Common Mistakes to Avoid During GRE Exam Preparation

Share this post

Preparing for any aptitude test (be it GMAT, CAT, GATE, SAT, UPSC) can be a challenge. GRE is no exception. However, the journey to scoring well on the GRE can be smooth and effortless if we avoid a few red flags that can hurt our score despite your best efforts. In this blog we will discuss a few common mistakes to avoid during your GRE exam preparation.

Let’s look at some of the common mistakes we tend to make while preparing for the GRE:

1. Improper planning

Most GRE test-takers are sophomores or fresh college graduates shuffling many things in their academic lives, while some of them may be working professionals finding their feet in their budding corporate lives. Whether you are a college student or a working professional, planning is almost as good as half your score. Some test-takers jump into the GRE prep mode without knowing when to take the exam. They may take the GRE way past the deadlines of the universities they are looking for. They may prepare not considering that their semester exams may clash with their GRE exam preparation. They may not be able to gauge how much time each stage requires but still prepare for the test passively.

How to overcome this?

You have to sit tight and do a proper research on the following:

• How much time is required for the whole preparation?

• When can I find the time window to both prepare and take the GRE exam?

• When are the universities’ deadlines?

• How can I balance my college life/work life with GRE prep?

2. Understanding the format

Though most standardized aptitude tests consist of both Verbal reasoning and Quantitative reasoning , GRE test format can be different from others. The new shortened version of GRE, for example, does not give you any break. Its scoring system is not as straightforward as it used to be. Some may think cramming 3000 words from the internet will get them 170/170 in verbal. Some may ignore the significance of the writing assessment section or worse – they may not even know it exists. Taking a standardized test is akin to playing a game: you have to first know the rules of the game before playing the game.

What do you do?

• Go the official site of the test-maker: www.ets.org

• Take a diagnostic test to understand the format and scoring system

• Take a proper stock of what is required to ace the test

• Understand the role of vocabulary in GRE Verbal

3. Self-preparation or GRE prep classes?

Once you get acquainted with the format and scoring system, you may find yourself wondering whether to prepare on your own or join GRE prep classes.

While very few are capable of scoring above 320+ on their own, many test takers may require a professional hand to help them navigate their way towards a good score. While there are many institutions who offer both offline and online sessions at varying prices, you have to first decide what works best for you – online or offline mode of learning. Though the online-mode of learning post covid has shown the world how learning can be seamless in the virtual platform too, a significant chunk of test-takers still believe in the traditional physical GRE classroom training. What suits best for one test-taker may not work for the other.

How to decide?

• A test taker should consider a few factors such as time, distance, ease of travelling, word of mouth, reviews, comfort level, batch size, quality of teaching, post-course help, GRE online coaching etc before choosing any training institution – be it online or offline.

4. Overestimating the role of Vocabulary

Yes. Around 50% of the questions are vocabulary-based questions, but it can conveniently mask the fact that the understanding of the question – context – is more important than merely knowing 1000 words. There are strategies to get the question right even without having a strong hold on the vocabulary. While one should not dismiss the role of vocabulary in Text Completion questions, it is equally indiscreet to pay undue attention to words.

For example, the word “indiscreet” is not even a classic GRE word, rather a word that is – for a lack of better word – Indian. Most non-native English speakers around the world are not expected to know 1000 words during their college days. Also, some of the questions in the ETS Official GRE book can be very overwhelming due to words unheard of. So it naturally creates an illusion that GRE Verbal is all about cramming 1000 random words.

How to handle Vocabulary?

• Reading diverse topics through editorials from American newspapers, online magazines can be a good start.

• Read historic and scientific journals online.

• Learn words through groups.

• Focus more on context and use the process of elimination.

Check out the top strategies to learn GRE vocabulary.

5. Creating a monster out of Reading Comprehension

That monster is all in your head – Get him out. Many test-takers assume that Reading Comprehension passages are much more challenging than Text Completion or Vocab-based questions. In the real world, however, the passage-based questions can be easier than Text Completion if one has the right attitude towards reading. For starters, all the questions come from well within the passage and the answers to those questions come from different parts of the passage. Unlike the TC, one does not have to bother about vocabulary. Neither do you require outside knowledge about any given topic.

While long voluminous texts about seemingly bland topics such as phytoplanktons and 17th century Renaissance art are no fun to read, it does not automatically imply they require Einstein-level IQ.

How to tackle RC?

• Read any reading text or passage with intent, not passively.

• Inculcate a healthy reading habit on a regular basis.

• More you read, the better your reading speed gets.

• More you read, the stronger the grip on vocabulary.

6. Feeling demotivated due to a bad start

Most Indian students are not used to reading long passages with intent or crazy vocabulary. You may take a diagnostic test and feel under-confident and overwhelmed. But you should know that any new game you try takes a bit of time to get used to. Once you know the rules and how the game is played, things appear easier than before.

How to fix your under-confidence?

• Knowing that the learning phase is different from the test-taking phase.

• Realizing that mistakes are part of any preparation.

• Focussing more on the strategies than getting the answers right.

• Realizing the improvements happen gradually, not overnight.

7. Not evaluating the mistakes

One of the biggest blunders a GRE test-taker can make is taking the test one after the other with no space for assessment. After you take a full-length test, you have to breathe for a while. You have to keep your emotions aside (in case you scored less than expected) and analyse your mistakes. Unless you know why you went wrong in a certain set of questions, you may keep repeating the same mistakes. There are always patterns to one’s mistakes while preparing for any aptitude test. When you mindlessly take tests for the sake of taking with no immediate review/analysis, it becomes difficult to see improvements.

What do you do?

• Make an error log.

• Analyse why you went wrong and make a note of it.

• Know that NOT all mistakes are the same.

• Some mistakes are unavoidable under time pressure.

• Don’t repeat the old mistakes.

8. Skipping the Writing Assessment in Full length tests.

GRE starts with the writing assessment (AWA) and scoring less than 4 can hurt your admission chances. Also, skipping AWA while taking full length tests will make a huge difference – performance wise- than taking them with AWA.

30 mins is not an insignificant time and when you skip AWA and jump to verbal and math sessions, your energy battery level is full. You may get better returns without AWA. However, on the exam day when you start with AWA, you may realize how critical those 30 mins are in sustaining the focus for 2 hours.

A 2 hour test is not the same as a 90 min test.

How to handle this situation?

• Never ever skip AWA while taking full length tests.

• Practise at least 7-10 essays under the time stipulation.

• Get those essays evaluated immediately.

• Work on your mistakes.

• Read more about essential tips for improving your GRE writing section.

9. Carrying e-copies of the passport

Nothing can be more tragic and cruel than doing all the right things mentioned above except carrying the passport on the exam day. Carrying e-copies on your phone is as bad as not carrying your passport at all. Don’t let all your months of effort go into waste because you didn’t do the basic thing.

How to avoid this?

• Just carry the passport.

• Go through the ETS site and read all the Test-day instructions.

In sum, when you take care of the legitimate mistakes mentioned above, a good GRE score is just around the corner staring at you.

Happy learning.

Share this post