GRE playbook 2014

8/11/2019 GRE playbook 2014

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BenchPreps

GRE Playbook 2014The one-stop resource for everything GRE.


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Table of Contents

Ch. 1: IntroductionIntroduction to BenchPreps GRE Test Prep

Program BenchPrep Games, Flashcards,

Adaptive Nature and Other Features How

BenchPrep Can Improve Your Score

Ch. 2: GRE 101Overview of the GRE Why You Should Take

the GRE What the GRE Measures What

Programs Accept the GRE Infographics

Comparing GMAT, MAT, and GRE How the

GRE is Scored What the Adaptive GRE

Means What is a Good GRE Score?

Ch. 3: Taking the GREWhen Shoud You Take the GRE Infographic

How to Register for the GRE Whats the Dif-

ference Between the Paper-Based and Com-

puter-Based GRE? About the GRE Subject

Tests Should You Take the Subject Tests?

Ch. 4: Quantitative SectionGRE Quantitative Basics Multiple Choice

Questions Quantitative Comparison Ques-

tions Numeric Entry Questions 25 Things

to Know for the Quantitative Section Quan-

titative Section General Strategies and Tips

A Special Note on the Quantitative Section

Ch. 5: Verbal SectionGRE Verbal Basics Sentence Equivalence

Questions Reading Comprehension Ques-

tions Text Completion Questions A Special

Note about Vocabulary 25 Things to Know

for the Verbal Section Verbal Section Gen-

eral Strategies and Tips

Ch. 6: Analytical Writing SectionGRE Writing Basics Analyze an Issue Task

Analyze an Argument Task Sample Essay

Prompts 25 Tips for Analytical Writing What

the GRE Graders are Looking For How to Get

6 Writing Section General Strategies and Tips

Ch. 7: GRE Test DayHow to Manage Stress Before the GRE Why

Staying Relaxed Will Help You Score Well on th

GRE Things to Bring on GRE Test Day The 1

GRE Commandments

Ch. 8: GRE ResourcesGRE Resources Overview Online Self-Based

Learning Group Classes and In-Person Tutor-

ing Free ETS Resources GRE Apps Physical

GRE Books and Flashcards GRE Prep Books

GRE Prep Book Reviews and Recommendation

Ch. 9: After the GREUnderstanding Your GRE Score Report How

Do Schools Look a Multiple GRE Scores

Ch. 10: ConclusionSpecial $50Off Benchprep Promo Code

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GMATGMAT GREGREvsWhich test is right for you?Which test is right for you?

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Time Section30 min.

30 min.

75 min.

75 min.

Analytical + 1 essay

Integrated Reasoning

Quantitative

Verbal

Time Section30 min. 2

30 min. 2

35 min. 2

30 min.

Analytical Writing

Verbal

Quantitative

Experimental(math or verbal)

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4/14BenchPrep | GRE Playbook 2014 | 27

Chapter 2 GRE 101

168.7 is 2 standard deviations above average, corresponds to the 97th or

98th percentile

Verbal worldwide average as provided by ETS. 150.8, with standard deviation 8.5

159.3 is 1 standard deviation above average, corresponds to approximately

the 80th percentile

167.8 is 2 standard deviations above average, corresponds to the 97th or

98th percentile.

Worldwide Averages By Field of Study as provided by ETS:

Analysis

As you can see, anything at least one standard deviation above the average is a solid

score, and anything at least two standard deviations above the average is an excep-

tional score. Also note that students pursuing graduate degrees in Physical sciences

and Engineering might look more favorable with a higher Quantitative Score than a

Verbal score as shown by the results. A score that is one or two standard deviation

above the average could be considered a good score, depending on your own indi-

Intended

Grraduate Major

Verbal

Score

(Mean)

Verbal

(sd)

Quantitative

Score

(Mean)

Quantitative

(sd)

Analytical

Writing

(Mean)

Analytical

Writing

(sd)

Life Sciences 151 7 151 7 3.8 0.7

Physical Sciences 153 9 158 7 3.8 0.8

Engineering 150 9 159 6 3.6 0.8

Social Sciences 153 7 150 8 4.0 0.7

Humanities & Arts 157 7 149 7 4.2 0.8

Education 157 7 149 7 4.2 0.8

Business 150 7 152 8 3.7 0.8


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212121

When Should I Take The GRE?When Should I Take The GRE?

ources

2013

Have you started studying?

Are you feelingready for the test?

Download

the BenchPrep app& start studying

Are you ready now?

