Brent@GreenlightGRE

I think I didn't do as well as I wanted because I was extremely anxious and ill-prepared for managing my time during the test. You're certainly not alone when it comes to feeling anxious during a high-stakes test like the GRE. We have a video on dealing with anxiety during the test. Also as part of your preparation, work on adopting the proper mindset/attitude on test day. I believe that proper mindset will do wonders for your score. If you're interested, I wrote two articles on this topic: - http://www.greenlighttestprep.com/articles/mindset-and-body-language-gre-destroyer - http://www.greenlighttestprep.com/articles/junior-girls-volleyball-scoring-big-gre Cheers, Brent

So, how did your test go, palyndrone?

You're certainly not alone! The main problem is that, when people finish high school, they seldom use any of the math they learned. So, after a few years, most people have forgotten pretty much everything they learned, which means they have to go back and re-learn a years and years worth of math concepts and strategies. Given this, I suggest a systematic (even methodical) approach, in which you take the time to master each topic/concept (e.g., percents, ratios, text completion, quantitative comparison questions, etc). So, for each topic/concept, you should: 1) Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.) 2) Learn GRE-specific strategies related to that topic 3) Practice dozens of questions all related to that one specific topic. 4) Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it Then, and only then, move on to the next topic. In addition to learning the core concepts and GRE-specific strategies, be sure to work on your endurance and test-taking skills (e.g., time management) by taking several practice tests. Cheers, Brent

Are you saying that you took the same practice test twice? If so, did you see a lot of repeated questions the second time around?

To achieve a solid quant score, you must: Learn the concepts and techniques tested on the GRE (e.g., circle properties, divisibility rules, equation-solving, etc.) Master GRE-specific strategies (e.g., testing the answer choices, quantitative comparison strategies etc.) Understand the many different ways the test-makers can test your knowledge of each concept Hone your test-taking skills (e.g., endurance, time management, guessing strategies, etc.) Many students make the mistake of limiting their preparation to item #1 and perhaps item #2. So, once they fully grasp a concept and successfully answer 1 or 2 related questions, they move on to the next topic. The problem with this strategy is that the test-makers can take ANY concept, no matter how simple, and create **dozens of wildly different questions**, each requiring a different approach. Take, for example, the relatively simple concept of statistical averages (arithmetic mean). The test-makers can take this concept and create super simple questions like this (http://greprepclub.com/forum/qotd-4-the-product-of-two-integers-is-10-which-of-the-fol-2325.html) and they can create super hard questions like this (http://greprepclub.com/forum/course-of-an-experiment-95-measurements-were-recorded-1723.html), both of which test the same concept. So, to achieve a great score, you must answer A LOT of practice questions specifically-related to each concept tested on the GRE. I hope that helps. Cheers, Brent

Check out the bottom of this page: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/gre-reading-comprehension Cheers, Brent

Good question. The test-makers strive to create questions without cultural bias. So, they'd never assume that everyone knows the composition of a deck of cards. If a question about a deck of cards were to appear on the test, you'd be given all of the necessary information about the deck. Cheers, Brent

Most of the math concepts you need for the GRE are concepts you learned in elementary school and junior high. There's no high-level math like calculus, differential equations or complicated trig (e.g., sine, cosines, etc). So, give yourself some credit for your ability to crush the math sections. Cheers, Brent

Are you looking for GMAT or GRE practice tests from Manhattan Prep? Manhattan Prep and several other prep companies offer 1 free practice test. Here's a list of the free GRE practice tests: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/resources/practice-tests Here's a list of the free GMAT practice tests: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/resources/practice-tests Cheers, Brent

If you're looking for interesting, GRE-like content, here are some suggestions. For Science passages, try: New Scientist Nature National Geographic Popular Mechanics Scientific American For Humanities/Social Sciences, try: Washington Post New York Times Guardian Atlantic Monthly The New Yorker Cheers, Brent

You might like our free GRE course. The verbal modules have tons of videos and practice questions. - Sentence Equivalence - Text Completion - Reading Comprehension I hope that helps. Cheers, Brent

This is an important observation! The test-makers (ETS) are not interested in whether or not you are a human calculator. In many cases, they are testing your number sense and logic skills. Here's an article I wrote on this topic: The Reasonable Test-Maker Cheers, Brent

That's a great idea. I should mention that we have a video that explains some of the unique features of the graphing calculator (e.g., the order in which you must enter numbers and operations as well as how the memory buttons work): https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/general-gre-info-and-strategies/video/1251 Cheers, Brent

I recommend reading the entire passage. While doing so, be sure to identify and summarize: - the theme of each paragraph (4 to 8 words) - conflicting points of view (4 to 8 words) - main idea (4 to 8 words) So, we're talking about 20 to 30 words altogether (and you can use shorthand and acronyms to use fewer words). If you take good notes, you won't have to go back and re-read the passage. More importantly, when you're looking for specific pieces of information to summarize, you will better engage with the passage (which is a HUGE factor in RC success). If others are interested, we have a free set of videos that cover all sorts of Reading Comprehension strategies: https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/module/gre-reading-comprehension Cheers, Brent

