Jump to content

chrismagoosh

Members
  • Posts

    19
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by chrismagoosh

  1. Deciding to take the GRE or the GMAT is an important decision, especially since now since students can use the GRE for business school. You might have heard that many who take the GRE are also taking the GMAT, or vice versa. If you are wondering exactly what the GMAT is and how it differs from the GRE, then this infographic should answer all your questions. http://magoosh.com/gre/2014/gre-vs-gmat/
  2. Hi! Wanted to let everyone know that we've just released our GRE vocabulary flashcards. They cover the words most likely to show up on the exam. They don't cost a thing and they work with just about any smartphone. To learn more: http://magoosh.com/gre/2013/announcing-our-gre-vocabulary-flashcard-app/
  3. @Latte Macchiato Thanks for the kudos . I'm glad the pdf books were helpful in your prep!
  4. It's clear that your GRE scores do not reflect your verbal ability and academic standing. As DanieleWrites noted a lot about scoring well on the GRE comes down to understanding how the test goes about trying to trick you. That's one of the many departments in which Kaplan lacks. Princeton Review does a much better job of breaking down the test, and standardized tests in general. Go through the strategies in that book and apply them to actual ETS test questions, or Manhattan GRE or Magoosh questions. Keep sedulous notes of the questions you missed. Try to figure out what went wrong, i.e., what thought processes led you to the wrong answer. Try to anticipate these errors so you can avoid them in the future. Once you pick up on how the test writers create the wrong answers and what makes the right answer right, you should be able to score well above 150 on both sections. That said, working on some fundamentals (vocab, math concepts, etc.) will help as well. Here is a 2-3 month plan -- including suggested materials -- that should help you improve on both sections: http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/2-3-month-gre-study-guide/ Good luck!
  5. Vocabulary is still very important for the GRE. However, compared to the old GRE -- esp. those pesky antonyms! -- the new GRE allows you to rely on context. For those who are avid readers of The Economist and magazines of its ilk, being able to rely on context is a boon. The other piece of good news is that much of the archaic and formal vocabulary that had crept into the old GRE (basically as a result of everyone cramming most of the high-frequency vocabulary) is absent from the new GRE. As long as you can recognize most of the words in a edition of the New York Times you should be fine. The only downside to Revised GRE's emphasis on context would be for those who were good at devouring stacks of flashcards, but who didn't really have a good sense of how those words functioned in context. If you fall into this group--or even if you were planning to use only flashcards for vocab prep--I'd encourage you to use the web to help give you a more fully developed sense of how words function in context. One such tool, wordnik.com, provides plenty of example sentences drawn from the web. Also, you can go to nytimes.com and enter a word into a search box and you will get scores of example sentences. If no sentences come up for that word -- or if that word has only popped up one or twice in the last few years -- then that word is far too esoteric and in all likelihood won't show up on the GRE. As for as actual GRE vocab resources go, I'd recommend the Manhattan flashcards (as one student mentioned). These flashcards provide excellent example sentences, so you'll learn how a word functions in context. What I wouldn't recommend are the 3,500 or 4,500 word lists, which offer vague definitions, little to no context, and obscure words that wouldn't pop up on the GRE.
  6. As others have pointed out, reading is a great way to boost your vocab--as long as you assiduously look up words you don't know while reading. Of course what you read is important too! The New York Times, the Atlantic Monthly, and the Economist are all great sources, especially the longer articles (don't just read from cover to cover). One thing you don't want to forget is to use words. Whether you are walking down the street and you see a 'saturnine' looking fellow, or you write a quick short story using words you've learnt over the past week, using words is an excellent way to make the words stick in long term memory. As they say, "Use it or lose it!". For a great resource that covers many of these principles--but in much great depth--check out the following free ebook, which is not only full of effective techniques to improve your vocabulary but also high-frequency GRE words: http://magoosh.resources.s3.amazonaws.com/Magoosh-GRE-Vocab-eBook.pdf Hope that helps
  7. You can definitely bank on an inscrutable science passage showing up test day. Whether that passage is 12 lines or 60 lines depends on the test. I would prepare for the latter scenario. That said you may get lucky with a 60-line literature passage that will cause a science-centric student to break into a cold sweat. Good luck!
  8. While the word list can seem endless, the Barron's 800 is just the tip of the lexical iceberg. Of course imbibing thousands of words is not necessarily going to translate to an impressive verbal score. Definitely continue to grow off the Barron's lists with other words list (MGRE, etc.) but remember the GRE is testing your knowledge of words function in context. You may very well know the dictionary definition of a word but fail to have a sense of its proper usage in an academic/GRE context. As much as possible you should try to understand how words function in context. In the following ebook, I expound upon this in detail, while providing plenty of example sentences for common GRE words. Hope this helps . http://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/
  9. You can definitely improve significantly . I have had students jump up hundreds of points on verbal alone (on the old test). As for how to go about preparing for the Verbal section, this ebook should be helpful: http://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/
  10. In the many, many years that I've been tutoring GRE/GMAT, what I've noticed is that the big publishers change very little (if any) of the content inside the covers. The only thing that seems to change each year is the glossy photo of a student wearing a look of utter rapture while perched over a GRE book. With Kaplan 2012, I found the book seriously lacking. I highly doubt any improvements/changes will be made. Indeed, though this might sound somewhat cynical, I doubt Kaplan 2016 GRE will be much different from the 2012 book.
