10 Steps to Improve Your GRE Exam Score
If you follow the steps listed below for preparing for GRE exams, I’m sure doing so can improve your GRE Score.
Step 1 – GRE Practice
There are lots of free GRE Exam practice tests available online. Take one of the tests without any distractions and check your scores in the GRE Exam Verbal and Quantitative sections.
Take note of the date when you took the exam and scores in each section.
Step 2 – Identify Weakness
For the questions you have answered wrong, make sure you find out why you selected the wrong answer and find how to solve. If you happen to learn a new formula or words, make a note of it.
Use a separate notebook, one for Verbal and one for Maths. By making note of your mistakes, you are improving your weakness. This is better starting point to improve your final GRE Exam score.
Step 3 – Improve your Skills
Spend at least 1 hour per day enhancing your GRE Vocabulary from Barron’s GRE Exam book. It has around 50 word lists. Try to remember at least 1 word list per week.
So this means, for every week you can read from 50 to 100 new words. At the same time, revise the notes you have made in Step 2.
Step 4 – More GRE Notes
For Week 1, read the first word list. For Week 2, revise the first word list and then start learning the second word list. This way, you will not easily forget the words.
If you are weak in quantitative, practice lots of maths questions. Keep taking notes for each new word or math formula you come across.
Step 5 – Flash Cards
One of the best ways to remember new words is to form sentences using each new word.
(Another technique is the use of GRE verbal flash cards, carrying the notes of new words that you find difficulty remembering with you. If you happen to revise/look at a word for more than 5 times, it will be easy to remember).
Use the same flash card technique to remember some math formulas, especially those you can’t keep track of.
Step 6 – GRE Practice Test
Next, take a GRE Practice Test again and see how much you score, and for mistakes you make, evaluate again what went wrong.
In this way, you will learn new maths formulas and at same time your score will increase month by month. You will definitely see some score improvements from the GRE exam practice test discussed in Step 1.
Step 7 – Keep Improvising
There’s no need to worry that you are scoring low in GRE tests at this point, every student initially has the same problem. Spending at least 1-2 hours per day for the first 3 months will likely get you going.
In the next 4-5 months, you will see huge differences in the scores. At this point, it’s good to take note that hard work is different from smart work.
Smart work includes hard work and the right study plan and the need to regularly keep track of your skill levels. While taking practice test, if you know you are going to get this question incorrect, make a note of it.
After the practice test, make sure you are able to solve similar problems at least 30 times.
Step 8 – Daily Practice
So the key to improve your GRE Scores and your GRE test strategies is to practice daily and if you select a wrong answer in your practice test, make sure you find the right answer.
Don’t jump around to many GRE books. Take one book, complete practicing all the problems there, then move to next book.
If you are studying for 1 hour, make sure you use 100% of your time.
Step 9 – Motivation
Most students make the mistake of not finding out the right answers for the questions that they got wrong in the GRE practice test. The reverse is actually among the most proven ways to improve your scores in GRE.
In your GRE exams (practice) and let’s say you scored 1,000. And 2 months later you scored around 1,000 again, then I can say, the 2 months of time you spent studying for your GRE is simply wasted time, unless the score improves.
Key to improving your score is to stay motivated. You need to have the urge to improve your scores. If you don’t commit yourself 100% during the preparation, you are just wasting your time, and resources for that matter.
The GRE Exam is in CAT format. But with the same skill level, no matter how many times you take it, your score will remain the same.
Step 10 – Bingo High GRE Exam Score
If your score doesn’t improve, try following different approaches for GRE preparation. However, after spending a lot of time but if you don’t see your scores improve, there is something wrong with your approach.
Lastly, check if you are actually preparing for the GRE Exam, not a different exam. 🙂
GRE Test Prep Books
Checkout the Top 9 GRE Test Prep books that can drastically improve your scores. Again, practice will make you perfect.
I very happy, when i had of GRE. God will bless the initiator.
i want to do my graduate studies in u.s. i want help from you.
Good evening sir,
my name is EHSAN ULLAH. on my passport they write
surname EHSAN ULLAH
given name empty
is there is problem on my passport?can someone please answer me. i am so much confused.
Sir,
i’am doing BVSC & AH ,sir plz tel me about the syllabus for veterinarians and paper pattern.
NEED HELP!!!!!!: I need tips to prepare GRE withiin 15 days. pls help………
NEED HELP!!!!!!: I need tips to prepare GRE withiin 15 days. pls help………
Hello,
I have plans of registering for the TOEFL and GRE Exams for the months of November and February respectively, but i am having serious problems with the Verbal part of the exams. Please how can i do to improve on my score for this section of the Exams
Pls reply
Hi,
I took the GRE day before yesterday and got a score of 1360(Verbal:590, Quantitative:770). I know the official score would be available only after 10-15 days. Till then, what proof do I have that I got this score? I don’t have it written anywhere. Plz guide. Thanks a lot.
Hello
Thanks for the above post. Its really helpful. However I would request you to kindly suggest a study plan specific to the new GRE exam as not much resource is available. I am taking the exam in December, so any guidance will be very much appreciated.
