REPEATING THE GRE GENERAL TEST

The following points are necessary for the GRE general test taking again :

• It may be to your advantage to take the GRE General Test more than once if you think that the scores you obtained do not reflect your true abilities.
  

• If your scores seem unusually low in comparison with other indicators of your preparedness for graduate studies, you may want to consider taking the test again.
  

• Those considering repeating a test should be aware that large score increases are unusual, and for some test takers scores will go down.
  

• Keep in mind that score reports will include test results obtained within the past five-year period.

• You may take the General Test (computer-based and/or paper-based) only once per calendar month and no more than five times within any 12-month period.
  

• This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously.

THINGS TO REMEMBER - REGISTRATION

When Registering for the GRE General Test????

These are the key points to remember when registering for the GRE General Test. They are :

• Register early. Test centers fill up quickly.

• Take the test as soon as possible so your scores will be received by the college or university of your choice in time to be considered with your application.

• When registering, be sure that the spelling of your name matches the name printed on the identification document(s) you will present at the test center. If this information does not match, you will not be permitted to test and your test fee will be forfeited. See Identification Requirements.

• Information regarding test center availability is subject to change. The most current information regarding test centers, dates, and other registration information is available in the GRE online registration system for the Computer-based General Test and the Paper-based General Test.

• Although you will be asked to select a desired test date and test center during the registration process, your testing information will not be confirmed until your registration has been processed.
  

• You should receive your admission ticket about three weeks after you register. If you do not receive your admission ticket at least 10 days before the test date, please contact ETS immediately to confirm your test center assignment.

• Late registration is available, if you registering online. Late registration closes one week after the regular registration date. The fee is $25.

GRE Quants - Sample Questions

Quantitative Comparisons


7x² = 21

Column A --> x

Column B --> 2

• A. The quantity in Column A is greater
• B. The quantity in Column B is greater
• C. The two quantities are equal
• D. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given

Answer: B


Problem Solving

In the fig shown, if CP=BP and x=120, then y=

• A. 30
• B. 45
• C. 60
• D. 75
• E. 90

Answer: C


Data Interpretation

In which of the following years did the number of graduate student applications increase the most from that of the previous year?

• A. 1985
• B. 1986
• C. 1988
• D. 1990
• E. 1991

Answer: B

QUANTITATIVE SECTION - STRATEGIES AND QUESTION TYPES

The Quantitative section can have questions only of these three types. They are :

• Quantitative Comparisons
• Problem Solving
• Data Interpretation

Quantitative Comparisons

It measures your ability to :

• Determine the relative sizes of two quantities
• Perceive that not enough information is provided to make such a decision

Problem Solving

Each of the questions GRE Math problem solving is followed by five answer choices. You have to select the best of the answer options given. This tests your :

• Knowledge of maths involving percentages, simultaneous equations, polygons, probability, etc.
• Ability to read, understand, and solve problems quickly and accurately.

Data Interpretations

This is the toughest section in GRE Math. Many have poor Math scores because of the high difficulty of Data interpretation GRE questions. Practice with lots of tough DI questions to do get a good GRE Math score. Data interpretation in GRE Math section measures your ability to:

• Read and interpret data
• Perform statistical calculations on the data provided

The data interpretation questions in GRE Math usually appear in sets and are based on data presented in tables or graphs.

STRATEGIES

1. Quantitative Comparisons

• Convert algebraic expressions to a standard form
• Avoid calculations such as how much larger or smaller one quantity is than the other.
• Do not assume all variables represent positive integers - be aware of negative numbers, fractions, and zero as possible numbers.
• Geometric figures are not always drawn to scale, so do not make assumptions simply based on the appearance of a figure given
  

2.Problem Solving

The basic strategies are :

• Determine what is given and what is being asked
• Scan options to decide the level of approximation required
• Avoid long computations
• Scan all options before answering a question

3.Data Interpretation

The strategies to be adopted are :

• Look carefully at the data and understand how it is presented
• Try to make visual comparisons and estimate products and quotients rather than perform computations.
• For graphs, pay attention to the scales as well as read any accompanying notes
• Answer questions only on the basis of data given.

GRE VERBAL - Sample Questions

Sentence Completion

The pressure of population on available resources is the key to understanding history, consequently any historical writing that does not take cognizance of_________ facts is_________flawed.

• A. ecological..marginally
  
• B. demographic..intrinsically
  
• C. cultural..substantively
• D. psychological..philosophically
  
• E. political..demonstratively
  

Answer: B

Antonyms

PERSEVERE

• A. Take Away
• B. Put into
• C. Send out
• D. Give up
• E. Bring forward

Answer: D

Analogies

EVAPORATE:VAPOUR

• A. petrify:stone
• B. centrifuge:liquid
• C. saturate:fluid
• D. corrode:acid
• E. incinerate:fire

Answer: A

Reading Comprehension

In his 1976 study of slavery in the US, Herbert Gutman, like Fogel, Engerman, And Genovese, has rightly stressed the slaves' achievements. But unlike these historians......(rest of the passage) ........In sum, gut man's study is significant because it offers a closely reasoned and original explanation of some of the slaves' achievements, one that correctly emphasizes the resources that slaves themselves possessed.

Which of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage, based on its content?

• A. The influence of Herbert Gutman on Historians of Slavery in the US
• B. Gutman's explanation of how slaves could maintain a cultural Heritage and develop a communal consciousness
• C. Slavery in the US: New Controversy about an old subject
• D. The Black heritage of Folklore, Music, and Religious Expression: It's growing influence
• E. The Black family and extended kinship structure: How they were important for the freed slave

Answer: B

STRATEGIES - VERBAL SECTION

Sentence Completion

The following strategies can be used in tackling the sentence completion questions in a more effective manner. They are

• Read the incomplete sentence and try to fit your own words in before looking at the answer choices.
• Pay attention to grammatical clues.
• Break down sentences with two blanks into parts and analyze each part individually.
• See that both parts of your answer choice fit the sentence correctly.

Antonyms

The below points will be helpful in answering the antonyms accurately:

• Try to define the word precisely
  
• Look for shades of meaning of the given word
• Make a sentence with it
• Analyze the prefix or suffix to help establish a individual words meaning
• Eliminate irrelevant answer choices

Analogies

The key points to tackle in the analogies are given below:

• Try to establish a strong relationship between the given pair of words
• Consider relationships of kind, size, spatial contiguity, or degree.
• If more than one of the answer choices seems correct, try to state the relationship more precisely.
• Check for second meanings of the given words

Reading Comprehension

This is the more difficult and a very challenging section with regard to the students. To solve them, you need:

• Go through the passage once to get the general idea of the passage.
• Do not try to memorize details but instead pay attention to the topic and the focus of the passage as you read.
• For questions asking you to give the passage a title, look at the first and last lines of the passage for clues.