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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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How to Find Area on the GRE

By posted February 6, 2012

Need better scores in Geometry questions on the GRE? Keep this guide handy while you study online for the GRE. These formulas are essential to answer questions about Area on Test Day.

Triangles - To find the area of a triangle, we use the formula A = ½ bh, where b = base and h = height. The base and the height of the triangle must always form a 90 degree angle. Keep in mind that the height can be inside or outside the triangle.

Quadrilaterals - To find the area of a square, we use the formula A = s2, where s = side of the square. To find the area of a rectangle, we use the formula A = lw, where l = length and w = width.

To find the area of a parallelogram, we use the formula A = bh, where b = base and h = height. We do NOT multiply the two side lengths. Remember the base and the height must be perpendicular.

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5 Tips for Solving Tough GRE Algebra Questions

By posted January 24, 2012

Looking to jump-start your Quantitative scores on the GRE? Here are five tips that are almost guaranteed to appear on Test Day. Watch out for them on your solo adaptive practice games on Grockit!

1. For n equations, you need n variables to solve.  The GRE will often present you with two or more equations with multiple variables. If there are 2 variables in an equation (for example, x and y), then there must be 2 equations that each contain those variables in order to solve. The two common ways to solve are Substitution and Combination.

2. Substitute carefully for Functions.  It’s helpful to think of (x, f(x)) as another way of writing (x, y). For many function questions, you can Pick Numbers or Substitute for the variables to solve! For example, if a question provides a Function such as f(x) = 3x + 2, and wants to know what f(x – 1) is when x = 3, first rewrite the function, substituting x – 1 in for x. We would get: f(x – 1) = 3(x – 1) + 2, or f(x – 1) = 3x – 3 + 2. That becomes f(x – 1) = 3x – 1. Now the question asks what f(x – 1) will be when x = 3. Substitute in x = 3 to solve. f(x – 1) = 3(3) – 1 becomes f(x – 1) = 9 – 1. The answer is f(x – 1) = 8.

3. Know your number properties. The GRE tests number properties heavily, and you must be comfortable with words like integers, rational numbers, primes, etc. The properties of odds and evens, integers, fractions, positives, and negatives will all appear in various questions on your GMAT test as well. Don’t ever make assumptions about unknown variables. Unless you are told otherwise by the limitations in the question, variables can be negative integers, negative fractions, zero, positive fractions, or positive integer. You may need to Pick Numbers from multiple categories, especially for Quantitative Comparisons questions.

4. Flip the inequality when you multiply or divide by a negative number.  Remember that when you multiply or divide by a negative number, you must reverse the direction of the inequality. The non-flipped version will almost always be one of the wrong answer choices (of course!).

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The GRE Analytical Writing Measure: What to Expect

By posted January 19, 2012

The analytical writing measure consists of two writing tasks which are timed separately.  You will write these two essays first when taking the GRE, before any quantitative or verbal sections.  The two tasks are:

-Analyze an Issue

-Analyze an Argument

Timing: You will be given 30 minutes to complete each essay, which includes any time spent brainstorming, outlining, or revising.  With such a limited amount of time to compose your best possible work, background knowledge of the tasks and practice writing the essays are crucial.

Format: For the issue task, you will be given a statement (a sentence or short paragraph), followed by a prompt that asks you to explain whether you agree or disagree with the statement and the reasoning behind that perspective.  There are six different sets of instructions that might appear after the issue.  Pay attention to the wording of these instructions.

Try this GRE text completion question for more GRE practice!

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Top 6 Most-Tested GRE Problem Solving Concepts

By posted January 4, 2012

Noticing that your scores on your GRE practice test isn’t quite as high as you’d like? One quick way to get better GRE Quantitative scores is to increase your content-knowledge in the most-tested Problem Solving areas. Here are the top six most-tested GRE Quant concepts to review; get these down and you’ll ace the GRE section!

1. Functions and Symbols. A function is a different way of writing an equation. Instead of y = mx + b, we’d have f(x) = mx + b. It’s helpful to think of a function as simply replacing the “y” with a symbol called “f(x).” The GRE may also present made-up symbol functions; pay attention to any definitions you are given, and expand accordingly.

Try this coordinate geometry question for practice.

2. Number Properties. The properties of integers, primes, odds and evens, integers, fractions, positives, and negatives will all appear in various questions on your GRE test. The more comfortable you are with them, the more quickly you will arrive at the correct answer. This concept will bleed over into Quantitative Comparisons as well.

3. Plane and Coordinate Geometry. Not only will you need to know the standard equations for a line, parabola, and circle, but also you will need to memorize the distance formula, the midpoint formula, the slope formula, the relationship between slopes and the different quadrants, properties of parallel, perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal lines, as well as the quadratic formula/discriminant. For Plane Geometry, triangles are tested the most often on the GRE. You should know the Pythagorean Theorem, Triangle Inequality Theorem, the special right triangles: 45-45-90 and 30-60-90, as well as the properties of isosceles and equilateral triangles. Other plane geometry concepts to review include angles, circles, and polygons.  Make sure you know how to find the perimeter and area of all shapes, and be comfortable dividing irregular shapes into manageable pieces.

