the quantity of words, but the quality of your essay. Remember this in mind and try to practice more essays on your own before going for the GRE.
Make a proper study plan
It is usually said that most people cannot follow a timetable for more than a week. But if you have strong determination and patience in doing something, you can surely stay on track with the timetable. The first thing you have to note before making a timetable is to count the number of days left for the GRE examination. Then, understand your strengths and weakness in each section. Some people may be good at the quantitative section but weak at vocabulary. And so the cases will be different with each one of you. Give more priority to the subjects you are weak at and plan your timetable.
Be ready with your list of target universities
You can select 4 colleges to which you want to send your GRE score at the time of the examination. Do good homework on the colleges offering the course you want to apply to. Go through the college website and get to know about the program features, fee, and other financial aid options. Make sure that you get admitted to a well-reputed university. It wouldn’t take you much time to do background research on the colleges. There are many online portals and study abroad consultancies from where you can get this information.
