Is anyone else struggling with balancing GRE prep, doing well at their corporate job (need good rec letters for grad school!), staying healthy and essay prep? It feels like GRE prep is a literal full time job and I wake up anxious everyday… any advice is appreciated for people who have been through it!

I already deleted social media & stopped going out w friends

Spring2024 gave me $30 off.

I don’t know if you guys will be able to check out with it because it didn’t let me complete check out, but just in case it works for someone else!

Kenton2024 and comeback70 did work too!

I feel really rushed with the exam and this cannot perform my best. I found timing is actually what makes my score really bad. I tried an untimed one, which I got 170 on quant. When I am timed, it drops from 170 to 166-162. When I did my real test, I was so nervous I forgot to use whiteboard, and got a 155… What should I do to increase timing? I feel like I need at least 2x the time…

I am preparing for both the GRE and IELTS at the same time. I am following magoosh vocab for GRE. Do I need additional vocab for IELTS? Or 1000+ Gre words will be enough for both?

For those using this, how do you use it effectively? There’s so much to do for each day, I have just kind of been ignoring the quant Flashcards. I do the vocab mountain religiously but not quant..starting to think I need to study those.

How much is 328 gre (167Q, 161V) if we convert it to the gmat?

Be CAREFUL with at home tests

I HAD to retake for my R3 MBA apps and to my horror during the second section (1st section after AWA) proctor kept saying technical issue

SAt there for an hour in disbelief

State of shock

Honestly I had a panic attack of some type

After all this insane effort putting together MBA apps like mad.

Had to restart computer thought phew ok let's go

Same issue

Proctor said must reschedule reach out to ETS

I did

ETS did give me a voucher so luckily money not wasted BUT

Due to their technical issue I need to wait ANOTHER 21 days now.

This is now past MBA decision deadlines. Oh well.

I also confirmed multiple times and it DOES count AGAINST my total 5 max attempts in 365 day period

WTF?

This was my 3rd attempt. Before this, 2 successful attempts.

Since I have to wait 21 days (I was prepared to crush quant and already have a stellar V and AWA score needed for MBA apps), I now cannot submit a new Quant score for MBA apps

No interview invites, all effort wasted this cycle

Will have to reapply

Ofc it's on me for not timing this better

The last attempt I did 21 days before this one, also at home - I missed out on 1 minute of 2nd quant section due to a similar technical issue that thankfully still let me submit and finish

Brutal

I understand waiting another 21 days... ok got it

But it's not like I am resuming this same test

Why does it have to count against my max 5 attempts counter?

Super stressful

So far dinged from all R3 apps in MBA

Idk what to even say at this point.

I will NEVER do it at home again.

Imagine doing it at home 5 times and that's it, you're out.

How can it count against my total max of 5 if it's an issue on the proctor's end or whatever it was?

Like, seriously?

Now, I don't know if getting the score I needed would have gotten me the interviews where I applied.

But still. What if it had? Now I must wait another year to matriculate?

Scores so far

Attempt 1 Dec 2023: 162V, 157Q, 5.5AWA

Attempt 2: Apr 2024: 167V, 154Q (!! dropped wildly enough despite drilling like mad), 6 AWA (:D but this doesn't matter hardly lol)

Attempt 3: technical issue - not score

Ugh

Hello, I have a memorized understanding of all GRE geometry formulas. Is there a website or textbook to relearn and read geometry identities and concepts?

Maybe something similar to Math Olympiad? I’ve never done it, always weak in geometry. Thanks in advance.

Q162 and Q48 on gmat. Aiming for Q165+. Consistently bad in geometry despite “knowing” all formulas

Hey Everyone,

I'm preparing for GRE and I have been following Gregmat's content, but recently I met one of my friends who had studied GRE - her suggestion for Vocabs was "Words Power Made Easy" By Norman.

She suggested this book and said, it's hard to remember the words, rather learn the roots and you will at least be able to identify what it could mean.

What do you think about this? Has anyone tried this approach, does this work?

I'm having problems remembering the words that I have learnt and this sounded more plausible.

Dear readers,

Hope you all are doing well.

I have been following this subreddit for a long time and I am going to be as candid as possible and literally lay me entire life in front of yall as I really need some advice on what the hell am I doing wrong and what do I need to do to improve. I apologize as this post is going to be slightly lengthy and kinda 'gregmat-heavy'? (love you gregmat) so please bear with me.

This post's flairs would be: Specific question and Advice so please skip this if you are not interested.

SOME CONTEXT:

I am a final year (senior) in CS (international). I want to pursue MSCS in the USA in Fall 2025.

I just took the official GRE test for the second time, about 5 hours back. My first time was in August 2023, in which I scored 314/340 (160Q, 154V). I took the august GRE attempt with quite a light hearted tone. As in, I only practised quant magoosh and practised as much verbal as I could (which was not alot at all), I did not really focus on weak topics, did not do gregmat, did not practice verbal or vocab at all, all my verbal practice was from taking custom tests on magoosh - would you call this practice? I do not know. I was horrible at verbal and was scoring in the low 150s in magoosh custom tests. I quant, i was just banking on whatever math knowledge I had and just practised sums that was it.

