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Understanding Ratios & Proportions on the Revised GRE

By posted May 23, 2012

Time management is crucial for great scores on the GRE Test, and one way to improve your pacing is to become faster at some of the more accessible skill tags. Ratios and proportions are the basics of algebra, and better scores with this concept will help you get harder GRE Quantitative questions correct! Let’s review the fundamentals!

Already a Ratios & Proportions rock star? Check out your percentage correct for these type of questions on your personal profile on Grockit.

A ratio is a comparison between two quantities. It is usually expression as a fraction (x/y) or with a colon (x:y), or in a word problems (“the ratio of apples to oranges”). Typically, whatever follows the word “of” is in the numerator, and whatever follows the word “to” is in the denominator.

A proportion is a set of ratios set equal to each other. Basically, an equation with two fractions, such as 4/x = y/7. You can always solve a proportion by cross-multiplying the numerator of one fraction by the denominator of the other. 4/x = y/7 would become 28 = xy after we cross-multiplied.

Check out a sample ratios and proportion question by creating a Custom Game in the Grockit lobby and selecting that skill tag.

Ratios are usually expressed as part: whole or part:part. Making that distinction is important, especially in complex GRE word problems. Ratios are always reduced to the simplest form, but you can multiply them by any integer to increase the numerator/denominator values, as long as you do the same thing to the top and the bottom of the fraction. Read more »

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GRE Multiple Choice – Select One Answer: The Perfect Strategy

By posted May 21, 2012

Problem Solving is the classic GRE Quantitative question-type, and the “select one answer” is the one format that has not changed from the old GRE to the Revised GRE. Like any standard Quant question, you will be presented with a typical math problem, given five answer choices, and told to select only one choice. Here is the step-by-step strategy to improve your accuracy on these seemingly straightforward questions.

Step 1 – Write down what the question is asking. This is especially important for long word problems. Don’t start solving unless you know what you’re solving for. Is the question looking for the area of a circle, or just its diameter? X, or 1/X? Part of a ratio, or the entire ratio?

Need more help with GRE Test Day strategy? Contact one of Grockit’s GRE tutors to set up a private tutoring lesson!

Step 2 – Extract any given information. As you read the question, pull out any definitions (“x is an integer,” “the set contains only primes,”etc.), or numerical relationships (z < 13, y = -1/2x + 14, etc.). Write them down in shorthand.

Step 3 – Examine the answer choices. What are they? Numbers, variables, words, or some combination? What does that tell you about the question? Can you potentially pick numbers or backsolve (plug-in)? If you had to guess strategically, are there any answer choices that seem illogical based on the definitions and numerical relationships established by the question stem? Any odd “outliers,” or answer choices that are suspiciously different from the rest?

Step 4 – Select your strategy and solve. There are only 4 ways to solve: Do the Math, Backsolve, Pick Numbers, or Guess Strategically. Based on the answer choices and your overall pacing within the Quantitative section, select the strategy that feels right to you, and go for it! Don’t second-guess yourself, or spend too long considering which way is “best.” Many GRE questions can be solved in more than one way, but you don’t get extra points for knowing that.

Step 5 – Double check your answer. Are you really done? Did you find what the question was asking? Before you confirm your answer, just make sure you didn’t skip a final step. The “second-to-last” step is frequently an incorrect answer choice on GRE questions.

Now that you understand the basics of Multiple Choice – Select One strategy, practice some questions on Grockit to raise that Quantitative score!

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Top 5 tips for multiple choice success on the GRE

By posted May 17, 2012

Looking to apply to graduate school and get your masters degree to further your career?  An important piece of your application is your score on the GRE test.  Practicing for tests should always involve learning strategies to approach that specific test with.  The new GRE has some new twists to the multiple choice section that you should be aware of as you study and take the GRE test.

1. Notice which type of multiple choice question you are dealing with.

The GRE has some typical multiple-choice questions with five answer choices and one correct answer.  However, there will also be questions with more than one right answer.  The quickest way to distinguish between these two question types is to look at the letters of the answer choices.  If they are inside a circle, there is one correct answer.  If they are inside a square, there could be more than one correct answer choice.  However, still pay attention to the directions because sentence equivalence questions have exactly 2 right answers, while other squared answer choice questions could have 1 correct answer choice or up to several correct choices.  Familiarity with the different question types and directions through lots of practice is the sure-fire way to avoid missing questions because of marking the wrong number of answer choices.

