"The best way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics," said the famous American mathematician Paul Halmos. Whether you are highly talented at mathematics or struggle with a few topics, investing ample time in preparation is a must if you want to achieve the average 155-167 quantitative scores on GRE. But how to prepare for GRE quantitative? What are the major areas to focus upon?
GRE quantitative prep includes numerous elements like an action plan, practical tips/tricks, time management, suitable study material, etc. In this blog, we will dwell at length on the importance of GRE quants, along with some preparation tricks and tips.
| Table of Contents: |
What is the Importance of GRE Quantitative Section?
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is conducted 5 times a year to evaluate a candidate’s verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing skills. The total GRE scores are measured from 340 and valid for 5 years. Many universities and programs for undergraduate/graduate admissions use these scores as an assessment criterion.
But how can one get a good GRE score? And how to prepare for GRE quantitative?
- To get selected for a program, one must attain the required cut off from each GRE section and check the score requirement of the preferred university.
- Furthermore, one can attain a good GRE quantitative score by getting an overview of the section. GRE quant has two 35-minute sections with 20 questions each.
- It is scored on a 130-170 scale, with a 1-point increment. As the test is adaptive, a student’s current answer will determine the difficulty of the following 4 to 5 questions. The commonly asked quantitative topics include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis.
- Other than this, the question types cover quantitative comparison, MCQ (one answer choice), MCQ (one or more answer choices), numeric entry, data interpretation, etc.
With a basic overview of GRE quant, let’s begin the GRE quantitative prep by knowing the best way to study for GRE quantitative.
Suggested: GRE General Test Eligibility, Pattern, and Registration
How to Study GRE Quantitative Section?
Every student has a different take on the GRE quantitative test. Some find algebra or geometry difficult, while others can get stuck on data analysis. You can follow the given steps to begin your GRE quantitative prep and remove all hurdles.
- Check for Format
It is important for a candidate to get familiar with the GRE quant structure. The best way to study GRE quantitative is to know the types of questions, topics included, no. of questions, time duration, and other features like view mode.
- Give a Diagnostic GRE Test
A student will have to take the GRE preparation diagnostic test to find their baseline score. It evaluates their performance in GRE without any preparation. For giving this test, create a quiet environment, gather a paper, and avoid pausing it.
- Set a Goal Score
Setting a goal score is essential for every student. But how can one do it? Check out the universities' cutoff and score requirements where you wish to pursue a particular course. Once you determine the score information, add two more points to it. This process will give you a target GRE score.
Suggested: How GRE Score is Calculated?
- Create a Study Plan
To achieve an overall good GRE score, students are advised to study a minimum of 4 to 6.5 hours a day. This study plan must include studying quant concepts/videos and practising questions/mistakes. Try Yocket's GRE Prep to access the latest GRE practice questions, carefully curated by experts.
However, your study plan will also depend on the left preparation time. A student should start the GRE preparation quantitative section at least 3 to 6 months before the exam. Let’s check out this generic GRE quantitative study plan for 2 months.
|
Month 1 |
|
|
Week 1 |
|
|
Week 2 |
|
|
Week 3 |
|
|
Week 4 |
|
|
Month 2 |
|
|
Week 1 |
|
|
Week 2 |
|
|
Week 3 |
|
|
Week 4 |
|
Along with the quant study plan, it is important to maintain the study of verbal reasoning and analytics writing sections as well. Therefore, in this GRE study plan, the students can substitute the verbal classes + question solving along with quant preparation.
Suggested: When to Start Studying for GRE?
- Select Study Resources
It is paramount to select the most meticulous and up-to-date study material for GRE quantitative prep. Candidates can choose online GRE practice tests and a few GRE quant self-study workbooks. The books include the ETS official GRE guide, Barrons New GRE Guide, Kaplan Math Workbook, etc. Before purchasing one, check out the structure, type of questions, difficulty level, and answer explanations.
You can also go premium with Yocket Prep+ to access 4 mini and 3 full-length GRE mock tests with timed/untimed modes, an adaptive algorithm, a free test explanation, and more.
- Learn Strategies
Students can save their time on the GRE quant test by learning the test-taking strategies, formulae, shortcuts, and GRE quantitative tips.
Suggested: Importance of knowing formulae in Quant!
- Check Progress
After completing the points mentioned above, take a GRE quantitative test to check improvement. Compare your baseline scores with the current and target scores. If any questions, concepts, or strategies still need effort, begin working on them.
These steps will direct you towards a good GRE quant score. Along with these, you can also check out four GRE quantitative tips and tricks.
But before that, let’s check out a student’s video interview, where he tells how to score 170 in GRE quant section.
GRE Quantitative Prep Tips and Tricks
Along with the given GRE preparation quantitative section steps, explore these GRE quantitative tips and tricks to improve your test scores further.
- Spend time analysing the mistakes made in the GRE quantitative practice tests. It will help determine the errors and practical solutions to them.
- Get in the habit of reading questions to understand them carefully. Don’t get pressured by time; rather, be attentive to the tricky answer choices.
- Learn to simplify word problems into easy equations to solve them faster than regular candidates. These GRE quantitative tricks will save you time for complex questions.
- Stay calm and optimistic. GRE gives you 5 attempts to achieve the desired score; therefore, don't burden yourself. As you can always retake the test.
- Maintain neat rough work to understand the calculations for each question.
- Lastly, practice, practice and practice!
Do’s and Don’ts for GRE Quantitative Section
Along with the given GRE quantitative tricks; you can also follow these Do’s and Don’ts on how to study GRE math:
|
DOs |
DON’Ts |
|
Find which method is best according to your capability — self-study or classroom-based study. |
Do not stress or procrastinate. Understand that sticking to the quantitative study plan will be the best solution. |
|
Always keep your focus on a single question. Do not solve one and think about the other. |
Do not take the calculator to the exam centre. As for the computer-based GRE quant, calculators will be provided inside the GRE software. |
|
Use paper and pencil to solve the problems. |
Don’t waste time on the questions with lengthy calculations. Instead, leave them for the end. |
|
Save time for the questions that need to be resolved/rechecked. |
Do not spend too much time on the review screen. |
Suggested: GRE at Home VS Test Centres?
Now you know everything about how to prepare for GRE quantitative. But still, if you have any doubts or need guidance on how to ace the GRE quantitative or enrol on the GRE “Yocket Prep” tests, book a 15-minute session with Yocket Counsellors.
|
Also Read |
||