  11. Hi Tom, I know exactly what you mean: the issue prompts are so open-ended and vague, and there are so many different interpretations, that forming a coherent position can be difficult (or, as you mentioned, you just freeze up). One thing you could do is think of a way to make this easy on yourself. Meaning choose just one position and a couple of examples with some analysis thrown in to back you up. Now you may instinctually balk at such a proposal, thinking that is going to lead to a substandard essay. Doing so is especially difficult for those who are either perfectionists are simply want to do justice to the torrent of thoughts they have whirling through their heads upon reading an Issue Statement. But that's the thing--the meager 30 minutes hardly allows for an excellent essay, and the GRE essay graders know this. Putting together a decent essay in 30 minutes is actually pretty amazing. And you will be duly awarded. Not that my take on the Issue is significantly different from Princeton Review's but check out this post I wrote on Magoosh today (perfect timing, right . Also click on the previous post in which I take apart the issue and brainstorm positions and relevant supporting examples: http://magoosh.com/gre/2012/mock-awa-issue-essay/ Hope that helps .
  12. Taking the test in a large room filled with people taking different tests is by no means an aberration. At least in the U.S., everyone will have that experience. The key is bracing oneself for the inevitable distractions. For instance, a student can be furiously pounding away as he or she tries to finish an essay. Others will totally flout the "speak softly" rule and start babbling away to the test center admin. The headphones are always a good defense in such instances (though a well-timed glared at offending parties could also do the trick!).
  13. I've had a number of Magoosh users report back telling me that their essay topics were directly from the pool. Some even got the exact same topic that I dissect, brainstorm, and write an entire essay on in one of our modules. Many thought I was psychic... though I disabused them of any such notion .
  14. emmm is right: the international student pool is a very competitive one. While your verbal score is decent, your quant score is a little on the low side (esp. if you are applying for a Masters in Accounting). So definitely retake. And don't despair - I've seen students improve drastically on quant based both on the material they use and the time they put into studying. I would aim for a 160Q. Bump that Verbal up to 150 and you are suddenly a much more competitive candidate .
  15. I wrote book reviews for each one (and some others not included, e.g., Manhattan, McGrawHill): http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/new-gre-book-reviews/ Hope that helps
  16. The Revised GRE tests for vocabulary in context: cramming Barron's 4500-word list (with many words that are vaguely defined) is not a good way to go. Kaplan's 500 are a good place to start. But I'd recommend another method: reading. That is as you read underline and look up words you don't know. You can always turn them into electronic flashcards at quizlet.com. Of course reading will also help with your reading speed. Reading willy-nilly is not the most efficient use of your time. I recommend reading The New York Times, New Yorker, and The Atlantic Monthly, choosing those articles that you find of the greatest interest. I write about this more in-depth: http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/reading-vocabulary-in-context-where-should-i-start/ Hope that helps .
  17. Hi BrianM, I hear you - Reading Comprehension passages are far more difficult than most of the prep books make it seem. A few helpful techniques are" 1) Reading for the big picture After spending the 3 or so minutes on the passage, you should be able to articulate the main idea of the passage, any notable transitions between paragraphs, multiple theories/opposing viewpoints. A good exercise is to see if you can come write down three important points of the passage (you of course should be able to do this without referring back to the text). 2) Answering questions in your own words/Not being guided by the answer choices When reading a question first simplify that question in your head (if necessary), then go back to the relevant part of the passage. Find the supporting information, and then come up with the answer to the question. By using your own words you can more accurately match with the correct answer choices, instead of letting the answer choices sway your thinking. Here is a blog post with even more helpful RC tips: http://magoosh.com/gre/gre-reading-comprehension/ Let me know if you have any questions .
  18. Ha! This is quite a fun conversation on reading-in-context sources. I think the key is looking for convoluted, dense sentences in which you have to struggle at the end to discern the overall meaning (with, of course, a slew of GRE-level vocab thrown in for good measure). Surprisingly, you don't have to (though you surely could) content yourself with only the classics. As one reader pointed out Game of Thrones abound in GRE-words (the involved syntax perhaps not so much). The important thing is finding something that holds your interest. And there is such a large swathe of reading that encompasses the criteria above (I esp. like edgirl's list, of which I've read an eerie amount of. In fact, I got Liar's Poker in my backpack right now!). Of course New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, etc. are great sources. Here is a little blog post I wrote excerpting choice articles (meaning those bloated with GRE words): http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/vocabulary-in-context-the-new-york-times-the-economist-the-atlantic-monthly-and-the-new-yorker/
  19. Nova is excellent from a standpoint of a question bank. Unfortunately, NOVA's does not offer prep for the Revised GRE (so no new question types!). Nova is also a little weak on explaining problems and providing a math foundation upon which to build off of. MGRE, on the other hand, is updated for the test. It provides you with a solid grounding of the fundamentals and then 6 full-length practice tests (you need only buy one of their eight books to access the tests for free). I wouldn't recommend Barron's: while they've ostensibly updated the test, much of the material is just rehashed from their old GRE book. Magoosh also offers plenty of math practice. Dozens of lesson videos to build a foundation and hundreds off practice questions (with both written and video explanations) help you apply what you've learned: gre.magoosh.com. Let me know if you have any other questions .
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use