If you are reading this, I would assume that the test day is upon you, and you haven’t studied at all in the months leading up to it. If this is the case, then the first thing you should do is not panic. Whatever happened has already happened, and you cannot change it, so why fret? I will give you some tips and try to help you with last-minute study, and you can use this opportunity as a learning experience. You can always book another test and avoid the same mistakes leading up to it.

So, is it possible to study for GRE in one day? Well, technically, it is possible; you can sit down and “study.” However, don’t expect to ace the test or anything. Instead, I will lay out some necessary steps to follow to ensure that you utilize the last day effectively.

Moreover, it also depends on whether you are taking the GRE right out of college or not. If you have been working for several years and then taking the GRE, that will make things a bit more complicated. However, if you have recently finished college and, more importantly, if your major were a STEM subject, that would significantly help you in the quant section. Let’s begin.

Step # 1 Establish a Baseline and Get Familiar with the Test

This first step will kill two birds with one stone. Since you only have one day to prepare, I believe that the most crucial thing you can do is take a mock test and see your strengths and weaknesses. Sitting down and studying aimlessly for a single day won’t help you. You could not make any significant progress even if you studied straight for 12 hours without taking any breaks. The GRE test is incredibly diverse and tests several topics from both verbal and quant sections. There is no way you will be able to effectively cover any portion of the test in a few hours, so why waste time?

Once you take a mock test, you will see what sort of questions you have the most difficulty with. This will give you something specific to study instead of randomly going through topics.

Moreover, doing the mock test will also familiarize you with the test’s format, time duration, and structure. This, in my opinion, is the best use of the limited time you have and will help you avoid confusion on test day. Take your time with the test and read all the instructions. Concentrate on the various question types and note down the ones that seem the most difficult to you. 

Step # 2 Go Over Specific Topics

Once you have taken the test, you will know which section and, more specifically, which topics are the most difficult. If you did worse in verbal and better in the quant, you should only concentrate on the verbal and vice versa. Realistically speaking, you don’t have adequate time to even study for one section entirely. Our goal is to utilize your time to the fullest, so preparing for both sections would be futile, in my opinion.

Now that you know the topics or question types you need to study, you will need test prep material. If you already own a prep guide, then use that, but if you don’t, then buy a digital copy of the Official Guide to the GRE General Test.

Once you have the book, read through the contents and study the topics you need the most help. Familiarize yourself with the question types and get a feel of the language and words used.

Step # 3 Practice Exercises

Practice exercises are great for building last-minute knowledge of the test topics. Once you have studied some essential topics, move on to the exercises and do as many as possible. The good thing about ETS’s GRE prep book is that all the answers are explained at length, and you will be able to learn as you solve. Pay special attention to what the answer explanations are telling you and what you are doing wrong. Once you solve enough of the practice questions, you will get some idea of what the questions ask you to do. GRE is incredibly good at twisting the words and confusing test-takers to pick an incorrect answer. Look out for common traps and learn to recognize them. The answer key at the back of the book is your friend; try to analyze the questions carefully and incorporate the explanations as you move along.

Step # 4 Read Some Essential Vocabulary

A strong command of the English vocabulary is essential for doing well on GRE. I don’t expect you to memorize hundreds of words in a single day, but I think it is imperative that you at least read through some of the most important GRE words.

Here is a list of the hundred most common GRE words that are likely to show up on the test. Ideally, you would memorize close to a thousand words for maximum score, but since you only have a single day, this list should suffice.

Chances are you may already know many of the words; if this is the case, then here is another list. The more words you can learn, the better. If you are an avid reader, then you have the vocabulary part of the test covered; however, if you don’t read very much, I strongly urge you to go through these lists and learn as many words as you can.

Step # 5 Full-length Practice Tests and Sleep

By the time you reach the last step, you would only have a couple of hours left in the day. Take this time to solve some of the full-length practice tests that came in your ETS book. Do as many as you possibly can and review the answer key once you are done. This will give you a chance to get some more practice and learn at the same time.

More importantly, don’t make the mistake of staying up all night to study. You won’t make any significant progress and most likely would hurt your concentration on test day. A good night’s sleep will help you be confident and attentive on the test day. Please don’t panic, and as I said earlier, use this opportunity as a learning experience. You can retake the test and use your knowledge to prepare yourself better and score better. Lastly, luck is a factor, and who knows you may be, you will get lucky with your answer choices and do better than you expected. Good luck!