GRE Comprehensive Information Booklet

GRE® Guide Gradestack Learning

This guide provides comprehensive information pertaining to GRE® exam. It also offers

important tips for GRE® exam. This guide is prepared by GRE® expert having more than 5 years

of experience in mentoring GRE students.

6/3/2014

GRE® Guide 2014

Gradestack Learning Page 1

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Table of content Page

1. About GRE® 2

2. Why should you take GRE®? 3

3. What does the GRE® Measure? 4

4. Format of the GRE® 6

a. Format

b. Experimental Section

c. Research

5. GRE® Test – Computer & Paper based 8

a. Pacing

b. Scoring the GRE®

c. Skipping and Guessing

d. The “2 out of 5” Rule

e. Computer Screen Option

f. Test Day

6. Get Started with your GRE® Prep 11

a. 3 questions you need to ask yourself before starting your GRE® Prep

b. GRE exam success tips for you

c. Importance of Q & A for your GRE exam preparation

7. Gradestack GRE Mobile App 16

GRE® Guide 2014



About GRE

The Graduate Record Examination popularly known as the GRE® is a standardized test taken to

gain entrance into the top rung graduate or business schools in the United States and a virtual

ticket to a super success future. It was created and is being administered by Educational Testing

Service (ETS) in 1949. The Graduate Record Exam mainly comprises of two broad parts - the

compulsory General Test and the optional Subject Tests which sometimes may be asked by the

universities.

The GRE® was significantly overhauled in August 2011, resulting in an exam that is not adaptive

on a question-by-question basis, but rather by section, so that the performance on the first

verbal and math sections determine the difficulty of the second sections presented. Overall, the

test retained the sections and many of the question types from its predecessor, but the scoring

scale was changed to a 130 to 170 scale (from a 200 to 800 scale). However, the test continued

to lay emphasis on evaluating a student’s academic ability, analytical thinking competence and

critical reasoning for admissions into graduate or business schools.

The GRE General Test is commonly taken as a computer-adaptive test, however paper based

test option is also available, checking your verbal, quantitative and analytical writing skills. For

admittance to Graduate school, the emphasis is placed upon good GRE scores and varies widely

from being a mere admission formality to an important selection factor. The cost to take the

GRE test is US $ 195, however ETS sometimes reduces the fee to promote financial aid to those

GRE applicants who prove economic hardship. For more information, visit:

http://www.ets.org/gre




https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/complete-gre-prep/id883532553?ls=1&mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.onelearn.android.greprep

GRE® Guide 2014



Why should you take GRE?

The Big question is why you should take GRE® exam? The GRE® test score is required for

admission to most of the Grad schools in the US and thus there are many reasons why you

should take the GRE®.

If you are planning to pursue your Graduation in US, then the GRE® scores is the requirement

for admission. Also for good job, higher salary, good education is a must and thus aspiring to

study in a good college requires good GRE® scores. Statistics shows better education offers

better salaries.

If you don’t do well in your studies, you can prepare well for your GRE® exam. Relatively high

GRE ® score balances you average school performance and increase your chances to get into

good grad school.

In case, if you want to pursue higher studies in later stage of your career. You can still take

GRE® as early as you can, depending on your preparation level. GRE® score is valid for 5 years.

In case, you want to work for some time and save money for future studies. Also, it makes your

profile better.



GRE® Guide 2014



Taking the GRE® exam when you are in school and when you are in touch with studies aids

good mindset for exam preparation in comparison to when you are working. Also, the GRE®

exam has the ScoreSelect option that means, if you don’t do well first time around, you can

retake the GRE® again and then you can send across best scores to the Grad school. In addition

to your academic record and a good GRE® scores, letters of recommendations from your

seniors or supervisors from your workplace or educational institute also plays a huge role in

balancing the selection in your favour.

What does the GRE Measure?

The GRE® is an aptitude test. Like all aptitude tests, it must choose a medium in which to

measure intellectual ability. The GRE® has chosen math and English.

The question is—does it measure aptitude for graduate school? The GRE’s ability to predict

performance in school is as poor as the SAT's. This is to be expected since the tests are written



GRE® Guide 2014



by the same company (ETS) and are similar. The GRE’s verbal section, however, is significantly

harder (more big words), and, surprisingly, the GRE’s math section is slightly easier.

