Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test taken by prospective graduate and business school applicants from all around the world who are interested in pursuing Masters, MBA, Business Masters or Doctoral degrees in the US, Canada and many other countries. GRE preparation is the first step towards the study abroad journey. The GRE exam is owned and administered by Educational Testing Services (ETS).
Application of the 80/20 Rule, aka The Pareto Principle, named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, appears to be all-pervading. Although it has its roots in Pareto’s work in Economics (specifically, landholding), the term “Pareto Principle” was coined by Joseph M Juran, when he discovered the applicability of the 80/20 Rule to Management Consulting.
Examples of the Pareto Principle are abundant. For example, 80% of crimes are found to be committed by 20% of the criminals; in the USA, 20% of beneficiaries are found to be using 80% of the healthcare resources.
Even many natural phenomena have been found to exhibit “Pareto distribution” as mathematically derived on the basis of the 80/20 Rule. Why not apply the 80/20 Rule to your status of GRE without preparation?
Let’s start at the very beginning! What is the Pareto Principle? In simple terms, it states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. When extended to your GRE Prep this principle has some important implications.
However, just knowing all this may not lead to success. You must also do something to put this knowledge to use. Here is what you can or should do.
How much time required to prepare for GRE? The GRE is not a test for which you can prepare overnight or even over a few days and succeed. You need to have two to three months to prepare well for the GRE preparation time. This applies even to those who may have GRE scored around 320 in aggregate in the first diagnostic test because score improvement at this high a range becomes more challenging.
Now that you know about the 80/20 Rule — how it applies to your GRE preparation plan, make the best use of it to maximize your GRE score with minimum effort. That’s the smart way to go.
This section is aimed to help you to get a comprehensive understanding of the mistakes that a student should avoid at all costs during the GRE preparation time.
The most basic mistake a student can commit is to take the GRE exam without preparation or taking any GRE practice tests. This is like trying to scale Mt. Everest without any experience of trekking at the least. A student would be better suited to take the GRE exam if and only when he/she takes enough GRE mock tests. And also when he/she starts getting their desired GRE score for at least 4 consecutive GRE mock tests with little or no fluctuation in the scores.
One more additional point in this is the quality of the GRE tests. There are a plethora of GRE mock tests available in the market, but only a few can be worth it. Manya – The Princeton Review is the best when it comes to any sort of practice material and simulated tests and helps any aspirants with the best way to prepare for the GRE exam.
In addition, make sure that you simulate the actual GRE exam in your mocks, as close as you can get. Take the timed tests and follow the simulated GRE test-taking guidelines. Never take the GRE test with too many breaks. Take the full GRE test in one go with predefined breaks. Also do not skip the GRE AWA section. While taking the GRE practice tests. While taking your GRE mock tests, make sure there are no disturbances. No human intervention and also keep the mobile off the room.
We have seen students trying to prepare for the GRE exam within a matter of days. While some students might be lucky and may get their way with the GRE exam. This path is a particularly dangerous way to tread through. The GRE needs sufficient time and no matter how well one is with Verbal and Quant, the GRE exam always has something up its sleeve to surprise us.
So, give the GRE exam the sufficient time that it needs. Whole GRE syllabus requires one month of coaching and a commensurate amount of practice. Taking the GRE exam too soon or even too slow, that is taking too much of a gap between the classes and the exam, would hurt your prospects at the desired GRE score.
Especially, when students decide on a very close admission deadline, this anxiety of taking the exam comes into the picture. Hence, to avoid such pressure, plan well in advance. Plan at least a year ahead of your admission time so that you have enough time for both the exam and the documentation process.
Sometimes students get carried away with any single section like some students are really good with GRE quant and some do great with GRE verbal. This hurts the overall GRE score. No single GRE section should be avoided. Any effort put on any section should be leveled with the amount of practice that section needs, based on the diagnostic GRE score report.
And this GRE test preparation time should be adjusted again and again, in the course of preparation. With frequent GRE mock tests, the preparation should be set with little adjustments. Sections, question types and essays should be laid out in your preparation well in a manner that enhances your performance in the next section.
