Not sure if I can raise my score

[Clinpsyc01]

I took the GRE recently and got 164 verbal, 158 quant, and a 4 on writing. I'd like to improve my score because I'm applying to some very competitive programs next year. My writing score was by far my lowest section, but I'm not worried about improving that- I didn't prepare enough last time, and I got about 3 hours of sleep the night before the exam. Not exactly conducive to writing good essays under time constraints. 

I'm most concerned about improving my quant score. I started off scoring 145-150 on practice tests and now consistently score in the high 150s, but I'm not sure if I'm capable of breaking 160. Ideally, I'd like to score in the low 160s. I only used the 5 lb. book and practice tests to study, so would Magoosh help me raise my score by a few points?

Also, how can I improve verbal? I didn't study at all for verbal beyond taking a few practice tests. Is it worth my time to memorize vocabulary lists? I already read quite a few scientific articles and novels, so I don't know if I can improve my comprehension. Is there a way?

 

[gughok]

14 hours ago, hsrnl said:

Is it worth my time to memorize vocabulary lists?

Yes. This is what made the difference for me. You'd be surprised how well the lists correspond to what shows up on the test. This can easily put you up a few points, unless you already have a gargantuan vocabulary.

[JonesUCF]

I think making vocab lists is really beneficial. I only gave myself 3 weeks to prepare for the GRE and went from a 148 on my first practice to a 161 pretty much solely by making and memorizing vocab lists.

[Vince Kotchian GRE Prep]

I'm a tutor, but I have a comprehensive study plan on my site for self-studiers. It should give you a few new ideas about what to focus on.

You can improve a lot by doing and analyzing ETS-written questions. They're exactly like the real GRE (since ETS writes the GRE). That should be your main focus, not 3rd party books or materials. I wouldn't overdo it on the vocab considering you're already at a 164.

[Brent@GreenlightGRE]

Your score breakdowns don't provide much information regarding what's needed to increase your scores.

The GRE is a test of your math and verbal skills AND it's a test of your test-taking skills. So, taking practice tests is an important part of your prep. This will help you build your test-taking skills, and it will help you identify any remaining area(s) of weakness.

While analyzing your practice tests, there are four main types of weakness to watch out for:

1. specific Quant skills/concepts (e.g., algebra, geometry, etc.)

2. specific Verbal skills/concepts (e.g., vocabulary, 3-blank text completion questions, etc.)

3. test-taking skills (time management, endurance, anxiety etc.)

4. silly mistakes

For the first two weaknesses, the fix is pretty straightforward. Learn the concept/skill and find some practice questions to strengthen that weakness.

If your test-taking skills are holding you back, then you need to work on these. For example, we have a free video about test anxiety at http://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/general-gre-info-and-strategies/video/1252  

Finally, if silly mistakes are hurting your score, then it's important that you identify and categorize these mistakes so that, during tests, you can easily spot situations in which you're prone to making errors. I write about this and other strategies in the following article: http://www.greenlighttestprep.com/articles/avoiding-silly-misteaks-gre

Cheers,

Brent