No test can measure all aspects of intelligence. Thus any admission test, no matter how well

written, is inherently inadequate. Nevertheless, some form of admission testing is necessary. It

would be unfair to base acceptance to graduate school solely on grades; they can be

misleading. For instance, would it be fair to admit a student with an A average earned in easy

classes over a student with a B average earned in difficult classes? A school’s reputation is too

broad a measure to use as admission criteria: many students seek out easy classes and

generous instructors, in hopes of inflating their GPA. Furthermore, a system that would monitor

the academic standards of every class would be cost prohibitive and stifling. So until a better

system is proposed, the admission test is here to stay.

GRE® Guide 2014



Format of the GRE The GRE® is approximately four hours long. Only three-hours-and-ten-minutes of the test count

toward your score – the experimental section is not scored.

Format

The math and verbal sections can appear in any order. Also, the questions within each section

can appear in any order. For example, in the math section, the first question might be a graph,

the second and third questions quantitative comparisons, and the fourth question multiple

choice.

There is a one-minute break between each section and a ten-minute break following the

writing section.

Experimental Section

The GRE® is a standardized test. Each time it is offered, the test has, as close as possible, the

same level of difficulty as every previous test. Maintaining this consistency is very difficult—

hence the experimental section. The experimental section measures the relative difficulty of

potential questions; if responses to a question do not perform to strict specifications, the

question is rejected.



GRE® Guide 2014



The experimental section can be a verbal section or a math section. You won’t know which

section is experimental. You will know which type of section it is, though, since there will be an

extra one of that type.

This brings up an ethical issue: How many students have run into the experimental section early

in the test and have been confused and discouraged by it? Crestfallen by having done poorly

on, say, the first— though experimental—section, they lose confidence and perform below

their ability on the rest of the test. Some testing companies are becoming more enlightened in

this regard and are administering experimental sections as separate practice tests.

Unfortunately, ETS has yet to see the light.

Knowing that the experimental section can be disproportionately difficult, if you do poorly on a

particular section you can take some solace in the hope that it may have been the experimental

section. In other words, do not allow one difficult section to discourage your performance on

the rest of the test.

Research Section

You may also see a research section. This section, if it appears, will be identified and will be last.

The research section will not be scored and will not affect your score on other parts of the test.

GRE® Guide 2014



GRE Test – Computer & Paper based

The computer based GRE® uses the same type of questions as the paper-&-pencil test. The

only difference is the medium that is the way the questions are presented.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the CAT. Probably the biggest advantages are that

you can take the CAT just about any time and you can take it in a small room with just a few

other people—instead of in a large auditorium with hundreds of other stressed people. On the

other hand, it is easier to misread a computer screen than it is to misread printed material, and

it can be distracting looking back and forth from the computer screen to your scratch paper.

Pacing

Although time is limited on the GRE®, working too quickly can damage your score. Many

problems hinge on subtle points, and most require careful reading of the setup. Because

undergraduate school puts such heavy reading loads on students, many will follow their

academic conditioning and read the questions quickly, looking only for the gist of what the

question is asking. Once they have found it, they mark their answer and move on. Later, many

are startled to discover that they missed questions because they either misread the problems

or overlooked subtle points. While you want to answer every question, remember to pace

yourself - you will have about one minute per question in the Verbal section, and about two

minutes per question in the Math section.

The level of difficulty of the second verbal or math section you see will depend on how well you

perform on the first verbal or math section. If you do well on the first verbal section, then the

second section will be a little harder. And if you do poorly on the first math section, then the

second section will be a little easier. Within each section, you can change answers and skip

questions and later return to them (“mark and review” feature). But once you leave a section,

you cannot return to it.

GRE® Guide 2014



Scoring the GRE®

The three major parts of the test are scored independently. You will receive a verbal score, a

math score, and a writing score. The verbal and math scores range from 130 to 170, in 1-point

increments. The writing score is on a scale from 0 to 6, in half-point increments. In addition to

the scaled score, you will be assigned a percentile ranking, which gives the percentage of

students with scores below yours.

Skipping and Guessing

If you can eliminate even one of the answer-choices, guessing can be advantageous. We’ll talk

more about this later. Often students become obsessed with a particular problem and waste

time trying to solve it. To get a top score, learn to cut your losses and move on.

If you are running out of time, randomly guess on the remaining questions. This is unlikely to

harm your score. You are not penalized for guessing on the GRE®, so make sure you answer

every question - even the ones you feel unsure about. Because the total number of questions

answered contributes to the calculation of your score, you should answer ALL the questions—

even if this means guessing randomly before time runs out.