Taking GRE mock tests is only one part of the job. One has to get back to the drawing boards again, draw plans that will fix the mistakes, analyze what went right and what went wrong. Here, a good faculty is very good to help. This is where good coaching comes into the picture.
Every GRE mock test should be followed by extensive feedback. One has to go into each question type, each question, each answer and the time spent on every question. This is very useful and one cannot stress this enough.
The key here is to make sure that the mistakes are not repeated and continuous improvement is mandatory. There will be stumbling blocks, sure, but one should not feel disheartened. It is important to move on and do better the next time.
We have lost count of students who have neglected Vocabulary and could not stop repenting about it. Vocabulary is the single most part of the GRE that can guarantee you utmost marks in GRE verbal. Learning words and their meanings from somewhere is not enough, one has to learn the context, usage and varied meanings of any word.
Learning all words in the dictionary is not possible and it is absolutely unnecessary. Learn the frequently tested words on the GRE. This will help you GRE score higher in your verbal section. You can also use the GRE Words App to learn vocabulary.
The online mode of learning is raging all over the world at full throttle. So, it is not surprising that GRE preparation has also become online. With a plethora of online classes promising you your dream destination right at the comfort of your home, it isn’t unusual to feel bemused.
Here are a few easy tips to prepare for the GRE that would help you plan your GRE online preparation:
GRE online preparation becomes harder without a plan. You need to make decisions about the course/program of your choice, the universities that would cater to your goal, and the GRE score expectations of the chosen colleges. Besides these, it is also crucial to chalk out the time available at hand both for preparing for the GRE exam, attending GRE online classes if required, the online materials to use, and the time required for reaching your target score. Finally, decisions regarding GRE exam registration and the best time slot can be made only in the planning stage.
Once you have decided the colleges and the programs to opt for, it’s now time to set a target score to achieve in the GRE exam. Without a target score in mind, it’s easy to be lost midway and the rest of the journey might seem like a detour. So, remember to always have a goal for the Verbal Reasoning score, Quant Reasoning score, and the AWA (Analytical Writing Assessment) scores too. This would help you prepare systematically.
After deciding a reasonable target GRE score, you might ask – How do I commence my GRE online preparation? Until now, things might have looked simple, but without knowing what you are getting into, any preparation would only be counterproductive. Therefore, it is not only important to get familiar with the GRE test structure, topics and questions tested, and test duration, but it is also crucial to take a GRE diagnostic test to know where you are right now to get a clearer view of the road ahead.
Manya – The Princeton Review offers a free GRE online test that would help you sort out your GRE online preparation easily. All you need to do is to sign up on www.princetonreview.com and take the free GRE test. The free test simulates the actual GRE exam in terms of timing, test structure, question types, scoring, etc. Your score will be published immediately after the completion of the free test. What better could there be to ease your GRE online preparation woes?
With online being the current trend, you might find yourself engulfed in a number of websites offering free GRE online study materials, GRE online classes, GRE test series, etc. But, wait! Remember to slow down and not rush into a preparation source that might not be authentic. Manya – The Princeton Review offers free counseling sessions to help you select the GRE study materials and/or GRE online classes that would suit you the best.
Walk into your nearest Manya – The Princeton Review center and allow us to help you customize your GRE online preparation.
After you have decided the best course of action for your GRE online preparation, you would need a tour guide to help you throughout your journey. Just as a tour guide shows you the best places while you are on a vacation, a tutor would be the best person to help you prepare for GRE in the right way and to provide you with feedback from time to time to check your progress. This is more specifically true of the GRE essays, which have to be reviewed by an expert.
For this, joining a GRE online class would be the best decision you would ever make. Manya – The Princeton Review has several options for students who are looking out for GRE online classes.
During your GRE online preparation, do not forget to practice vocabulary consistently. As you get familiar with the GRE topics, you also need to understand the importance of vocabulary in order to maximize your score. There are abundant apps that provide you with the best-in-class and time-tested words to learn, but more importantly, it is the way you learn vocabulary that matters.
