Should you take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or not? If you are pondering over this question, you might be thinking about other questions: How easy or laborious is the GRE? How long will it take you to study for the exam? What if I haven’t studied math since high school? Where do I even begin?
Over-studying or under-studying for the GRE can muddle your mind, and make you even more confused than before. But fear not, Jamboree is here to break it down for you!
What are the methods of preparing for the GRE?
Students have different ways of preparing for the GRE, and each method is unique in terms of time and effort. These are:
Self-study: Studying on your own requires following a schedule that is well orchestrated. This generally works well for students who are extremely punctual and self motivated, with the dedication to follow a plan consistently and overcome the arduousness of the GRE.
Coaching Centres: Mostly students prefer studying with coaching centres to get the required mentoring and guidance that will speed up and streamline their learning. Experienced faculty, and the technological support at good coaching centers can go a long way in achieving your target score.
How much time do I have to study for the GRE?
The amount of time that you would need to spend studying for the GRE varies from a mere 5-6 hours per week to 2-3 hours a day. This is based on your aptitude for each section (Verbal, Math and Writing), your target score, as well as your application timeline. Preparing and testing for the GRE is part of a larger aim towards graduate study, and it is important to keep your application goals in mind while prepping for the exam.
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How do I know where I stand with respect to the GRE?
Target Score: If someone asks you, ‘How much do you want to score on the GRE?’; what would your reply be? Do you aspire to be a 330+ scorer, or would a 310 suffice? Does your dream university have a cut-off score?
Before setting your target score, conduct thorough research on the different universities you wish to apply to and their GRE cut-offs.
University cut-off scores should be the primary determinant of your target score. These scores are mostly listed on the admissions requirements page. If you have additional doubts, you can clear them by emailing or calling the university. The formula to calculate your target score is simple:
Quant Cut off + Verbal Cut off + AWA Cut off = TARGET GRE Score.
If you wish to target a higher score, be ready to dedicate a greater amount of time to your preparation.
Diagnostic Test: The GRE diagnostic test is your ‘first evaluation’. Only when you take a full-length test in conditions that simulate the real exam, will you be able to critically analyse your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you gauge your proficiency level.
Amount of prep required: The two factors mentioned above will be a key indicator of your preparation-time. Let's take an example to illustrate this:
Let’s say that the diagnostic test score turns out to be 295, while your target score is 315. This would mean that you need to raise your score by 20 points. To raise your score by that number, you need to chalk out a plan based on the areas in which you scored less. To further illustrate this point, let’s say you scored a 142 in the Verbal section and made a lot of mistakes across the Reading Comprehension and the Text Completion portions. To raise your Verbal score to the 152-155 range, you would need to focus on the RC section and improve your vocabulary and grammar.
Let us equate the number of points to the number of hours of prep required:
READING COMPREHENSION: 5 hours of prep per point increment
TEXT COMPLETION: 3 hours of prep per point increment
SENTENCE EQUIVALENCE: 4-6 hours of prep per point of increment
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How do I structure my GRE prep?
Structuring your GRE prep can be impactful with a multifaceted approach:
Number of hours required: The process mentioned above will give you an estimate of the total number of hours you would require to achieve your target GRE score. Roughly translated, this equates to 30-50 hours of studying for every 10 points. This number of hours does not include practice tests and mock exams.
Number of hours of possible input: Depending on whether you are a working professional, a parent, a student or have other personal constraints, the number of hours that you can dedicate towards your preparation can vary greatly.
Necessary Adjustments: The quality of your study material and the guidance you get will go a long way in determining how well you understand new concepts and the progress you make in your GRE prep. Thus, it is important to make an informed decision about the study material and study support you get for GRE prep.
Careful! Do not make the mistake of ‘over-studying’. Students tend to get excited about the prospect of writing the GRE initially and end up spending more time studying per day than they should. This can sometimes be counter-productive. Remember that your mind absorbs information better in parts. Distribute your preparation time equally between the Quants and the Verbal sections.
Moreover, the human ability to grasp new ideas varies tremendously. You must understand and adapt your prep to how quickly you understand new concepts and their application. This also depends on how strong your foundation is in basic mathematics and language.
Retakes and University Deadlines: The ETS allows you to take the GRE once every 21 days. However, if you schedule your GRE too close to your university application deadlines, you will not have the time to retake the test if needed.
At Jamboree, we advise students to take their examination at least 4-5 weeks prior to the submission deadline, so that students have time to give another attempt in case of a technical problem, personal emergency, or poor score.
GRE Study Schedules: GRE study schedules must be prepared in a systematic manner. Make sure that you have all the points mentioned above in your mind while making your study schedule. Adhering to this schedule will be the key to achieving your target score and dream university!
But, aren’t Universities GRE-optional now?
Yes, many universities have revised their policies to make the GRE requirement optional in the admissions process. However, test optional does not mean test blind. Universities still accept test scores, and the GRE can have a significant positive impact on the overall quality of your application.
Umm…So how long does it take to study for the GRE?
Keeping all the points that we have mentioned in mind; the GRE preparation will take around 4 weeks to 20 weeks. If you include mock tests, the preparation time can go from a minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of 24 weeks.
We, at Jamboree, would love to help you streamline your preparation! Get in touch with the leaders of test prep in India today.
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