It is not uncommon to do worse than what you expected on the GRE. Believe it or not, according to ETS, 1 in 4 test-takers retook the GRE back in 2014. This number is also reported to have been rising ever since. So, don’t feel bad or disappointed that you didn’t do well on your first attempt.

People are incredibly diverse and complex. What may work for others may not work for you. We all understand and learn in different ways and at a different pace. Some of us have a natural propensity for numbers, while others are more comfortable reading and writing. 

An innate preference for one discipline over the other doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t learn and excel at the latter. In most cases, all that is required is a blend of focus, time, practice, and commitment.

So, while there is no one magical way to improve your GRE score instantly, there are, however, different factors that can surely help. It all boils down to what your specific shortcomings are. What is it that you are doing that is not working? Once you have diagnosed the problem, you can surely remedy it.

Setting a clear score goal

The first thing you should do is sit down and determine what your goal is. What is the program you want to get into? What is the school you want to get into? 

Having a realistic expectation is the first and foremost thing. For example, if you aim to join one of the top IVY league schools, then that comes with a certain amount of commitment, effort, and time spent studying. If the program you are applying to has a high competition, then the same story applies. You will need to score in the 95th percentile or above, which means that you will have to score better than 95 percent of the test takers. 

Setting a clear goal is crucial because you want to study smart. Why overindulge yourself with stress and worry if the school you are applying to has a lower score requirement than others. On the contrary, if your goal is to apply to a top-tier school, then you know that studying hard each day for a fixed amount of time is paramount. 

Identify your weaknesses

If you have already taken the GRE before then a good starting point is by analyzing your detailed GRE report card.

If you haven’t taken the GRE before, then you should take 3-4 full-length practice tests and then analyze them.

In either case, see which areas you are lacking.

Once you have evaluated your weaknesses, then there are multiple ways you can go about improving your score. 

Although everyone has their own weak areas in over 90% of the cases, here are some ways to improve your GRE score immediately.

Expand Your Vocabulary by Reading

It is no surprise that the verbal section on the GRE is vocab-centric. If you find yourself lacking in the verbal score, expand your vocabulary by using flashcards or reading complex text from reputable news journals or science journals. To name a few, Newyorker and Monthly Atlantic are a perfect source for GRE style reading.

However, picking up on the subtle nuances in GRE verbal passages is not entirely based upon your range of vocabulary. You need to gauge an argument; you need to have a sense of what the author is arguing for or arguing against. You can only learn from consulting complex text that can be found in social science journals, academic journals, newspapers, etc.  

Build Math Concepts Instead of Aimlessly Practicing

If the quant section is not your best suit, you need to start from the ground up, especially if you know that you had practiced an ample amount and still came short. 

Most likely, the problem has to do with your understanding of math concepts and not insufficient practice.

You can apply the formulas all you want, but if you lack the basic concepts behind, say, algebra, then no practice tests will grant you a good score. There are countless online utilities that you can use to build up your understanding, for example, Khan Academy, specialized prep courses, and even YouTube videos. If you instead want to read rather than watch, then consult any of the hundreds of books available on high-school mathematics. 

Once you are done understanding the concepts, you should move onto extensive practice.

Use Authentic Practice Tests

I cannot stress this enough. Make sure that the GRE practice tests you are using are not misleading. A good GRE practice test is the one that closely resembles the actual exam. GRE questions, both verbal and quant, are designed with a specific goal in mind. They want to trick you into selecting an incorrect answer that seems correct. GRE can be quite manipulative in this sense. 

Hence, if you are spending your time practicing low-quality practice tests, then you would not know what to expect on the actual exam.

The best resource to use is the ETS’ official practice tests. These tests are made by the very people who make the actual GRE, so you know you are getting the real deal. 

Keep Track of Your Mistakes

When you answer a practice question incorrectly, don’t simply gloss over it. Instead, write it down and then go back to the study material that deals with that particular question type and study it again. Analyzing your mistakes is a crucial aspect of effective study. Is it a triangle question, is it a standard deviation question? You may see a pattern developing as you keep track of your mistakes, and that will tell you which areas you need to put more effort in.

Make A Schedule 

As with literally anything else, discipline goes a long way when it comes to GRE. Sit down and divide your week into a certain number of hours. Better yet, divide your day into hours. Set aside a fixed amount of time each day in which you will only be focused on learning. 

Consistency is the key here. If you study 4 hours one day and go three days without studying, chances are you will forget most of the stuff that you learned earlier. A day by day study schedule consolidates the study material in your mind. In my opinion, an hour of consistent study per day is better than 7 hours per day once a week.  

Moreover, the longer you study at once, the more you are prone to losing your focus and concentration. 

Time Yourself

As you are solving GRE practice tests, make sure to time yourself. GRE is a 3 hour and 45 minutes long test. If you go about solving practice tests without any time constraints, then be ready to panic when you are taking the actual test. 

Your aim should be to make your practice session closely resemble the actual GRE. This way, you will be ready for the real test, and the time constraints won’t overwhelm you. Many ill-prepared students find themselves sweating when they see the clock ticking while being stuck on a question. It is best to prepare for all of this beforehand.

In conclusion, you can improve your GRE score once you have diagnosed your weaknesses. Carefully determine the specific areas you lack in and study them more. Design a schedule that lets you study daily. Keep track of your mistakes, time yourself, and be sure to use only the most authentic GRE practice tests.