YES NO

YES

NOT

YET

AugustApril

2 2Take in

February

Take in

February

June

4 4Take in

April

Take in

April

6 6Take in

June

Take in

June

October

8 8Take in

August

Take in

August

Business

Education

Engineering

Law

Medical

Science

Library & Information scien

Social Sciences

Health

Public Affairs

BenchPrepPresents

Facts to ConsiderFacts to Consider

When do you want to

apply to graduate school?

ttp://ets.org/grettp://gradschool.about.com/cs/aboutthegre/a/gre.htmttp://www.igrad.com/articles/taking-the-grettp://www.happyschoolsblog.com/average-revised-gre-scores-universities/

TOP GRADSCHOOL PROGRAMS

In August 2011, theGRE was updated

to a new format

PERFECT SCORETHE

GREyour score is good for fiveyears

The GRE is

3hrs. 40 min.long

There are3sections.

Verbal, Writing,

& Quantitative

EVERUPTO YEADAYS

RETAKE THEYOU CAN

IN

Receive your GRE results

1015days after youtake the exam

185


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Unlike other

standardized tests

where you need to know

specialized content which

you might only learn in the

later years of college, you

already learned most of the

content on the GRE in high

school (hopefully!).



Chapter 4 Quantitative Section

GRE Quantitative Section

The GRE Quantitative section (the math section) is designed to test your ability to

reason mathematically, to understand basic math terminology, and to recall basicmathematical formulas and principles. You should be able to solve problems and ap-

ply relevant mathematics concepts in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data anal-

ysis. Keep in mind, though, that the GRE is primarily a critical thinking test, so your

ability to apply reason and logic to solving the quantitative questions is more import-

ant than your ability to recall mathematical formulas and principles.

The GRE Quantitative question types include:

Two kinds of Multiple-choice questions,each with several answer choicesfrom which to choose,

Quantitative Comparisonquestions, each with four possible answers (AD),

and

Numeric Entryquestions, for which you must come up with an answer on

your own. Some of the Multiple-choice and Numeric Entry questions are part

of question sets based on the data in charts or graphs.

In this section, we will discuss the format of each question type and provide you with

specific strategies for successfully answering the GRE quantitative questions.

A. Quantitative- Multiple Choice QuestionsThe GRE includes two kinds of multiple-choice questions: (1) Multiple-choice Se-

lect One Answer and (2) Multiple-choiceSelect One or More Answers.

Multiple-choiceSelect One Answerquestions each have five answer

choices. Your task is to select the one correct choice. Multiple-choiceSelect One or More Answers questions can have fewer

than five answer choices or more than five answer choices. Your task is to se-

lect all the choices that answer the question correctly. The directions may tell

you how many choices to select. If you are told how many, you should select

exactly that number of choices.



Chapter 4 Quantitative Section

Some GRE multiple-choice questions involve straightforward calculations, while others

require you to evaluate a word-problem in a real-life setting. Still others may be part of

question sets called Data Interpretation sets. All of the questions in a Data Interpreta-

tion set are based on the same data presented in tables, graphs, charts, or figures.

To solve GRE Multiple-choice questions, you typically will not be required to perform

complex calculations. However, you will be given scratch paper for whatever figuring

you wish to do, and you will also be provided with a calculator to assist you when

necessary. (In the computer-based test, the calculator will appear on screen.)

Example:

B. Quantitative ComparisonQuantitative Comparison questions ask you to compare two quantities and deter-

mine whether: (1) one is larger than the other, (2) the quantities are equal, or (3) there

is not enough information to determine a relationship between the two quantities.

Some questions include additional information that is centered above the two quan-tities that concerns one or both of the quantities. Quantitative Comparison questions

generally require more logic skills than math skills.

Q. If 5x- 6 = 14, then 8x=

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

4

20

32

85

645

Q. Te ratio of two quantities is 4 to 5. If eachof the quantities is increased by 3, which of thefollowing could be the fraction of theses two newquantities?

Indicate all answer choices that apply.

A.

B.

C.

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On the Quantitative

section, your ability to

apply reason and logic to

solving the quantitativequestions is more import-

ant than your ability to

recall mathematical for-

mulas and principles.



Chapter 5 Verbal Section

phrases. Some of the answer choices might be very similar to one another. Your job

is to select the two best choices from among the six options. Keep in mind that a

complete sentence is clear and concise, conveys a logical meaning, and is uniform in

grammar and style.

