Tips for Psychology Subject Test GRE

[TrishLyke]

Does anyone have any advice on how to effectively study for the Psych subject test GRE? 

I am taking the test October 27th. There is so much information to take in and despite majoring in Psych I am worried I won't be able to retain it all. Any tips, tricks, or guides are greatly appreciated!

-Trish

[ResilientDreams]

I was under the impression that most psych programs don't want that test. 

[ResilientDreams]

Sorry lol. That definitely was not helpful. I did have one friend who took it and she just got a prep book and read through it and took it. We're in undergrad now though (not sure about you), so all the psych stuff is really fresh. 

[PsyDuck90]

Some of the doctoral programs I applied to wanted it or "strongly suggested it." I just bought the Kaplan Psych GRE prep book and read through it. I did well, and that was with being out of school for 3 years. I did major in psych for a joint BA/MA though. You can't possibly know everything they can test on, but if you know the basics, you're good. I would definitely put more emphasis on the regular GRE. 

[Psychophys]

I applied to a doctoral program that "strongly recommended" the Psych GRE.  I didn't take it and was still admitted.  Now, this could be due to the fact that one of my majors was in psychology, so they probably weren't worried about my background knowledge.  Anyway, to answer your question directly, I've heard from others that you should read through an introductory psychology textbook in order to prepare yourself.  There are probably also other "official" study materials that I'm not aware of.  Best of luck. 

[Yiyu Liu]

I took this test when I just turned a sophomore and got 810(rank 99%) and I think I could answer your question. I spent approximately 3 weeks for it. But consider I'm an international student and I had some difficulties with English terms, you could crack it in a even less time if English is your first language.

First I would suggest cracking the GRE psychology and Kaplan. These two books should be given more concentration. Memorize the summary and carefully go through all questions. Make sure you understand every question on it. 

If you have additional time, I would suggest going through a introductory book of psychology, a developmental psychology and abnormal/clinical psychology. You don't have to go into details, just go through them will help you a lot. As you know, GRE psych include only multiple choices so you can rely on your implicit memory

Good luck and take it easy!

[dancedementia]

All I did was skim the Kaplan GRE book (keep in mind some of the clinical stuff is outdated - e.g. we're on DSM-5 now instead of DSM-IV-TR, but that is such a small section that you don't need to worry). I only started studying a week prior to the exam. I didn't have a psych undergrad and basically guessed on every single question relating to neuroscience, learning/memory, or cognition. I scored a 720, which was above average for most of my schools, so I left it at that. 

Study the Kaplan book and you should be fine. If you need/want a higher score, then skim through some intro psych books.

Edited September 15, 2018 by dancedementia

[presentfancies]

I read through an intro psych textbook and had only an introductory psychology course under my belt. I got a 700 (76%) which I am happy with considering that I did not major in psych undergrad and basically self-taught myself everything. I also found a bunch of PDFs online of previous years tests and took those to help me prep. I think I spent ~4 months sporadically studying and then 4 weeks of serious study

[testlamt]

Try here

amthauer-ist.com/en/
 

It's free.

Intelligence Structure Test (IST)
The service offers online determination of your IQ by the method of the German psychologist Rudolf Amthauer.

AMTHAUER RUDOLF Born December 19, 1920 in Iserlohn;  September 30, 1989 in Frankfurt am Main, german psychologist, specialist in applied psychology, professional diagnostics.

The test is used to assess the level and structure of the intellectual abilities of people aged 13 to 60 years. The purpose of testing is professional orientation and professional selection.