Tag: GRE

Let’s take a look at the GRE exam which is required for MS/MBA applications and how you can do better at it.

Applications for undergraduate and graduate programs like MBA and MS in USA is much different than what we are used to in India. Let’s take a look at what the process is like.

Following are the components of the application process-

1. Taking a exam like GRE, GMAT or TOEFL
2. Shortlisting schools for your aspirations
3. Preparing required documents for the application
4. Apply by the deadline

Note: Ideally, shortlisting schools should be done before giving GRE but students prefer to get the tests out of the way and be comfortable with the score before focusing all energies into shortlisting schools and actually applying to them. A candidate is able to typically apply to around 10 universities for MS and MIS programs.

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1. Taking GRE, TOEFL exams

In this post, we elaborate on GRE tests

What is GRE?

GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination. GRE General Test is a standardized computer based test conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS). You can find details here but we will summarize the important points for you-

Taking a GRE General Test costs $205 and sending your scores can cost $25 for each school as of 21 Feb 2020. You need to create or have a My GRE Account to register online for the computer based GRE General Test, check more details here.

What is the format of GRE exam?

GRE General Test consists of six sections. The first section is always the analytical writing section involving separately timed issue and argument tasks. The next five sections consist of two verbal reasoning sections, two quantitative reasoning sections, and either an experimental or research section. These five sections may occur in any order. The experimental section does not count towards the final score but is not distinguished from the scored sections. You can skip back and forth within sections. The entire test lasts about 3 hours 45 minutes.

When should you write GRE?

GRE scores remain valid for five years, so it makes sense to give it early and have enough time to focus on applications. Tip: Do not leave GRE to be taken in last 2 months of the application deadline. One, it increases stress and might affect your ability to score higher. Two, in case you are not happy with your score, you will have to take GRE again but you can only take GRE once a month. Therefore, we recommend that you take GRE at least THREE months before your application submission timelines. For e.g. for Fall applications, try to give GRE by July of preceding year.

What is a good GRE test score?

Latest GRE tests are being scored out of 340. Anything above 320 is considered a good score. Remember that just taking the GRE does not mean that your scores are available everywhere. When you actually apply to specific schools later, you will explicitly need to send your score report to that school. Bad news is that it costs $25 (INR 1400) to send your score to each school. Great news is that you can send upto 4 reports free on the day you take the GRE test. Tip: So, it makes sense to know at least 4 schools you are most likely to apply and send your scores to those when you take the test. (That is a saving of $100 right away!)

TOEFL – The TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level and is required for Indian students to apply to US or European schools. The test costs $180 in India. You can register online. The scores are out of 120 and anything above 105 is considered good. If you sincerely prepare for GRE verbal section and have been going to a English primary school, you should not need to worry too much about TOEFL. Again, its more of a formality and its score, unless too low, will never impact your application results.

How much does GRE score matter?

We have seen students fretting for months on GRE. It is one thing to prepare well and it is another thing to stress about a test. Particularly, we Indians, tend to take tests too seriously. But remember that GRE is not your regular entrance exam!

“You do not pass or fail GRE or GMAT, you just show that your aptitude is above a certain level”

These tests are only a small part of the overall application process – so acing one doesn’t mean you’ll get into Harvard and bombing it doesn’t mean that you won’t get into a good school either. You simply want to score more than a baseline that is used as a filter by schools to weed out low aptitude students. Want to know a secret? – even if your score is low but overall profile is awesome, you can explain why you did poorly on the exam and if reason is sound enough (for eg. You had some personal family problem, illness etc), a school will most likely not reject you on basis of low score alone.

FAQS:

1. What is GRE subject test? –  The GRE Subject Test is a special requirement mostly for Ph.D or for students who want to change their Undergraduate stream. It is usually optional if you are applying for MS in your field. Some say that taking it still helps improve your profile but I recommend spending the time you would on a subject test on the application contents instead.
2. Can I give GRE again if my score is low? – Yes, so give the exam without being stressed. Taking it multiple times does not put you at a disadvantage.
3. What is the best time to give GRE? – Please give it at least five months before you plan on submitting your applications.
4. Where can I give GRE in India? – Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Trivandrum.

