US universities for revised GRE score

Which Universities will I get with my revised GRE score?

This article describes the possible Universities that one can target with their revised GRE score. This list includes all the preferred US Universities by applicants across the world. There are four sections of revised GRE scores that I have created - 325+, 315-324, 307-314, <307. 

The revised GRE is still very new. After the fall 2012 admissions the picture will be much clear. But as of now, we can only guess based on a rough mapping of old and new GRE scores and some other facts. Even the universities would not have a lot of clarity while comparing students scores based on revised GRE scoring system. This makes all the other aspects of your profile extremely important. Thus, make sure to have a very good SOP which is in your hands. Your acads, references and other activities also have equal importance.

I have divided the Universities based on rankings. All the rankings are for engineering students. The expected Universities are solely based on the assumption that your SOP, recommendations and academics are very good. Otherwise, there is no use using the following list.

Revised GRE score>325

Keep in mind that the maximum score that can be obtained in revised GRE is 336. Also, the percentile difference for Quant score of 166 down to 161 isn't very huge. Thus, the review committee will consider all the students above 325 to be fairly similar. This makes yourevised GRE toppers

You have a very strong chance of getting a top 10 University. Consider applying to at least 3 of top 10. Very few Indians apply to top Universities. So, take your chances.

   1. Stanford University

   2. Carnegie Mellon University

   3. University of California, Berkeley  

   4. Georgia Tech  

   5. University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

   6. University of Texas Austin

   7. University of Michigan Ann Arbor

   8. Cornell University

Revised GRE score between 315 to 324

You may not have a very bright chance in top 10 Universities above, but still you can apply to at least one of them. Do apply to at least 3 universities in the following list of 11 to 20.

   1. Purdue University

   2. University of Southern California

   3. Texas A&M University

   4. University of California San Diego

   5. University of Wisconsin Madison

   6. Columbia University

   7. University of Maryland College Park

   8. Pennsylvania State

   9. Virginia Tech

   10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Revised GRE score between 307 to 314

You have an outside chance in the above list of top 20 if your profile is extremely good. So I suggest apply to one University in top 20 from the above list. The following list of Universities from 20 to 40 are your best chance. So apply to at least 3 Universities from this list
   1. University of Washington
   2. Ohio State University

   3. University of Florida

   4. Duke University

   5. North Carolina State University

   6. University of Colorado Boulder

   7. University of California Irvine

   8. Arizona State University

   9. Iowa State University

   10. University at Buffalo - SUNY

Revised GRE score between 300 to 307

Based on your profile, you might stand a chance in the above list. But I would suggest you apply to not more than 3 Universities from the top 40. You can split your remaining in following list of Universities.
1. University of Connecticut
2. University of Illinois - Chicago
3. Colorado State University
4. Syracuse University
5. University of Texas Dallas
6. Illinois Institute of Technology
7. Clemson University
8. Tufts University
9. University of Central Florida

Revised GRE score below 306

The University rankings hardly matter after top 50. So, take into consideration other factors if you are targeting Universities which are ranked lower than 50. Do not consider these universities as lower in educational standard. All US universities have an excellent education system and no matter which University you go, you will get ample opportunity to learn and excel.

Some of the most preferred universities:
   1. University of Cincinnati
   2. Mississippi State University
   3. University of North Carolina - Chappel Hill
   4. Washington State University 

   5. Michigan Technological University

   6. University of Texas Arlington

   7. New Jersey Institute of Technology

   8. Portland State University

   9. Santa Clara University

I repeat that you must have a good profile - academics, Statement of Purpose and recommendations to get admissions in top 20 Universities along with your revised GRE score in above range.


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Revised GRE useful websites

Here are a few websites which contain good information and practice material which will be very helpful for your preparation for revised GRE. 


I feel whatever information you need is available in this blog. Yet if you want any more information, you can find it on these websites.