Manya – The Princeton Review provides you with an effective tool for vocabulary – Manya GRE WordsApp. This app has more than 1300 high frequency GRE words categorized into various difficulty levels. Each word has a lot of memory techniques that allow students to learn a word in the most efficient way possible; this app is sure to do away with your vocabulary distress.
Nothing works better than having a fixed study plan or a schedule that tells you what topics to work on each day. The study plan would also help you practice in bite-sized pieces. Practicing GRE questions on a daily basis would help you inch closer to your goal every day.
The AWA section of the GRE exam is almost always the most neglected section. Even though the AWA is always the first section of the GRE exam, you might not allocate time to actually pick a topic and practice. To avoid this, you can include AWA topics in your daily study plan. Again, despite the overabundance of AWA topics online, choosing topics from authentic sources would benefit you.
ETS Pool of AWA provides you more than 200 topics to work on. Apart from practicing sample essays, it is necessary to get your essays evaluated by an expert. If you choose to attend a GRE online class, your tutor would definitely help you earn an effective AWA score.
Even though a daily plan would be useful to get a good score in the GRE exam, taking full-length GRE online tests should be on your priority list. Full-length tests simulate the actual GRE exam and would help you build endurance and apply test-taking strategies. A 4-hour mock GRE test is also a good indicator of your daily preparation; the scores from the mock test would allow you to reflect on your daily practice and modify your preparation if needed.
Manya – The Princeton Review GRE online courses offers students a number of full-length GRE tests that mirror the ETS GRE tests in every way. ETS also has several online test series and other online materials to choose from. The more GRE online tests you take, the more confident you will feel because the GRE exam is computer-based too.
All of you would love to bag a great GRE score. With these tips, you might no longer feel perplexed by GRE online preparation.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your GRE online preparation now by interacting with GRE experts from the comfort of your home.
How much time is sufficient for GRE preparation? Nevertheless, are you all set to attempt GRE then go through a comprehensive 30-day study plan that will enable you to optimize your strengths regarding preparing for GRE.
What is the best way to prepare for the GRE? The best way to prepare for the GRE is to gain familiarity regarding this exam. Try devoting time to understand the GRE format, GRE test pattern and other crucial details. Browse through the pages of ETS official guide to get hold of an essence of the basics of the GRE.
During the 1st Week, revising your math basics must be your top agenda.
Either you love or hate math, you cannot skip revising the math fundamentals if you are targeting a decent GRE score. Go through the relevant GRE math questions from essential topics including percentage and ratios, integer properties, arithmetic and fraction lessons, power and roots, algebra, probability, etc. If you are yet to book a slot, do it immediately to begin preparations on a more candid note.
During the 2nd Week of your GRE preparation, you need to devote time to the verbal section inclusive of Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, and Reading Comprehension. Go through a comprehensive RC guide, learn about proven techniques related to increasing your reading speed, start practicing the RC questions. By the advent of the 2nd Week, reading must be imbibed into your everyday routine. There is no substitute for reading if you are aiming to score an impressive GRE score.
You need to develop a habit of reading to embrace it into your daily routine further. Read articles belonging to varied niches including literature, history, science, philosophy, etc., from reputed publications, and you will undoubtedly come across plenty of new words. Create your GRE vocabulary flashcards.
Moreover, when you read articles, do try to comprehend their argument styles, structures, so you may use them while practicing for the GRE verbal practice test and also the written ones.
Also, 2nd Week is a high time when you need to create a study routine inclusive of a few hours exclusively devoted to studying and a remaining few for practice preparation of GRE.
3rd Week is a high time to revise your self-made flashcards, improve your writing skills and solve mathematical questions. During the 3rd Week of GRE preparation, your time management skills must be at its best.
Attempting mock tests or the GRE prep test regularly must be the most important strategy to pursue during this Week as learning alone will not suffice to be equipped with extraordinary confidence. You need to attempt mock tests as much as you can to review whether your learning is heading in the right direction or not. While trying mock tests, you will also be stumbling upon those topics that you haven’t attempted earlier.
