I'm taking it this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. I didn't do well the first time around (I did terribly!), but I think it had to do with the fact that I didn't prepare myself well. This time really counts though, and I want to do well so I can go to graduate school! I've been taking practice tests (both the paper and computer one), and I've been doing pretty well, but I don't know if I can rely on these scores...I fear that I will do worse than I anticipated. Has anyone in this board taken it lately/previously?
Graduate Record Examination (aka GRE)
- Thread starter bernz84
- Start date
GOOD LUCK! 
I took it back in April and did okay, luckily I only needed a 1000 and am good in math -- that english is brutal. I'm sure if you have been taking practice tests, you will do fine! Try not to worry.
I took it back in April and did okay, luckily I only needed a 1000 and am good in math -- that english is brutal. I'm sure if you have been taking practice tests, you will do fine! Try not to worry.
I took it 6 years ago (before the required essays and the computer adaptive questioning) and did really well. I had to retake it last year because my original scores were too old for the program I was applying to. I didnt do as well the second time because I was so worn out after writing the two essays that I had a hard time concentrating on the rest of it. My best advice is to study the vocabulary lists relentlessly because the verbal section on the real test is usually a lot harder than the practice tests. Good luck!
Oh yes, I remember this all too well. I just started my first year of grad school, so I took the GRE about this time last year. I took it twice too, thinking I'd do better the 2nd time since I knew what the test was like, and I did improve, but not too much. The math isn't that hard, but the vocab words are awful!! I enjoyed the essay part.
I did study, but looking back, there's really nothing that you can do to prepare for that kind of test IMO. I did get in to graduate school though, so I guess it was worth the hassle and stress. Good luck, I am sure you will do great!
I did study, but looking back, there's really nothing that you can do to prepare for that kind of test IMO. I did get in to graduate school though, so I guess it was worth the hassle and stress. Good luck, I am sure you will do great!
Oh, God I still have nightmares about that stupid test.
Are you using GRE Power Prep? That should give a fairly good estimate of how you'll do.
The Verbal section is a nightmare. I speak 4 languages and read 75 books a year and I got a perfect score on the verbal SAT in high school-you'd think it would be a breeze, but I swear, I had never heard of half of those words that were on the GRE.
The good part is that the GREs are only one small part of the entire grad school application process. The schools really care more about your Statement of Purpose and Letters of Rec. Work really hard on those & they can make the GREs seem unimportant. Most schools have 1000 as their cut-off. If you're getting above that, don't stress about it too much.
Are you using GRE Power Prep? That should give a fairly good estimate of how you'll do.
The Verbal section is a nightmare. I speak 4 languages and read 75 books a year and I got a perfect score on the verbal SAT in high school-you'd think it would be a breeze, but I swear, I had never heard of half of those words that were on the GRE.
The good part is that the GREs are only one small part of the entire grad school application process. The schools really care more about your Statement of Purpose and Letters of Rec. Work really hard on those & they can make the GREs seem unimportant. Most schools have 1000 as their cut-off. If you're getting above that, don't stress about it too much.
i took it about 3 years ago.....
the math part was really really easy..... i barely studied for it
but the english.... more than brutal.... its a like a torture chamber in there trying to figure out what words mean what.... i think i actually finished the english part very quickly because i gave up and started guessing everything....
the math part was really really easy..... i barely studied for it
but the english.... more than brutal.... its a like a torture chamber in there trying to figure out what words mean what.... i think i actually finished the english part very quickly because i gave up and started guessing everything....
Took it a looong time ago and did very well. I'm a better test-taker than I am a student, strangely. It doesn't help your situation, but I always thought too much weight is given to standardized tests.
Most test-prep classes or study manuals will have a lot of good tips for doing better than just walking in cold.
Most test-prep classes or study manuals will have a lot of good tips for doing better than just walking in cold.
Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, you took the MAT to get into grad school and the GRE to get OUT of grad school. Suffice it say I was terrified about the GRE!! All the work I put into my Master's degree requirement could have been negated by one lousy (and I mean lousy) test score!! Thankfully I survived it, passed both the AM and PM sections and could finally breathe again!!!
How long does the test last these days? When I took it (1980), it was a literal day long test. You started at 8AM and finished around 4PM with a short break for lunch.
I'm SO glad my formal education days are long gone.
How long does the test last these days? When I took it (1980), it was a literal day long test. You started at 8AM and finished around 4PM with a short break for lunch.
I'm SO glad my formal education days are long gone.
^^^The math was the sole reason I was scared to death! I never even took algebra in HIGH SCHOOL, much less college!!! My grad degree required statistics and I could manage that, but I was able to take a different math class that didn't include algebra when I was undergrad. Fortunately the GRE was geared towards our actual degree, so it was the statistics part that was on the test. Still a brain fryer, but I passed!
Thanks for the replies! Yes, I have been practicing...with everything I can get my hands on! LOL! I took ALL the practice paper tests from the GRE prep book, which I know isn't too reliable. I've been looking and reviewing my vocab. I'm not too worried about the Quantitative section because I've been scoring consistently well (the lowest I've ever gotten was a 690), but it's the verbal that has me the most worried (I've fluctuated from 570 to 700). I've taken the Powerprep test (one of them); you're right jillybean307, it does predict your score pretty well. I took one last year and it predicted almost the exact same score as I did on the actual test day (both of which were terrible). I'm going to take the other practice test on Powerprep tomorrow or today just to see what I can expect.
IntlSet - most of the math is algebra, geometry, and arithmetic (8th-9th grade level). Approx. 5-7 questions are based on a graph. I personally find the arithmetic the most difficult because how the questions are asked make the problem harder than it probably is. I also hate the geometry section because I really fluctuate in that area...if I get the problem, I will do really well, but if I don't, I get extremely confused. And like the SAT, there are quantitative comparisons.
GAH! I'm so nervous!!!!
IntlSet - most of the math is algebra, geometry, and arithmetic (8th-9th grade level). Approx. 5-7 questions are based on a graph. I personally find the arithmetic the most difficult because how the questions are asked make the problem harder than it probably is. I also hate the geometry section because I really fluctuate in that area...if I get the problem, I will do really well, but if I don't, I get extremely confused. And like the SAT, there are quantitative comparisons.
GAH! I'm so nervous!!!!
Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, you took the MAT to get into grad school and the GRE to get OUT of grad school. Suffice it say I was terrified about the GRE!! All the work I put into my Master's degree requirement could have been negated by one lousy (and I mean lousy) test score!! Thankfully I survived it, passed both the AM and PM sections and could finally breathe again!!!
How long does the test last these days? When I took it (1980), it was a literal day long test. You started at 8AM and finished around 4PM with a short break for lunch.
I'm SO glad my formal education days are long gone.
Hmm...there are 2 essays (one 30 min; the other 45 min), a verbal section (30 min), a quant section (45) and an "experimental" section (either verbal/quant, approx. 30 min). There is also an extra section that they will tell you is extra, and they'll offer you an incentive if you complete it (but I plan to jet out of there as soon as I finish!). So...it's approximately 2.5-3 hours.