Links to download free practice material from this blog: Click here


1. http://www.majortests.com - Good for a complete revised GRE practice test
2. http://www.greguide.com - Some good strategy tips
3. http://www.mygretutor.com - some good revised gre practice questions
4. http://learnwordlist.com - Good for wordlists
5. http://gre.learnhub.com - Good for verbal questions
6. http://www.4000wordz.com - Good for building vocabulory

Revised GRE FAQs solved

Here are a few very common FAQs for revised GRE:



1. How to compare old GRE and revised GRE scores?
Ans: According to me, we cannot compare the two scores based on the marks. ETS has declared a mapping table, but this conversion would not be helpful at all to strike a comparison. It is more advisable to compare the percentile scores as of now till ETS announces a clear comparison.
For more on scoring details click here.


2. How long are the revised GRE scores valid?
Ans: The revised GRE scores are valid for 5 years upto June 30th of 5th year. For e.g. if you took revised GRE on 26th September, 2011, your scores are valid upto 30th June, 2016.


3. Is Barron's wordlist necessary for revised GRE?
Ans: If you do not have time, there is no reason to worry about the Barron's wordlist. I prepared only the 1500 high frequency words and that is more than sufficient for the revised GRE. In revised GRE, it is more important to understand the usage of the words than the words themselves. For more on building your vocabulory click here.


4. What is the cutoff of Universities for revised GRE scores?
Ans: The minimum revised GRE score for admission is mentioned in the admission sections of the Universities websites. Click here to know more about this.


5. What is the ideal time to take revised GRE?
Ans: Generally, people prefer September and March to take GRE.
Applying to FALL: Take revised GRE in September previous year.
Applying to SPRING: Take revised GRE in March previous year.
For more information about timing of revised GRE, read this article: When to take revised GRE and how to plan your higher education in US


For any other questions, you can comment so that i can reply to your doubt as soon as possible.........

Comparison of revised GRE scores and old GRE scores

This article gives a detailed analysis of the old GRE and new GRE score mapping. There is a lot of confusion regarding the new GRE scores and how to compare with old GRE. This article is an attempt to clear this confusion.



ETS has released a sample conversion table. Click on the following link to view that

GRE score conversion chart from ETS

Important facts about old GRE to revised GRE conversion

1.  Universities will now be comparing scores of the revised GRE. So, the old GRE scaled scores will now be converted to new scaled scores based on the chart mentioned above. So do not try to convert the new scores into old scores and compare your scores.

2.  If observed carefully, in the revised GRE scores, maximum score for Quant section is 166. And a score of 159 corresponds to 750 in old scale. So do not be disheartened if you get low Quant scores.

3.  Because of many to many mappings, it is just not possible to compare old GRE and new GRE scores. If you need to compare, use percentiles instead of the scores.

4.  Since the revised GRE is still very new, most Universities will be comparing percentiles rather than scores of students. So no need to wonder what is a good score in revised GRE.

5.  If you have a score of 155 plus in Verbal and 160 plus in Quant, consider it a very good score.

6 . Your chances of getting an admit in a US University doesn't depend on your GRE scores alone. Your academic scores, recommendations and statement of purpose play an equally important role. So, concentrate on your entire profile as a whole, not just your GRE score.

7. For information on which Universities to target with revised GRE scores you can visit this link - Universities in US with revised GRE scores

How to study for Sentence Equivalence questions for revised GRE?

This post gives you tricks and hints to study for the Sentence Equivalence questions for revised GRE.



There are about 5-6 questions of this type in each Verbal Reasoning section.

Example of Text Completion questions asked in revised GRE

Only by ignoring decades of mismanagement and inefficiency could investors conclude that a fresh infusion of cash would prove anything other than a ________. solution to the company’s financial woes .

A) Complete

B) Fleeting

C)Momentary

D)Premature

E)Trivial

F)Total

Ans: B and C

Some tricks and hints for Text Completion questions:

1. Attempt all questions of text completion type at the very beginning. They get completed in no time.
2. These questions are completely based on your vocabulary. So, build your vocabulary and a total of 6 questions each section will be in the pocket in no time.
3. Do not look for synonyms in the options and conclude that they are the correct answers. There may be 2 pairs of synonyms. For e.g. in the above example, A and F are also synonyms. But they do not fit the blank correctly.
4. Try to fill out the blank with your own word without looking at the options. Then try to find the synonyms in the options.
5. Double check your options by reading the entire sentence with your selected option.
6. Do not waste a lot of time on these questions. If you are unable to answer, make a guess and move on. Reading comprehensions require a lot of time.

