How to Improve GRE Score: (Get Good High GRE Scores)

Student Progress / Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) / Score / How to Improve

For most schools, the submission of a GRE score report is required for admission to graduate programs. Knowing how to improve GRE score generally helps to secure admittance to their chosen graduate school. If a test taker aims to pass the application requirements, they must follow the average scores and required minimum scores of their desired university. The admissions committee of any individual school examines the scores thoroughly. For the majority of students with low GRE scores, the tests are available to take at several inappropriate time duration intervals. Students with low scores often retake multiple attempts until they get higher scores for law school, graduate school, and business school acceptance. This article includes methods and tips on how to improve your GRE score to pass the school prerequisites and study at your dream graduate institution.

Can You Make Big Improvements on the GRE?

Yes, you can make big improvements on the GRE individual scores if you study hard and prepare better. With your previous attempts, assess your performance and determine the most challenging part and focus on that. Make sure that you understand the concepts and research the explanations for items that you find confusing or even for things that you have already got right. This way, you get to understand what you are reading and you can assess what you already know.

How long does it take to improve your GRE score?

It usually takes about 50 to 200 hours of answering the GRE test to hit the target score. The duration will still depend on how well your preparations are for the GRE and the number of points that you will need to improve your scores in verbal and quantitative.

Effective tips to improve your GRE scores

Incoming students target a certain percentile score. Enlisted below are effective tips to improve your GRE score and hit your goal score:

  1. Make an assessment of your GRE preparation. Examine the effectiveness of your study materials, study methods, official practice exams, practice questions, and the GRE Prep Online Guides and Tips listed below.
  2. Make a study schedule and follow it. Advanced study is a must before the GRE. Organize your time and dates. Set an average number of hours solely spent on analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning. Consider the length of your dream school admission process.
  3. Keep a record of all errors. Make a complete list of all of your mistakes and check why you got them wrong. Compare the right and wrong answers.
  4. Enhance your vocabulary. Develop your vocabulary list. Understanding more word meanings helps in fully grasping the context of any GRE question. International applicants who are non-native English users must focus more on vocabulary.
  5. Regularly take practice tests. Score goals can be achieved if a graduate student repeatedly takes mock tests. Practic experience will help choose the correct answers on the actual test date.

To improve on their GRE standardized test score, prospective students must evaluate the way they prepare for the GRE. Make improvements to your usual study setting and eliminate the things that distract you. Consistently take practice tests and log all the errors you have made to avoid making the same errors. Focus on the areas that challenge you and stick to the study schedule that you planned out. If you follow the tips above, admission chances are more secure.

How to improve your GRE score for quantitative reasoning?

Steps to improve your GRE score in quantitative reasoning:

  1. Develop your understanding of GRE math concepts. Understanding basic math concepts will surely make it easier for you to analyze and solve problems in the quantitative area.
  2. Be familiar with the quantitative comparison answer choices. The choices for items under quantitative comparison are actually the same. Familiarizing yourself with these choices will save you more time in answering because you already understand the choices.

Studying quantitative items should focus more on the mere understanding of math concepts. Without a basic knowledge of math, you might find it more confusing to decipher math items. The same goes for the structure of the questions. Familiarizing with the structure will help you save time and predict possible answers to get higher quantitative scores. Keep in mind that the quantitative reasoning score is the most important in the business school application process. A good GRE quantitative score contributes to higher admission rates.

How to improve your GRE score for verbal reasoning?

Some tips for improving your GRE verbal reasoning score:

  1. Enhance your vocabulary. Vocabulary is important, especially for items on sentence completion and sentence equivalence. There might be questions on the test that you will find difficult to comprehend because they are beyond your vocabulary. Prep books might be helpful in expanding your knowledge.
  2. Practice reading complex texts. Practising in this area will help you understand complex and unfamiliar passages. You can try reading classic literary materials to become familiar with different words, sentence structures, and main ideas. You will be able to easily figure out the main ideas in every material.

