How difficult is the GRE?

blarf · Aug 1, 2008

that's funny that you ask because i was wondering the same thing about a week ago.

I'll make sure to keep an eye on that thread

Music in My Heart · Aug 1, 2008

I didn't think the GRE was very difficult but I've taken a ton of math in college.

If the only math you've had is nursing math then I think you might find it difficult. As I recall the GRE included things like logarithms, basic geometry and trigonometry, and exponentiation.

Get a good study book and look at the problems to get an idea of what you're facing.

katmarieRN · Aug 1, 2008

OK, I found it very difficult. As you go thru, if you get questions right, it gets progresively harder. I did okay. I was a statistician prior to nursing school and had lots of math, and got a 640 on the math section. I bombed my verbal (460). And eh on my analytical writing, 4. BUT I did get into my school of choice (they consider alot of factors).

I found a pre-calculus book (Schaum's) helpful for covering alot of the concepts in the Math part of the GRE. If you can take a Kaplan course, I'd recommend it.

CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 4, 2008

I am curious of a few opinions on how difficult the exam is and if a few people wouldn't mind sharing what score they made.
The only math I have had in the last 10 years has been nursing math and I'm afraid that isn't going to cut it.
Any suggestions?

While the exam is based "just" on High School level math, it was still challenging for me. My first degree is in Chemical Engineering, which would imply that I'm good at math. WRONGO! Math was always my worst subject in school, and although I could do it, math never came easy to me.

I studied for about 5-6 weeks (~3-4 hours a day) before the GRE, and did well on it (math 730, verbal 640, written 5.5). I HAD TO do well - my undergrad GPA was lousy (2.6), and I was working to get into an Accelerated BSN program. Here's my advice (for what it's worth) on prepping for the GRE:

I highly recommend the Kaplan GRE prep book & CDROM. Search on Amazon.com for ISBN 1427795029. The Kaplan CD I used when prepping for my GRE (admittedly, the previous version of this book/CD) lets you take an evaluation test. Based on the results of that test, and how much time you had to work on your weak areas, the software tailored a study plan for you over that time span. Excellent!

I'd avoid the REA prep book/CD for GRE. Barron's was pretty good - I used it with the Kaplan.

Go to your local library, and see what GRE books they have available for checkout. That's where I got the Kaplan book/CD.

Plan on studying for at least 2-4 weeks before taking your GRE.

Good luck!

paacollins · Aug 7, 2008

I bought a book and studied for the GMAT (like the GRE but geared toward management programs) a few years back and I can tell you it was nothing compared to studying for the NCLEX. lol My advice is to get yourself a book and study. You might have to brush up on some areas if you have been out of school a while.

**CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN** · Aug 10, 2008

I bought a bunch of study guides for the GRE. I wasn't worried about the math at all. I think I 'studied' the GRE words for a few months. I had GRE word cards (Kaplan), and one or two big books. About 2 weeks before the exam I figured I'd check the math part. It was amazing how much I had forgotten. Luckily, I was good at math, and after doing that review, I think I learned enough.

On test day, I was sick. I was congested and sneezing. I was afraid of taking any medications other than Alavert, since it doesn't clog my brain. I think I should have studied the whole "write an essay" part a bit more, since I believe I wrote my wonderful essay, and didn't answer the question (I blame the cold).

My scores were fine, not spectacular(and the respective percentiles for that test):

I got the 560 verbal (76%), 700 Quantitative (72%) but only 4.5 on Analytical Writing (54%)

I'm not sure what I think of the percentiles. When I think of the people that are taking the exam, college graduates/seniors looking towards graduate school, I think I did okay.

inthesky · Aug 10, 2008

I just received my GRE books and wanted to cry after taking the diagnostic exam. :cry: It appears that nursing textbooks and calculating drips have done very little for my vocabulary and math knowledge. I only need the writing part for the program i want to apply to, so im going to desperately look for a way to skip the other sections =P. I'm still tired from the nclex studying!!!!!!!

notadoc · Aug 13, 2008

I did not think the GRE was all that bad. I used the Kaplan book for about a month before the exam. Math is my strong suit, but I have to admit that the exam was still challenging. It isn't so much that the math is all that difficult, per se, but you really have to pay attention to what is really being asked. The verbal was a little more challenging for me. I am terrible at memorization, so trying to memorize 3000+ words just wasn't going to cut it. Instead, I focused most of my effort on the roots and prefixes/suffixes to try to figure out what new words meant. I also spent some time reviewing the tips for scoring well on the different types of essay on the GRE. Overall, my strategy seemed to work. I ended up with 790 on the quantitative, 690 on the verbal, and 5 on the essays. Good luck!

notadoc

valkyria, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2008

first, let me say that the princeton review for the gre was great! seond, like the nclex, the mat, the sat, and all the rest of the alphabet soup we are put through in higher education. study thoroughly, but not like crazy, breath deeply, pray or meditate alittle (to maintain sanity) and believe that you will pass this great milestone and be proud of yourself for not letting fear or anything else stop you. :heartbeat

cooldude41 · Nov 4, 2008

GRE is not difficult, spend 2-3 monts studying. It will take 1-2 weeks to get used to the exam pattern, then you will be fine. ALos, it depends on your educational background. Some are comfortable with maths, some are with verbal.