How to study for Text Completion questions for revised GRE?

This post gives tricks and hints to study for text completion questions in revised GRE. Also a few sample questions.



There are 3 types of Text Completion Questions that are asked in revised GRE. There will be around 5-6 questions of this type in each section.

Types of Text Completion questions asked in revised GRE

1. Questions having 3 blanks
2. Questions having 2 blanks
3. Questions having 1 blank

Some tricks and hints for Text Completion questions:

1. Navigating through the questions is possible in the revised format of the GRE. Attempt these questions before the reading comprehensions as they won’t take a lot of time.
2. In the questions having 3 blanks, two are generally contradictory and 1 is supporting. Or else, 1 is contradictory and 2 are supporting. Based on this logic, you can verify whether your selected options are correct. If all the three options are supporting or contradicting, read the question again before proceeding.
3. The question having 1 blank has 2 sentences. Read the entire sentence completely before marking an answer.
4. Try to fill out the blanks with your own word without looking at the options. Then try to find the synonym in the options. This strategy really helped me a lot.
5. All the question types in text completion have 3 options for every blank. In these 3 blanks, 2 have similar meanings(for e.g. focus and overwhelm) and 1 is opposite of that meaning(for e.g. deflect). So without even looking at the sentence, we can guess that the answer is deflect. When in doubt, use this trick.
6. Do not waste a lot of time on these questions. If you are unable to answer, make a guess and move on. Reading comprehensions require a lot of time.

How to study for Reading Comprehension questions for revised GRE?

There are 4 types of passages that are asked in revised GRE. These questions comprise half of the questions in each section. You have to answer 2 sections for Verbal Reasoning which makes as many as 8 passages with approximately 20 questions based on the Reading comprehensions. Need I state any more reason why you should concentrate on the RC questions?

Types of passages asked in revised GRE

1. Long passage (4-5 questions)
2. Medium passage(2-3 questions)
3. Short passage(1 question)

Some tricks and hints for Reading Comprehension questions:

1. Navigating through the questions is possible in the revised format of the GRE. So, attempt the passages in the very end. Complete the sentence equivalence and text completion questions which take very little time.
2. Read the entire passage carefully. Do not jump to the question and then find the answer in the passage. This strategy won’t work here. GRE revised reading comprehensions will test questions based on your understanding of the passage, not the passage content.
3. Getting 15 correct answers in each section will give you a score of above 160 (720 old pattern). Even if you skip an entire passage, if all other answers are correct, you are safe. But do not leave any answers blank. Attempt every question asked in the revised GRE.
4. The long passage is very lengthy to read. Attempt it at the very end. You will save a lot of time by doing this.
5. Practice as many passages as you can. Gather all different types of passages from various exams and practice them daily. This will also help build your vocabulary.
6. You will start understanding a pattern in the types of questions asked in the passages after practicing many passages. You will automatically start guessing the questions while reading the passage itself.

Three month plan for revised GRE

This post describes in detail three month plan to follow for revised GRE preparation. Three months is a sufficient time to take the test and get a good score. This article will help you considerably to achieve your goal. 

Having three months before your revised GRE is a very good decision. Three months is sufficient to get you a good score provided you follow the plan sincerely.

Make your plan of action and abide by it till the very end. I would suggest a plan as follows based on my experience, but one must identify his/her own strengths and weaknesses and make his own plan.