The “2 out of 5” Rule

It is significantly harder to create a good but incorrect answer-choice than is to produce the

correct answer. For this reason usually only two attractive answer choices are offered. One

correct and the other either intentionally misleading or only partially correct. The other three

answer-choices are usually fluffed. If you can dismiss the three fluff choices, your probability of

answering the question successfully will increase from 20% to 50%.

Computer Screen Options

When taking the test, you will have six on-screen options/buttons:

GRE® Guide 2014



Quit Section Time Help Next Confirm Tag Calculator

Unless you just cannot stand it any longer, never select Quit Section. If you finish a section

early, just relax while the time runs out. If you’re not pleased with your performance on the

test, you can always cancel it at the end.

The Time button allows you to display or hide the time. During the last five minutes, the time

display cannot be hidden and it will also display the seconds remaining. The Help button will

present a short tutorial showing how to use the program. You select an answer-choice by

clicking the small oval next to it. To go to the next question, click the Next button. You will then

be asked to confirm your answer by clicking the Confirm button. Then the next question will be

presented. The Tag button allows you mark a question for later review. The Calculator button

presents an on-screen calculator.

Test Day

Bring a photo ID.

Bring a list of four schools that you wish to send your scores to.

Arrive at the test center 30 minutes before your test appointment. If you arrive late, you

might not be admitted and your fee will be forfeited.

You will be provided with scratch paper. Do not bring your own, and do not remove

scratch paper from the testing room.

You cannot bring testing aids in to the testing room. This includes pens, calculators,

watch calculators, books, rulers, cellular phones, watch alarms, and any electronic or

photographic devices.

You will be photographed and videotaped at the test center.

GRE® Guide 2014



Getting started with your GRE® Prep

Here are few must read articles to get you started with your GRE® prep

3 questions you need to ask yourself before starting your

GRE® Prep

Your score in the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE®) is one of the chief conditions for

getting admittance in graduate and business schools in English speaking countries. However

before even starting off on your exam preparation, you need to ask yourself the following 3

questions -

What are the schools you are applying to? : One of the most critical facets of your GRE

preparation is to zero in on the list of schools you are targeting. With nearly all graduate

schools in the United States requiring a GRE® score for admission, it becomes vital to

know the minimum test scores your target schools consider as their cut offs. That way,

you can streamline your preparation on various specific areas and identify beforehand

what you need to focus on.

With ever increasing competition to top schools, GRE® score might not promise

acceptance to a college but a below par score would undeniably guarantee elimination.

In addition to a good GRE® score, a great academic record and a holistic approach to

student life play a role in admissions. Letters of recommendation from your seniors or

supervisors in your previous workplace or educational institution or even from



GRE® Guide 2014



renowned professionals play a huge role in balancing the selection in your favour. These

act as a means of verification and validation of your profile and skills.

Lastly your essays and a detailed personal statement would feature amongst the

application documents. This is an important document which give you a chance to

introduce yourself and says a lot about your passion for the field of study, goals and the

skills you possess to meet them.

What are your weak and strong areas? : GRE® requires you to have impeccable

quantitative skills, immaculate reasoning ability and polished writing skills all of which

do not come naturally to many. You have to diagnose and understand the areas in which

you are solid in and those which require improvement. Focusing your preparation in in

your weak areas is critical. It is natural to spend more time in the areas we are most

comfortable in and end up neglecting areas that really need work. This invariably leads

to a skewed level of preparation and below standard performance in the final exam

even after putting in hours and hours of effort.

Lastly, what is your preparation plan? : Having a clear plan with the goal in place is

critical to success in all aspects of your life, nowhere is it more applicable than in GRE®.

With a clear view on time available and a good understanding of your weak and strong

areas it should be relatively easy to have a plan in place. The hard part is following it till

your exam day, but preparing in a structures manner will help you get the most out of

your time.

Schools mix, match and weigh all the factors before picking the candidate and you might

definitely want to put your best foot forward always.

GRE® Guide 2014



Importance of Q&A for GRE® exam Preparation

While the exam pattern of the GRE® test was altered in the year 2011, the overall premise of

the exam stayed the same. It still continued to lay emphasis on evaluating your academic

ability, analytical thinking competence and critical reasoning for admissions into graduate or

business schools. The Graduate Record Exam mainly comprises of two broad parts - the

compulsory General Test and the optional Subject Tests which might sometimes may be

provided to the universities.