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When is the GRE offered?

By posted August 1, 2011

The GRE is offered year-round as a computer-based test and offered 3 times a year as a paper-based test. You may take the GRE once every 60 days and no more than 5 times in a rolling 12 month period.

Before you register to take the GRE you should be aware of the graduate school application deadlines you’re applying to. Schedule to take your GRE test after your GRE test prep, but early enough so the grad school admissions will receive your scores on time.

If you need disability accommodations you will not be able to register online. You will need to complete a form and send your request to ETS Disability Services.

Click here to see an example of a quantitative comparison question. These questions are a bit different than what students are used to seeing. Good luck!

Register to take the GRE at ets.org

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GRE revised General Test Coming Soon

By posted July 25, 2011

As you know, the content on the GRE will be changing on August 1, 2011. The restructured “GRE® revised General Test” might come as a welcome relief for students, but it introduces some unique changes that are sure to shake up the testing community. You can see the full list of changes here.Grockit is taking care to ensure that our content is as true to the revised GRE as possible. Because this requires generating accurate data analyses and testing new content with different groups of students, we are not updating our live content until later this summer, possibly early fall. While we regret the delay, we know it is a necessary step to generate relevant high-quality content to students preparing for the new exam.Users on Grockit GRE will notice bold notifications in the places where the content is not up-to-date. However, much of the material has stayed the same and there’s still value for students in Grockit’s existing GRE test prep, which is why we are not disabling the group altogether for the transition period. Billing questions, or other general concerns may be sent to support@grockit.com.

As for the test itself? ETS claims that the new questions “better reflect the skills you’ll need for graduate and business school”. And they are probably right.  (GMAC has similar aspirations with its “Next Generation GMAT” coming in 2012.) Here’s a quick overview:

Verbal: The move away from vocabulary memorization is a positive step for student assessment. In doing so, language skills will now be tested with two new question types, “Sentence Equivalence” and “Text Completion”, which require students to synthesize the meaning and context of a sentence on top of applying appropriate vocabulary. The multiple answer-choice and in-text selection changes to Reading Comprehension also attempt to measure these critical thinking skills better than they were before.

Quantitative: Students will be provided with an on-screen calculator, which will help some and hurt others. Questions will likely be more qualitative and reasoning-based, and will certainly lack mundane computational skills present in the old exam. The old number property tricks will be less relevant, and “select all that apply” and “numeric entry” questions will slow things down for sure. This makes sense; tools like calculators don’t solve problems in the real world, nor are solutions found by choosing among five neatly presented options.

General Changes: ETS has abandoned the CAT (computer adaptive test) in favor of a simple CBT (computer based test) that allows students to preview, mark, review and return to questions at any time. This demands a whole new set of test-taking strategies to maximize score potential, and students will have to be a bit more strategic about their time management.

What does this mean for you? Not much. A standardized test is a way to flatten a field of candidates’ diverse knowledge onto one scaled score range. In your preparation for the revised GRE, the same principles apply: familiarize yourself with test patterns, identify academic weaknesses and adhere to a study plan. If the new test seems more difficult than the existing one, remember that its biggest flaw is also its strength in this regard: standardization.

Thanks again for your patience, and we are excited to relaunch Grockit’s popular GRE group soon!

 

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Preparing for a Computer Based Test

By posted October 26, 2010

In the United States, the GRE can be taken as a computer-based or paper-based test; the computer-based test is by the far the more popular choice because you can sign up to take it almost every day of the year. If you’re like most test-takers, you probably have never taken a standardized test on a computer before. Though test format may not seem like a big deal at first, we must realize that a computer test necessitates its own set of preparations. Here are some facts and tips to help demystify the GRE Computer Based Test:

1. The Tutorials: This might sound silly, but right before you take the test, you’ll have to work through four computer tutorials created by the GRE test software. The four tutorials are “How to Use a Mouse,” “How to Select an Answer,” “How to Use the Testing Tools,” and “How to Scroll.” While these lessons seem better suited for octogenarians at the Learning Annex, they do have an important purpose. You may be computer savvy, but the GRE software is not exactly Windows or Apple–familiarize yourself with its quirks.

2. No Skipping: On a computer-based test, you cannot return to any one question after you’ve answered it. That’s right. No second chances, no stalling, no saving the hardest for last. On the computer test, you will only see one question at a time; you cannot see the next question until you answer the current question. While this may initially cause some anxiety, it helps to think of this limitation as a liberation: intimidating questions can no longer loom over your head as you take the test–ah, a burden is lifted. 

3. Question Type Order: Unfortunately,, you won’t be comforted by the predictability of sections. Sentence completions, antonyms, and analogies, for example, can come up in any order. You do not have sections of question types like you would on the SAT. This may make things a bit more difficult. You cannot mentally prepare yourself for one question type. The good news is, though, that you won’t get fatigued by one question typed either (and by one question type, I mean reading comprehension of course).