In getting a higher verbal score, vocabulary is very important. You can not easily answer the questions if you are not familiar with the words. It will be an advantage for you if your vocabulary is broad because not only can you understand the items, but you can also infer the meaning of complex passages and their implications. Communication skills are evaluated in the GRE through verbal reasoning.

How to improve your GRE score for analytical writing?

Here are ways to improve your GRE score in analytical writing:

  1. Learn more about AWA prompts. Study AWA prompts you to have an idea of how to answer tasks such as analyzing issues and arguments. Be familiar with the question types. Reading through sample AWA prompts will give you an idea of the styles and question patterns.
  2. Practice writing outlines. Writing down your own outlines can help you prepare for the actual test. By doing so, you are already prepared with the possible outline for your points, and you can finish your writing in a shorter time without missing important points.

To improve your score in writing, all it takes is reading and practising. Accepted students agree that reading enhances familiarity with the expected tasks and how to answer the analytical writing portion. Moreover, you can practice writing your answers by making outlines and ensuring that you get to point out all the important ideas that must be included on possible topics. Analytical writing scores are taken into greater consideration by law school requirements.

How Much Can You Improve Your GRE Score?

By 2.5 or 5 points, a 40-hour-long study could raise your score by this much. 80 hours could raise you 10 points. 160 hours could raise you 20 points. And with 240 hours, you could raise it up to 30 points. However, it is important to note that the numbers mentioned will still vary depending on certain factors, such as the quality of your studies and your ability to learn new material quickly. Always aim to get higher than the Grad Programs’ minimum score.

Factors That Can Affect Your GRE Score

Factors that can affect your GRE score are as follows:

  • Duration of study. The duration of your studying can affect your score in a way that it will make you more and more time than you usually spend to be able to comprehend all the items altogether.
  • Speed of learning. Your ability to grasp new learning will affect your studying. No matter how many hours you spend studying, if it takes you tons of hours to take in new learning, your study method will still be ineffective and wasteful, thus resulting in a lower GRE score.
  • The efficiency of study methods. Your method of studying will determine your improvement. Your preparation should focus on your weak spots and you should learn your way through them.

The factors mentioned above affect the GRE score and are vital for score increase. A school applicant’s ability to adjust and carefully plan out your study plan will directly affect your performance in the GRE.

Is It Possible to Raise Your GRE Score by More Than 30 Points?

Yes, it is possible to raise your GRE by more than 30 points. Raising it to more than 30 points improves your chance of admission. However, it happens rarely and could take up a significant amount of your time. It could take you a lot of careful planning and studying and might even require you to hire a tutor.

How to use the 80/20 rule to increase your GRE score Quickly?

The 80/20 rule eliminates the unnecessary and focuses more on what should be studied. It constitutes that by making a 20% change to your GRE preparation, you get an 80% improvement in test results. This principle also suggests that you only need to dedicate 20% of your time instead of spending hours and hours studying, which also includes most of your time being distracted. With this rule and an effective study plan, you can best prepare for your GRE with little time but better results.

List of questions to ponder in retaking and improving your GRE score

Listed below are some questions to ponder in retaking and improving your GRE score:

  • What is your current individual score? Your improvement in your GRE score will vary depending on your baseline score. If your current score is closer to the average, it is easier to move up and improve your score. However, if you already have a good score such as 160+, earning more points can be more challenging and may require you to spend more effort than you usually exert.
  • Can you study longer? Improving your GRE score will necessitate a significant increase in time and effort spent studying and preparing. You need to set out a study plan and stick with it. Determine your weak areas and spend hours learning about them. Plot out your prep time wisely.
  • Can you study more efficiently? Assess your study methods to see if they are working effectively. Determine why you keep making errors and address them through your study plan. Consult several GRE practice materials and study efficiently instead of longer but less productive hours.

Because the GRE can be taken multiple times, you have multiple opportunities to improve your GRE score. Doing so may require you to dedicate a lot of your time and effort to getting into your dream school. The questions listed above can help you in attempting to raise your GRE.

