GRE - 160 quantitative - realistic?

[lullaby1]

Hey guys,

 

I´m taking the GRE in 2 weeks, and I only need the quantitative part.

 

I didn´t have any time to study for the GRE till now, because I hade 3 big exams at university...

 

So i would need some advice: is it realistic (i´m not very good at maths) to reach 160 points in the quantitative part with only 2 weeks of preparation? As already mentioned, I only need the maths part for my grad school admission....

 

and what could you recommend me for preparation, I have magoosh already, is Baroons better?

 

I would be very thankful for your answers!

 

 

[midnight]

I recommend taking the free Manhattan and Powerprep practice tests and looking over the Magoosh math PDF's. And I always recommend the Barron's book Six GRE Practice Tests since I think it's very close to the material you'll see on the exam--and I checked out a lot of materials!

 

160 is definitely realistic if you have an aptitude for math, but the GRE isn't always the most straightforward, plus you have to make sure you pace yourself well.

 

Good luck!

Edited March 18, 2013 by midnight streetlight

[phmhjh85]

I even had less time to prepare and thankfully got over 160 in both-also international students and had it amidst exams. Just commit your self fully to it now. Powerprep to know where you stand. cracking gre was excellent in familiarizing yourself with exam questions typeTypes and srrategies especially in verbal (though strategies lacking a bit in Q so magoosh here is better) Then the official guide for exam like questions. Those are crucial . For tougher math questions , Manhattan is the best though harder than the test -didn't have time for it till a day or two prior. The thing is all of this is useless without time management. Exam questions are easy but it is also easy to get distracted by a hard question-usually not hard just needs a strategy you are not thinking of at the time- and lose track of time and voila you miss 4 or 5 questions you could have easily answered due to time- always remember you can mark questions and skip them to come back to later- though properly not- About being "not good in math" that is Harday a problem , GRE is about problem solving not applying rules of quantum physics or advanced calculus-English majors as well as engineers need to take it And finally make excellent use of draft paper , avoid writing over books during preparation coz on the exam day you are looking at a screen the whole time. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps and good luck

[lullaby1]

Thanks for your advices!!! so, you think that 160 in quant is reachable in 2 weeks from a not-maths genius?

[Bhrigu]

[lullaby1]

 

Definitely possible. Provided you keep your calm in the test, especially when it comes to multiple answer correct questions. Revise basics thoroughly from the ETS Powerprep book and familiarize yourself with typical question types while preparing.

[JungWild&Free]

Thanks for your advices!!! so, you think that 160 in quant is reachable in 2 weeks from a not-maths genius?

 

I think this is maybe true if you study your behind off...but you shouldn't depend on getting this score with only 2 weeks of preparation if you are not good at math.  Not trying to be a downer, I just think some people are not totally aware of what not being good at math means, and it usually doesn't get you above the 80th percentile with only 2 weeks of studying.  81st percentile means you did better on the math than the vast majority of people that took it, less than 20% of people performed better than you.  Not usually the case if you are average or worse at math (I know it wasn't the case for me and I consider my math skills fairly average compared to the rest of my academic performance).

 

If you need a minimum of 160, I would suggest taking more time to study.  You can always take it multiple times if you don't get the right score the first time.  I just don't want you to be discouraged and think you're the only one on this website that didn't hit that mark if you don't.

[LMac]

If you haven't already, take a practice test to see where you score now. Then you'll have an idea of what you need to focus on and how far you have to go. Good luck!

[spacezeppelin]

I dont think this is even a remotely answerable question. I mean yeah...of course its possible. I'm sure people have done it. That being said, we have no idea what your abilities are. It is possible that you are one of those people who are not going to do well on the GRE. They exist, and we cannot know that. You could also be one of those people that get in the 80th percentile with no prep and then come on this site and ask if you should retake it. We simply can't know.

 

I think you should take an honest assessment of yourself. In your genreal academic life do you perform better than 80 percent of your classmates who intend to go to graduate school? What kinds of grades do you get in analytical classes? What does "bad at math" really mean to you? Does that mean you got a B in calc or did you fail advanced algebra? Did you do well on the SAT math portion?

 

None of those questions will be a sure thing. Doing well or poorly on the GRE does not nessesairly say much about your overall intelligence, but it is a decent indcator. I'm sure you know yourself better than we do. Honestly, I could take a pretty good guess at what my scores would be based on an honest assessment of my abilities in reality and on standardized tests. Whatever you come up with, remember that grad school will take up between 2 and 8 years of your life, and contribute to your future success. The GRE is a part of that, and I think it would be wise to give it due consideration.