4. What’s the Adaptive Mean?: The word “adaptive” in Computer Adaptive Test means that the test adapts to your skill level; it’s customized to your individual performance. The test begins with average difficulty questions, and then the questions will become harder if you are answering correctly or easier if you are answering incorrectly. Do not try to predict your performance based on the difficulty of questions. After all, you may find a “difficult” question easy, and vice versa. It’s also not worth your energy to worry about that.

5. Process of Elimination: You’ve probably already figured this one out. On a computer-based test, you will not be able to mark up your test. That means no underlining words in passages and no crossing out answer choices. This may be the greatest disadvantage presented by the computer test. So, what’s the solution? Just learn to deal with the handicap? No! You simply cannot afford to lose the luxury of crossing out answers on a standardized multiple choice test. Luckily, there is a way to circumvent this obstacle–use scratch paper. Before the test begins, use the scratch paper they give you to create a makeshift answer sheet. If you want to make your answer sheet as precise as possible, simply create two multiple choice columns, and number each from 1 to 30. Remember the “tutorials” you have to go through? You can take as long as you like during them, so this is a great time to make your answer sheet.

There you have it. The Computer Based Test isn’t something to be feared, after all. It just takes some getting used to. And, for an added bonus, Grockit makes great practice since it’s computer-based also. Go practice!

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It’s Test Day!

By posted October 18, 2010

The GRE is unlike the SAT, ACT or any other standardized exam you took in high school. Instead of sitting in a classroom with 25 other students all going through exactly the same experience, you will be on your own. After weeks and months of preparation, the last thing you should worry about on the day of your GRE is the testing environment. While there may be slight differences from test center to test center, the basic sequence of events will be the same.

Here are some tips about what to expect from the testing environment from arrival to departure. Get comfortable with the procedures so that, on test day, you can avoid distractions and concentrate solely on your performance.

Arrival:

Try to arrive at the test center 15-30 minutes early because of the sign-in process. First, you’ll need to show proper photo identification and tell the administrator which exam you’re there to take. Don’t be surprised that others in the center may be taking different graduate exams.

You will then be asked to sign the GRE Examination Testing Rules & Agreement. Once this is completed, the administrator will ask you to provide a digital fingerprint or palm-vein pattern. The palm sensor will soon replace the fingerprints as the only digital identification system. For the palm system, you will place each of your hands over a sensor. The administrator will demonstrate the procedure of ensuring that certain knobs on the machine fit your fingers to get a proper pattern. He or she will then take your photograph.

Once all of these administrative procedures are completed, you will choose a locker in which to place all of your belongings. Wear layers in case the room is cold. All you are allowed are your locker key and photo identification because the administrator will check it before you enter the testing room.

The Testing Room:

Before you enter the test room, you will need to provide your photo identification as well as your fingerprint or palm-vein pattern.   Then the administrator will escort you into the testing room. There probably will be people already in the room, in the middle of their respective exams. You will be seated at a station with a computer and likely some soundproof headphones, in case mouse clicks or keyboard keys bother you.  The test administrator will provide you with scratch paper to use during the test, and when all of your pages are filled, you can raise your hand to receive more scratch paper.

Breaks:

There is an optional 10-minute breaks after the Analytical Writing section, and one minute breaks between the remaining sections of the test. Don’t feel obligated to take them if you’re in the zone and want to stay focused. However, the ten minute break is a great opportunitie to leave the room and reorient yourself if you are a bit rattled, or if you want a restroom or snack break.

You cannot leave without signaling the test administrator. Once you signal, the administrator will enter the room and escort you out. When you leave the room, you will have to digitally sign-out, meaning you will have to verify either your digital fingerprint or palm-vein pattern. You can then access your locker and drink some water or snack on something small.

When you re-enter the room, you will have to provide your fingerprint or palm-vein pattern yet again before being escorted back to your station. Even though the break is technically 10 minutes long, once the procedures of signing out and signing back in are included, the time you have for yourself is probably more like 8 ½ to 9 minutes. Don’t forget that exceeding the 10 minutes allotted for the break takes time out of your next test section, so be careful. Again, don’t forget that the breaks are optional.

Score and Departure:

You’re done. Almost four hours after entering the center, you’ve completed the test. You will be given the option of viewing your scores or canceling them. Once you view your score, you will not be able to cancel it. Whatever you decide, you will need to raise your hand once again so that the administrator will know to escort you from the room. Again, you will need to provide either your fingerprint or palm pattern to sign out of the room.

If you chose to view your score, an administrator will print out your unofficial score report. Be sure to keep this because there will be an authorization number that you will need to view your official score. Then all you need to do is take your belongings out of your locker, return the key and leave with your report.

Good luck!

Post your test day experience below and check out Grockit forums for test day advice from other test-takers.

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