   Month 1: Wordlist and reading comprehensions

   Month 2:

    Weeks 1 and 2: Wordlist and reading comprehensions

    Weeks 3 and 4: Wordlist, sentence equivalence, text completion and reading comprehensions

   Month 3:

    Weeks 1 and 2: Quantitative, reading comprehensions and 2 practice tests

    Week 3: Analytical Writing and 1 practice test

    Week 4: revision and 1 final practice test                

Detailed description of the three month plan for revised GRE

1. Practice for the analytical writing section only after you are thorough with the worldlist and verbal section. This will help you to use the learnt words in your essays.
2. Give only one week for Quant section preparation. Preferably in the last month before your exam date.
3. Do not take more than 4 complete revised GRE practice tests. These tests take almost 4 hours and you feel very exhausted after taking them.
4. Take a revised GRE practice test 2 weeks before the exam date, right after you have prepared for the Quant section. Take another exam in the last week before exam date.
5. Make sure you are thorough with the 1500 high frequency wordlist. Give at least 2 hours everyday for learning words. Learn at least 25 words daily. If you have time, only then go for the 3500 Barron's wordlist. But, I would suggest practice more questions rather than learning the Barron's wordlist.
6. For the first 2 months, solve at least 3 passages daily. Analyze the answers thoroughly and see where you are going wrong. Whatever new words you come across make a list of them and add it to your daily words to learn.
7. After about 6 weeks, practice the Sentence Equivalence and text completion questions. By this time, you will be confident about most of the words asked in these questions. Practice as many questions as you can. Any new words you see, add them to your daily list.
8. Do not stop solving passages after 6th week. You can reduce the number of passages, but solve at least 2 passages daily. Remember reading comprehension accounts to half of the questions in the Verbal section. Also, solving passages help build your vocabulary indirectly.
9. Finally, one month before exam prepare the Quant section and then take a practice test. Analyze your performance, your weak points and concentrate only on the weak points in the last 2 weeks.
10. There is absolutely no need to spoil your sleep and study late nights in the last week. Be confident. If you have followed what you had planned, there is no need to worry. You will get a good score.
11. The practice tests in the official guide to revised GRE from ETS are slightly difficult than the actual revised GRE test. So, dont worry even if you get a low score in your practice tests.

Two month plan for revised GRE preparation

This article describes in detail a two month plan to follow for revised GRE preparation. Two months is a sufficient time to take the test and get a good score. This article will help you to crack the revised GRE in a couple of months. 

If you have just two months left for your exam date and have not done any significant preparation, do not postpone your exam date.

Make your plan of action and abide by it till the very end. I would suggest a plan based on my experience, but one must identify his/her own strengths and weaknesses and make his own plan.

    Month 1

            Week 1-3: Wordlist and reading comprehensions

            Week 4: Wordlist, sentence equivalence, text completion and reading comprehensions

Month 2

            Week 1-2: Wordlist, sentence equivalence, text completion and reading comprehensions

            Week 3: Quantitative, Analytical Writing and 1 practice test

            Week 4: Quantitative, 2 practice tests and revision                

Detailed description of the two month plan for revised GRE

1. Do not invest a lot of time for the Analytical Writing section. Just spend a few days for preparation of AWA and you will score well in this section.
2. Give only one week for Quant section preparation. Push the Quant preparation as late as possible.
3. Do not take more than 3 complete revised GRE practice tests. These tests take almost 4 hours and you feel very exhausted after taking them.
4. Take a revised GRE practice exam one week before the exam date, right after you have prepared for the Quant section. Take another exam 3 days before the exam date and still if you feel you are not confident, only then postpone your exam date.
5. Make sure you are thorough with the 1500 high frequency wordlist. Give at least 4 hours every day for learning words. Learn at least 50 words daily.
6. For the first month, solve at least 4 passages daily. Analyse the answers thoroughly and see where you are going wrong. Whatever new words you come across make a list of them and add it to your daily words to learn.
7. In 4th week, practice the Sentence Equivalence and text completion questions. By this time, you will be confident about most of the words asked in these questions. Practice as many questions as you can. Any new words you see, add them to your daily list.
8. Do not stop solving passages after first month. You can reduce the number of passages, but solve at least 2 passages daily. Remember reading comprehension accounts to half of the questions in the Verbal section. Also, solving passages help build your vocabulary indirectly.
9. Finally, two weeks before exam prepare the Quant section and then take a practice test. Analyse your performance, your weak points and concentrate only on the weak points in the last week.
10. There is absolutely no need to spoil your sleep and study late nights in the last week. Be confident. If you have followed what you had planned, there is no need to worry. You will get a good score.
11. The practice tests in the official guide to revised GRE from ETS are slightly difficult than the actual revised GRE test. So, don’t worry even if you get a low score in your practice test.

