GRE Exam (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized online exam that is conducted by ETS (Educational Testing Service). Many students attempt this exam every year to pursue their Master’s degree or Ph.D. The GRE exam is highly competitive and requires a good study plan and diligent preparation to score well. We have listed below some of the top points to keep in mind when preparing for the GRE. Read on to learn about them.

• Effective preparation plan

One of the most important strategies to adopt while preparing for the GRE is to have a good study plan in place. The study plan should be formed taking into account the time you have left for the exam, the topics of the syllabus you need to complete studying, your strengths and weaknesses and also the target score you are aiming to achieve.

The study plan will help you track your progress with GRE preparation and will ensure that you don’t miss out on any important topics of the syllabus. In addition to the above a good study plan must also include practicing mock exams and solving sample question papers. These will help you – to get familiar with the exam pattern, understand the types of questions asked in each section and also to solve questions of varying difficulty levels. Study plans also help you to complete your GRE preparation within the stipulated time period.

• Choose your resources wisely

Now that you have a good study plan in place your next step will be to acquire study materials which will help you in your preparation. They play a vital role towards attaining your desired GRE score. Let us look at some of the popular study materials below.

• Books:

Good books are extremely vital for preparation for any candidate, who is studying for the GRE. They can be used for building an effective strategy and as a strong base for understanding the concepts of all topics in the GRE exam. They can be selected as per your requirements. We have listed some of the most popular books from each category below :

1. The GRE official Guide 

2. For Quantitative Reasoning– Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions by ETS

3. Best one-stop shop – ​​The Official Guide to the GRE Revised General Test, 3rd Edition

4. 5 LB. Book of GRE Practice Problems

• Online learning:

With the current situation forcing everyone indoors online learning has become the new way of studying for most candidates preparing for the GRE exam. There are many benefits which online coaching provides such as : 

1. Learning at your own pace – You will not have to follow a rigid schedule predetermined by the coaching centre or tutors. Online coaching allows you to study at your own pace and convenience. 
2. Constant guidance – You will have the full attention of your tutor and will not need to compete with other students to clear your doubts. This also allows the trainer and you to assess your strengths and weaknesses and work on them accordingly.
3. Updated Study material – The online coaching centres offer the latest study materials for you to study from. The materials provided are updated regularly so that you are aware of the latest changes in the format of the exam, any additional sections, scoring pattern changes etc.
4. Convenience and customization – Another important advantage of online classes is that you get to choose when to study, how to study and where to study. Most of these classes provide coaching which can be customized according to your strengths and weaknesses. You also have the option to study whenever you have time available as most of these sessions are prerecorded and you no longer have to worry about missing any classes

• Develop your vocabulary skills

The Verbal section is an important part of the GRE exam and you must be well prepared so that you obtain a good verbal score. A crucial part of preparation for the verbal section is to work on your vocabulary skills. There are several strategies that you can adopt to improve your vocabulary like – Reading more, implementing the words you learnt on a daily basis, Using flashcards, Attempting vocabulary quizzes etc.

• Focus on learning Quant concepts

The Quantitative section of the GRE aims at testing the candidate’s proficiency in basic Quantitative topics like – Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Data analysis. You will need to solve practice questions and learn the concepts in a thorough manner. This will aid you in scoring well in this section of the exam.

• Attempt Mock tests

You must ensure to attempt mock tests on a regular basis since it provides a plethora of benefits like – getting accustomed to the pattern of the GRE exam, becoming familiar with the adaptive testing methods (your performance in each section determines the level of difficulty of the next section), understanding your time management skills and evaluating the approximate score you are likely to achieve with your current level of preparation.

We hope this article has given you a better understanding of what are the important points to keep in mind when preparing for the GRE exam.

Good Luck!