To help you get in the right mindset, take at least one practice test at the same time of day that you plan to take the real thing. (Check out the practice tests in
Part 5 of this book and in the online access.) I’ve had students use this strategy to become accustomed to the effects that their
circadian rhythms (hunger and nap patterns) have on their test-taking abilities. If you’re used to eating or relaxing at a certain time each day, make sure these tendencies don’t sneak up on you during the exam. As I discuss in greater detail throughout this book, one of your goals is to make the exam and testing experience as familiar as possible, so that you’re used to it and it’s almost no big deal. (See
Chapter 3 for more on how to prepare for the GRE.)
Because the computerized GRE is administered to individual test-takers, testing centers tend to have few seats, and those seats fill up quickly during peak admission deadline months (April and November). If you’re planning to take the GRE in a testing center (as opposed to at home, if that’s still available) around these months to get your test scores in on time, schedule your test early and secure your ideal time slot. You can always reschedule, but the last thing you need is an inconvenient time or location. Before at-home testing was available, I had a student wait until the last minute to schedule his exam, and he had to drive from Phoenix to Tucson (some 120 miles) to take his GRE and get his scores in on time. He called me during his drive, and we reviewed math formulas, but this wasn’t an ideal way to ramp up for the test. If at-home testing is still available, this may not be an issue, but at this time, I’m not sure where those chips will land.
Breaking Down the GRE into Bite-Sized Pieces
Standardized tests tend to bring on the chills. Telling someone you have to take the SAT, ACT, or GRE usually elicits the same facial expression as saying that you need to have your wisdom teeth pulled. However, breaking the GRE down into its component parts makes it more manageable and less threatening.
Table 1-1 provides a quick overview of what’s on the exam. The essays are always first, but the multiple-choice sections may be in any order.
TABLE 1-1 GRE Breakdown by Section (Computer-Based)
|
Section
|
Number of Questions
|
Time Allotted
|
|
Analyze an Issue
|
1 essay
|
30 minutes
|
|
Analyze an Argument
|
1 essay
|
30 minutes
|
|
Verbal Section
|
20 questions
|
30 minutes
|
|
Math (Quantitative) Section
|
20 questions
|
35 minutes
|
|
Verbal Section
|
20 questions
|
30 minutes
|
|
Math (Quantitative) Section
|
20 questions
|
35 minutes
|
|
Discreetly Unscored Math or Verbal Section (may be earlier in the exam)
|
20 questions
|
30 or 35 minutes
|
At close to four hours, the GRE challenges your stamina as much as your ability to answer the questions. No matter how solid your math and verbal skills are, you must maintain the focus needed to do well for the whole time, which isn’t easy on a challenging task such as this. You can build your test-taking stamina by practicing in four-hour stretches and taking multiple timed practice tests.
The GRE includes one unscored Math or Verbal section in addition to the scored sections. So you actually have three Math or three Verbal sections, with one of those sections unscored. This unscored section neither helps nor hurts your score. The GRE may indicate that the section is unscored, but usually it doesn’t, so be sure to work all the sections to the best of your ability.
The GRE allows you to skip questions and return to them later, as long as you’re still in the section. When you reach the end of a section, the GRE displays a review screen that indicates any unanswered questions. If you have time remaining in the section, return to these questions and answer them as well as you can. This feature is nice because you can knock out all the easy questions before spending time on the hard ones. (See Chapter 2 for tips on managing your time during the exam.)
So what types of questions are there and how many of these can you expect on the GRE? Check out Table 1-2 for the answers.
TABLE 1-2 GRE Breakdown by Question Type
|
Type of Question
|
Approximate Number of Questions
|
|
Per Math Section (20 questions each)
|
|
|
Multiple-choice with exactly one correct answer
|
6
|
|
Multiple-choice with one or more correct answers
|
2
|
|
Fill-in-the-blank with the correct answer
|
2
|
|
Data Interpretation (based on graphs)
|
3
|
|
Quantitative Comparisons
|
7
|
|
Per Verbal Section (20 questions each)
|
|
|
Text Completion
|
6
|
|
Sentence Equivalence
|
4
|
|
Argument Analysis
|
2
|
|
Reading Comprehension
|
8
|
Note that these question types are mixed throughout their sections, so you may encounter them in any order. Sometimes the software groups similar questions at the beginning or the end. For example, if you’re halfway through a Verbal section and haven’t seen a Text Completion question, you will.
Scoring Max: 340 Then 6
With the GRE, you receive three separate scores: Verbal, Math, and Analytical Writing. Although you drive home knowing your unofficial Verbal and Math scores (as explained in the following section), you must wait 10 to 15 days to get your Analytical Writing score. The following sections explain in depth some important scoring