Never think of addressing a difficult topic during the last week because your procrastination may prove to be one of the biggest blunders in the context of GRE preparation. It is a complicated topic that requires maximum attention as you need to practice it repeatedly, so you need to pick such issues during the 1st Week itself to keep stress at bay during the final Week.
The 4th Week must be devoted to analyzing your mistakes and reviewing error logs. You need to continue attempting the mock tests to prevent repeating mistakes. During this final week, you need to ensure not to stress yourself too much and panic.
To sum up, the key to success of a 30 day GRE paper preparation plan lies in sticking to your schedule, getting sufficient sleep and avoiding social media distractions at any cost. Adopting flexibility regarding following a plan as per your strengths and weaknesses is essential.
How to prepare for the GRE exam while working? It’s difficult to score higher than 315 on the GRE. It’s extra harder when you work a full-time job on top of it. Every working professional’s narrative begins with being unable to take time away from a busy schedule and failing to stick to the study programme.
Are you a full-time worker with aspirations of attending college in the US? Do you want to increase your professional options? If so, passing the GRE is the first step in realizing your dream of studying abroad. Every year, professionals who are in the workforce take the GRE exam all around the world, making up nearly 48% of the candidates. How do you approach it then?
Finding the ideal balance can be challenging. You may occasionally feel as though you must decide between giving priority to the present and the future. Working while preparing for the GRE doesn’t have to be a binary choice. There are several ways to juggle your full-time career and GRE preparation.
Here are 11 Tips to prepare for GRE to a strong start while still maintaining your professional life. Let’s examine each of them individually:
You must act quickly to start planning and carrying it out in order to make the most of the time still available. Start early with your planning and execution. For instance, begin developing your plan and preparation as immediately as possible if you are aiming for the Fall 2023 intake.
Time is money, as a wise man once said. Since the GRE test structure is unfamiliar to the majority of people, getting a head start on preparation is always advised. Getting a head start is even more crucial if you work a full-time job, though. Step back and take a look at your schedule after considering the following advice.
How much time will it take you to get enough practice? (And be truthful about the amount of time you’ll actually spend studying!) It’s also crucial to take a GRE diagnostic early on to determine where you stand and how much further you have to go to achieve your ideal score.
There are different kinds of people in the world; some can work diligently and focus without a target, while others need deadlines to increase the effectiveness of their work. Why take a chance? Before you begin your preparation, reserve your GRE test date and time so that you have a deadline in mind. All applicants should use this incredibly successful method, which we propose! Your productivity and concentration while studying for the GRE will both be improved.
You must be thinking that while this advice is simple to read, it’s more difficult to put into practice. But if you are really dedicated to your aim, your results will stand out more, I promise! Work during your working hours, then study
for the GRE after a brief break. Keep in mind that fruit doesn’t ripen in a day as well. Therefore, continue to put up a constant effort in your GRE preparation.
Waiting for friends? Sitting in the dental chair waiting? Traveling in a car? Even if it isn’t formally scheduled on your calendar, these little intervals might be the ideal time to squeeze in extra study time and really build up. Make sure you always have enough GRE preparation materials with you (or on your phone).
Flashcards are a must! This is due in part to the fact that they are so helpful for filling in “empty” time and in part to the fact that you will need to master a good amount of difficult vocabulary before the test. Keeping track of things in a busy schedule can be challenging at times, so we urge you to use root words and flashcards to get ready for the GRE Verbal section. With something like this, you can quickly determine which word you had trouble remembering and which one was quite simple.
Additionally, this will assist you as you study in the days leading up to your GRE exam. You won’t need to go back to your high school years, so don’t worry. You can now utilize a selection of excellent applications to help you prepare without using any paper.
There are also plenty of practice tests available, including ETS practice tests, Princeton practice tests, etc. Develop a schedule and stick to it. Continue to include Mock Tests at regular intervals in that schedule to monitor your
progress throughout the last week or two.
Studies and lectures alone are insufficient. You’ll need to have taken and reviewed a considerable number of practice tests if you want to pass the nearly four-hour examination. It’s excellent if you can complete one per week.
If you can’t, estimate how long it would take you to finish ten (that’s right, 10) and set your exam date accordingly.