Thanks
Nimisha
GRE cource is achivement of futher studys
hiiii sir … i want to write new pattern plz send me desire notes at least website … i want to score good.. thanks
I have given GRE two times but have not got more than 800 score overall in the exam. Now, i want to know that if I want to give it 3rd time again does it will have any effect on getting admission or at the time of interview as i have attempted the exam 3 times because as we all know that GRE result comes with last 5 attempts. please guide me as i don't want to give off my US dream easily. Is there any other way to go for master's in US without GRE. please guide me.
iam going to take gre for the second time in the next month can u please help me for getting good score.first time i have got 780 (quants:480 and english:300).so now i am trying to get atleast 1000+ so please help me
iam going to take gre for the second time in the next month can u please help me for getting good score
Please guide me before i am not able to postpone my GRE exam date which is on 1st march. Actually I have given GRE last year in nov'2010 in which i have got 800 scores overall becoz I got nervous in the exam due late night study before the exam. This is my 2nd and the last chance for giving GRE and I don't want to let it go from my hands. I am getting 1050 to 1180 in the pratice test (Q 610 to 710/V 350 to 460) but I am not feeling satisfied from my preparations as I think I can take much more than this if i get some more time but my parents are telling me to give it now otherwise the more you delay the more you get indolent. If this I have not scored then i have to take admission in india which i don't want to. So, its my request you to please give me the reply of this query as soon as possible as you know that before 3 days of the exam one can't reschedule to the next date.
hey frnds i m gng to prpd for GRE exam hw to get good score
in it please sugst. me and plz tel me which one is ri8 time to ri8
this xam . nw i m gng to cmly my btech in this year plz help
me
hi…HSB fans
sir ,i got a GRE score of 1160(390-verbal,770-quants). I need information about good colleges should i apply.
my 10th percent is—–83.67
my intermediate——-91.40
my b.tech is————66.40(2 backlogs –cleared)
i completed my graduation in electrical and electronics engineering…….
can u suggest some universities which offer me admission for my score along with stipend.
n i am planning for TOFEL exam also.
how to improve my verbal in GRE. i am week in English.
Hi! THERE
my name is sadhana,,, i m a b.tech student… i just needed to know that i m not good at my vocabs…. now i m just left with 7 months… what shall i do????
Hello, I want to ask some questions about how the US Universities consider two different GRE scores.
I scored less in GRE in my first attempt, and I am planning to retake the test within these 2-3 months so I just want to know after retaking the gre how the universities will consider these 2 different scores?
Hey, HSB as I've already posted my GRE experience I need your opinion about a problem. I had tough time few days before my GRE and unfortunately couldn't pace up to prepare in the final moments. I'm planning for MS biotech for fall-2011. I've got a good academic profile but the only problem would be the GRE verbals (380). Is it better to go with the application proceedings or should i give another shot at GRE?
Myriad strategies have been provided by HSB to study for GRE and let me add one. My experience while giving GRE was completely different. My GRE experience implies that last 5 days before the test are crucial where one needs work diligently. I was getting decent score in verbals in various mock tests. ( about 450-650 with very few exceptions). But i ended up scoring just 380 in the actual test as I couldn't touch the preparation material for the last 5 days before test because of personal reason that i don't wanna mention. However a decent score of 750 in quants made it to 1130. I was completely disturbed before the exam but made my composure ideal before entering the hall. At last neither i had a chance to procrastinate the test date and nor do I know whether the score is ok to get into reputed unis. So do take care of your work and composure few days before ur test. Don't bother if they are inevitable. 🙂
Subscribe to newsletter and confirm. You will receive email within few hours.
Hi,
I want to apply for MS in Applied Mathematics in the USA/ Canada. What is the minimum score that I should score for getting a Scholarship?
hi i m samita . i have done MCA with 80% now i want to go for PHD in computer Application please guide me that hw i can go for phd in USA or any other country.
hw can i start the preparation and hw i can take the help from websites and hw could i get the preparation test papers from the university exams.
hi…suggest sum top universities in the US and canada which r known for courses like signal processing, microwave communication, radio astronomy, radars,and biomedical instrumentation
Hi again……Plz suggest a gud book 4 quant…..will just barron's do??????
hello…
i am doing my engineering in computer science..
i wish to do M.S. in MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS..
1 : is it possible to switch my stream to maths???
2 : give me a list of some good universities providing M.S. in maths and statistics???
Why is it so that Spring candidates are referred as deferred admissions..
hII
I have my GRE on 10th DEC 2009, I want to apply for doctorate in chemistry.What is the minimum score that I should score. And if I start sending my score immediately ,when can i get admmission in JAN 2010 orJuly 2010
Regards
MEESHA
Sir, my father is a farmer so he has kisan credit card.
May i take the gre date by kisan credit card ?
Call regional prometric GRE center and ask them if Kisan Credit Card is accepted.
HSB,
greetings
it is my personal experience that the ets.org is only accepting the "visa or master , international credit card.
kissan card is only applicable to india
still kissan has not improved in india to have international credit card
this is our experience
cheers
easwaran
Hi HSB,
Most colleges start admission process during 1st week of
September for fall. If i take GRE in the month of July and send scores to colleges immediately, is it accepted?
Thank you
@Ananth
the ets will send the score to what ever university/college/department you enroll, if you opt to key in those information during your gre exam
normally 15 to 20 days time ets will send it to the universities
that you requested
you can even attempt your gre in month of oct too
you have ample time
good luck
easwaran
@Ananth – Yes, you can send the scores anytime.
plz reply to my mail i m waiting
hello sir i m yet to decide my test date and planning to take in oct 1 st week . i have solved barrons and done with d wordlist… nowadays i m solving nova maths ….should i take powerprep test to check my current status ? i need to score 1400 plus for scholarship in this scenario plz tell me how i should approach in coming days ? i need an action plan
i am going to face GRE exam on coming feb,,, now i ve started to study,,,pls guide to get nice marks in GRE,,, i want to get seats in top universoteis in us,,,, for this i m ready to anything ,,, daily how much time i ve to study,,, in which i ve to concentrate,,, ple guide me,,, THANK YOU
Hi.. this is kavitha here again.. i have my GRE exam on 15 May i started taking tests from Big B Book, my quant test results in 24 to 30 correct answers out of 30 questions. and my verbal section results in 14 to 20 correct answered question out of 38 question. in what level am i? can i make 1400+ my GRE Score? And tell me in what way i can improve