Gre Prep Courses
What is the GRE?
The GRE, short for Graduate Record Examination, is a test that is used by colleges and universities to assess a students aptitude for graduate programs in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
Overview of the GRE
The 4 hour GRE exam is composed of three parts: Analytical Writing Section, Verbal Section, and Quantitative Section (mathematics).
The AW section is always first, followed by one Verbal section and one Quantitative section. After this, there is an additional Verbal or Quantitative section.
One of these sections will not count towards your score; it is included for research purposes (you will not be able to identify it, so don’t even try 
). For example, if your test has two Verbal sections, only one will count.
After the test is over, you may have to complete another research section. This one, at least, will be identified. And yes, you have to stay to complete it if you are asked to!
The Analytical Writing Section
In the past, the old Analytical Writing Section used logical games and other types of questions to test an individual’s analytical aptitude. The new Analytical Writing Section replaces that test. The essays you write during your GRE can be viewed by the graduate school you’re applying to; however you need to request them. A score of between zero and six will be assigned to each one of your essays, based on the quality of your English and the strength of your argument. The final score will be achieved by averaging all of your scores together.
The new Analytical Writing Section is comprised of two essays. You’ll be able to select one of two prompts, in the first section, titled “Present Your Perspective on an Issue”. Then, you’ll respond to the declarative statement you’ve chosen, for example “Enjoying what you do should be a deciding factor in how to choose a career.” In your response you will argue whether you agree or disagree with any or all of the statements. Stating a clear point of view, your well-written essay will use relevant, specific examples to support all the points you’ve made. Your writing mechanics, spelling and grammar will be added to the overall value of your final score.
You will be allowed 30 minutes to complete your second essay, “Analyze an Argument.” Opposite of the first task you just performed, this unprompted argument will instead be deconstructed. The assigned task will be completed as a short paragraph that draws specific conclusions of the stated premises contained within the argument. By identifying errors of reasoning and logic in the paragraph, the final score of your essay will be based on your skill used to analyze the argument, along with your command of English.
The Verbal Section
The GRE’s Verbal Section contains 30 questions and takes 30 minutes to complete. The question types include: Antonyms, Analogies, Reading Comprehension, and Sentence Completion.
Antonyms, in the Verbal Section, are the most basic question type. The stimulus word, will be presented to you in capital letters, as an example, RAPTUROUS. Five answers will then be shown to you in the form of phrases or words. You will pick the word or phrase that represents the direct opposite of the meaning of the stimulus, as in this case that might be represented in the word “sorrowful.” There are nine antonyms in the Verbal Section on average.
Analogies are a relational understanding between two pairs of words or phrases, such as CAR: STREET:: (read as: “Car is to street as…”) After being given a stem pair of analogy words you’ll then select your answer from five pairs of phrases or words. The correct answer choice will be the word or phrases that have the same relational aspect to the previous stem pair words. As an example, a car is driven on the street. One correct answer choice in the list might be BOAT: RIVER as a boat is driven on the river. So your answer would be “car is to street as boat is to river.” There are eight or nine Analogies and a common Verbal Section.
Reading Comprehension are passages of between 20 to 60 lines long. Each question will be represented as a different discipline – social science, humanities or the sciences. Questions are either global in nature or non-global. Global questions require you to comprehend the passage in its entirety. Correct answers to the non-global questions require a description of specific details from within the passage. Because this section is about comprehension, and because you won’t be able to return to the passage for help in your answers, it’s important to grasp the entire meaning of the passage read at a brisk pace. In the Verbal Section there may be 3 to 8 Reading Comprehension questions, using 2 to 3 passages.
Sentence Completion questions in the Verbal Section require answers using “fill in the blanks.” Each sentence will have one or two blanks. Understanding the tone and structure of each site’s, you’ll fill in the answer that best completes the sentence in a stylistic and logical way. In this section vocabulary is very important; however you will be given some context to work with for your sentence completion. Correct use of punctuation and its meaning is essential in this section. In this part of the Verbal Section, there will be 5 to 7 sentence completion questions.
Because each GRE test is unique there is no particular order of the questions you will be presented with.
The Quantitative Section
The Quantitative Section has 28 questions and takes 45 minutes to complete.
Problem Solving and Quantitative Comparison are the to basic question types in the Quantitative Section. Structured within each of these types are mathematical topics such as algebra, arithmetic, geometry and word problems. Some questions will require an analytical response of test “data interpretation” in relationship to information displayed in the graft.
Problem Solving questions require a correct answer of the five choices given for a presented problem. Of the Quantitative Section’s 28 questions, nearly half are Problem Solving problems. Some of the problems might be geometry problems using a diagram, requiring you to copy it onto scratch paper. Others might be a word problem, or an equation needing you to solve for X. Not being able to use a calculator, you still may have a problem involving simple computation. The GRE test assumes you are proficient in concepts such as square root, fractions, exponents and decimals; as well as linear and quadratic equation algebraic problems, and geometry.
For Quantitative Comparison questions some are generally represented as Column A and Column B each with information above its respective column. There might be a column for quantity, numerical in nature (as an example: 25, or maybe the square root of 81); or maybe containing a variable (as an example: y +8, or a/3). The column holding quantity might also be in reference to a display diagram, or maybe information about each of the columns (as an example: the segment length xy, or maybe how far Joe drives). Comparing both Column A to Column B, it will become clear that maybe there are only four true answer choices and not the five choices for a problem-solving question.
GRE Prep Courses
To properly prepare for the GRE Exam you do not need an exceptionally high IQ scores, but you definitely need to be confident and determined about preparing for the exam properly, or else passing the exam could remain a distant dream. GRE prep courses and prep materials come as a welcome relief to students who are preparing for the exam as it guides them to prepare for the exam and to crack the exam eventually.
GRE prep courses are available at various test centers but you must only opt for those materials which are reliable and provides right strategies to maximize the speed and efficiency of your learning. Always opt for courses that are specific and contains the entire syllabus of the exam. You should get hold of material that would boost your vocabulary because “verbal skills” is regarded to be the toughest part of the exam.
GRE prep courses should guide you to learn most commonly used words and it should also present you with many examples on word usage. Word repetition, reproduction and recall techniques are important strategies to crack the exam and you must learn about these before sitting for the exam. There are several software packages available too that you can use to master your verbal skills and other GRE related skills. Lastly, no matter what GRE prep courses you opt for, you must always remember that feedback is important and you must track your progress as it would motivate you to do better in the exam.
In Summary
Bear in mind that both the Quantitative and Verbal sections are Computer-Adaptive, meaning every single test will be different. The result of your performance on one question determines how difficult the next question will be. Taking the time to analyze this process as you go along to the test is futile. Because there isn’t any way to figure out exactly how you’re doing, it’s imperative to just take each question that’s presented to you, handle it the best way you can, and move on when it’s over. Some questions may be beyond your ability to answer and require you to guess, however do the best you can and remember this is just part of the test taking process.
GRE prep courses provide you the tools needed to effectively solve the questions and problems. For the times you are left with nothing but a guess, remember by using logic and reasoning even a guess is done with intelligence. As each new question arises you will be presented with a fresh start. By maintaining focus on the immediate question you are presented with, you will move through the testing process with confidence and purpose.