How soon should I take the GRE?

[ClassicsCandidate]

Hello, all! 

I'm applying to an MA program that does not require the GRE but I plan on applying to PhD programs immediately after that, so I wanted to know when I should take my GRE? Since it's been a while since I had any standardized testing, should I take it sooner rather than later in case I have to take it again? How many times should an individual take the GRE if they aren't pleased with their score? (I am terrible with standardized testing). Thanks in advance! 

[Hitojung]

In my opinion, the sooner the better. But before you schedule for your first test, make sure you see through the test structure and topics to assess yourself about the appropriate duration of preparing for the test. Make sure you have at least 30 - 45 days before the test (some would say 2 months). It would also depend on how much time you have (also if you are simultaneously working) to channel to GRE prep.

About the number of times to take the GRE, it all depends on your satisfaction and ofc the competitiveness of your admission department. As for me, I sat twice. The first time (back in July) was much of a 'trial' you know. It was quite nerve-racking (it's the first time!), all my friends said "It's difficult!!!", plus I really didn't know much about the 'real' difficulty of GRE (compared to preparation materials I used). But for the second time (in Oct) things got much much better- I was not at all nervous for the second time, I knew what to expect and what are my weaknesses to work on. 

Good luck on your prep!! 

[ClassicsCandidate]

Sooner the better makes sense. I know some basic things about the test structure, but my worry is being away from any kind of standardized test for too long (2006/2007 was the last time I took any standardized tests). I know for sure I'm going to be rubbish with any math that's on there, so that's my biggest worry. I do work full-time right now, so I'm not sure how a timeline for GRE prep would work because if I'm honest, I'd say the earliest I'd want to take it is the beginning of the summer, but I'm uncertain how I would balance GRE prep between my final semester this Spring (which includes an internship) and my full-time job. Do you have any suggestions regarding that? 

That makes sense. I'm aiming high for my PhD programs, so I'd say I'd want to be able to have at least boastful scores because I feel like that would be the minimum expected for the schools I'm applying to - places like UPenn and NYU. Which may explain why I'm so excessively nervous! Thank you for all your help and I'll be looking into some prep materials soon. Do you have any recommendations? 

Thanks for the luck!  

[Hitojung]

Well, I had to prepare my GRE while working too. What would help is to focus on the part which needs more attention. If you need to ace Quant, more time on Quant relative to Verbal, and vice versa. Above all consistency with practice is there. I forced myself to practice quant before sleeping every night! And as you said you are been away from standard test for a long time, I think you need to do practice test  often (i mean the test sections of the book).. 

I used 5lb. Manhattan to review my Quant + Barron 6 practice tests. What is good about Manhattan is they give you a code for online material. With 5lb. you get online question bank. Also Manhattan has separate volumes for each Quant chapter (like Algebra, bla bla). Just buy one of the chapters and you will get 6 online practice tests (I didn't have enough time for this so I didn't buy). I didn't focus on Verbal, so I am not sure what to suggest. But the 5lb. provides lots of sample essays and verbal practice too.

Edit-- P.S. Also read the book reviews first so to find the ones that fit your needs

Edited December 27, 2017 by Hitojung

[ClassicsCandidate]

That sounds excellent! I have an old Barron GRE prep set somewhere, I need to see if it's too out of date (I think it's from 2015?). Thank you for all your help! 

[GCBrittany]

I'd say before taking it, take a solid three months to go through some test prep materials, and take a practice test BEFORE you start reviewing. Then after each month, take another. The practice exams on the ETS site are exactly like the structure on test day, and the scores were very similar, so it's a good indication of how you'll do.

Then take your first exam, and repeat if you have to. I wouldn't just do it quickly to get a trial run over with, although that would be very handy to prepare. Mostly because it is expensive.

There was an app on my phone that was free... Ready 4 GRE? Whenever I had a few minutes I would go through those quizzes and they were surprisingly similar to the actual questions on the exam. They also had video instructions and nice features. Also, Khan Academy has math prep videos, but I felt even though I was unfamiliar with the material, it went too slow, and you'd have to have a million hours of free time to go through them. I'd stick with topics that you know you need extra work on, instead of starting from the beginning like I attempted to do.

Anywho, good luck! It isn't as bad as your anxiety makes you think it is beforehand! If you practice, you'll rock it!

[ClassicsCandidate]

On 12/28/2017 at 9:56 AM, GCBrittany said:

I'd say before taking it, take a solid three months to go through some test prep materials, and take a practice test BEFORE you start reviewing. Then after each month, take another. The practice exams on the ETS site are exactly like the structure on test day, and the scores were very similar, so it's a good indication of how you'll do.

Then take your first exam, and repeat if you have to. I wouldn't just do it quickly to get a trial run over with, although that would be very handy to prepare. Mostly because it is expensive.

There was an app on my phone that was free... Ready 4 GRE? Whenever I had a few minutes I would go through those quizzes and they were surprisingly similar to the actual questions on the exam. They also had video instructions and nice features. Also, Khan Academy has math prep videos, but I felt even though I was unfamiliar with the material, it went too slow, and you'd have to have a million hours of free time to go through them. I'd stick with topics that you know you need extra work on, instead of starting from the beginning like I attempted to do.

Anywho, good luck! It isn't as bad as your anxiety makes you think it is beforehand! If you practice, you'll rock it!

 

This is really good advice, thank you! The ETS says there are only two free tests on there; do you buy the subsequent ones or are any of the other free online practice worth taking instead? Just curious if you have suggestions! 

I'm planning on studying during this coming semester and possibly take the test mid-May or early June now that I've given it more thought. This way, I have 3-4 months to study but plenty of time to review if I have to take it again. My aims are high for my potential PhD, so I have to score on the higher end of 150s at least. So I'm going to have to do a lot of studying for my quantitative and brush up a bit on my verbal. I'm pretty confident with verbal because a lot of the words I've encountered so far are pretty familiar to me. I'll just have a bit of studying to do for that, I think. All the maths is what's going to be what makes me bonkers while studying. 

I just downloaded the app, and it seems great! So I'll be giving that a go when I can. I've used Khan Academy before, so I suppose I should delve back into it to review what I'm behind on (mostly everything, it feels like, to be honest). But I'll narrow down what seems to be the most of what I'm encountering with the practice tests. 

Thank you! I'm going to try my best and see how it goes and whether I'll need to attempt a second go, so I'm crossing my fingers and going to get studying soon!