The journey of any student who decides to go for graduate studies is exciting, but preparing for GRE can be really overwhelming. As with any other exam, many students wish to seek out efficient ways of preparation without having to spend too much money. Thankfully, the Internet is filled with free resources such as GRE study guides, sample tests, systematic lessons, self-tutoring lessons that can further enhance the preparation of the students for the test. You will find in this article a list of the free available online resources which can assist you in obtaining a good score on the GRE exam. Well without any further ado let us check out the content that will help to improve the preparation process.
A good GRE score can make all the difference when it comes to securing admission into a prestigious school and furthering your career prospects. The standardized GRE test is an essential component in the admissions process of the more reputable universities around the world. A general GRE exam tests your verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. A good score in the aforementioned test can widen your horizon of possibilities, and therefore, a satisfactory preparation strategy cannot be glossed over.
GRE preparation has greater implications other than just enabling applicants to pass the examination. All-around study helps improve complex problem-solving, develop critical thinking and facilitate reading comprehension. Furthermore, within the admission process, several programs attach importance to GRE test scores that are not only used as a criterion of acceptance but can also determine who will be considered for scholarship awards. Thus, success in this test can directly influence your level of education.
In the pursuit of achieving one’s goal to score high on the GRE, it’s often possible to come across cheap yet effective study materials. If you are diligent enough to spend some of your time on the following free online learning tools, you will be adequately prepared to tackle the GRE test.
The Princeton Review or TPR is one of the more reputable test prep companies when it comes to GRE exam. You can create a free account on their website and access the GRE Free Trial. The free trial includes a full-length, computer-adaptive-by-section practice test that mimics the actual GRE. Once you have taken the free test, a detailed, interactive score report will provide you with an in-depth analysis of your performance. The report will guide you in determining your strengths, weak areas, and how to manage your time properly.
In addition, as part of the free trial, you will have access to interactive video-based lessons and a Drill Smart tool that is adaptive, aligning it with the actual GRE exam.
The ETS or the Educational Testing Services is the organization that administers, manages, and conducts the GRE exam. Their website includes a lot of free resources such as two free online practice tests, sample questions, and a test preparation guide. Since they are the ones who create the actual GRE, their content is more likely to be as close to the real thing.
While Khan Academy does not have materials specifically related to GRE preparation, the site does provide a wealth of mathematics tutorials. The material may be useful especially since the GRE exam tests a certain amount of quantitative reasoning – an area Khan Academy covers in most of its tutorials. By watching instructional videos and performing activities presented in the course, learners can grasp simple math concepts and move on to more complicated things such as knowledge of data and statistics. Interactive practices with instant feedback mechanism lessen these aspects and Khan Academy builds the basic math skills essential while solving the quantitative section of GRE.
During self-preparation, you will be entirely left to your own devices, which can sometimes lead you astray. So, here are some tips and strategies that will keep you on track.
The benefits of utilizing free online GRE coaching come with the need to develop a study plan. Consider how many weeks are left until your test and which topics to study in more detail. Divide your study time into smaller more manageable intervals – daily or weekly, assign certain hours for each section of the GRE exam: verbal reasoning; quantitative reasoning; analytical writing. Try to leave some days for revision so that you can close the book and revise what you have learned. It is important to stick to the schedule as much as possible to follow the pattern, which is important.
Taking tests is the most important part of your GRE prep. Since there aren’t a lot of free practice tests available (especially the ones that mimic the actual GRE), utilizing these tests effectively would be paramount. Start out by taking a mock test to assess your preliminary competency level. Moreover, the diagnostic test will give you a feel of the real exam. You can also use the results to identify which areas require more focus. Even if you do not go for a bunch of practice tests, try to include some in your study schedule to gauge your progress and modify your study techniques where needed. Also, review answers carefully because it will give you an insight of what really went wrong in your answering process and how to do it in the right way if you encounter such questions again.
Online study groups are beneficial as they help students prepare for GRE and keep you motivated. These groups enable people to post issues common in preparation for the exam and to share information and experiences with others preparing for the exam. Such groups exist on educational forums, social media, or in case you attend online GRE coaching websites. Group studies afford you the opportunity of hearing how others look at complex problems and, learning about other resources that previous learners found very useful.
As much as free online GRE coaching can be a huge advantage to many, it is also crucial to consider the pros and cons of using the free resources on the internet as the only platform to prepare for your test.
There are several benefits that come with free online GRE coaching. This approach is effective as it is cheap and hence can be used by anyone regardless of one’s financial status. This is particularly helpful as the preparation for the GRE can in fact be costly if you factor in the number of books available, expensive tutors or the paid courses available. That is why free resources are very versatile: all the lessons are arranged in such a way that learners can progress through them easily and independently, and no strict schedules are given, which is very convenient if the learner has other commitments, like, for example, a job or college. Moreover, there are plenty of helpful resources that include the sections with practice questions, example questions, tutorials, and videos, etc. This variety ensures that different individuals will be served by different learning styles or modalities, be it through the reading, observational, or the active learning mode.
However, there are also drawbacks that need to be considered when relying solely on free resources for GRE preparation only. Some of the courses may even be outdated or may lack depth in terms of information and this is because they are open to everyone, unlike paid programs. When working on free materials students do not have a tutor or teacher to guide them or offer feedback like in paid courses. This can lead to gaps in knowledge or misconceptions, which if not corrected could result in below par performance on the actual test. Also, the absence of structure might deter the learning ability of some learners and create an environment where they do not have the discipline to study throughout their study time. It may also be the case that without a teacher or fellow students breathing down one’s neck, it is possible to miss study groups or not strive as much.
To sum up, free online GRE coaching materials give adequate background and access to numerous materials to prepare for the exam; however, ideally, it must be combined with other coaching styles should that be possible. To make it even better, it is recommended to try to come up with a balance between using free resources and paid ones.
Book your Free Counselling Session now!While there are a lot of resources available online, many of them are outdated or not comprehensive. So, you must stick to the trusted sources such as ETS, The Princeton Review, Khan Academy, etc.
Yes, there are. ETS has two free tests available called the PowerPrep. Test prep companies such as The Princeton Review also have one free test on their platform.
While free one-on-one tutoring is rare, some non-profit organizations and community programs may offer volunteer tutoring services. Additionally, online forums like Reddit’s r/GRE can provide peer-to-peer assistance.
