GRE is an acronym for Graduate Record Examination, a standardized test utilized by graduate schools. The GRE has been around since 1949. It has been a bench mark for potential graduate students for over sixty years. There is the standard GRE which is given in three sections: Verbal, Quantititative, and Analytical are on the standard test. The test is also available for specific areas of study. The areas of study include Physics, Bio Chemistry, and Computer Science. The cost for the test is $160 – $190 dollars. The test is often given on the computer.
The type of questions on the GRE include analogies, sentence completion, reading comprehension, math (multiple choice) and quantitative comparisons. It is a timed test and preparing for it is essential. Methods to prepare include going to the GRE website and taking a free sample test. This preliminary test will evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and give you information on areas to improve upon. Books to prepare on your own are available including Kaplan GRE Exam with CD Rom and Princeton Review: Cracking the GRE.
Online resources include taking courses on how to take the exam. The Kaplan Test Prep costs $1,150. The Bobrow Test Preparation Services charge $365.00, Testing for the Public charges $400.00 and The Princeton Review course is $1,050. Doctor Dictionary online, offers vocabulary reinforcement. Doctor Dictionary is an excellent source for creating your own vocabulary flash cards. The GRE was overhauled in 2011, and the scoring changed from a 200 – 800 scale to a current scale of 130 – 170.
Practice will prepare you for the time given to take each section of the test. The Verbal section is two thirty-minute tests of vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension skills. The Quantitative portion is two thirty five minute test covering algebra, geometry and data analysis. The Analytical Writing portion is composed of two thirty-minute essays evaluating the clarity of your written expression. The GRE is unique in that you can skip questions you don’t know right away and come back to them. You can correct your answers before the time is up on any section.
Registering for the GRE should be completed after you have studied and feel comfortable with the format of the GRE. No one should walk into a testing facility and hope for the best. Preparation will make you comfortable regarding your scores and ease anxiety. If you go online and input GRE combined with your city and state several options should be available to register. Tips on actual test day include bringing two pencils for use on scratch paper. Scratch paper will be given and utilize it to solve math problems. If you are taking the CAT GRE, Computer Adaptive Test, the screen you cannot go back to unanswered or skipped questions as you can with the paper test. Use the process of elimination to narrow correct answers. Spend more time on the difficult questions as they are worth more points than the easier type. Successfully completing the GRE is an important step for individuals serious about advancing their schooling.