In this article, a Repafi.co.uk teacher will tell you what sections the GRE exam consists of and how to prepare for it.

• Teaches English for over 10 years;
• Passed the GMAT with a score of 780 out of 800;
• GRE 340 out of 340 points;
• CPE 92 out of 100 points (Grade A);
• The best result of students in TOEFL is 118 out of 120 points;
• Mathematician by training;
• He has been improving his English for 25 years.

What is GRE

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) is an exam that tests mathematical, analytical and language skills.

Why take it : to enroll in graduate school, graduate school, law school or business school.

The GMAT is taken for the same purpose, but there are differences. On the GRE, mathematics is simpler and does not go beyond the scope of the school curriculum. Vocabulary and deep knowledge of the language are more important here. The GMAT tests grammar but does not require you to understand the differences between synonyms. But they pay more attention to mathematics.

Read about the GMAT in our article “ How to Prepare for the GMAT .”

Depending on the applicant’s field of study, the GRE can be general or specialized – in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and psychology. Most often, the results for the general test are sufficient for admission.

The GRE lasts 3 hours 45 minutes and consists of three blocks:

• Analytical writing (two essays) – up to 6 points;
• Verbal part (20 questions) – from 130 to 170 points;
• Mathematical part (20 questions) – from 130 to 170 points.

Each section contains experimental questions. The correctness of the questions is checked by the test takers in order to later be included in the real test. Therefore, they do not affect the overall score, but they cannot be skipped. Experimental questions are no different from the main ones; it is impossible to calculate them.

The exam has a user-friendly interface: you can skip difficult questions. But I advise you not to leave questions on long texts for later, because there may not be enough time.

GRE tasks for native speakers and foreign applicants are the same, so special attention should be paid to the language during preparation.

Bonus: The GRE can be retaken five times per year. You can send to the educational institution the result that suits you best. You can take the test online and in writing at special testing centers. You can check available dates and select an address on the website .

Analytical Writing

This GRE block requires you to write two essays. The first analyzes the problem, and the second analyzes the argument. These are tasks to test critical thinking, the ability to analyze and express your thoughts consistently and clearly. Instructions are given in the task.

To the problem:

• Agree or disagree with the statement and explain your position.
• Offer recommendations and justify them.
• Describe the consequences of your recommendations under certain conditions.

For example:

To the argument:

• Provide evidence that will confirm or refute it.
• Find logical errors or inaccuracies that may lead to a different interpretation of the argument.
• Offer recommendations that will lead to the result predicted in the argument.
• Offer alternative explanations that compete with the argument presented.

For example:

At first glance, the block seems difficult, but there is no need to be afraid of the essay, because the assessment does not greatly affect the result.

Verbal Reasoning

This part of the GRE tests the student’s breadth of vocabulary, ability to understand, analyze text, and recognize the connections between words in sentences. It is important to remember that the GRE tests not just knowledge of words, but the ability to correctly use words in sentences. You need to not just learn the translation, but understand the context.

Word cards and vocabulary lists don’t do anything like that. I’ll tell you a typical situation:

Words at the GRE level were memorized, but slightly simpler words, which the GRE does not check and which are not on the lists, were not learned. We met them during the exam and could not understand the meaning of the task or text. These are, for example, funnel, ebullient, averse, etc.

Therefore, the only thing that will allow you to truly prepare for the GRE is reading complex texts in large volumes. If a person comes across GRE-level words in books and articles, then there is an opportunity to remember them and use them correctly. If this is not the case, the test result will be extremely low.

I also recommend writing out the entire sentence in which the word appears, for memorization without translation. And remember it in context.

Now let’s analyze the block by task types.

1. Gaps in the text

To choose the correct option, you first need to carefully read the entire text and try to independently understand which words should be in place of the gaps.

You need to pay attention to the structure of the text and words like “although” or “despite.” They set the course of thought and sometimes completely change the message. A quick reading can get confusing.

If you can’t find a word for the first gap, it’s better to try the next one. The elimination method helps.

At the end, you must re-read the text to make sure you made the right choice.

2. Questions about the text

Usually half of the answers can be found almost entirely in the text. Others concern the meaning of specific words or the reasoning behind a statement. Questions are asked not only about the main points, but also about the details.

To answer correctly, you need to carefully study the text.

There may be several correct answers in this block.

3 . Sentences with the same meaning

You need to insert words into the spaces so that two different sentences have a similar meaning.

There is no need to look for two synonymous words, this may be the wrong option. It is important to remember all the time that the main thing is the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

At the end, you need to re-read everything to make sure that the sentences are lexically and grammatically correct.

Quantitative Reasoning (Mathematical part)

This part tests school knowledge in mathematics, therefore it is considered the simplest. Consists of three types of questions. In them you need to: select one answer option from the proposed ones, several options from the proposed ones, or enter your own option.

A calculator is allowed in the math part of the GRE, but this is rather a minus. Students start calculating everything on it, even simple calculations, and waste time. First you need to open the program, then click the mouse on the calculator keys. The mouse in the test center is not the same one that a person is used to: different sensitivity, speed of movement, etc.

And the habit of using a calculator all the time does not allow you to train the skill of looking for an effective, optimal solution. You don’t reason, but spend time running the program and calculating. The math in the GRE is quite simple, so there is not much time for the task. Skim through the answers before reading the assignment. If they are not integers, there is no need to give an exact answer. To cope with simple tasks, you need to be able to understand the logic of the problem quickly and immediately figure out the answer.

Tip: If you can’t solve the problem, skip it so as not to waste time. It’s better to come back to it later and not lose points on the tasks that you can solve.

Preparing for the GRE

On average, it takes at least six months to thoroughly prepare for the GRE. You should start by becoming familiar with different types of problems, and then take a practice test. Based on its results, you will understand which sections need to be given more attention.

Preparation materials and practice test

To prepare for the verbal part, you need to learn to understand the essence of the sentence as a whole, and not just learn the words. Very often my students say that they know all the words in a sentence, but cannot understand its meaning. If you have such difficulties, you are not at all ready for the GRE. Therefore, read as many complex texts as possible in large volumes.

It is very important when you read, for example, some 15-30 page New Yorker article, not to read it superficially, but to understand each sentence until you are completely sure that you understand everything. John McPhee’s lyrics are very suitable for this kind of work, especially Fleet of One and Atchafalaya.

The same tips apply to preparing for analytical writing. Look at sample questions on the GRE website and study as much as possible.

To cope with the mathematical part, solve typical problems. Practice counting in your head or on paper, this will help save time on the exam. On my own test, I used the calculator once for three sections of math (60 problems). I might not have done this, but I saw that I had enough time and saved some effort on some calculation.

I wish you success!