How convenient it would be to simply open your personal Maths Formula book and look through it for 10 minutes while riding in a bus, train or car. We strongly advise creating a formula book. When you are resolving issues and discovering new formulas, you can keep updating the book. Just put it in writing. This robust method will work amazingly!
A smart deal is to use your vacation time to focus on your GRE prep. Consider taking some four-day weeks or fewer days to study for the exam if you still have any remaining vacation time. If you want to take a leave of absence on a working day, keep in mind that your vacation should be productive. Take advantage of the holiday to advance your GRE preparation.
A fantastic method to keep your mind active is to perform mental math. Start honing your mental math abilities at work, when paying bills, and in daily life. The key in this situation is estimation, as well as learning to rely more on your own thought processes than a calculator. On test day, it will save you time and frequently be more accurate.
As you go through the newspaper, magazines, work memos and reports, ask questions to yourself. Consider the terminology, tone, and organization of the passage as well as how the GRE could evaluate it. When combined with
Step 9, you can actually complete a good amount of GRE preparation while working at a desk without reading a book.
Are you prepared? Be aware that you probably won’t notice a significant increase in your practice test scores on the actual exam if your practice test scores aren’t as high as you’d like them to be. If you can afford it, it’s a good idea to register for two test dates as most test takers find that doing the GRE twice results in the best score (at least 21 days apart).
By doing this, you’ll offer yourself some breathing room in case your score is still below what you’d like it to be. Even more crucially, you’ll lessen the stress associated with your first test.
Your efforts at your day job and the GRE will eventually pay off, so keep up the good work. Maintaining your employment not only helps your application and resume, but it also helps you maintain your finances in order. Additionally, you’re enhancing your chances of future success by preparing for the GRE. So continue on! You will succeed.
No matter what everyone thinks, study fatigue is real! And if not taken into consideration early, it can have detrimental effects on your overall performance in the examination and the final results. Preparing for the GRE can be tiresome. The syllabus is vast, and you might have the feeling of being a failure in the end. No matter how much everyone else around you says that worrying about any exam is futile, the fact remains that as students, it’s tough to avoid those butterflies in the stomach. So, if you are finding out ways of keeping that monster study fatigue at bay while preparing for the test, here are a few tips that might help!
Staying organized will not only help you with your preparation for the GRE but will help you in general. The organization is crucial in this case because study fatigue is quite prevalent. So, first and foremost, keep your study desk free from clutter. A messy desk will give you those exam jitters, and you really cannot help that feeling! Having a neat and clean study space is essential to ensure that you are on the right track.
Also, make sure that you take notes while preparing for the exam. Whether you have a personal tutor, an online tutor, or you have been taking up GRE test practice on the internet, note-taking is genuinely essential and a valuable tool for your positive preparation. Last but not least, make a list of topics that you need to focus more on. This will give you an idea about where exactly you lack as you progress.
Time management is necessary as a student as well as in your personal life. You will see that when you can manage your time well, you will become all the more productive and focused on your goal. You should never try to cover all your GRE courses in the first study session itself. Wait for a few more days to go through the topics. Give yourself time and do not ever rush! Make a proper time-table for your study sessions.
Studying is tiresome, as stated above already, and if you do not give your mind and body proper rest, you will collapse. So, make it a point to sleep well at night. Read before you go to bed or listen to your favorite music. This will help you to fall asleep quickly. Do not keep awake till late in the night to prepare for your GRE test. Sleep is necessary to keep your mind refreshed, and this will further help you to process your exam modules better. Never let your brain get tired, and the only way you can treat it is by getting a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your mood as well, which can further diminish your motivation. So, sleep well, no matter what!
If you think that studying at the last minute for your GRE examination is enough to score well, then you are sadly mistaken. Studies have shown that cramming a few days before exams doesn’t work at all. You will, however, only be able to memorize the parts you have already gone through before. But it is impossible to learn a new thing in those last few days.
Last-minute studies, hence, can fill you up with unnecessary stress and tension, which can ultimately increase study fatigue in you. This added anxiety will even cause you to forget other important aspects of the exam preparation like time management, organization, etc.