One month plan for revised GRE

This post describes in detail a one month plan to follow for revised GRE preparation. One month is a sufficient time to take the test and get a good score. This article will help you considerably to achieve your goal. 



If you have just one month left for your exam date and have not done any significant preparation, do not be hasty to postpone your exam date. One month is more than sufficient if you put in sincere efforts. I  had just one months time to prepare. 

Make your plan of action and abide by it till the very end. I would suggest a plan based on my experience, but one must identify his/her own strengths and weaknesses and make his own plan.

    Week 1: Wordlist and reading comprehensions

    Week 2: Wordlist and reading comprehensions

    Week 3: Wordlist, sentence equivalence, text completion and reading comprehensions

    Week 4: Quantitative, 2 practice tests and revision                 

Detailed description of the one month plan for revised GRE

1. Do not bother about the Analytical Writing section. Just spend a couple of hours reading from the official guide from ETS. If your English is good, you will score well in this section.
2. Give only one day for Quant section preparation. Preferably 1 week before the actual exam date.
3. Do not take more than 2 complete revised GRE practice tests. These tests take almost 4 hours and you feel very exhausted after taking them.
4. Take a revised GRE practice exam one week before the exam date, right after you have prepared for the Quant section. Take another exam 3 days before the exam date and still if you feel you are not confident, only then postpone your exam date.
5. Make sure you are thorough with the 1500 high frequency wordlist. Give at least 4 hours everyday for learning words. Learn at least 50 words daily.
6. For the first 2 weeks, solve at least 5 passages daily. Analyze the answers thoroughly and see where you are going wrong. Whatever new words you come across make a list of them and add it to your daily words to learn.
7. In 3rd week, practice the Sentence Equivalence and text completion questions. By this time, you will be confident about most of the words asked in these questions. Practice as many questions as you can Any new words you see, add them to your daily list.
8. Do not stop solving passages after 2nd week. You can reduce the number of passages, but solve at least 2 passages daily. Remember reading comprehension accounts to half of the questions in the Verbal section. Also, solving passages help build your vocabulary indirectly.
9. Finally, one week before exam prepare the Quant section and then take a practice test. Analyze your performance, your weak points and concentrate only on the weak points in the last week.
10. There is absolutely no need to spoil your sleep and study late nights in the last week. Be confident. If you have followed what you had planned, there is no need to worry. You will get a good score.
11. The practice tests in the official guide to revised GRE from ETS are slightly difficult than the actual revised GRE test. So, dont worry even if you get a low score in your practice test.

How to study for revised GRE analytical writing?

This post describes in detail tips to study for analytical writing section of the revised GRE. Also find information about the two tasks asked for this section. Analytical writing section comes first in the revised GRE test and one must be well prepared for the same.



There are two tasks:

1. Analyze an Issue – 30 minutes
2. Analyze an Argument – 30 minutes

Sample examples of revised GRE analyitical writing questions

1. Analyze an Issue

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim and the reason on which that claim is based. "All students should be required to take at least one course in ethics, even if taking the course means a decreased emphasis on academic subjects."

2. Analyze an Argument

The following was posted on an Internet real estate discussion site.
"Of the two leading real estate firms in our town — Adams Realty and Fitch Realty — Adams is clearly superior. Adams has 40 real estate agents. In contrast, Fitch has 25, many of whom work only part-time. Moreover, Adams' revenue last year was twice as high as that of Fitch, and included home sales that averaged $168,000, compared to Fitch's $144,000. Homes listed with Adams sell faster as well: Ten years ago, I listed my home with Fitch and it took more than four months to sell; last year, when I sold another home, I listed it with Adams, and it took only one month. Thus, if you want to sell your home quickly and at a good price, you should use Adams."