Test your GRE skills with this GRE reading comprehension detail practice question.  Read more »

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Top Ten Most-Tested GRE Math Concepts

By posted April 20, 2012

The quant section of the revised GRE Test may have slightly changed format-wise, but the difficulty level of the GRE questions themselves have not. To get better GRE scores and get into the best graduate schools, you’ll need a strong understanding of the underlying math concepts: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data interpretation. Even if you’re good at Quant, a little basic review is a great refresher. Even singers like Katharine McPhee or Christina Aguilera warm up with scales! J Many of these concepts can be practiced for free online on sites like Grockit which offer free GRE practice questions.

1.  Number Properties. The properties of odds and evens, integers, fractions, positives, and negatives will all appear in various questions on your Revised GRE test. This is especially tested on Quantitative Comparisons. Variables can be negative integers, negative fractions, zero, positive fractions, or positive integers – don’t ever make assumptions!

2. Plane Geometry. Triangles are the most-tested shape on the GRE. You should know the Pythagorean Theorem, Triangle Inequality Theorem, the special right triangle ratios (45-45-90 and 30-60-90), as well as the properties of isosceles and equilateral triangles. Also review the types of angles, circles, and polygons.  Make sure you know how to find the perimeter, area, and volume of these shapes.

3. Word Problems. The GRE Problem Solving questions often contain challenging word problems – you’ll need to know how to “translate” English to Math.

Practice these three initial concepts in Grockit’s question bank here.

4. Rates & Work. The most important need-to-know formulas on the GRE are D = R x T, Distance = Rate x Time, and the concept of Average Speed. Average Speed = Total Distance / Total Time.

5. Probability. The probability of an event occurring is the desired outcomes/total possible outcomes. The probability of two events occurring together is the product of the two probabilities. Memorize the combination and permutation formulas. Combination: n! /n-k! k! Permutation: n! / n-k! Read more »

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Top Ten Things to Know About Your GRE Score

By posted March 29, 2012

The revised GRE has an entirely new scoring system, which you need to understand to get a good GRE score. Practicing free GRE test questions on ETS’s official GRE website or on Grockit is a great way to familiarize yourself with the content, but you’ll also need a comfort-level with the revised format to take a bad GRE score to a good GRE score. Here are the top ten things you’ll need to know about the new GRE scoring to add a great GRE score to your graduate school application.

  1. The AWA scoring is between 0-6. This remains unchanged from the old GRE. You’ll still writing two essays, which will be scored in .5 increments by two graders. You will receive “NS” or no score, if you do not type any text. You will receive 0 if you write in a foreign language, or completely off-task.
  2. Verbal and Quantitative are on a 130-170 scale. The scaled score on the GRE is the most noticeable difference between the older GRE and the revised GRE (as of August 2011). The scaled score is in increments of 1 point. (Previously, the GRE scaled score was between 200-800).
  3. Official scores will be received 10-15 days after the test. On Test Day, you will be an “unofficial” score, but you can view your official scores a couple weeks later for free online by creating a “My GRE Account” here.
  4. It costs $12 to get your score by phone. If for some reason you cannot create an account online, you can call 1-609-771-7290 or 1-888-473-7267 toll free and pay the $12 by debit or credit card. It’s much easier to create the “My GRE Account” if you can! Read more »

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How is the new revised GRE scored?

By posted February 20, 2012

With the new revised GRE out as of August 2011, you may have many questions about the new scoring system.  Previously, the Quantitative and Verbal section scores were reported on a scale of 200-800, comparable to SAT scoring.  With the new test, your score on each section will now be reported on a scale from 130 to 170, in 1 point increments.

This new scale may seem arbitrary and difficult to understand.  You can find charts at ETS.org that will give you a general idea of the equivalency between the two scales.  Probably the best indicator of your success is the percentile rank you receive when your scores are reported to you, which indicates how you scored compared to the scores of all students who tested in the past three years.  For example, if you receive a 90 percentile rank in Verbal, that means you scored higher than 90% of students who took the Verbal section in the past three years.  Even if you get the same score on Quantitative and Verbal, your percentile rank on each will probably be different.  Typically it takes a significantly higher score in Quantitative than in Verbal to receive the same percentile rank, indicating that most students get higher raw scores on quantitative.

Test your GRE skills with this GRE sentence equivalence practice question.

The computer-based GRE is section-level adaptive, meaning that the computer will adapt the difficulty of the second section of both Verbal and Quantitative based on your performance on the first.  A raw score is computed for the number of questions you answered correctly, which is then converted to the scaled score (130-170).

The Analytical Writing score system remains the same, reported on a 0-6 scale in half-point increments.  Two graders will score each of your two essays (Analyze an Issue and Analyze an Argument) on overall quality.  The two scores for each essay will be averaged, and then the averaged score of each essay will again be averaged and then rounded up to the nearest half-point.  You can find the rubric your graders use at ETS.org.