What is the average student’s approach to increasing their GRE score?

The list below includes the average student’s approach to increasing their GRE score:

  1. Gather interview materials from the internet, but never read them.
  2. Download every video they find about GRE but never watch them.
  3. Acquire several GRE practice books with no definite study plans.
  4. Spends a lot of time studying each and every concept but still fails to learn.
  5. Answer items that have already been solved, and end up not learning anything new.
  6. Answers practice tests that they have already taken and show no improvement.
  7. Joins every forum or group related to the GRE but ends up getting unnecessary information.

The steps listed above are taken by average students in an attempt to increase their GRE scores for admission requirements. Graduate students regard these methods as effective preparation. However, most top scorers in GRE tests do not usually follow the steps listed above. They ace the tests not because they are inherently smart, but because they study differently and efficiently.

What is the smart student’s method for increasing GRE scores?

Here are the steps that smart students follow to increase their GRE score and achieve the targeted score requirement:

  1. Take up a GRE prep course and utilize the materials of the prep program.
  2. Make an efficient study plan for the GRE and study every day for at least 1 to 2 hours.
  3. Spend more time on the areas you find difficult.
  4. Only answer the questions that challenge you.
  5. Spend a lot of time reviewing the results after every test.

The list above includes the effective study methods that smart students follow in order to increase GRE scores. The goal is not only to achieve the minimum requirements but to score more eminent. Their method is more focused on creating study plans that efficiently make use of their time and resources. Outstanding students focus on the areas that they find challenging and review their results after every test to avoid making the same mistakes and thus, resulting in more improvement.

Will a GRE prep course help raise my score?

Yes, GRE preparation courses can help raise an examinee’s score. Significant improvements to one’s GRE score can happen when a preparation course is taken versus not taking one. It is the reason that prep courses help examinees understand their mistakes and teach them how to avoid committing the same errors in the future. It also allows one to become familiar with the question types and testing environment.

What are the time-frame strategies for improving the GRE score?

Some scheduling strategies to improve your GRE score:

  • The Time-based Scheduling Strategy. Schedule your GRE well enough to have extra time to retake it if your score is not close to your target score. You should also consider having time intervals between your schedules to review your previous exam and prepare for the next one. You should schedule your first take not later than 2 months before the deadline of your application.
  • The Readiness-Based Scheduling Strategy. With this strategy, you consider your readiness when scheduling when to take the GRE. You wait until you are fully ready to get your target score. You can check your readiness by taking practice GRE tests and when confident enough, schedule it.

The two strategies mentioned above can work for you depending on the way you choose to prepare for the GRE. Either way, it will be an advantage to pass the admission criteria of any Grad school. As long as you study hard and efficiently, you have higher chances of improving your GRE score regardless of which strategy you choose to follow.

Can a GRE prep course improve my score?

Yes, GRE courses online can significantly enhance your score. These courses offer targeted study materials, expert guidance, and practice tests that familiarize you with the test format and content. They teach strategies to tackle different sections, time management, and effective problem-solving. However, individual improvements vary, and success depends on your dedication and effort.

References:

  • https://www.kaptest.com/study/gre/tips-improve-gre-score/
  • https://www.prepscholar.com/gre/blog/how-to-improve-gre-score/
  • https://www.prepscholar.com/gre/blog/how-much-can-you-improve-your-gre-score/
  • https://crunchprep.com/gre/increase-gre-score-80-20-rule
  • https://brightlinkprep.com/improve-your-gre-score-on-second-attempt/
  • https://www.quora.com/What-should-I-do-to-improve-my-GRE-score
  • https://magoosh.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/203585119-How-do-I-increase-my-GRE-score-
  • https://gre.blog.targettestprep.com/increase-gre-quant-score/?fbclid=IwAR0P1MHV1hYupZpRGy93XqdGI6btzCzoKltaPVLzOKpwLPOO34aUgInkevc