Tips to crack 330+ in GRE : It’s all about following the process

If you ask any athlete or sportsmen what is the key to success, you will find them telling – focus on the process and the end result will automatically follow. And that is pretty much what has to happen as your prepare for the GRE to crack a 330+. If you follow a process/plan and execute it you are bound to succeed in the final GRE. Here are some tips to crack a 330+ in the GRE.

Tip 1 – Start with Self Analysis – Start with a diagnostic which tells you where you stand. Make a thorough analysis of your strengths and weaknesses. Make a study plan based on your strengths and weaknesses. For a quick and short analysis you can write a test at www.imperialonlineprep.com/scholarship

Tip 2 – Understand the test well. It’s very important to know the test well before beginning the practice. Again the best way to do it is to write the diagnostic test as mentioned above.

Tip 3 – Focus on concepts and learn strategies to apply them from an expert. The GRE Quant section tests your basic math concepts and your ability to apply them in a quick and smart way so as to get the right answer in shortest possible time. Watch 5 Quant questions at the above mentioned link to understand this tip better.

Tip 4 – For vocab building make sentences using new words to understand how they are used rather than just rote memorization of words as you need to know the words in context of sentences rather than in isolation.

Tip 5 – Make 3 buckets. Totally new, familiar but not mastered and mastered. Whenever you encounter words put them in the three buckets and keep revisiting the totally new and familiar words so that u can eventually move them into the mastered bucket.

Tip 6 – Follow 1-1-1-1 Rule. Revisit new words after 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week and 1 month to eventually move them into permanent memory.

Tip 7 – When you attempt sentence completion or equivalence questions first get into the habit of guessing the blanks based on the clues, key words and transition words. Do not look at the options until you have a fair idea of what could come in the blank. This strategy alone will ensure a much higher level of accuracy. 

Tip 8 – For Reading Comprehension, learn the strategy of quick reading first to get the main or central idea of the passage. Often you will find that the author makes the main point in the beginning and/or at the end of the passage.

Tip 9 – For the detail oriented questions refocus on that part of the passage which the question is referring to. Find the key words and then paraphrase the part of the sentence which the question is referring to. Only then look at the answer options. This art called prethinking is vital to success at the verbal questions.

Tip 10 – Do not answer RC questions based on memory alone. Always go back and find evidence in the passage, which is referred to as Evidence based reading.

Tip 11 – Practice like an athlete in short and focused bursts (like 2 hrs. slots). Do 20 questions at a time and time yourself and check your accuracy.

Tip 12 – Practice at least 10 Full Lengths. Make sure that you practice these tests at the same time you plan to write the final test so that your mind is programmed to peak at that time. After each test spend adequate time analyzing thoroughly the mistakes. Identify if the mistakes were silly errors or concept errors. Create a log book where you document these errors and iron out these errors as you proceed from one test to the other.    

Tip 13–This is the last but most important piece of the whole process – being in a positive, relaxed and fresh mental state on the day of the exam.

Following the above tips will help you to crack the GRE.

Ankur Rupani

Head (Training) & Senior Counselor

Imperial Overseas Education Consultants