You will receive your scores 10 to 15 days after the test date, and they are valid for up to 5 years.  Now that you understand the scoring system, practice some questions on Grockit to raise that score!

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Top 5 Tips for Better Organization on the GRE Essays

By posted February 15, 2012

The GRE currently requires two essays, the Issue and the Argument, both of which must be completed before the Quantitative and Verbal sections are attempted. These essays are not graded simply on content alone. Structure is important as well. The layout of the essay must be cogent and easy to follow.  If you can demonstrate impressive writing skills as well as a strong ability to organize, you’ll be well on your way to a perfect score on the AWA! Here are 5 tips to get your layout in tip-top shape!

1. Avoid filler. Always be direct, not wordy. “Filler” are the unnecessary words and phrases that will bloat your paragraphs. No one wants to read a body paragraph that is 10 sentences long. You should be able to get across your points in 4-7 sentences. Meandering sentence structure is the death of emphasis. Ultimately, your argument and organization is what will impress, not your vocabulary and length.

Get more expert advice on structuring your GRE essays here.

2. Place your thesis at the bottom of your intro paragraph. Remember that the GRE is graded “holistically” and readers are only spending a couple minutes on each essay. Put your thesis where it’s easiest to spot. This is the #1 GRE organizational rule! Read more »

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How to Get Better Scores on the GRE Issue Essay

By posted February 13, 2012

One way to get better scores on the GRE Issue Essay is to make your essay examples much more specific.  Strong logical reasoning can go a long way towards impressing a reader, but if you can illustrate your points with real-world examples, as opposed to just general discussion, you will elevate your argument’s strength.

Create an “Example Chart” like the one pictured below, and add at least 3 items to each category. Choose items that you already know a lot about, and don’t worry about them sounding scholarly. You should know enough about each example so that you could write a detailed paragraph about each one. If you feel like adding 4 or 5 to a certain category (if you’re a political junkie or a history buff, for example), rather than just 3, then go for it! Not everyone will have a lot of ideas for “Science” or “Videogames,” and you may skip certain categories altogether. Everyone’s Example Chart is different. You can even make your own categories!

The idea is that by the time you arrive at GRE Test Day, you will already have a lot of possible examples stockpiled in the front of your brain. When you see the prompt for the Issue Essay, you won’t waste valuable time trying to “come up” with good examples. You’ll just ask: which examples from my Example Chart best match this specific prompt?

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7 Tips for a Perfect GRE Issue Essay

By posted February 10, 2012

If you get a perfect score on the GRE’s Issue Essay (a 6), it can really boost your graduate school admissions chances! The best schools want good Verbal and Quantitative scores, but also students who are clear, competent writers. Lots of students have excellent transcripts and are good at taking tests – but not everyone can demonstrate impressive writing skills! Here are 7 tips to take your Issue essay to that perfect 6!

1. Write at least three practice essays. Practice makes perfect! You can study for the GRE online by looking up the AWA prompts and practicing writing several of them within the 30 minute guideline. The only way to get comfortable with the time constraints is to practice them, so set up test-like conditions and get to work. You can see the Issue essay prompts here.

2. Don’t waffle. Choose one side of the issue only, and don’t try to “have it both ways.” Even if you don’t believe in the side you choose, you’ll only have time to argue one side effectively. If you take a middle-of-the-road approach you won’t sound as confident or clear. Remember, according to ETS, the “readers are evaluating the skill with which you address the specific instructions and articulate and develop an argument to support your evaluation of the issue.” What exactly you say (what side you choose to defend) is less important than how you defend it!

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How to Structure the Argument Essay on the GRE

By posted February 8, 2012

The GRE’s Argument essay can be remarkably straightforward. The thesis is pre-written (some version of “the argument is flawed”) and you know it should be about 5-6 paragraphs in which you will criticize an argument, describe how it could be improved, and reiterate that is it overall weak and unconvincing. The following template is only a suggestion, so feel free to adjust it slightly into a version that best works for you! Remember to practice writing at least 2-3 full essays within the time constraint before Test Day! You can also look at GRE’s official website to access the Argument Essay topic pool to start applying this template to those prompts.

Paragraph 1 – Intro (3-4 sentences)

Start by showing the reader that you understand the premise. Make sure you have identified the  Conclusion, Evidence, and underlying Assumptions of the argument in your pre-writing phase. Do not use self-reference, or the words “I agree” or “I disagree” anywhere in your essay. You will absolutely use phrases like “the argument” and “the author” but too much self-reference can come across as unconfident and wavering.  Here are the main points to hit:

Try this GRE reading comprehension question for more practice.

Introduce the timeliness of the argument’s topic

Describe the argument in your own words

Thesis (final sentence): state unequivocally that the argument is flawed.

For example, your introduction could take a form like this:

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