You should focus more of our energy on the general test, which as per the pattern is evaluated

on a scale of 130 - 170 score with a 0-6 rating used to evaluate the analytical writing skills of the

aspirant. The exam is divided into majorly 3 sections namely the Verbal Reasoning, the

Quantitative Reasoning section and the Analytical Writing segment. The verbal section which

featured number of antonyms and analogies have questions base on complex reasoning. With

calculators being allowed in the exam, it would also eliminate mistakes due to simple

calculation errors. However the best feature is its exceedingly upgraded exam design that

allows you to go back and forth in a particular section and even make changes if necessary. This

pattern not only tests the overall aptitude of yours, but also empowers the business schools

and universities to make the right choices by zeroing on the worthy candidates.

It has been observed that the lack of time has proved to be the Achilles Heel for many GRE®

hopefuls. Leading GRE training providers help you in this aspect, wherein they train you to

cover a larger portion of the questions thereby increasing your chances of answering correctly

and securing a high score. Practice papers are one of the best bets which not only help you in

identifying your weak areas, but also increase the speed and accuracy in which you can cover



GRE® Guide 2014



the questions. The mantra is “the more you attempt the higher you will score.” Increasing your

levels of concentration can lead to efficient self-study hours that augment information

absorption that can be a welcome addition to your existing repertoire. You have to understand

that it is important to follow a pattern and not get twitchy if something does not go right as

expected. Anxiety can easily bring curtains on your prospects of accomplishing a good score.

With practice and a sure footed strategy there is no reason why you cannot ace the GRE® test.

Many institutes provide power prep guides that can prove to be a sure shot way to taste

success in the GRE® test. There are many online resources which helps you prepare for the

GRE® exam and one of them is Gradestack GRE® mobile app available on Google Play store.

GRE Exam Success Tips for You

Your scores in the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE®) is one of the chief gauges for getting

admittance in graduate and business schools in English speaking countries. Here are key tips

that you must consider while preparing for the GRE® exam.

Plan your schedule: It is important for you to prepare your schedule and the way in

which you go about preparation. Various training institutes provide software packages

and tools that provide awareness on the test-taking strategies, simulated tests on all

areas and much needed insight on the parameters governing the way a GRE® test is





GRE® Guide 2014



scored. In addition to your exam preparation, you have to include adequate sleeping

hours during the prep days, so that you do not reach a zombie state bereft of sleep.

Know the exam: The GRE® test has 3 sections which have to be given equal weightage.

You would really do well, if you are aware of the exam format and the interface

Practice simulated tests: Apart from getting a real life experience of taking a simulated

GRE® test, it also helps you budget your time, and to pace and strategize the way you

should take the exam. You may have your own way of taking exam and should stick to it,

but you should also apply small tricks of elimination, backward answer taking etc. that

goes a long way in ensuring a strong performance.

You have to realize that a relatively high or an above average GRE® score might

not promise acceptance to a college but a below par score would undeniably guarantee

elimination from most schools. Hence in addition to a great academic record and a good

GRE® score you have to have a holistic approach to your student life apart from the

academic front, which includes involvement in extracurricular and sport related

activities. Apart from that, letters of recommendations from your seniors or supervisors

in your previous workplace or educational institution or even from renowned

professionals play a huge role in balancing the selection in your favour.

You also must do well to prepare a detailed personal statement that features

amongst the application documents. This is an important document which introduces

you and says a lot about your passion for the field of study, goals and your ability to

meet them

GRE® Guide 2014



Gradestack GRE Mobile App

The Complete GRE Prep app provides you an exhaustive course for GRE prep turing your phone

into a mobile tutor. The GRE course has been built based on the new syllabus and is designed

especially for studying and testing yourself on mobile. The course includes notes, designed in a

modular format, large set of practice questions along with detailed answers and flashcards to

enhance your vocabulary.

The key features of the course:

Word Pack: Over 3500 flashcards to help you improve your vocabulary on the go

Study Notes: Complete GRE syllabus of Verbal and Math in a concise format for you to learn

quickly

Practice Tests: Exhaustive library of GRE level questions for you to practice

The app contains all kinds of sample questions that are asked in the GRE along with detailed

solution to each of them. Take Verbal (Reading Comprehension, Text Completion and Sentence

Equivalence) and Math tests on your phones, get detailed answers to all the questions, analysis

of your performance and a snapshot of your preparation level.

You can study this GRE tutor course on any Android device and on the web

(www.gradestack.com)

http://www.gradestack.com/




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