Studying for the test might leave you feeling like you have no time for anything else in life. However, you must take care of yourself first to do well in the examination. So, it’s imperative to eat well, stay hydrated and maintain a healthy and positive lifestyle. No matter how tempting a late-night movie or a box of pizza is, you need to understand that your goal is to score well in your test.
If you have already committed yourself to take the GRE 2023, you are all set and aware that you need to commit yourself to countless hours and days of study. Investing a good amount of time is crucial for your success. And for everything else regarding the test, Manya-The Princeton review is there to help you out. With our sought-after test preparation modules, we will ensure that your GRE score is the best.
Being pragmatic means you need to make considered decisions about your time and effort. Plan your preparation according to your target scores. You need to take a diagnostic test to find your starting score. The gap between the two shows how much work you must do over the next few weeks or months to get a desirable score on the GRE and secure the admission you want. Do you have the time? Are you ready to put in that hard work?
Do your research. Which programs are you interested in? Which university? How competitive is an admission? What was the average GRE score for last year’s incoming class? You need to know the role of the GRE in the admission process at your target programs. What about work experience, extra-curricular, and co-curricular activities?
Decide your target scores according to all this, especially your area of study and your target universities. For example, a safe Quantitative score for a student of English or History will be lower than a safe Quantitative score for an Engineering student.
In most cases, a little help will make things easier for you. Do not hesitate to get that help – some good study material, some good vocabulary building tools, some good practice tests, maybe a GRE Prep Course.
Most importantly, don’t lose hope, be calm, and stay motivated! To achieve your goal, it is really important that you believe in yourself. You need to remain positive not only while taking the GRE but also while preparing for the GRE. Believe in yourself and remember that every wrong answer during practice is an opportunity to learn something, a step that will help you get to the right answer next time.
If you are preparing for GRE and struggling with your Vocabulary then Manya GRE WordsApp is the ideal choice for you. Manya GRE WordsApp is a simple and efficient way to improve your vocabulary for the GRE Exam. This app will make it simple to memorize words and to improve your GRE vocabulary in bite-sized pieces.
You get around 1300+ GRE words divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced, each of which is further divided into levels for easy learning. Each word has crystal-clear meaning in simple language, pictorial representation of words, synonyms, antonyms and much more. In addition, quizzes & rewards make mastering even the toughest GRE vocabulary simple.
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Book your Free Counselling Session now!You should start by taking one GRE mock exam to determine your eligibility before deciding how to proceed with the GRE preparation. This diagnostic score will help you determine which universities you should apply to based on your desired score.
Here are some tips for your GRE prep:
You can start the preparation for the GRE with a diagnostic test. This will give you a focus on where you currently stand and what the test is about. Set a target score based on your requirements. Join a prep course- either online or offline or use standardized books to prepare for the test. Learn the concepts and techniques to handle the questions on the GRE. Learn new words everyday to improve your vocabulary. Take regular tests and review them for mistakes.
You have to take a diagnostic (full-length) GRE test to set the baseline. This will help you know where you stand and how far are you from your target score. Accordingly, choose a course or books to help you prepare for the test.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for the GRE exam:
1. Know the rules of the game – Get thorough with the structure, format, and scoring of the test.
2. Review the essentials (basic concepts) required for the test. For verbal, learn vocabulary and for math, learn the basics of the math topics tested.
3. Learn techniques, strategies and pacing tips to boost your score.
4. Practice questions from standard GRE materials.
5. Take GRE Full-length practice tests at regular intervals and review the test to learn from the mistakes.
For more on GRE prep, see our guide for making a GRE study plan.
You should be able to study on your own if you are a dedicated student who feels secure and has no major weaknesses. Here are some tips to prepare well.
1. Determine your starting point. The score you’d get if you took the GRE today is your baseline score.
However, If you require more structure and/or guidance, you should consider enrolling in GRE online coaching.
Here are some links that can help you figure out a strategy that will be perfect for you when taking the GRE.
5 GRE Preparation Tips From Top Scorers.
Best GRE Books To Refer During Your Preparation.
