GRE Preparation
What is
the GRE?
The Graduate Record Exam
(GRE) measures your ability to succeed at graduate-school level studies,
exactly like the SAT and ACT measure your ability to
succeed at undergraduate schooling. Your score on the GRE is one of the primary
factors used by university admissions officers for determining whether or not
to accept you into their programs. As such, it is important to prepare for the
GRE and score as highly as you can.
GRE
Format
Developed by Educational
Testing Services (ETS), the GRE exam has many similarities to the SAT. Both are
now computer adaptive tests (CAT); no need to bring a pencil, pen or paper to
the test site. In a CAT, you answer one question at a time; your answer to each
question determines the difficulty level of the next question. As you answer
questions correctly, the computer program increases the difficulty of your
questions; when you answer a question incorrectly, the computer program
provides another of the same difficulty or a slightly reduced difficulty.
Eventually, the computer program determines your score based on the correct
level of your skill in that area.
The GRE exam measures three
skill areas:
Analytical
Writing (2 tasks for a total of 60 minutes)
Verbal
Reasoning (2 sections for a total of 60 minutes)
Quantitative
Analysis (2 sections for a total of 70 minutes)
The analytical writing
section uses a free-response (or essay) format to measure your
ability to write complex thoughts in clear, precise English prose. The skills
you need to demonstrate in this section include:
- Evaluate
claims and evidence
- Develop
a complex, coherent argument/discussion
- Support
ideas with reasons and example
- Write
using standard punctuation and grammar
For this section of the
test, you will need to write an essay or argument for each of the two tasks.
You should be able to type and use a basic word processing program (no, the
word processor does not have grammar or spell check – you have to supply those
skills on your own).
For most international
students, this section is moderately difficulty. Although the GRE exam requires
you to demonstrate a sophisticated command of written English, the free
response format allows you to craft your answer in whatever ways highlight your
strengths.
The verbal reasoning section uses
a multiple choice format to measure your command of English vocabulary and
reading comprehension. It is very similar to the SAT and ACT reading
comprehension tests, although the questions are generally more evaluative and
require a finer command of the subtleties of the English language.
The skills measured in the
verbal reasoning sections of the GRE exam include:
- Analyze
multiple layers of meaning (both literal and figurative)
- Distinguish
between significant and irrelevant information
- Identify
and accommodate for authorial bias / perspective
- Identify
and analyze the structure of a text (chronological, spatial, process)
- Understand
the meanings of words and phrases
For most international
students, the verbal reasoning section will be the most challenging, especially
for those students for whom English is not their primary language. This section
demands a very sophisticated level of English comprehension; however, don't
despair. As with any test, preparation is the key to success. If you have concerns
about the GRE exam and your English, that just means you invest more time in
preparing before you sit for the exam.
The quantitative reasoning sections
also use a multiple choice format to measure your ability to perform basic and
complex mathematical calculations. This section is the most similar to the SAT
and ACT tests, in both style and question difficulty.
The skills measured in the
quantitative reasoning sections of the GRE exam include:
- Understanding
quantitative data (both as tables and graphs
- Analyzing
data (statistics, probability)
- Applying
basic mathematical skills (arithmetic, algebra, geometry)
For most international
students, the quantitative reasoning section will be the easiest to master and
require the least preparation. However, that does not mean you should take it
lightly. You should invest some time in reviewing basic mathematical formulas,
with special emphasis on statistical and probability analysis.
What are the GRE Subject Tests?
Along with the general
revised Graduate Record Exam (GRE), there are subject-specific exams you can
take. The GRE has specific tests on the following subject areas:
- Biochemistry,
cell and molecular biology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Literature
in English
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology
These tests are optional. Please
check with the university to which you are applying to determine if they want
you to take a subject area test. But, even if your program does not require a
subject-area GRE test, you might choose to take it and submit the scores – with
the hope that your excellent score will help distinguish you from the other
applicants.
GRE
Registration
You can register to take
the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in a variety of ways. The easiest method for
most is to register on-line by creating a GRE account. However, you may also register for the GRE
exam by mail or by phone.
The cost to take the
general GRE is currently $185; each subject tests costs $150. There are also a
variety of additional services (such as test preparation services) that are
available to you for additional fees.
GRE
Testing Around the World
You do not have to wait
until you are in the USA to take the GRE exam. There are about 700
ETS-authorized testing centers in more than 160 countries. In most countries,
you can take a computer-based GRE at any time throughout the year. And in those
regions where computer access is more limited, you may still be able to take
the GRE in a pencil-paper format. Regardless of location or format, your GRE
exam scores will be transmitted to the universities you designate, so they may
evaluate your scores with the rest of your application.
