Hi Guys,
I had given GRE previously and scores 153 in Quant. I need minimum 165 in the quant section. What can be the way forward from here. I am really frustrated right now as I have only 2 months for preparation. Please tell me what can be done in this scenario.
Hey there -
It’s okay to feel frustrated - the problem with tests is that the numbered scores make us feel limited to a number. Yes, it’s important for grad school admissions and it must mean a lot to you - but remember that it’s just an exam and it can’t always accurately assess how bright you are.
As for the way forward, a good place to start is to firstly assess your last attempt. What do you think went wrong? Were there specific concepts that you missed, or did you make some silly mistakes (which happens to all of us)? What are the areas of Quant you feel or see that you need to improve? This is to consider the gaps that may have contributed to the questions you missed.
If you’ve followed the one month or two month plan once, it doesn’t hurt to re-watch a couple of videos or practice some questions again. This’ll refresh your memory and strengthen the concepts and mathematical problem solving skills in your head. Take a practice test of just the Quant section if that’s feasible every week or so and track your progress with them.
Lastly - It’s great to have a target score, but sometimes in chasing that we forget the process involved in getting there. Yes, it’s important for grad school and a great motivator but over the next month, your goal isn’t that score - it’s to improve, and see a change in your performance. Because that’s the real motivator that comes along with consistent and deliberate practice + improving your weaker concepts.
Also, don’t forget about the essays and verbal section! Be sure to practice those sections a bit along the way so you don’t forget those skills!
Thanks for the motivation. Yes I am going to go through the 2 month plan. Previously I had joined an institution for prep. The problem with the prep material was that the test was difficult then the questions I attempted. I had practiced some questions of gregmat 1 month plan but my test was near so I could not cover it completely. Now I am targeting next session for my Masters and I only need Quant and Analytical writing because I have STEM background and I won’t need Verbal scores. I think the main problem was the level of difficulty in the problems of actual test
Moreover, I am thinking of also buying scholarden and do prep from both the sources. What will be your advice in this regard?
You’re welcome. : )
As for the difficulty of the problems - that’s probably it. Maybe it has something to do with the approach (everyone starts out by blindly solving questions), and even with practice there’s a limit to the questions. As Greg says, ETS material is king and it’s best to get your question sets from there. You might already be going through it as part of the study plan, but if Quant is that much of a priority you may want to look for official questions - there may be something besides the official Quant guide.
As for the difficulty shift - well, depends on the practice problems. I’m still new to prep so I can’t give an experienced opinion on where you can find them, but ETS official is your best bet. I think they have stuff on the website besides the Math Review.
To be honest, using two prep sources doesn’t sound like a good idea to me - sure, you might have a wider variety of strategies and sources to learn from but that’s still time consuming and doesn’t guarantee anything. At the end of the day it isn’t completely about which prep you choose, but what you do with it - how consistent you are with the plans, the practice you put in. It’s like - possessing a powerful weapon doesn’t make you skilled; you have to build and sharpen your skill by using it, becoming familiar with it.
Then again, if you’ve spent a lot of time and effort and genuinely feel it isn’t working for you - go ahead. Only you can know what works best for you - based on your messages, you sound like a person who can reflect and keep themselves accountable, so I believe you’ll do well and make the right choice when it comes to what works best for you.
Whichever one of the two you choose, remember - you’re not starting from scratch, you’re always beginning with experience!
Hope this helps, and good luck!