Cracking the GRE

GRE or Graduate Record Examinations is a standardized test for graduate programs globally administered by ETS throughout the year. Typically held in test-centers, the pandemic has forced ETS to create a home-testing version of the test with some caveats.

My long standing dream was to do an MBA from a premier school. While I did attempt the GMAT, my score there was not enough. With more and more B-Schools accepting the GRE as an alternate entry requirement, I decided to take the GRE instead of the GMAT for my graduate school admissions.

Overall Score:
321 (Q-166 and V-155)

Study Materials:
— ETS Verbal Guide.
— ETS Quant Guide.
— ETS Official Guide.
— Manhattan 5Lb. Book of Practice Problems.
— Princeton Review’s 1,014 Practice Questions for the New GRE.
— Barron’s 333 HF Word List
— Barron’s 800 Word List
— PowerScore Repeat Offenders Vocabulary PDF (last days while revising)
— Magoosh GRE Flash Cards (Highly recommended)
— Greg Mat’s YouTube Channel. (Good for revision)
— GRE Economist Word List (Optional)
— Word Power Made Easy (Optional yet the Best vocab builder)

Exams/Mocks:
It’s imperative to note that giving mocks and timed sectional practice will help you reach your desired score way faster. Please account for a total of around 110–120 hours (this is an optimal number for most average GRE takers scoring around 315+) for practice and mocks for your exam.

— Actual GRE (1st Attempt): 306 (Q-160, V-146)
— Kaplan Online Test 1: 310 (Q-158, V-152)
— ETS PowerPrep 1: 311 (Q-162, V-149)
— GRE Paper Test 1: 324 (Q-167, V-157) (Inaccurate for me, but do try!)
— Princeton Online Mock 1: 316 (Q-163, V-153)
— Princeton Book Test 2: 319 (Q-166, V-153)
— GRE Paper Test 2: 313 (Q-163, V-150) (Much needed reality check)
— Princeton Online Mock 2: 324 (Q-165, V-159)
— Kaplan Online Test 2- 325 (Q-168, V-157)
— ETS PowerPrep 2- 311 (Q-158, V-153) (Reality Check, Again)
— GRE (2nd Attempt) — 321 (Q-166, V-155)

Tips/Advice from an average test-taker:

• Attempt Full-Length Mock Tests. At least four to five before you attempt the actual GRE.
• 70% of the words that the GRE tests you on aren’t twisted or convoluted but meant to check your level of logical reasoning and understanding of the English language.
• Relax. Brush up your basic math concepts and know that the GRE will only test your basic math knowledge in two sessions of 35 minutes each. That settles the Quantitative section once and for all.
• Timed Practice- Try to solve 20 questions in 25–27 minutes for Verbal and Quantitative sections both to build up your speed for the real test day.
• Since the test is section adaptive and sitting for long hours is something that we all don’t do much of late, make sure you give your best shot in the first 2 hours which will include your writing section as well.
• Don’t obsess over the exam. Treat it like any other test of your logical abilities. Although, you may differ with me on this.
• Unlike the GMAT, the GRE allows you to come back to a question within a section. So, make sure on the first round of solving, you solve all the ones that you are confident. In the verbal section, I solved TC at the start, then moved on to the SE, then to logic-based RCs, and finally to the core RC questions. For quant, I went with comparisons, numerical types, and finally, the data interpretation set. I would strongly recommend that you devise your strategy.
• Finally, believe in yourself. One thing about the GRE is that if you take it as a challenge of your logical ability and intellect, you’re going to do much better rather than taking the GRE as a reward for scoring high after mugging up words. The more you fear the test, the more the chance that you will falter. No matter how counter-intuitive this sounds now, I have seen multiple cases of this enigma.

Since I’m done with my GRE attempt and prep, if I can be of any help for you, I’d happy to. I got admitted to the IIM Ahmedabad PGPX-MBA program and the IIM Bangalore EPGP-MBA Program using my GRE score.

Please feel free to reach out to me for the following:
— GRE Prep and Material Help.
— Sample Interviews for MBA Admissions.
— B-School Essay Review.
— Application Revision and Vetting.

Please feel free to drop an email at sreejitbakshi@gmail.com.