Need help determining path to retest

GRE General
1

I just took the GRE and received my unofficial score of Q161 and V153. I really need above a 160 in both sections. Throughout my prep, quant has been my weaker area so I was pleased with the quant score. It improved by 12 points from my very first GRE practice test!

However, my verbal score was lower than it has ever been. In PP3 I received a V164 and when I redid PP1 (months later, I only remembered one question), I received a V163. Verbal has always been my strongest area so I am really not sure what had happened other than test day anxiety.

I would like to retake the exam as soon as possible because I took a month off of a busy job (consulting) to prep for the exam and the material is still fresh. I had a few questions, I wanted to ask as I approached preparing for the exam.

1. What would you recommend I do for the verbal prep? Should this be attributed to a test-day fluke? When would you recommend I retake it?

2. What should I do to ensure my quant score does not drop during my retest?

2

Recommendation:

(1) I would continue to maintain and build up your vocabulary knowledge. TC/SE require you to know the words, so I would definitely be utilizing the Vocab Mountain, as well as the Vocab Check and Pairing Skill Building exercises.

(2) Which sections do you perform the worst on? I would target those. Make sure that you are incorporating timed practice so that you can routinely answer these questions in a reasonable amount of time.

(3) For RC, make sure to identify which skills you are weakest in (Main Idea, Sentence Function, Key Words,…). Utilize the Skill Building tool on the website and practice those skills on real passages on the GregMat website and Official Guides.

(4) For the Quant, I would make sure to review the Quant Flashcards and do practice questions regularly. Work to learn from your mistakes and understand each question. You may even increase your quant score!

I hope this helps!