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Score High on GRE: How to Get Good Score in GRE

Updated on 13 April, 2023

Mrinal Mandal

Mrinal Mandal

Study Abroad Expert

how to get a good score in gre

GRE candidates thinking of how to get a good score in GRE should remember that the test requires extensive preparation. You should always have an optimal or targeted GRE score in mind. Here are some strategies that will help you attain success.

How to Get Good Score in GRE- Tips that You Can Use 

While wondering about how to get a good score in GRE, first we need to understand what is a good GRE score? A 75th percentile or 318 and higher is good while anything in the 90th percentile or 329 is considered as brilliant. Anything above 300 is taken as decent while a score below 292 is regarded as average. 

It is not just about how to get a good score in GRE verbal or quantitative sections. You should have a clearly defined overall strategy in this regard. Here are some tips that you can use for improving your GRE score: 

Ready Inventory About Your GRE Study Blueprint 

If you know that you can do better, take a stock of your study plan or your ready inventory of preparation for the GRE. Be honest and assess how many hours you have allocated and over what length of time, the number of practice tests, the frequency of study and any distractions that can be avoided. A little more effort may simply be the best solution to score well in the GRE. At least 2-3 months of sincere preparation are required and more than quantity, quality matters with undivided attention given to your study materials. Do some further stock taking on whether you require any supplementary resources, tutoring and personalized insights and recommendations. 

Make a Study Plan and Stay Committed to the Same 

Once you are serious about getting a good GRE score, organize yourself carefully. Select the testing date and then plan the study routine accordingly. You should have a clearly written GRE study routine which allocates time for practice tests, revision, reviewing official study guides and learning new words. Add up the entire schedule until the day of the test. Have every day of study allocated for specific tasks to remain committed towards your study blueprint. A full-length practice examination should be allocated periodically or once every few weeks. 

Build a Logbook for Errors 

Whenever you answer a question incorrectly, do not get depressed. Instead, see it as an opportunity to gather data and learn from a mistake. Have an error logbook of your own, functioning as a central database of the mistakes that you make all throughout your study journey. This database should cover the error types, question numbers, dates and time spent on the question along with the error, reason for the error and the correct answer and so on. Simply recording your errors in this manner will help you learn more from your mistakes and enhance your quality of preparation likewise. 

Keep Improving Your Vocabulary 

How to get a good score in GRE verbal? The Verbal section has three types of questions, namely Sentence Equivalence, Text Completion and Reading Comprehension. Students may find some of these questions to be amongst the toughest queries owing to their vocabulary gaps. Make sure that vocabulary preparation is in your schedule and prominently listed at that! While attempting practice examinations, write down unfamiliar words. Flashcards are still excellent options for enhancing your vocabulary for the GRE. Create one for every such word and drill it into your head.

Important Resources to Read About GRE:

Gre Exam Eligibility CriteriaGRE Exam DatesGRE Test Centers
GRE Exam fee in IndiaHow to Register for GRE Exam in IndiaBest Books for GRE Preparation
Sections in GRE ExamHow to Prepare for Verbal in GREHow to Score 170 in GRE Quant

 

Download these useful guides to ace your GRE preparation

GRE  Quant Guides
GRE verbal Sample
GRE AWA sample

Keep Practicing Regularly

One of the biggest tips that you should not neglect is the importance of practice tests. You should keep taking GRE practice examinations regularly. Try and create an environment which is like the actual environment at the testing centre. Complete tests in one sitting with the timing limitations of the GRE test in mind. This will ensure more comfort and familiarity for you on the day of the test. You can eliminate sudden surprises by a great deal in this manner. Also keep some additional time in hand for reviewing the practice tests as well. This will help you note down all mistakes made and enter the same in your logbook. Additionally, you will completely understand how you can do better if you come across something similar in the actual examination. You can also go to questions that you guessed or spent more time on than necessary. Thereafter, review questions that you answered correctly to ensure that you have fully played to your strengths. This review should be lengthy enough as a full-scale GRE examination. Keep ample time for these activities in your study schedule as well. 

Prepare to Sit for the GRE Several Times

This is one of the vital tips that you should never forget. The day of the examination may not always be the best one in your life. Sometimes you may score well but with a niggling feeling that you could have done a lot better. The GRE test comes with an attribute known as Score Select and this enables easy re-taking the examination along with selecting which scores will be dispatched to potential institutions. The ETS website should be carefully examined for more information about this facility. This eliminates risks of taking the GRE once again. If your score is better on your second or even third attempt, then that score may be used. If it is not better, you may go for your original score as well. The GRE is a vital examination, and you should be mentally prepared to sit for multiple times in order to improve your score.

Recommended Reads:

Harvard University GRE CutoffStanford University GRE Cutoff
GRE Cutoff for US UniversitiesIs GRE Required for Masters in Canada

 

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Important Resources For PTE/SAT/ACT Exam

PTE Examination Eligibility Criteria

There are no specific PTE exam eligibility criteria set by Pearson VUE – the organizers of the test.

PTE Eligibility

PTE Academic Syllabus

PTE syllabus includes various sections such as Speaking and Writing, Reading, and Listening.

PTE Syllabus

PTE Exam Pattern

The PTE exam pattern is designed to test whether candidates can study at international institutions that have English as the main language for instructions.

PTE Exam Pattern

Mrinal Mandal

Study Abroad Expert

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Disclaimer

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.