I suggest a systematic approach, in which you take the time to master each topic/concept (e.g., percents, ratios, sentence equivalence questions, quantitative comparison questions, etc). So, for each topic/concept, you should: Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.) Learn GRE-specific strategies related to that topic Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic. Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it Then move on to the next topic. If you're interested, our study plan follows this strategy. It accompanies our free GRE video course, which is divided into all of the relevant topics. In addition to learning the core concepts and GRE-specific strategies, be sure to work on your endurance and test-taking skills by taking several practice tests. Cheers, Brent

That's great advice! To add to that, students can typically answer Quantitative Comparison questions in the least time, so answer all of those first. Cheers, Brent

One way to solve math questions faster is to recognize that in pretty much all cases, you really don't need to use the onscreen calculator. The calculator is VERY CLUNKY and time-consuming. In most cases, you can avoid tedious calculations by estimating or applying other techniques. Here are a few examples: - Approximation - Multiplying by doubling and halving - Shortcut for dividing by 5 - Squaring numbers ending in 5 - The Something Method (for solving some kinds of equations) - Using the informal definition of Standard Deviation - Calculating combinations in your head I hope that helps. Cheers, Brent

As you can see, A LOT of people are posting their AW essays on this forum, but those essays seldom get reviewed. If you'd like to useful feedback, you might want to use ETS's ScoreItNow service (https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/scoreitnow/index.pl) and get two essays scored by the official scoring system ($20 fee) Cheers, Brent

As you can see, A LOT of people are posting their AW essays on this forum, but those essays seldom get reviewed. If you'd like to useful feedback, you might want to use ETS's ScoreItNow service (https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/scoreitnow/index.pl) and get two essays scored by the official scoring system ($20 fee) Cheers, Brent

The chart's creator decided to make 1980 the benchmark year (with an index of 100). So, for other years, the index tells us the enrollment for a certain year as a percentage of the enrollment in 1980 For example, if the index for a given year is 90, then the enrollment for that particular year = 90% of the enrollment in 1980 Cheers, Brent

I suggest a systematic approach in which you take the time to master each topic/concept (e.g., percents, ratios, quantitative comparison questions, etc). So, for each topic/concept, you should: 1) Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.) 2) Learn GRE-specific strategies related to that topic 3) Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic. 4) Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it Then, and only then, move on to the next topic. In addition to learning the core concepts and GRE-specific strategies, be sure to work on your endurance and test-taking skills (e.g., time management) by taking several practice tests. Regarding resources, be sure to get ETS's Official Guide for GRE. For extra practice questions, ETS has a quant-only book with 200 questions. Cheers, Brent

The one that's best for you will be the one that best suits your learning style. Most companies have some sort of trial period during which you can test out the course risk-free. While you're at it, we have a free GRE video course you might want to try. Cheers, Brent - Greenlight Test Prep

A lot of people post their Analytical Writing essays on forums like this, but those essays typically don’t receive many responses (if any). One alternative it to use ETS’s ScoreItNow service (https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/scoreitnow/index.pl) to get two essays scored by the official e-rater scoring program (for a $20 fee). It will give you a really good idea of the strength of your essays. I hope that helps. Cheers, Brent

A lot of people post their Analytical Writing essays on forums like this, but those essays typically don’t receive many responses (if any). One alternative it to use ETS’s ScoreItNow service (https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/scoreitnow/index.pl) to get two essays scored by the official e-rater scoring program (for a $20 fee). It will give you a really good idea of the strength of your essays. I hope that helps. Cheers, Brent

I suggest a systematic approach, in which you take the time to master each topic/concept (e.g., percents, ratios, text completion, quantitative comparison questions, etc). So, for each topic/concept, you should: 1) Learn the underlying concepts (rules, attributes, notation, etc.) 2) Learn GRE-specific strategies related to that topic 3) Practice dozens of questions all related to that one topic. 4) Don't stop working on that topic until you have mastered it Then, and only then, move on to the next topic. In addition to learning the core concepts and GRE-specific strategies, be sure to work on your endurance and test-taking skills (e.g., time management) by taking several practice tests. As far as resources go, be sure to get ETS's Official Guide for GRE. For extra practice questions, ETS has a quant-only book and a verbal-only book, each with 200 questions. You'll also need a resource with some sort of instruction. The one that's best for you will be the one that best suits your learning style. We have a free video course you might want to try (http://www.greenlighttestprep.com/) Finally, it's a good idea to have some kind of Study Plan. We have a one here if you're interested - https://www.greenlighttestprep.com/ Cheers, Brent