GRE Subject test for English Lit

[cool cat]

Does anyone have advice for the GRE Lit exam? I am preparing using the anthologies, but I am still thwarted by the questions on the exams. Any advice?

[cloudyword]

I'm also taking that exam, unfortunately.

You can find some tips from here: 

Or, you can visit the following websites/blogs (I found some of them from the above thread and collected others from elsewhere ):

The best to kick-start with: http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/alison/hapaxlegomena/WhatsOn.html
Recommended reading list: http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng215/recommended_GRE_list_copy.htm
Historical intro: https://vademecumgre.wordpress.com/
World timeline: http://www.timelines.info/
Very brief norton notes: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=litgre&keyword=Norton+notes&filter=all
Supplementary timeline / tips / resources: http://www.thejunkbox.com/gre_study.html
The John Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism: http://litguide.press.jhu.edu/

I only bought Cracking the GRE Literature in English Test, since I already have most Norton Anthologies at hand. I guess The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory would be useful for quick reference if you have the budget for it.

I don't think it is possible to read them all.... so I guess I'll at least finish the recommended list (the 2nd link), familiarize myself with literary movements and historical backgrounds, and read through A-list poetry in the final month of my test. 

Hope this helps!

 

[orphic_mel528]

Do not, for a moment, treat this like a test for which you can sufficiently study. By study, I mean learning or reviewing actual literary material en masse. 

This test is absurd. I've said it, my friends who are now PhD candidates have said it, and my professors have said it. It is glorified trivia. It barely reflects readiness for doctoral level study in literature. It does not require you to write, or to synthesize information. It merely asks you to remember random tidbits about everything that's ever been written across the entire literate planet since the Middle Ages.

A question I remember clearly: "Which of these authors was not employed in a non-literary profession prior to their first publication?" 

Speaking as someone who already completed an MA in English: This question is not remotely related to skills you need to have or work you do in graduate school. We don't work like that. We're not generalists. The idea of that is absurd. And one of the first questions on any doctoral application to an English program asks you to designate your topic of interest. 

The percentage of actually relevant questions on the GRE Lit test is, I dunno, maybe 5%? 

All that said: yep, you sure do have to take it to qualify for many programs. When you take it, I guarantee you will stare at the first page of questions and say to yourself, "Are you kidding me?" This feeling will persist until you finish, and then you have to address the persistent voice in your head that says, "Dude, just light your answer sheet on fire, honestly. And then maybe yourself."

It's not that it's hard. Hard is not the issue here. It's not a matter of intelligence. This isn't a matter of successfully coding a computer program; it's not testing your skill as a writer or a reader. It's simply a matter of the truth that few humans are capable of having a broad enough catalog of memorized tidbits--obscure, esoteric, trivial tidbits--to excel at this test.

Do not for a moment attempt to endow yourself with a superhuman and exhaustive encyclopedic knowledge of the Norton Anthologies, all of the critical theory disciplines, all of the authors and their lives and the bad historicism that the GRE is evidently besotted with asking about, or memorize Shakespeare's catalog. I'm not saying this was your plan, but if anyone tells you to do this, punch them because they hate you and are trying to kill you.

Get yourself a nice test strategy book from Kaplan and learn the tricks, because that's what the GRE is about. It's not about knowledge, it's about logical thinking and strategy. Remind yourself that English programs know this test is looney, and probably most of the admissions committee thinks it's frigging looney. There is going to be a threshold that, if you fail to meet it, they would have right to be concerned. But trust me when I say, from what my professors on admissions committees told me, they know this test is the devil, and they don't expect perfection or anywhere close. 

Good luck. Strategy, not rote memorization. Buy the book, learn what they're likely to test on in 2016/2017, focus on those areas, review your crit theory notes, and try your best.   

Edited August 8, 2016 by orphic_mel528

[cool cat]

On July 10, 2016 at 11:21 AM, cool cat said:

Does anyone have advice for the GRE Lit exam? I am preparing using the anthologies, but I am still thwarted by the questions on the exams. Any advice?

Thanks for all the advice. How important is Marvell? He is given a lot of importance in the anthology. I am going deep into Milton, but other than that I plan on skimming since I have already read a great deal about the others. Any advice?

 

[cool cat]

OK I looked at the test from ETS and I could barely answer any questions. The ones I could answer were from what I learned or read in school several years ago. I have almost finished the Anthology, so that did not help. Kaplan does not have any resources for Lit sub exam. Can anyone advise? I am so freaked out right now.

 

[orphic_mel528]

On 8/19/2016 at 1:32 AM, cool cat said:

OK I looked at the test from ETS and I could barely answer any questions. The ones I could answer were from what I learned or read in school several years ago. I have almost finished the Anthology, so that did not help. Kaplan does not have any resources for Lit sub exam. Can anyone advise? I am so freaked out right now.

 

Don't freak out. See my original comment. I do not understand the rationale for requiring this exam, and many programs (very prestigious ones) do not. Half of the ones I'm applying to don't require the test. I think programs are really moving away from standardized testing in general, and putting far more emphasis on GPA, recommendations, and, of course, your writing. So put your focus on that. 

Just do the best you can. You have to accept that this is like being blindfolded, throwing a bowling ball in what you hope is the general direction of the pins, and then hitting the pins to boot. Seriously. 

If you do poorly on this test, you will still have (I hope) a glowing set of recommendations, a glowing GPA, and bonafide excellent writing skills. Do not freak out. This test is not going to make or break your application, honestly.

[AnimeChic101!]

On August 8, 2016 at 0:10 AM, orphic_mel528 said:

The percentage of actually relevant questions on the GRE Lit test is, I dunno, maybe 5%? 

A quick note: my area of focus was tested via 4 questions on the exam. Yep, only 4. It in no way shows an adcom anything about you as an intellectual besides your ability to memorize these facts. Some of the questions are truly absurd. I once had to fill in the blanks on a  poem that only had three lines. I'm blessed that I was a TA and teaching that poem (and that it is one of my favorites), otherwise I would have never known what all the blanks were. 

[cool cat]

Thank you so much. I have almost finished reading my second Anthology which I love doing, but how much is it going to help me? I also get the Princeton GRE Lit book and I have read almost everything on that list, but the questions are still a conundrum to me. I will have good recs, GPA, and good writing skills ( I am an writing instructor) there are only 3 schools that I want to try for that require this test, but they are high end schools (Berkeley is one of them) but they are very very fussy. I am now concentrating on my GRE general. Believe it or not I am stumped on the sentence completion, I am seriously considering taking a Manhatten class (online) since I have not opened the books for months. I began my review last week and felt so behind since lit was all I worried about. Would you recommend Manhatten or just do it on my own, or even take a quick online class for 99.00? Thank you so much for your advice though. I really appreciate it.