Low GRE Score on Practice Exam..How much does GRE matter?

[Sealove00]

I've been studying for GRE for a month now, and I'm still not improving my scores. On my practice I scored 240 on Verbal and 260 on Quanitative Reasoning. I have to take the exam in a week, and I'm so stressed out. This is such a low score. If I can't do well on the practice exam, how will I do well on the actual exam.

 

How much does GRE matter? Also, my undergraduate GPA was 2.2 but then I attended an online school for my masters. It was an accredited institution, and I maintained a 3.6. I also have three years of experience in the field. What are my chances of getting in? It's not a top school. The program ranking is somewhere around 130s.

 

Please advice.

[uromastyx]

What do you mean by "260"? On the old scale?

GRE scores are only a part, but they are very important to your application.

[Sealove00]

260 on the new scale.

[spacezeppelin]

That score doesnt even make sense...I think a 170 (per section) is the highest you can get on the new scale. You are very confused about something or this is just some really lame prank message. Sorry, I dont mean to be rude if you really are confused, but if it IS a prank then it IS kinda lame.

 

If its not a prank I really reccomend you get some professional study help. I have a hard time knowing what your scores could possibly really be (because that number makes no sense on the old scale), but if you arent improving with your own studying then clearly you need to do something else. Get a practice book (im sure you have at least done that) or get a tutor. I used Kaplan. I found it to be sorta so-so, but my scores improved greatly as I studied, so its hard to know what was the class and what was just the benefit of becoming familiar with the questions.

Edited January 30, 2013 by spacezeppelin

[Sealove00]

I took the practice exam on ETS PowerPrep. At the end of my exam it stated: 240 out of 340 on Verbal and 260 our of 360 on Quantitative. This is the first practice exam I've taken but I'm still confused by the second part of the score (260/360) because I was under the impression the grading is out of 340. I didn't get a grade for essay.

Edited January 30, 2013 by Sealove00

[spacezeppelin]

oh, my apologies. I thought you meant those scores were the actual GRE scale as opposed to powerprep. I think that might just be their grading system. Look around and see if you can see a "precentile". For example, I got a 161 on the verbal, and I believe that is the 86th "precentile". I havent used PowerScore so I'm not sure how their practice test results are reported. But anyway, yeah I dont think those numbers represent the actual GRE. Go to the ETS website and maybe read up on the test a little. They have a lot of really useful information about what to expect and how it is scored.

 

Also, if that is your first practice test im SURE you will improve. Seriously, my original practice score was so bad I didnt feel like I should even apply. I think its the stress of it all. A few weeks later I was getting some scores I feel are completely respectable.

[thmp945]

ETS Powerprep practice exams are graded exactly the same way as the real thing. Each section is graded on a scale from 140 to 170. Either you didn't use the actual ETS Powerprep software or you are confused about your scores.

[Pkcd]

Spacezepelin if you don't mind me asking how many points did you improve after your first actual GRE? I just took mine today and am extremely disappointed in my score of 296. I'm determined to study hard and do what it takes to get a higher score but I could use some external motivation as well! Thanks in advance.