Preparation Material:

The best available software to practice for GRE is POWERPREP® II software and the best part is that it is FREE. It consists of two full-length, simulated practice tests for the computer-based GRE revised General Test. The strategy we recommend is to take the first test when you are beginning to prepare for GRE to understand where you stand. Use your scores to understand where you need to put more efforts, for e.g. do you need more work on verbal (if so, which section) or quantitative. Next step is to prepare thoroughly, take other available tests from Barron’s, Kaplan, Princeton etc. When you have taken all other tests and have taken a test date, you take the PowerPrep second test again. Note that this is the closest simulation to actual tests, so the scores that you get on PowerPrep are the best estimation of how much you are likely to score in real test. Also, even after taking the two tests, keep giving it multiple times as you get some new questions each time. More information available here.

How to get a 330+ score in GRE exam?

Please read our detailed post on getting a score of 330 and above in GRE.

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Key Takeaways:

Ok, if you had to just remember 5 things from this post, remember this-

1. You need to take GRE General Test to apply for MS in USA and other countries.
2. You should take it THREE months before you intend to submit the applications. For Fall applications, give GRE by July.
3. User PowerPrep software wisely to prepare for GRE. We recommend taking it once at beginning of your preparation and once just before appearing for the real test.
4. Do sufficient research to shortlist 4 schools that you intend to apply before appearing for GRE so that you can send 4 FREE score reports.
5. Don’t obsess over GRE scores, as long as its not too low, it doesn’t matter. The only factor to consider here is the cost factor. It is expensive to take these tests, so give after ample preparation.
6. You can score 330+ in GRE.

GRE is only one part of the applications. For other parts, check out our next posts on School Selection and Preparing Key Documents.

Back when I wrote GRE, I got 2320/2400. The scoring and format has changed since then but I have talked to multiple candidates who cracked 330+ score in GRE recently – I realize that few best practices remain same.

So, I am revisiting what I think works well when you are taking an online adaptive test like GRE. It’s all old wisdom packaged afresh in millennial slangs. Remember that you, yes YOU, can score 330+ in GRE.

This is what we will cover in this post-

1. Assess your current status
2. Take your GRE appointment
3. Collect the GRE preparation material
4. Planning last two weeks

1. Assess your current status

The very first step when you contemplate GRE should be to read about the latest format of the GRE test.

The first thing that will make your mind boggle is that GRE is a frickin’ long test. It is not for weak hearted and given how much social media has screwed your and my attention span, it sounds insane to sit 4+ hours and focus on a damn screen and remember what the word ‘reticent’ means!

This is what I suggest – take a practice test without any additional prep. This helps in understanding what is your current level and what are the areas where you will need to put in more efforts. By doing this, you can avoid wasting time on the areas of your strength.

a. Taking a good practice test

I would prefer taking one of the two free Powerprep tests offered by ETS since they are closest to the real test.

b. Evaluating your results

After taking any test, go over the scorecard carefully. Since this is only an initial evaluation, you want to take a look at the sections where you performed the worst. For most of the engineers, the pain lies in verbal section and mostly the reading comprehension. However, it could be math section for you and don’t be surprised to find that you ran out of time. It happens. This reality check will make you take time management more seriously.

Ok, now that you know which sections are going to be your undoing, let’s start preparing for it! For e.g. If you got 4 out of 7 text completion (TC) questions wrong, then you know you need to get your act straight there and better download that vocabulary app.

But before we dive into the books and the online tests, go and take that damn appointment.

2. Take your GRE appointment

I had a friend in NYC when I was working on Wall Street. Let’s call him Ankit. Four months into our jobs, he announced that he is soon going to write GMAT and do an MBA. Next thing I know he has his new fancy book delivered by Amazon and I am already visualizing Ankit going to Harvard with his Macbook tucked in on one side.

He gave me a proper FOMO and as it would happen, I would write my own GMAT ten months later. In between, we would meet often and I was always in awe of his knowledge on finance related topics. He is going to make a great banker, I would say to myself. He was not getting enough time in the hectic job. I asked him if we could start preparing together. But the man was too busy. I asked him if wants to book the test dates at the same center but he felt he needed a little more preparation.

My scores came out and I got busy with my business school apps and job. After getting the coveted admit to NYU 1 year later, I pinged him and enquired with excitement, “Dude, so where are you heading?”. The dude told me he is going to appear for the GMAT very soon and then apply in a jiffy. Whaaaa?!?!