Example:

Reading Comprehension Questions

GRE Reading Comprehension questions are designed to measure your ability to read,understand, and analyze a written passage. Correctly answering a question requires

you to recognize both what is stated and what is implied within the passage, and to

establish the relationships and ideas expressed in the passage.

The GRE includes a balance of reading passages across different subject matter areas,

such as humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Each passage will be ap-

proximately 150 words in length and will be followed by one to three questions. You

should select the best possible answer, or combination of answers, for each question.

In the revised GRE, Reading Comprehension questions have three formats:

1. Multiple-choice QuestionsSelect One Answer Choice

Question Stem: It comes as no surprise that different cultures have certain behavioral norms;however, to an outsider, the specifics of these behaviors can often be .

Answer Choices:

A.

B.C.

D.

E.

F.

explicit

startlingpredictable

unexpected

derisive

admirable



Chapter 5 Verbal Section

25 Things to Know: Verbal

12

3

4

5

6

Use roots, prefixes, and suffixesto determinethe meaning of words you dont know.

Vocabulary is essential.When it comes to the GRE

Verbal section, thats the bottom line. Be proactive:

look up words you dont know!

On definition questions, guess quickly!Many questions re-

quire you to know the definition, and because its likely that you

cant use much logic to get to a better answer, select one and

move on. You can always come back if you have time.

Find your personal reading passage strategy.If you read the

questions first, when you read the passages, you can focus on find-

ing the right answers most quickly. However, some students findthat reading the passage first helps them understand the argument

more generally first, before delving into the specific questions.

Pay special attention to the first and last

sentences.They provide important clues to

the meaning of each passage.

Questions with Roman numeral answers are often confus-

ing and difficult.They ask you choose one more more or to

find an exception. If youre running low on time, mark down

a guess and move to the next question.



Chapter 7 GRE Test Day

The 10 GRE Commandments

Test day. Its here. Its all too easy to lose your composure and get caught up on one

question. The test-makers throw in all sorts of convoluted wording and unnecessaryinformation to make you get confused, take up time, and throw you off.

Dont get caught in this trap! Heed the following 10 GRE Commandments to stay

focused during the exam.

COMMANDMENT

22

COMMANDMENT

11Thou shalt remember that every question is equal.

All questions are weighted equally. So you know that really tough ques-tion youve been staring at blankly for three minutes? Worth the same as

the 2x=6 question. So, get your points on the easy stuff, and remem-

ber that every question is weighted the same. This above all else is your

most important piece of instruction.

Thou shalt use process of elimination.

Pssst! Guess what? You dont really have to know the correct answer on the

GRE; all you have to do is select the right answer. Process of elimination is

your friend; use it! Usually only two attractive answer-choices are offered, out

of five total. One is correct; the other is either intentionally misleading or only

partially correct. The other three answer-choices are usually fluff. This makes

educated guessing on the GRE very effective. If you can dismiss the three fluff

choices, your probability of answering the question successfully will increase

from 20% to 50%.

COMMANDMENT

33Thou shalt not get flustered.

The GRE is definitely too short to lose focus after getting

flustered. Train yourself to keep your composure and stay on

track through taking practice tests and monitoring how you

react to the time pressure.



Chapter 8 GRE Resources

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Lessons 8 video sessions andstudy materials,

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24 hours of recordedsessions and a com-plete set of printed

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Chapter 9 After the GRE

Official score reports are the reports that are sent to the schools you designate, will

only include the score(s) which you have selected to send to these organizations.

They will include your:

Contact information

Intended graduate major

GRE test score(s) of only SELECTED tests and the associated percentile ranks

Score reports sent to institutions will not include any information concerning the

other score recipients you have chosen (so if youre sending your scores to Universi-

ty A and University B, University A wont know about B and B wont know about A).

How do Schools Look at Multiple GRE Scores?

It might happen that you have to take the GRE two or more times to get the score

you want. Luckily, with the new ScoreSelect option, you have more freedom than

ever to select which of these scores you send on to the programs youre applying to.

With ScoreSelect, you can send any single score, or any combination of scores, that

you want.

When selecting which scores to send to which universities,

its helpful to know how the admissions committee consider

scores from multiple GRE tests. Most programs and Grad

Schools provide details on their website about how they

look at multiple GRE scores. Practices vary widely, and a

school can use one of many approaches:

Approach #1 All scores considered

Some schools may simply consider all of your

scores, with no further

details provided.

Documents

GRE playbook 2014