Write a response in which you discuss what evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

Tips and tricks for Analytical Writing section of revised GRE

1. Read the task carefully and cover all the questions asked. Do not write details which are not asked in the question.
2. Analyze an Issue task requires your personal opinion about the issue. So include personal experiences in support of your response.
3. Analyze an Argument expects a response from a neutral point of view. It doesn't require your opinions or personal experiences. So be careful when you compose a response for this task.
4. Use of vocabulary should be judicious. Do not big words unless the usage is properly understood. Although vocabulary is important, use the words which you are very conversant with.
5. Structure your response with paragraphs with every paragraph covering a certain point. A well-structured response will push your score considerably.
6. Read your response at least 2 times before submitting. This will ensure correction of any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors.
7. Have a proper introductory and concluding paragraphs
8. Build your vocabulary initially and once you are confident with words, start preparation for analytical writing tasks. This will also help you revise the words you have learnt.

How to study for Quantitative Reasoning section in revised GRE?

This article covers all the hints and tips to approach the quantitative section of the revised GRE including the various question types. Quantitative section comprises of a number of comparison questions and hints to handle them are covered in this article.



There are 2 sections of Quantitative Reasoning each having 20 questions and 35 minutes to complete.

Question Types in revised GRE:

1. Compare quantities – (6-8 questions)
2. Data Interpretation/Graphs – (5-7 questions)
3. Numeric Entry questions – (2 questions)
4. Random math questions

Caution: In the official guide to GRE revised general test, there are 25 questions in the practice test. Also, in the powerprep II software, there are 25 questions. But in the actual exam, only 20 questions are asked in both sections.

Hints and Tips for Quantitative reasoning in revised GRE:

1. Practice all the questions in the ‘Official Guide to GRE revised general test’ from ETS. Any other practice will help, but I would suggest use this time for increasing vocabulary and concentrate on Verbal.
2. Concentrate on statistical analysis, probability distribution and frequency distribution. If you are unlucky, you might get 2 questions based on this. So, better safe than sorry. Do not leave these sections.
3. Probability questions can be tricky. Be careful while attempting the probability questions.
4. Do not use calculator unnecessarily. It is a waste of time.
5. Do not spend a lot of time on Quantitative Reasoning. 3-4 days of dedicated preparation is more than sufficient for Quantitative section. Any usage of time beyond that will only help you take your score from 163(780 old format) to maybe 165(790 old format). But the same time given for Verbal will improve your verbal score from 150(400 old format) to 158(650 old format).
6. Do not neglect the Quantitative Reasoning section. We Indians feel that Quantitative Section doesn’t need any practice. Keep in mind that majority of Universities consider only Quant score while giving admits. A high Quant score, but an average Verbal score will always get preference over A high verbal score, but an average Quant score.

When, Where & How to Take Gre Test

Take GRE

WHEN, WHERE AND HOW TO TAKE GRE

What is GRE?

Each year colleges and educational institutions across the US offering graduate programs are swamped with applications from prospective college students for admissions. The selection process becomes all the more perplexing because the applicants come from varying educational backgrounds, and in some cases, from different countries too. This calls for a system by which the colleges can sift through the applications and select candidates based on their skills and abilities in addition to their educational qualifications. This is where the GRE test steps in. The GRE scores are accepted by numerous colleges across the US and in many other countries as a measure of a candidate’s verbal and quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. These are the skills that are evaluated by the GRE General Test. The GRE Subjects Tests assess skills in a specific subject field. Thousands of students take GRE every year for securing admissions to the colleges of their choice.

As is evident, there is fierce competition for admissions to reputed graduate programs. As the GRE scores are a major deciding factor in determining your chances of admission to a graduate program of your choice, it becomes imperative that you carefully plan when, where and how to take GRE.

When to take GRE?