I was very sad with that score because MSCS is super competitive and I was aiming for atleast 320+ (with 165+Q - this was EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME) so I decided to take the test again but due to study pressure, finals, GPA, research and of course, laziness etc I had to postpone by around 7-8 months, to today.

I started my prep for the 2nd attempt in a very scattered manner. I bought gregmat+ (but not prepwsift) as my magoosh subscription had expired in december of 2023. I based my entire prep on gregmat as I found it super super helpful and easy to understand and the way he explained it all was fantastic. I watched all the verbal videos(TC, SE, RC) in the 1 month plan but did not focus much on quant - I did all this in and around december 2023. BUT I did not PRACTICE verbal much. I know the 1 month plan specified to practice from the big book but I did not do it diligently, I just watched the videos. I might have practiced about 30% of the big book. Almost no RCs)

Then I stopped my prep after a month or so due to college study, research etc etc.

I restarted my prep in the middle of April 2024, around 15-17 days back.

Since, I am from a STEM background, so I kinda knew most of the quant stuff except some topics that i was weak at (BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY GRE CAREER WAS TO THINK LIKE THIS, although I do know most of these concepts, the time constraint really is my kryptonite imo, but I need yall to confirm or deny it. I did not score what i needed so I am in no place to say what works)

I did as much vocab as possible - around 1-30 groups of the vocab mountain, thouroughly, something I had not done for my previous GRE attempt - This time, I also bought prepswift considering I did not have much time. I did NOT go through ALL the quant prepswift videos - only the topics I am weak at - I did NOT even go through 1 verbal prepswift video considering I had watched the entire 1 month plan for verbal.

During these 15-17 days, I practised quant by focusing on my weak topics such as std deviation, probability, PnC and stats, I also completed around 40-50% of the Manhattan 5lb book. I gave many gregmat mini exams but was scoring around 50-70% in all. I practiced the hard sums as well. I wrote all the important concepts in a small notebook for future revision. I always practiced with a timer as well.

For verbal, I once again did NOT practice the big book or any ETS material. I just did vocab and referred to the notes I made when I had gone through the 1 month plan. My only practice for verbal was while I was taking the gregmat mini tests and test series.

TEST SERIES:

Regarding test series, I purchased the Manhattan test series of 6 tests.

I received on average 158V, 162Q in all 6. I attribute this to an eggregious amount of silly mistakes in quant, panicking in quant, not being able to complete all questions in quant and finally, not understanding RCs well enough in the time constraint.

I finally gave Powerprep 2 yesterday, the day before my exam, and recieved 166Q, 157V. I was delighted. This was the goal and I hit it but I did think it was quite easier than Manhattan.

MY MINDSET:

I know it is very cringe to write this garrulous post, but please bear with me.

One thing about me is that I really panic alot during the exam day. Taking these tests at home in a familiar environement is super comfortable unlike on the test day. I DO NOT know how I can improve this. Also, another very important thing, I do HORRIBLY with time. The clock on the screen instills an unbelievable fear in me, and that makes me want to do things quickly and solve fast which leads to an excessive amounts of silly mistakes like calculation errors and most importantly, RE-READING the question again and again because it did not register the first time in my mind as my mind is wavered and distracted due to the time constraint.

TODAY:

So it has now been around 5 hours since my 2nd attempt GRE test.

I scored a meagre 315/340. (161Q, 154V) and I am absolutely devastated. I do not know how to improve now and hence I am writing this post on reddit to this wonderful community. I beseech you to give me some advice on what I can focus on now to improve my score. I might give it for the 3rd time in 2 months as 315 is most definitely NOT enough for me to get a seat in my program of choice, at my university of choice.

I attribute this score a bit to my mindset - I panic alot, the time factor really messes with my brain. I also tried meditating a bit but to no avail.

So guys, What is my problem? What was my mistake? What did I do wrong? How do I improve? I know my answer lies in this post and I also know the solution to some extent but I would love to know from the hive of the GRE community - especially from gregmat.

Please help a dude out.

Thank you and sorry for the never-ending post.

​

I have been using Target Test Prep for my GRE Prep. Am about 4 chapters in. I primarily chose it for Quant knowing I am so weak beyond basic concepts, so I am building from basics to expert. From my analysis, I see I fail 70%+ of questions marked as hard and I am performing well in easy and medium ~85% accuracy... I feel like I understand the concepts well but still my accuracy is low.

How best do I improve my accuracy on these hard questions? Also, is it only me or TTP is so slow from yesterday morning?

Dear Vince,

I trust you're doing well. I want to extend my gratitude for the invaluable support you provide to GRE aspirants. With my exam scheduled for May 31st, I have roughly a month left for preparation. Over the past three months, I've dedicated myself to studying diligently. I've memorized 1000 words, delving into their primary, secondary meanings, and synonyms. Furthermore, I've thoroughly covered all official quant and verbal materials, revisiting ETS questions twice with a one-month interval and completing 6-7 quizzes.( chinese website -Kaofenfen)

Given my aim for a score between 320-325, I seek your advice on how to proceed within this timeframe. Should I focus on more practice questions or complete the remaining 18 quizzes? Alternatively, would it be beneficial to start incorporating mock exams alongside the quizzes? I also have the option of tackling an additional set of questions, totaling around 400.

