secondarydefinitions

So what is the distribution of difficulty level for the first section of math/verbal? If one does well, what is it for the second? Also, has anyone taken both the revised and the old version of the test? If so, any thoughts on the old v new? How did your scores compare % wise?

Correction: They have put out material for the new test. The books looked the exact same and I did not see the "For the New GRE" in the top corner. Anyway I would highly recommend their material to anyone who is taking the test--their Math was the best for the old test and I suspect it will be for the new. Verbal also quite good. Here's a link to their new math book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/GRE-Math-Prep-Course-Novas/dp/1889057592/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325024091&sr=8-1

So far as I can tell Nova has not released prep material for the revised test . Does anyone know if they will be doing so, or if they have and I just missed it? For those unfamiliar with Nova, their prep material for the old version of the GRE was superb, in particular their Math book (loads of problems, all representative of actual test material with lots of challenging ones).

If you want to prepare thoroughly for the GRE and have some cash to spare, you should get: 1. As many of Manhattan GRE's workbooks as possible and their online practice test package. Manhattan GRE's material is outstanding for the most part. 2. The official ETS guide (it comes with powerprep) 3. Any of a number of small vocab books from several different companies. Also consider Barron's guide to the old GRE, which has the biggest list by far. 4. Nova's material for the old test, in particular their math review. It is exhaustive and will help out a bunch, especially if you're a high scorer because there are lots of challenging problems. And that's really all you should need. No company but MGRE/ETS has put out a respectable full guide to the revised test yet. Barron's new stuff is unimpressive but probably the best of the "other" material.

Manatee it is pretty easy to see that you posted originally in order to flaunt your superiority. Your tone was immodest and implicitly mocked those who prepare diligently, you made a pathetic and self-aggrandizing attempt at humor, and it is questionable whether or not smart people who do not need to prepare much to do well even need the "advice" you offered. An hour with some prep questions would be all that it takes for someone of that nature to gather such information.

do we know how the relationship between questions missed and score yet? it's not CA so this should be standardized right? wait, i see now that it is computer adaptive, though in a different way. my bad.

Do they still just give individual percentiles, or are there composite percentiles now?

Ok, so GRE scores are from from being a deciding factor, but they can get your application looked at, right? With a 1470 and an abysmal academic record (even after crushing grades on returning from suspension), I really hope this is the case...

How long after the test are scores by phone typically available? I would very much like to know my writing score. I think there is info about this on the ETS website, but such information is rarely accurate much of the time. I seem to remember SAT scores by phobe being available prior to the listed date.

Thank you for the replies. The terminal ma program option sounds good and I will consider that. As for the GRE, I understand your point but could it ever be a tiebreaker at the end of the app reviews?

Hey everyone, I'm interested in applying to PhD programs with a focus on political theory. Here's a rundown of my record: It took almost six years for me to finish undergrad and I finished with a 2.62 GPA but with a 3.5, 3.67 major (one seminar, three upper level courses) after returning for my last three terms after having served a suspension. My only significant extracurricular in college was writing a weekly column for the sports page and my work experience is nil in political science type jobs. I have two professors who are going to write me good rec letters, but not a third, so I guess the third rec letter is going to have to come from someone else. I took the GRE yesterday and got a 1470, 730 V 740 M, and I am pretty sure I got a 5.5 or 6 on the issue part of AW but a 4.5 or a 5 on the argument part, which I slipped up a bit on. Last, though there are some papers I could use for my writing sample from school I am going to do some research and write a new piece as my views have evolved significantly since finishing up and clearly I could really, really use an exemplary writing sample if I can pull it off. My questions are: should I take the GRE again? and should I bother applying to any programs in the top 20? I would have to take the new GRE, but I think I could shoot into the 99%+ composite range, whatever that would be on the new scale (I could also get a 6 on AW, I think). I was disappointed with my scores yesterday as I had been 1500+ on most practice tests and right before I got my scores I was thinking 1550 or so.

I've got the GRE soon and I have been practicing by and large with Manhattan GRE's 6 CAT's. My question is pretty simple: how representative does everyone think these CAT's are? I've taken four so far; in my opinion, the Verbal sections are somewhat more difficult than PowerPrep and the Math is about the same, if not a little more difficult as far as question difficulty goes (but apparently not scale, as I'll discuss in a sec) My scores for V on PowerPrep have been 760 and 750 and my scores on MGRE's tests have been 680, 700, 740, 730. My PowerPrep scores in Math have been 750 and 750, my scores on MGRE Math sections have been 3 800's and a 760. Now, on the PowerPrep Math sections I missed only 3, perhaps 4, it's hard to remember; but on MGRE I have been between 5 and 7, which is a bit confusing. Has anyone had the same experience with the algorithm/curve being different for MGRE? It is the same to a lesser extent when comparing the number I missed on MGRE Verbal vs. PowerPrep Verbal.

How do the Big Book Verbals compare to Power Prep and the real GRE? I take the Big Books as if they were computer adaptive, not going back to previous problems, and I find them more difficult than the Power Prep. I started off with a 670 in Verbal off one of the Power Prep tests and then I studied a few word lists and I did about half the big book tests, typically missing 5 or 6 per single Verbal Section by the end (best score was -3, and I definitely had a couple -8's in there, one towards the end). After this I took a Power Prep and got a 750 but I just took a single Big Book (#23, sec. 1) and got a -6 again, so I am a little bit confused. -5 or -6 on a BB seems to be in the 700-710, perhaps 720, range but I got the 750 on Power Prep and I just felt more in control the entire time. I think it might be the number of questions that makes BB more difficult, and I think also the material might be harder; I seem to remember cruising through the Power Prep and I am always right down to the line on BB and have to work my ass off on several questions (from all types, even the occasional sentence completion), sometimes getting the answer and sometimes not. On PowerPrep even with a 750 clip I did not feel like I encountered as many hard questions. What does everyone think?