Hi Team GregMat (and the wider GregMat Community),
I have a slightly unusual question that I seek an answer and your advice to: do you ever feel/have you ever encountered a student, being impatient to give the exam? After putting in lots of work over the past 4 weeks (2 month course; still have weeks 5-8 left) , I feel increasingly confident and eager to put my skills to the test & secure the score I desire: this is completely due to Greg’s syllabus, style and prep materials.
Many times, I feel so optimistic that I want to schedule an exam for the coming week - how can I be more rational about this, i.e; how can I assess whether it’s the right time to schedule the exam? after the full course? powerprep test marks? high scores on the big book/5lb book practices?
Apologies if this seems puerile, but you guys are the best people to pose this question to!
Cheers!
ps: Thanks for helping me see the beauty of math again @gregmat
During my two-month test prep process, I also started asking myself if I should just take the test early. I believe that I was doing so was because I was confident in my ability to score decently, but I also secretly wanted to be done with studying for the GRE. I ended up taking my test at the originally scheduled time, and I was happy I did so.
We’re learning how to play this game. I believe as we follow the plan, we increase our potential to play it better (albeit with potentially diminishing returns). Only you can decide if the score you might get this week is good enough for you.
Note: I found the PowerPrep+ test results reasonably close to how I ended up scoring on the actual exam, but I had enough fluctuation between tests that I was sure to not let the score affect my motivation too much.
Some things I considered:
Is there anything in the remaining lessons that I feel would be important to complete first?
Have I sufficiently learned the specific strategies AND test taking strategy that Greg teaches (and am I able to evaluate them all under time pressure?)
Am I effectively completing timed practice tests and homework with the same level of accuracy as I’d like to on the exam?
Can I stay motivated to study for another four weeks?
How much does getting a specific score mean to me?
Am I OK with studying with diminishing returns?
Am I OK with retaking the GRE, whether I take it now or later?
Thank you for taking the time and effort to respond, this helps give me some perspective. I certainly am not at the stage of diminishing returns, and hence it seems pragmatic to complete the course & prioritise the process, rather than the result.
Maybe I can use the confidence to catalyse a better result
Remember that you can only re-attempt the exam after 21 days from the date you’ve taken it,so delaying it for too long may put you in a situation where re-take might not be an option. Then, there is a financial aspect of the test; can you spent $220 without putting too much of a burden in your pocket? If the answer is yes, then you should take it as quickly as possible. Also, there is a burnout factor as @bunion-airfare.0n mentioned, how long can you stay motivated for ?
Hi, thanks for your reply. I think I could stay the course and give a solid attempt after the two month period, because I still have gas in the tank and don’t fear a burnout. In retrospect, maybe a better question to ask is if competing Week 5 to Week 8 are crucial to the test? If so, would you deem the syllabus and homework as comprehensive enough to warrant a test, immediately (1-2 days) after? Just trying to strategise for applications, essays and retakes…thank you.
I would suggest on completing the plan first; then give ur test between anywhere from 3-5 days after ur completion date of the plan because if u delay after completing the plan for a longer duration then ur conditioning might not be as good as it was just after when u completed the plan. But at the end of the day its ur money and ur test, so do whatever u feel comfortable in !
