Acing the GRE: What You Need to Know

Decide on your GRE testing date well in advance and apply for that date early. Popular test dates fill up quickly.

For current information about GRE test dates, locations and registration, or for more specific information on the GRE Psychology Subject Test, refer to the Educational Testing Service (ETS) website.

You can take the GRE General Test year-round in either a computer- or paper-based format. Whichever format you choose, familiarize yourself with the test to ensure that you do the best you can.

Note that the computer-based test is very different from the paper test: If you answer a question correctly, the computer follows with a more difficult question; if you answer incorrectly, your next question will be easier. Difficult questions are worth more than easy ones. Within the first 10 questions of each section, the computer places you in a general scoring range based on the level of difficulty of the questions you answer correctly. You will want to work carefully on the initial questions in each section to increase your chances of getting into a high-scoring category for that section.

For both test formats, the GRE consists of three parts. Depending on which one you take, you will find differences in the number of questions and time allocated for each section.

The analytical writing section always comes first, but the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections may follow in any order.

Your test may also include an unidentified and un-scored section that is used to test questions for future GRE tests. This section may appear in any position in the exam, so you should treat all sections as if they're equally important. If you take the computer-base GRE, your test may also include an un-scored research section, which always appears at the end of the test.

When it comes to preparing for the GRE, practice is essential. You can obtain free GRE test preparation materials and practice tests from the ETS. You should also purchase a GRE study book, and then be sure to work through it regularly each week. The more you practice, the better you'll do. You may even want to take a GRE test preparation course.

To maximize your GRE score, practice these test-taking strategies:

• Be disciplined about studying for the test, and use all of the prep materials you can find.
• Answer all of the questions in a section. When you practice taking the test, time yourself so that you get used to working efficiently through each section and don't leave any questions unanswered.
• Use the process of elimination. If you don't know an answer, you can likely eliminate at least one or two wrong answers, which increases your odds of getting the question right.
• Guess. The GRE does not penalize you for guessing. If you leave an answer blank, you lose one point; if you guess incorrectly, you still lose only one point.

Study and test preparation will give you the strategies and knowledge you need to get the best GRE results when test day rolls around. Practice will help you build confidence, as well as improve your test score.

During your test preparation, always remember to focus on your goal—getting into the best graduate school on your list. With some prep and practice, you'll be acing the GRE.

Related Articles:

• Tips For Applying to Psychology Graduate School
• GRE Psychology Subject Test