Basic Questions about GRE

[lore]

I'm looking to start my MA in Fall 2015 and so I figure that I will need to start thinking about the GRE eventually if I decide to apply for a PhD program for Fall 2017. The issue is that I'm Canadian and have never even heard of the GRE until talking about graduate school with my undergrad advisor.

 

My primary questions are:

 

1) When should I start preparing?

2) Does everywhere require it?

3) Will it be difficult for someone who has not done any real math since Grade 11 math?

 

I know these are probably dumb questions, but I have very little experience or knowledge of standardized testing. We have course-specific provincial examinations at the secondary level and general foundation skills assessments at the primary level, but it pretty much ends there.

[attackonthedoctor]

 

My primary questions are:

 

1) When should I start preparing?

2) Does everywhere require it?

3) Will it be difficult for someone who has not done any real math since Grade 11 math?

1) Now, especially since you're uncertain about your GRE scores for Quantitative section. I recommend the Manhattan prep materials for GRE. They've been shown to be the closest to the GRE.

2) It depends on the program, but most programs do. I would run on the assumption that a GRE is required for a US PhD and plan accordingly.

3) Again, it depends on how well you learned the material before and how much effort you put in to study.

[hyronomus4]

I'm looking to start my MA in Fall 2015 and so I figure that I will need to start thinking about the GRE eventually if I decide to apply for a PhD program for Fall 2017. The issue is that I'm Canadian and have never even heard of the GRE until talking about graduate school with my undergrad advisor.

 

My primary questions are:

 

1) When should I start preparing?

2) Does everywhere require it?

3) Will it be difficult for someone who has not done any real math since Grade 11 math?

 

I know these are probably dumb questions, but I have very little experience or knowledge of standardized testing. We have course-specific provincial examinations at the secondary level and general foundation skills assessments at the primary level, but it pretty much ends there.

 I agree with the above post about prepping asap and I second the recommendation for Manhattan Prep.  That's what a professor recommended to me also and I was able to raise my scores considerably.  I also got a big book of practice tests and some vocab flash cards.  It was all helpful for me because I couldn't afford the prep classes.  

 

The math in the GRE is not especially complicated, it's just high school math that you don't use very much day to day.  So you likely won't have to learn new things, you'll just need to refresh what you've already learned.  I found that I had A LOT to relearn so I needed good prep time.  

[scarvesandcardigans]

I'm looking to start my MA in Fall 2015 and so I figure that I will need to start thinking about the GRE eventually if I decide to apply for a PhD program for Fall 2017. The issue is that I'm Canadian and have never even heard of the GRE until talking about graduate school with my undergrad advisor.

 

My primary questions are:

 

1) When should I start preparing?

2) Does everywhere require it?

3) Will it be difficult for someone who has not done any real math since Grade 11 math?

 

I know these are probably dumb questions, but I have very little experience or knowledge of standardized testing. We have course-specific provincial examinations at the secondary level and general foundation skills assessments at the primary level, but it pretty much ends there.

 

You should definitely start preparing as soon as possible! Cramming study time to right before you take the test is not ideal. I was advised to seriously study 4-6 weeks prior, but to begin looking over materials and familiarizing myself with the test way before that.

 

Most schools require that you at least take the GRE, but double check with your specific program beforehand. One of mine eliminated the GRE requirement altogether for students with a certain GPA -after- I had already taken the test and sent my scores. 

I'm not familiar with Manhattan materials, but I found that the practice GRE software the ETS has (it's free to download once you sign up) made me feel a lot less nervous because I knew exactly what the test looked like and how it was formatted. I used Princeton Review books and they were helpful for verbal sections, not so much for math. These books helped me to understand what the questions were asking and "decipher" each item, but if you feel that math isn't your strongest suit, do as much review as you can.

 

Good luck!