Is the GRE as hard as it looks?

tonyccrn · Dec 19, 2007

tough is subjective. but to me, I would say it was tough, and huge PIA! :angryfire I do not believe there is any calc or trig in the test. its kind of one of those tests where you can take it and get a score, then retake it the next day (if it was possible) and get a much better or a much worse score.

I will tell you this, if you do not get what you think is a good score. DO NOT let that deter you from applying to school. i know a few people who have not met the GRE requriements posted for some anesthesia schools and many who scored just over the requirement and they still got in.

AdonaiLoveable · Dec 19, 2007

The GRE seemed really tough when I first started studying too, but then I learned lots of math shortcuts and began to notice patterns in the verbal section that made things easier and quicker to answer. I used The Princeton Review "Cracking the GRE" and the ETS book containing old exams to study and practice for the big test. The CD that ETS sends you with the practice tests on it were also very helpful. the Princeton Review book gave me all the short cuts and focused my study, and the other materials gave me a way to do lots of practice problems...which is what I thought most helped my score.

Do well the first time. Just taking the test is stressful and fatiguing, so if you do well the first time, you never have to go through that again.

Adonai

krzysiu · Dec 19, 2007

the sad truth is that the material is not difficult. you just have to learn how to take the test. essentially, the math is from high school. how the authors of the exam ask questions is what makes it "hard". i took a small review course and thought, for myself, it was well worth it. i didnt necessarily have the desire just to pick up a gre book and learn from it. the class most importantly taught me the style of questions that are asked on the exam and not really what could show up on it. once i got use to how the test was constructed, i was set.

chris

ECMOismygame · Dec 19, 2007

the sad truth is that the material is not difficult. you just have to learn how to take the test. essentially, the math is from high school. how the authors of the exam ask questions is what makes it "hard". i took a small review course and thought, for myself, it was well worth it. i didnt necessarily have the desire just to pick up a gre book and learn from it. the class most importantly taught me the style of questions that are asked on the exam and not really what could show up on it. once i got use to how the test was constructed, i was set.
chris

chris

I totally agree, especially the bolded parts.

abbyRNtobe, i studied a total of around ~12hrs spread out over a 2 weeks and i scored over 1000. i think the verbal section is the "hardest" one just b/c the vocab includes words that most people DON'T use.

overall, i really did expect the GRE to be much harder.

jemommyRN · Dec 19, 2007

chris
I totally agree, especially the bolded parts.
abbyRNtobe, i studied a total of around ~12hrs spread out over a 2 weeks and i scored over 1000. i think the verbal section is the "hardest" one just b/c the vocab includes words that most people DON'T use.
overall, i really did expect the GRE to be much harder.

What study materials did you use?

ECMOismygame · Dec 19, 2007

What study materials did you use?

i used the princeton prep book for the GRE (cracking the GRE). i think it helped me most on the writing and math section b/c i learned to recognize different types of questions.

i think it costs around $20. much cheaper than paying $1000 for a prep course.

Biotechnology · Dec 20, 2007

If you really need a refresher for the quantitative section, I think Barrons GRE prep is the best......The best all around......Chck it out!! I really needed a math refresher and that book hooked me up... I also used Kaplan, but to me, Barrons was better.. more questions to work on and it breaks down the steps to each problem better.....Plus the word list in Barrons is greater... I think they have a 3,500 word vocab list if you want to review versus 300 words in Kaplan.....I guess you are going to have to find what works for you... but Barrons was the best for me.....

Definitely use the ETS Powerprep CD, It will help you get used to the types of questions that will be on the GRE.....

Burnt2 · Dec 20, 2007

just check out books from your library. they all come with practice cds. no need to spend $$ on it.

ptandjo · Jan 4, 2008

I took it in July...and, yes, it is a very tough test; however, it is like anything else in life--you can expect to get out of it whatever you are willing to put into it. During the month of June, I spent every bit of extra time I had to prepare for that exam. I bought a ton of shortcut & prep books to prepare for all three aspects of the GRE. (Admittedly, I needed to do a great deal of brushing up on most areas, due to a poor vocabulary and math skills). Buy them, check them out from the library, whatever...but take the test seriously! There are a ton of free practice tests online, simply "google" them to get started. Also, the best $20 I, personally, spent during the entire process, was on a "SAT" vocabulary prep CD that I listened to on my way to and from work. Whatever your personal needs are...simply, address them and prepare yourself properly!!!

One more thing...I almost "cancelled" my scores at the end of the GRE testing session because I truly felt that I had bombed the exam. I didn't because of a blurb in the Kaplan review book that strongly discouraged cancelling out your scores despite any misgivings that you might be experiencing test day. I am VERY glad that I didn't cancel those scores without seeing them...I scored 1330 (V=590, M=740) with a 5.5 on writing. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!

PMHNP10 · Jan 4, 2008

When I took the GRE I used the Kaplan book and it was useless for the math section--I think the math format has changed since, so it might be a decent book. If I missed 3 practice questions from the math section, I'd be surprised. Then like a couple days before the test I opened another book and it introduced me to concepts/symbols/ terminology I had never heard before; and keep in mind that I love math and in fact taught it in HS for a second. My vocab. is quite limited IMO so I was counting on rocking the math section, but getting by on the verbal section. It so happened I did the math first when I took the test and when I was through I was ready to not even bother with the verbal section--I didn't even finish like 10 questions. Amazingly I did well enough to get over a 1000, combined (1060 or 1160; I can't remember).

californianurse · Jan 5, 2008

I think it really depends on how well you take standardized tests. A review class will help show you shortcuts and will force you to study/learn a little bit. The people I know who did well studied a lot and did 10 full length practice exams. How did you do on the SAT? The GRE is very similar. I've always had difficulty with standardized tests because my brain does not really function that way, and I've never been able to finish all of the questions on such exams. My high school GPA was 3.71 and my college GPA was 3.8. I scored dismally the first time I took the SAT (960), but bumped it up to 1160 the second time. I've taken the GRE only once, but got below 1000. My quant score was over 500 and I scored a 5 on the writing (out of 6). I didn't have time to retake the GRE because I was studying for my CCRN, working full time nights and applying to CRNA school. In any case, for me, standardized tests don't reflect my aptitude as an accomplished or prospective student. Some schools are really strict, like UT Houston. I did not get an interview there because the director looks at GRE scores and if both the verbal and the quantitative scores aren't over 500 each, then you do not get an interview, despite having an above average GPA and CCRN certification (which is not required). I did get interviews at TCU and Texas Wesleyan though, and am waiting to hear back from Samuel Merritt College in California. They interview in March. I think the Fort Worth schools take a little bit more time and look at the entire applicant, versus just the numbers.

That being said, if I don't get into CRNA school this year, you better believe I'm going to study every second I get for 4 months and take the GRE over and reapply.

I should also mention that my roommate only knows how to cram for exams, barely studied for the GRE (studied for 2 weeks) and got a score of 1200 and 4.5 on the writing. Some people are naturally gifted.

Also, it is absolutely imperative that you get the first couple of GRE questions right on the exam, since it's an adaptive computer program.

I hope some of this information helps.