Taking the GRE
You have just graduated or are about to graduate from college. You want to go to graduate school, but the last thing you want to do is take another test. Do not worry. With some planning ahead, the GRE is a pushover.
GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination and uses three sections to evaluate you. The quantitative tests math skills and reasoning. The verbal tests reading comprehension and vocabulary. The writing tests your ability to convey your meaning clearly and quickly. Understanding the format and the directions before you start can save you precious time on the test.
You can sign up for the GRE online through their website www.gre.org. You can pick the test site, the date, the time, and pay online. How easy is that? Texas Tech has a testing center on campus, so you can also sign up and pay with them. The test costs about $160 so you only want to take it once.
There are a couple of ways to study for the GRE. When you sign up, the GRE board will send you some test prep software that has a couple of full length tests and some other useful content. You can also purchase a test prep book from a company like Kaplan that also includes a CD with full length test, quizzes, sample writing prompts, and a diagnostic test. Finally you can check out a test prep book from the campus library. It will not have the CD but the content is still very helpful.
I used a Kaplan book that I purchased from one of the bookstores. It cost about $35 but it was well worth it. I had the freedom to study where I wanted and when I wanted instead of making trips to the library. I took the diagnostic test first to see where my strengths and weakness were so I could focus my studying on those sections. The CD also has quizzes that focus on specific sections and a grade book to track your progress. The back of the book has lists of the most common GRE words and their definitions as well as root word and prefix meanings.
If you choose one of these methods or a combination, the most important thing is to be aware of the format of the test. Once you have that down, the rest comes easily. Good luck!