Despite having engaged deeply with 200 passages, Reading Comprehension remains a significant challenge. What strategies would you recommend to overcome this hurdle?

/course/old-gre-walkthrough

Isn't working..

I need the explanation of GREG but can't find the playlist.

Not even in the Two months plan #GREG

I've taken the GRE official test twice.

May 2023: 150V/146Q

May 2024: 154V/151Q

Here is everything that I've tried:

• I did every question in the GRE Big Book, Quant Book, and Verbal Book.
• These are the chapters in the 5LB book that I've done:
  • Rates and Work
  • Word Problems
  • Arithmetic
  • Ratios
  • Sets / Probability
  • Fractions
• I learned about 200 of the 357 vocabulary words from PrepScholar.
• I watched all of the PrepSwift videos provided by GregMat.
• I did all the Foundational Quizzes in GregMat.
• I did the "Skill Building" Main Idea Passage questions on GregMat.
• I have had friends/family quiz me on vocabulary words.
• I studied for 2 months every single day for at least 1 hour (some days I did up to 8 hours of studying).
• I've hired 2 private tutors.

I am feeling very discouraged because I want a 160/160 and have not been able to even get past 155 on either section. What am I doing wrong?

I want to ask this exam again this summer. My plan for now is to start from scratch and hire new tutors. I also might invest in new material. Does anyone have recommendations?

No matter what location in the USA I choose, there are no testing centers available. I've called customer service and asked about multiple states, and they say nothing is available but they will raise the issue. I need to take it in Aug/Sep/Oct. How do you register for the math subject test? Is it just inaccessible?

What would be the best prep book to get? I was looking at the official gre super power pack but I guess I’m wondering if it is outdated because it was published in 2017. Thanks for all suggestions and recommendations.

It seems gregmat youtube channel is disabled right now. Is there any way to get the awa videos? I have my exam next week and I really need to go through the videos. I had gregmat subscription before, but now it's expired. Are the videos available in the website now?

i find it much easier/quicker to use the on screen calculator with an actual mouse rather than the track pad - wondering if that is allowed

Hello Guys, I’ve been preparing for GRE for the past 20 days. I’ve learned almost all words from Gregmat vocab mountain, am I suppose to learn the synonyms as well or just the words would do if I’m targeting 335+ ?

Recently I came to know that upon completion of the GRE test, we are asked to submit the score to 5 universities for free (if we think this is the best score so far). So, how to submit that score. For instance, some universities offer two programs application that means we can apply in two programs for a single universities. For such universities, and even for normal one also, do we require to remember university's code (if any), or simply remembering the names of the top 5 universities of our shortlisted list is enough. Or simply department name/code (whatever applies) is enough. For example, in university X, department of computer engineering is offering two programs namely, MSCS, and MSDS, so do we have to send score separately to these two programs after selecting university X, or simply under the university X's name we are only concerned with department's name. i.e if you send score to "department of computer engineering" then both the programs will have access to this score. ? Could anyone please provide detailed insight regarding this ?? I am taking it for the 1st time and while booking the date, I came across this, so for that reason I have to extend my date for 2 days in order to finalize those top 5 universities. Let me know if this approach is correct. And please provide the insight (process) regarding score reporting after finishing the exam.

Edit: Sorry, for such a vague structured post, since I am literally messed up after knowing this before 5 days of exam. Hope u guys will understand.

Just took the free ETS PP1 after doing 1 week of Greg’s 1 month plan. Score 156V 149Q. I expected my quant score to be low, and was hoping to do a bit better on verbal and my verbal mistakes primarily stemmed from vocab gaps, going a bit too fast and not reflecting answers with support, and some timing issues. My Q was largely lacking foundation and misinterpreting/assuming I understood what a word problem was asking without really being sure of the questions goal prior to calculating and answering. How feasible is getting my score up to 310+ in a little under a month? I was thinking maybe focusing on just vocab for verbal, and really hammering home foundation and practice problems for quant. What do you guys think?

Hi everyone!

So I'm applying to some Canadian graduate programs and have been studying on-and-off for the GRE for a few months.

Much to my chagrin, I'm starting to realize most Canadian universities prefer (or exclusively accept) GMAT scores. The uni I have my sights set on luckily accepts GRE scores—but in the event that I don't get in, most of my backup choices don't.

Are the two tests similar enough that I should switch gears and start studying for the GMAT? Or should I just stick to the GRE and hope that I get into my first choice school?

Hi! I just took the GRE, and am a little confused. I thought they threw in either an extra Quant or Verbal section that was ungraded? But my exam was just Writing, VQVQ. Did I accidentally skip a section or did they do away with that when they shortened the GRE? I’m probs just being paranoid lol

HI all, i am uable to find the Powerprep+ mock tests in here. How can I regesiter for the Powerprep+ mock test ?