As it turned out, Ankit never wrote the GMAT and while he remains a great friend of mine, I know he was just too scared to face a bad score. It happens!

So, my advice is – don’t be Ankit.

It is easy to keep procrastinating on writing this test forever. You know what is worse than a score of 300? Not writing GRE and never fulfilling your MS dreams. Don’t let that happen to you.

Book that damn date so that you are committed to it. Mark it with big red cross on your calendar. People have reported that 2-3 months is an ideal time for prep – keep it soon enough so that you don’t lose tempo.

3. Collect the GRE preparation material

You would need some essentials and then additional practice resources depending on your weak points.

a. Must-Have Material

• Official GRE Guides
• Magoosh’s Online Prep Material – ask someone if they can share their subscriptions
• ETS essay topic pools for AWA

b. Additional Practice Material

These are some of the most often recommended resources by recent candidates:

• Manhattan 5-lb book (mostly for Math)
• Varsity Tutors material and app
• GRE Big Book with 27 Old Tests
• Khan Academy for any particular topic you are struggling with esp Math

c. GRE Mock Tests

• Official ETS Tests
• Manhattan Review GRE diagnostic test
• Manhattan Prep’s GRE practice test
• Kaplan GRE practice test (considered tougher than actual test)
• McGraw-Hill GRE practice test

d. Vocabulary Preparation

• Quizlet flashcards
• Magoosh’s GRE Vocabulary Flashcards
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

e. AWA

You cannot write well until you read well. GRE is a lot about how well-read you are and then doing some focused reading that can help you in improving the vocabulary, understanding proper grammar and writing the essays. Few candidates have recommended essays in Arts and Letters Daily, and The Best American Essays of the Century by Joyce Carol Oates.

I find Magoosh AWA guide to be one of the best and would highly recommend that for AWA tips and practice.

4. Planning last two weeks

I am not a good finisher and had a hard time not going psycho in the last week of the exam. There is only one way to calm your nerves – feeling more in control. Have a good 14 or 10 day plan for last few days before the exam.

a. Practice, practice and only timed practice

Many people take the practice tests in bits and pieces; I sympathize with them. GRE test is not a sprint – you cannot excel at the first section and then make excuses that your back started hurting by 3rd hour. You cannot complain that you knew how to calculate that median but time ran out. GRE is a marathon and the only way to prepare is do timed practices.

Whatever tests you take, sit down and put an alarm on your smartphone. Do it in time else it is useless. If you want to score 330 or more in GRE, you simply must take at least 10 full length practice tests.

b. Back breaking reviews

Are you jumping after getting 318 on Kaplan? Don’t be a fool. Sit down and study all the answers one by one. Not just wrong ones but also the right ones. Frankly, taking tests is again useless if you do not sit and reflect on your performance.

You should know why an answer is right or wrong. The actual result matters less than the why of it.

c. Revise

You will come across tricky questions from day one – you should keep marking them. Read the answer, understand why you got it wrong or why you did not feel confident about it even if you guessed it correctly. Keep it marked. Revisit these questions in last 10 days.

Do you get them correctly this time? If not, be alarmed. The whole point of the preparation is to know what you did not know at the beginning. This is why reviews of your practice tests are important. Don’t worry, do it again now. Review and revise after 5 days.

Why 5 days? – no point in doing it immediately because you would identify the correct answer by memory and not by logic. Let few days pass before you revisit these tricky questions.

Remember that a score of 330+ in GRE needs high precision. You cannot rely on getting most of the questions right – the key is to avoid getting anything wrong. This requires painstaking revisions. You have to review your performance and improve consistently.

What we want is to learn the underlying concept and not just the answer to this question.

d. Stop studying on the last day

It can be counter productive to take tests till last day. One day before your GRE, you should try to calm your nerves, relax, and be mentally prepared to focus. Apart from revising few areas, you should try not to study on your last day before the exam.

So, what does it take to score 330+ in GRE

As you can see, an early start followed by meticulous practice and timely test taking can go a long way in getting your coveted scores. If you have prepared and revised well and keep your cool on the exam day, you can totally score 330+ in GRE.

Lastly, know that it is ONLY AN EXAM and you can always retake it. Do not let pressure of scoring high wreck you. Good luck!

Read how important GRE is for your MS/MBA applications