An excerpt from the letter that Veritas Tutors GRE expert, Kyle Thomas, wrote to students beginning the fall Veritas GRE course:
GRE Introduction
As I’m sure you know, the GRE is a very important test which, contrary to popular belief, is unlike any you’ve taken before (sorry SATs!). Your GRE scores are not only important for gaining admission into graduate schools, but are also a major component of successful post-graduate employment applications. Of course, the magnitude with with your scores are evaluated varies widely across programs and institutions: whereas many universities place considerable weight upon lofty scores (in fact, most adhere to a strict minimum when considering admissions), others view them as only a small piece in an otherwise broad acceptance process. However, gambling your future on the possibility that the program of your choice won’t judge GRE achievement too highly is paramount to failure – which is why you’ve come to us!
Features of the Modern GRE
Starting in 2006, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the company in charge of most elementary and upper-level standardized tests, did away with the traditional paper & pencil GRE exam and adopted a new Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). The impact this has on you, the test taker, is rather ambivalent. Whereas the modern GRE allows for quicker score processing and immediate feedback after exam administration, the CAT also allows for the test to shift and change based upon your ongoing level of performance. What this means is, unlike other regulated exams you may be familiar with, no two GRE exams are exactly alike and no test-taker can “luck-out” by receiving a glut of simple questions.
In addition to the overall format change, the modern GRE, due no doubt to the ever increasing number of test takers, has adopted a somewhat deceptive score ranking system. Similar to other exams, the GRE supplies the student with both a sectional raw score (out of 800) and a sectional percentile score (referencing how many other test takers got a score less than that of the one being judged). Whereas for the verbal section, scores of around 700+ are typically enough to obtain a ranking in the 99th percentile, a perfect 800 on the math section will typically only place a student in the 95th percentile. Essentially, it breaks down to the simple idea of more test takers means more perfect scores, and, accordingly, more perfect scores means less opportunity to stand out above your peers. For this reason, regardless of what type of program you are intending on applying for (math based or language based) high marks in ALL sections, regardless of relatedness to your intended major, are now the hallmark of successful GRE scores.
Success: What it Takes
Because of the modern GRE’s many unique attributes, excelling on the exam requires extensive specialized preparation. Arguably, though, the most important element of preparation is simply thorough familiarization with the test, its format, and the types of questions it utilizes. After analyzing hundreds of practice problems it has become clear that while early in the process many questions appeared quite foreign and convoluted, over time patterns emerged and uniform (if not, predicatable) methods/solutions start to become apparent. Because of this, just as a golfer practices his swing ad nauseum until it becomes second nature, so should you immerse yourself in practice questions until they all look familiar and the methods used for solving each become readily clear – even before you are finished reading the problem!
Remember: The GRE is neither a math test nor a vocabulary test, but rather is a problem-solving test! Memorizing vocabulary lists and mastering mathematical principles, while definitely an asset, will not be enough to guarantee a high score. In addition to basic skill application, one must also understand how to read and dissect novel problems – problems written exclusively to elude and throw off the reader. Put simply – critical thinking skills are a must.
The math that is covered in the GRE is fundamental: basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. Nowhere will advanced trig, calculus, or any other college level mathematics be tested. This can be both a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, you don’t need to know all that much math! On the other, the math you DO need to know must be mastered! Due to the elementary nature of the topics tested, their application will be anything but straightforward. For example, rarely will you be asked to simply calculate an average; rather, you will use the basic and relatively simple knowledge of how an average is calculated to solve a novel problem such as ‘figure out what number was removed from this set based on the overall average change’. As you can see, this is not a math question so much as a critical thinking exercise requiring mathematical knowledge. The key to success is having a complete command of basic mathematical content, then learning how to apply this knowledge to solve opaque problems.
Similarly, the verbal reasoning portion of the GRE is not a simple vocabulary test; instead it is a reasoning test comprised of problems that require basic verbal knowledge. In order to fulfill your potential on the GRE verbal section you must not only have in memory many definitions, but you must also master analytical techniques for implementing this knowledge towards the solving of various problems. The key to success is learning as many vocabulary words as possible, acquiring the requisite analytical techniques, and then combining these to effectively reason about verbal problems in an objective manner.
One of the most important factors necessary for success on the GRE is this: practice, practice, practice! Thus, start taking practice exams now to familiarize yourself with the types of questions and solutions used by ETS. Again, there are many books on the market rife with practice questions just waiting for you to tackle. Also, when you register for the GRE CAT exam, ETS will send you a CD with 2 practice tests. Unfortunately, this CD takes 2-3 weeks to deliver via mail, so make sure to register at least a month before your exam date to take advantage of this tools. Finally, the ETS website has some great materials including a free full length practice test, many sample questions, a very helpful math review, and links to other helpful resources.
