General Overview of GRE Test
Various campuses have their own specific exams but many of them usually offer the most basic and set tests. These exams serve to ensure that the students who are being enrolled are the best in an all-round aspect. They tend to test various aspects, such as reasoning, logical thinking, and general intelligence.
Passing these exams is crucial in case a student wants to boost his or her chances of nailing that graduate application. These tests surely give the applicants that extra boost in their academic endeavors.
Introduction
The GRE test is one of these exams that the students are given before being enrolled in the universities and colleges. GRE stands for a general and standardized international test that one has to pass before being accepted into business and graduate schools across the world. It is conducted in two formats: paper-based and computer-based formats.
GRE is established by a US-based educational institution, known as Educational testing service. The test is available in over 150 countries and is offered just once each year. Undergraduate and postgraduate students are all qualified to undertake the GRE test. In addition, several departments require the GRE results so it is important for the candidates to check the requirements of the departments before enrolling for their desired program.
The GRE exam covers three main areas namely verbal reasoning assessment, quantitative reasoning assessment, and analytical writing. Having a high score in your GRE test will give you a great boost in your business or graduate school application. The Kaplan or Princeton GRE are among the very few best preparation courses out there. You will not go wrong with either of them if you decide to take one on
GRE Test: Analytical Writing Section
This is the first part of the GRE exam that involves several steps. First, one will be required to read a paragraph on a particular general issue and then address the topic the best way he/she has understood it. This section takes around 45 minutes to complete. The section tests the candidate’s ability to argue out facts and reason them out depending on how best they have understood the issue.
The second part of this section is similar to the first one, but now you will be required to read a paragraph and critique it. For this section, the candidates are given 30 minutes to complete it. The main objective of this section is to analyze the issue and then pass on your reasoning in a clear and concise way. It tests the candidates’ ability to articulate issues depending on how they have understood them.
Scores for this section are determined by real invigilators and the students can either choose to write via a computer or handwrite their responses. This analytical section has a score range of between 0-6.
GRE Test: Verbal Reasoning Section
This is the second part of the GRE exam and it tests a number of things, including the ability to complete sentences, analogies, antonyms, and reading through comprehension questions. The main objective of this section is to test the candidate’s ability to derive conclusions from written materials, determine the relationship that is there between different parts of a sentence and the relationships that exist between words and concepts.
The candidates can undertake this section using either a computer-based format or written format. The computer-based format has 30 questions which you are given 30 minutes to complete while the written based format contains two segments with each having 38 questions with each of the segments requiring a 30 minutes window to complete. The scores for this section are between 130 and 170.
GRE Test: Quantitative Reasoning Section
This is the third section of the GRE exam, which tests high school level mathematics. The section covers areas like data analysis, algebra, geometry, and arithmetic. The students are required to solve different mathematical problems using their quantitative reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
In this section, the candidates can choose to do a 45-minute computer-based format with 28 questions or a handwritten format which has 30-minute segments with each segment having 30 questions. The scores for this section are between 130 and 170.
GRE Test: Preparation Tips
This exam is very crucial if you really want to get that business school application. However, making the proper preparations for the test is bit tough. The following tips will help you pass this exam:
- Do not panic, just be calm all through as this will give you the confidence to answer the questions well enough.
- Do not be in a hurry to finish. Take your time to answer each question the best way you can.
- Ensure to answer all questions even if you are clueless.
- The verbal section can be very tough, so ensure you do your language research well enough.
- For those, wishing to undertake more mathematical programs such as engineering should pay close attention to the quantitative sections.
GRE Test: Best Websites
There are several well-known websites that handle the GRE exam related information. They are:
- Manhattan Prep – it is ranked amongst the best GRE websites in the world. It contains numerous GRE related content that will definitely be of help to a GRE student.
- PrepAway.com – this website has steadily grown over time since it contains refreshing content for GRE candidates to use. Its content ranges from practice tests to videos and worked-out examples among others.
- GRE official website – the official GRE website contains all the latest and relevant content pertaining to the GRE exam. The students will greatly benefit from its refreshing content on all the GRE tested areas.
GRE Test: Top Resources
There are numerous GRE resources online for students to use to prepare for their GRE test.
- Powerprep II – this resource guide is a good point to start as it offers numerous free online GRE practice tests that are mostly from ETS.
- Magoosh’s GRE vocabulary flashcards – for those who will need to improve their vocabulary prowess, then this resource guide by Magoosh can be of great help. It contains over 1000 words that the students can learn from.
- Quizlet flashcards – it contains a wide range of the GRE related information that will greatly benefit a GRE student.
GRE Test: Exam Books
For those who love reading books, then there are lots of GRE books to read. The best ones so far include:
- Kaplan’s GRE Premier 2017 – the book contains very comprehensive features that cover all the GRE aspects. It includes ways of tackling the GRE exam and practice questions and answers.
- Barron’s GRE: 21st Edition – Barron books are regarded as the best exam guides in the market. This GRE book does not disappoint since it has all the fundamentals of studying and passing the GRE test.
- ETS: GRE the Official Guide to the Revised General Test – ETS is the official developers of the GRE offers its readers this book as it contains the in and out of the GRE world. It is written in a very comprehensive way to give readers more insights on how to study the test.
GRE Test: Eligibility and Registration
This test can be done by any student irrespective of his/her age or grades but to qualify one has to first qualify for the university he or she is applying for. The GRE exam was designed to test the students who want to pursue Ph.D. or Masters Programs, but several universities across the globe are also now administering the test to potential undergraduate students. Many universities right across Canada and the United States offer the GRE exam.
To register for the GRE test, one will first have to create a GRE account which allows the candidates to check their GRE scores or even register for the exams. One will be required to fill their academic qualifications and also pay the registration fee via the accepted payment options.
After taking the test, the candidates will be able to receive their GRE results within 2 weeks.
Personal Note
Exams are very crucial since they determine your passage to the next level. We advise people to take tests seriously and always start their exam preparation very early. This allows one to go through all that he or she may want to go through in an in-depth way.