This is the most important aspect of taking the GRE. Being unsuccessful in securing a good GRE score can be attributed to various reasons, but you might not even realize that this has happened because you probably did not take the GRE at the correct time. Read on to find out how to pick out a suitable GRE test date.

When do you need the GRE scores?

This is a very crucial aspect of your prep plan if you are planning to take GRE. The aim of taking the GRE is to project the level of your various skills to the college admission committees in the form of your GRE score report. The whole purpose of taking the GRE will be defeated if your score report does not reach the intended recipients well in time. This could happen if you have not spent time in choosing the correct GRE test date because the date when your score report will be dispatched depends upon the date on which you took the GRE. Visit the official website of GRE,www.ets.org for information regarding the dispatch of the score reports based on the GRE dates. For example, if you take GRE after November 29, 2011, then your scores will be available within 10-15 days from the date when you took the GRE. If the colleges to which you have applied for admissions, need your GRE score report before December 2011, then you will have to take GRE much before November 29, 2011.

Things to do:

• Make a list of colleges and educational institutions where you are applying for admissions.
• Find out the last dates for submission of your GRE score to these colleges.
• Work out the date when you should ideally take the GRE such that your score report is available to all the intended recipients well within the time required by them.

How well prepared are you to take the GRE?

Ask yourself this question before you finalize the date on which to take the GRE. You need to have ample time in hand to prepare for it. As the GRE General Test is not a subject specific test, you cannot hope to cram up facts and figures a week before the GRE test and pass with flying colours. The GRE is a test of specific skills which cannot be developed overnight. One has to work on improving them through practice and a comprehensive understanding of the subject areas being evaluated. The ideal time required for preparing for the GRE is about two to three months.

Things to do:

• Take a practice test much before you register for the GRE. You will be able to find sample tests on the GRE official website and elsewhere on the internet. Ideally you should take a test which will give you a score report at the end.
• Evaluate your performance on the practice test.
• Work out the time needed by you to improve upon the subject areas in which you need to sharpen your skills. Consider attending a prep course if you feel you will not be able to prepare for the GRE by studying on your own.
• Choose a GRE test date which gives you time for preparation as worked out by you.

Note: The current GRE Test will be replaced by the GRE Revised General Test from August 11 onwards and the scores will be available after November 11. If you require your GRE scores before November 11, then you will have to take the current GRE General Test before August 1, 2011.

Where to take GRE?

The GRE is offered in two formats; the computer-based GRE and the paper-based GRE. The paper-based GRE is offered only in those locations where the computer-based GRE is not available. The computer-based GRE is conducted throughout the year at test centres across the world; whereas the paper-based GRE is conducted up to three times in a year. If you have to take the paper-based GRE, then you will have to work out the date on which you should take GRE accordingly as the score reports are available within 6 weeks of the date when you took the GRE.

Things to do:

• Visit the official website of GRE to find out the location of the nearest test centre from where you reside.
• Find out the format of the GRE being offered at the test centre where you have to take GRE.
• Before the actual test date, make a trip to the test centre and work out the time you will need to reach the test centre well in time.

How to take GRE?

Once you are clear about the date when it will be best for you to take the GRE, you can register for the test from the official website of GRE. Ideally, you must plan on putting in your best efforts when you take GRE for the first time. Do not be under the impression that you can take the GRE on a trial basis for the first time and then prepare for it in a better manner when you take it again. Your GRE score report contains your GRE scores from the past five years. Therefore, even if you may have scored well in your most recent GRE test, the low scores that you may have earned in previous GRE administrations will be visible to the college admission committees and this will definitely not go in your favour. Therefore, the best thing would be to plan your schedule for taking the GRE and preparing for the GRE in the best possible manner so that you are able to attain success when you take the GRE for the first time.

Do not forget...

Do not forget that success is a ladder that cannot be climbed with your hands in your pockets. If you wish to attain success in the GRE, you will have to work hard for it. You cannot rely on luck or destiny to help you achieve your aim. Make high GRE scores your aim and work towards attaining that aim in the best possible manner!