Just took the GRE

[craig87c]

So I just took the GRE in order to get a Graduate Assistant spot next year. I didn't need to take them to get into grad school because I'm doing a combined degree program (taking graduate classes along with undergrad).

Has anyone else taken the GRE? It wasn't difficult (and I didn't study as much as I could have). I did pretty well considering that fact. It seemed just like another standardized test to me. Nothing special or more difficult. Any thoughts?

 

[jadam318]

I haven't take it, myself, but I may have to this year. I think I'm going to try to get into grad school in '11. I'm glad it seemed easy for you. That could be either a really good thing or a really bad thing.

 

[bill mcdill]

I took it like a bazillion years ago, what I remember was picking up a review book and learned what the questions look like and any "tips & tricks" to help take it. The GRE itself is pretty general since everyone going to grad school has to take it whether they study astral physics or art history. I think the subject tests are where the rubber meets the road, I chose a grad school that didn't require the advanced test.

 

[craig87c]

Ah, the generality of the test could explain why it felt so familiar to me. The advice I can give for it is to study the basics of math and learn your vocab.

PS: I used the revised version of "EXAMBUSTERS new GRE Study Cards" and the Barron's GRE study workbook thing

 

[perry]

Friend took it on Friday and she thought she did absolutely terrible on it. I have more faith her than she does, so I guess we'll see what her score turns out to be.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Ah, the generality of the test could explain why it felt so familiar to me. The advice I can give for it is to study the basics of math and learn your vocab.

PS: I used the revised version of "EXAMBUSTERS new GRE Study Cards" and the Barron's GRE study workbook thing

You should try and add at least one vocabule to your vocabulary every day.

 

[davecmu]

I took with after 7 years out of school in order to be admitted to my doctoral program last year. The only studying I did was to take the practice exam they send along on CD, which I did about a week before my scheduled test. I scored more than 200 pts. higher on the actual exam than I did on the practice one at home. Easy as pie!

Friend took it on Friday and she thought she did absolutely terrible on it. I have more faith her than she does, so I guess we'll see what her score turns out to be.

Weird, my test was administered by computer which showed me my Verbal and Reasoning scores before I left the testing cubicle. Did she not take hers like that? I was under the impression that was how the vaaaaaaast majority of these were done now...

 

[otherstar]

I took it in 1995 when it was just going to the computer. Took it once on paper, once on computer. It's not terribly hard. Study your vocab, review your math, and you should be fine.

 

[funkyb]

Weird, my test was administered by computer which showed me my Verbal and Reasoning scores before I left the testing cubicle.

Mine was this way as well.

 

[craig87c]

Weird, my test was administered by computer which showed me my Verbal and Reasoning scores before I left the testing cubicle. Did she not take hers like that? I was under the impression that was how the vaaaaaaast majority of these were done now...

Mine was like this too.

 

[synapticmisfires]

I took it on the 19th of December. I decided I didn't have time to study, so I did a couple of practice tests (one computer based one not). I got my (rear-end) handed to me in practice, but the real thing was easy.

Got my verbal and quant scores the day of, writing score online 15 days later. I am pleased with my scores, but the other parts of my application are not so hot...

 

[KarthVader]

Took it Dec 17 of last year. I did alright on the vocab and writing part and rocked the quantitative. Overall, a very easy experience.

 

[davecmu]

I took with after 7 years out of school in order to be admitted to my doctoral program last year. The only studying I did was to take the practice exam they send along on CD, which I did about a week before my scheduled test. I scored more than 200 pts. higher on the actual exam than I did on the practice one at home. Easy as pie!

I took it on the 19th of December. I decided I didn't have time to study, so I did a couple of practice tests (one computer based one not). I got my (rear-end) handed to me in practice, but the real thing was easy.

Took it Dec 17 of last year. I did alright on the vocab and writing part and rocked the quantitative. Overall, a very easy experience.

I think what's most important for people to remember is that the idea of taking it seems to be more difficult than the actual taking of the test. Don't psyche yourself out and believe you'll do well and you just might!

 

[tsmba]

I had to take the GMAT, rather than the GRE. I drove myself nuts by investigating "strategies" and trying to digest all the stuff in a "guide" I bought. Once I finished the test, I knew most of that cramming and worry was wasted effort. Any test that takes almost a whole day is a drag, but in retrospect, I'd say the best prep would be to simply become familiar with how it works, get a good night's sleep beforehand, and give it your best shot!

 

[gollum83]

Yeah, I took the general GRE, as well as an area specific one, about four years ago. Pretty easy stuff.

 

[perry]

Weird, my test was administered by computer which showed me my Verbal and Reasoning scores before I left the testing cubicle. Did she not take hers like that? I was under the impression that was how the vaaaaaaast majority of these were done now...

Huh. She said something about the adaptive computer test, but also mentioned an essay part and said it would be a while before she got her score. Maybe her score really was bad and she didn't wanna fess up to it. Shrug.

 

[synapticmisfires]

Huh. She said something about the adaptive computer test, but also mentioned an essay part and said it would be a while before she got her score. Maybe her score really was bad and she didn't wanna fess up to it. Shrug.

It may have been that she was still recovering from the test and couldn't absorb it. It took every bit of willpower I had left to remember long enough to write it down (they don't allow any outside paper until you leave the testing area). I still thought that I was looking at wrong or something, right up until I got the score report.

 

[davecmu]

Huh. She said something about the adaptive computer test, but also mentioned an essay part and said it would be a while before she got her score. Maybe her score really was bad and she didn't wanna fess up to it. Shrug.

The essay part is the Writing section, and it can take two weeks to get the scores through the mail (they are hand graded by multiple graders across the country whose grades have to be within a step of each other to be considered valid blahblahblah purple monkey dishwasher you've already fallen asleep reading this part).

It's not likely to be looked at by much of anyone except, maybe, a journalism or writing graduate program. My program, which is in communication studies, didn't care at all.

 

[Johnny_Z]

What kind of math is on the test? I'm somewhat considering grad school but tests like that terrify me and I have extremely poor math skills.

 

[craig87c]

What kind of math is on the test? I'm somewhat considering grad school but tests like that terrify me and I have extremely poor math skills.

Geometry and Algebra basically. Easy stuff if you've had it in the past 6 years- most college students haven't had it.