Preparing to tackle the GRE the RIGHT way for the new year

Doing GRE the Right Way for the New Year

The New Year is often a celebration of new beginnings – doing things differently. That’s true for GRE preparation as well. But, before we dive into that, do you have any New Year’s Resolutions that you want to capitalize on?
Let’s make resolutions that are actionable
1. “I want to do a better job at my work.”
  1. What exactly does that mean?
  2. Example: I intend to pitch new ideas to my boss once a month.
2. “I want to get into a habit of reading.”
  1. Actionable resolution: I want to read 30 minutes a day (at least).
The good news about a new year is that, psychologically speaking, we feel like we have a “clean slate.”
1. Do you feel like you have a “clean slate” at the beginning of a new year?
In terms of the GRE, if we have a clean slate, what would we do? Where would we begin?
1. “Start with the foundation, get better at the basics.”
2. Actionable: Identify our strengths and weaknesses. To do that, we have to use a measurement that actually identifies our strengths and weaknesses as they relate to foundation.
3. More Actionable: We want to take foundation quizzes that measure both our quant foundation and our vocabulary foundation.
4. Most Actionable: Take the vocab check quiz on the website. If you haven’t started the vocab mountain, take a test (30 words) that measures all 34 groups. If you are somewhere on the vocab mountain, take a test that measures your vocab knowledge from group 1 to the group that you’re currently on in the vocab mountain.
  1. /skill-building/generated/vocab-check
  2. Scenario 1: You’re new to GRE prep in general, you took the test covering all 34 groups, and you did poorly (and that’s okay).
    1. Use either the 1-month plan or the 2-month plan. More importantly, TAKE VOCABULARY SERIOUSLY. It’s not a joke. It’s not optional. It’s not voluntary. If your goal is a high verbal score, TAKE VOCABULARY SERIOUSLY.
    2. Watch the video: How to Properly do the Vocab Mountain
      1. /class/how-to-properly-do-the-vocab-mountain
  3. Scenario 2: You’re NOT new to the GRE, and you took a test covering group 1 to the group you’re on and you scored poorly.
    1. Start over.
    2. Watch the video: How to Properly do the Vocab Mountain
      1. /class/how-to-properly-do-the-vocab-mountain
  4. Scenario 3: You are new to GRE prep and you took a test covering all 34 groups and you did very well, 25+.
    1. Hey, you’re doing great! Keep doing that thing.
  5. Scenario 4: You’re NOT to GRE prep and you took a test covering the groups you’ve already gone over and you scored well, 27+.
    1. You still want to go through the vocab, but it might not necessarily be a priority. Maybe more of your focus should be on strategies.
5. Another actionable step (test our quant foundations):
  1. Arithmetic: https://forms.gle/1yNWtpatymwLQFDN7
  2. Algebra: https://forms.gle/Jbe9Y3MysMZSkmR89
  3. Coordinate Geometry: https://forms.gle/QX5NC8VzH41pema39
  4. Geometry: https://forms.gle/9U3bsaBzKVQmVBMAA
  5. Data Analysis Part 1: http://forms.gle/8MGpxzFJRvwaxKGg7
  6. Data Analysis Part 2: https://forms.gle/Fm2cdFF3YMShtfZV7
  7. Data Analysis Part 3: https://forms.gle/aMprYCJBH5TLGXmo9
  8. Scenario 1: You bomb arithmetic (less than 60%).
    1. Don’t take the other quizzes.
    2. Start the I’m Overwhelmed Plan
      1. Designed to improve your foundation
  9. Scenario 2: You don’t bomb arithmetic and do pretty well.
    1. You still need to take the other quizzes to identify your strengths and weaknesses
    2. Use the I’m Overwhelmed Plan in a way that targets your weaknesses (you don’t have to go through everything if it’s not necessary).
    3. Example: 70% on Arithmetic, a 90% on algebra, a 50% on coordinate geometry, a 90% on geometry, and pretty low scores on the three data tests.
      1. In this case, this person could skip algebra and geometry in the I’m Overwhelmed Plan and do everything else.
  10. I’m Overwhelmed Plan Module Subjects:
    1. Arithmetic: Modules 1-3
    2. Algebra: Modules 4 and 5 (parts 1 and 2)
    3. Coordinate Geometry: Modules 5 (parts 3 and 4) and 6
    4. Geometry: Modules 7-9
    5. Data Analysis: Modules 10-12
  11. Scenario 3: You did well on all the quizzes.
    1. I would recommend using either the 1-month plan or the 2-month plan and extracting more of the strategies and practice material rather than the foundation stuff. I’m not saying skip the foundation stuff, but the main focus should be on strategies, untimed practice, and then timed practice.
Okay, our foundation in vocab and quant is solid (for both). What’s next? What would a smart test taker work on?
1. Awareness of the strategies. Can you recognize them by name and talk about them for like 30 seconds or so?
2. Quant:
  1. Choosing numbers
  2. Making deductions
  3. Manipulating QC Answer Choices
  4. Simplifying QC Answer Choices
  5. Equal / not equal
  6. Backsolving
  7. Piece by piece
  8. Pattern Recognition
  9. Brute Force
  10. Calculating Extremes (minimums and maximums)
  11. Have a system
  12. Create an easier example
  13. The three skipping periods
  14. CANNOT problems
  15. CAN/COULD problems
  16. Sufficient Information problems
3. Verbal (text completion):
  1. Pairing Strategy
  2. Math Strategy
  3. Time Contrast
  4. Block of 4
  5. Double Possibility
  6. Infinite Possibility
  7. Previously Referenced
  8. Usage Strategy
  9. EXTREME questions
  10. Panic strategy
  11. Easiest Blank first
  12. Rephrasing Ideas
4. Verbal (reading):
  1. Passages themselves
    1. Identify the author’s main point
    2. Identify the primary purpose
    3. Rephrase/Simplify a sentence
    4. Identify a sentence’s function
  2. Questions
    1. Identify the question type
      1. Detail, Inference, and Function (three main types)
    2. Rephrase the question
    3. Answer before looking
    4. Idetnfiy the “scanning” word or phrase
  3. Answers themselves
    1. Justify the right answer
    2. Eliminate the wrong answers for one of two reasons
      1. It’s contradicted by the passage
      2. No evidence
    3. Bottom to top
    4. Be a car
    5. Yes/No
    6. Attack from Sides
So, in a nutshell, I’m advising people to start their prep by doing the following:
1. Making sure their foundation is really strong
2. Making sure they’re aware of the strategies
3. My question for you…how many people actually do prep this way?
  1. Very few people start their prep this way, to their detriment. They’re too eager to solve questions, like that is somehow going to magically improve your foundation and strategies
It’s a New Year. Do you want to do prep the right way? If so, really heed the advice above this line. It’s going to make your life SO MUCH easier.