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GRE Tips

dukebound85

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Original poster
Jul 17, 2005
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So I signed up to take the GRE on Feb 5th

Is it easy? I am not worried at all about the math section. I picked up a GRE vocab book and should be ok with writing

Any tips?

Thoughts?

Should I like cram? I never studied for the ACT and FE exams and did great on them

Best strategies?
 
Just read carefully in the math section. The vocab is really just a crap shoot sometimes whether you've seen a word or not, but you can often use elimination techniques.

I didn't really study and got around 1400 or so. You should be fine.
 
Math was fairly straight forward, the English I found difficult, mainly because I suck at vocabulary and didn't study.

When I walked out of the test (some years ago now), two girls (business majors) found the english to be easy and the math to be hard, so...

I guess take your weak subject and study it.

I don't even know what I got on the test. I never bothered to open it.

My school said I needed to take the test, they didn't say I had to do well on it! :eek: :p :D
 
I assume you're going to grad school for engineering, right? If so, just focus on the math part of the test. Take a practice test to see how you score. If you're happy with your score, do nothing, if not, study.

I'm applying to graduate programs in history, so only my verbal and writing sections really mattered, and even then the GRE scores seems to only act as a cut-off point for further consideration. I could have a really great GRE score, but if my personal statement and letters of recommendation are terrible, there is no way I'll get accepted.

The GRE Powerprep software, which you can find for free on the ETS website, is really nice, but it is windows only.
 
Math was easy, verbal was fine (background: I'm in graduate school for bioinformatics).

I was pretty sick when I took it and questioned at the end whether to cancel the score or not. Decided 'What the heck?' and got in the mid-1400's or so? I think you'll be fine. Take a practice test or two to familiarize yourself with the format and the style of the questions they'll be asking you rather than the content, if that makes sense.
 
miles01110 said:
Not really.

Any graduate school that seriously takes the GRE into account isn't worth going to anyways.
Click to expand...

I know, it is at my alma matter for atmos scicence

If I were to go for engr at CSU I wouldnt neet a gre score

Apparently the atmos dept cares alot about gre even though i have multiple letters of rec, good performance appraisals on job and graduated summa cum laude in mech engr

pisses me off as its a somewhat pricy test:mad:
 
Does anybody know how the GRE compares with the GMAT in terms of difficulty? I know they're scored on different scales, and the GMAT gives only one score (doesn't break it down by verbal/math).
 
Tomorrow said:
Does anybody know how the GRE compares with the GMAT in terms of difficulty? I know they're scored on different scales, and the GMAT gives only one score (doesn't break it down by verbal/math).
Click to expand...

From what I've heard (and from my experiences with the GMAT and my friends with the GRE), GMAT quant is more difficult while the GRE has the tougher verbal section. The thing that makes the GMAT quant section more difficult, IMO, are the data sufficiency questions (which are unlike any math questions most test takers have seen). The GRE verbal is more difficult due to the sheer memorization and knowledge of words required to do well. The GMAT is based around things like reading comprehension and sentence correction, compared to vocabulary on the GRE.

The GMAT does break it down. They give you a two digit verbal score, a two digit quant score, and a three digit composite score. Math scores are generally higher than verbal on the GMAT (ie a 40 math is around the 58th percentile while a 40 verbal is around the 89th percentile). The GRE is pretty similar in that regard.

The writing section is easy for both, if you can write coherently, you'll do fine.
 
So how did it go?

I was going to recommend you do a shot or two before the exam to relax, but I guess I missed the boat.
 
dmr727 said:
So how did it go?

I was going to recommend you do a shot or two before the exam to relax, but I guess I missed the boat.
Click to expand...

dukebound85 said:
well i took it pretty cold with no real prep and got a 1200

Verbal 470
Quantitative 730

A little dissapointed tbh. Was hoping for at least a 1300
Click to expand...


Yea, I really should have done some practice tests. I have never really studied for these things (ACT, FE, and now GRE) and tended to do fine.

The format of the GRE was a little different then every other test I had taken, being all on the computer.

Hopefully, my score will suffice for what I am trying to do
 
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