What
about GRE Scoring?
Your performance on the
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) will earn a numeric evaluation for each of the three
testing subsets:
Analytical
Reasoning
0 – 6 in half point
increments
Verbal
Reasoning
130 – 170 in single point
increments
Quantitative
Reasoning
130 – 170 in single point
increments
It is nearly impossible to
advise you what score you should aim for (beyond stating “as high a score as
you can”). Each university has its own expectations for GRE scores. The best
way to set a GRE goal is to research the programs to which you are applying.
GRE exam scores are valid
for five years after the test administration. Within that timeframe, you can
request (for a fee) ETS to transmit your scores to any universities you'd like.
GRE
Preparation
Preparation is the key to
success in the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), as it is in nearly every area of
life. There are a host of resources available for you to help improve your
scores (arranged in ascending order of cost):
- Free
test questions on the internet (including ETS.org, the company that
designed the GRE)
- GRE
exam preparation books
- GRE
exam preparation software
- GRE
exam preparation courses (often very expensive, but often these courses
include a score improvement guarantee)
Before you invest in a
course (or even a book), keep in mind that the first step to GRE success is
self-awareness. You need to accurately judge your own academic and intellectual
strengths and weaknesses, so you may make wise decisions about how to improve
your GRE scores.
GRE
Practice
1. The
candidate announced, to the _______ of her devoted campaigners, that unless her
performance in the polls improved she would _______ the race.
1. consternation
.. withdraw from
2. bewilderment
.. abstain from
3. mortification
.. continue
4. delight
.. constrain
5. awe ..
renounce
2. A large
aquarium contains 20 more guppies than angelfish. If the ratio of angelfish to
guppies is 4 : 5, what is the total number of guppies and angelfish in the
aquarium?
1. 200
2. 180
3. 100
4. 54
5. 36
3. Company
regulations prohibit employees from smoking in the company cafeteria. Susan is
an employee of the company. Thus, Susan does not smoke in the cafeteria. Which
of the following is an unstated premise of the argument above that is necessary
to make the conclusion valid?
1. Susan has
never smoked in the cafeteria.
2. Company
regulations prohibit Susan from smoking in the cafeteria.
3. Susan
obeys her company's regulations.
4. Company
employees usually do not do what they are prohibited from doing.
5. Company
employees have never been allowed to smoke in the cafeteria.
Answers
and Explanations
1. The
correct answer is (A). Sentence completions are meant to test your intuitive
grasp of the structure and logic of sentences. Keywords usually indicate either
opposition or similarity. That is, the keyword will indicate that the missing
word is either opposite or like another word in the sentence. In this example,
the keyword unless indicates opposition: in this case, opposition to continuing
in the race. The unless tells us that unless something good happens to her
performance, she'll go in the opposite direction. That is, she'll withdraw from
the race. Because we know her campaigners are devoted, we can imagine that they
would feel consternation at her withdrawing. Therefore, the answer is (A). You
might have been tempted by (B), but "abstain from" isn't quite right,
as it would indicate that she isn't in the race already.
2. The
correct answer is (B). This is an example of a problem-solving question. For
every 4 guppies there are 5 angelfish: it's a ratio. Since there can't be a
fraction of a fish, the total number of angelfish and guppies must be an
integer multiple of 9. For every 9 fish, there is 1 more guppies than angelfish.
Since you are given that there are 20 more guppies than angelfish in the
3. The
correct answer is (C). This is an example of a logical reasoning question.
Questions that ask you to find an unstated premise, or assumption, are testing
your ability to fill in missing steps in an argument. If you get stuck on a
question like this, use the denial test: Negate each answer choice as you read
it. The correct answer, when it's been negated, will turn the argument into
gibberish. The negation of the correct answer must be inconsistent with the
argument. Here, the answer is (C). Let's try negating (C). Let's pretend that
Susan DOESN'T obey her company's regulations. Then the company's regulations
would have no effect on her, and we'd have no reason to believe that she
doesn't smoke in the cafeteria. That is, the author's evidence about the
company's regulations wouldn't add up to the conclusion that "Susan does
not smoke in the cafeteria."
It is critical that you
bring your registration information and photo identification with you on the
day of your test administration. Because your GRE exam score can determine
whether or not you get a Masters’ degree or PhD, test security is absolutely
essential. For that reason, you may not bring your cellphone, PDA or any other
electronic device into the testing center.
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