This is perhaps one of the most asked questions when it comes to GRE. Every student wants to know how long they should study for the test, and the simple answer is that there is no simple answer. Every person has unique abilities and we don’t all learn by following the same pattern. Moreover, there are many variables and questions to consider. A one-answer-fits-all approach doesn’t work here.
Instead, what we can do is go over some useful questions and try to determine what it is that you are aiming for. Your prep duration will depend on your answers. Let’s start.
In this Article
What is the score you are aiming for?
You must know what you are working towards to figure out how long you need to study for GRE.
The first thing you need to do is determine the average score requirements for the schools you want to apply to. However, do know that not all schools have such a requirement.
Once you have the average GRE score, add 3-4 points to both verbal and quant scores, and that is the score you should be aiming for.
Establish a baseline score
One of the most important things you need to do is establish a baseline or a “starting-off” score. This will give you an idea of your current skills and help you figure out the time and effort you need to put in to arrive at your goal score.
To do this, you can access ETS’s official software from here and take two official practice tests. The key is to replicate the exact environment of the actual GRE test to get an accurate baseline.
Compare the data
Now that you have the data, compare your baseline score to your desired score and note the difference between the quant and verbal scores.
Now consult the numbers below to get an idea of how many hours you need to study to close the gap between your baseline and desired score. However, keep in mind that this is a rough estimate and not an exact science, so your mileage may vary depending on your circumstances.
1) 5 points = 50 hours
2) 10 points = 75 hours
3) 20 points = 100 hours
4) 30 points = 140 hours
Going by the numbers above, we can establish that initially you need to put in many hours to get some improvement. Once you improve by 5 points, then the effort to improve further isn’t that much. This will put things into perspective and is a great place to start instead of mindlessly studying without a goal in mind.
How many hours should you study for GRE?
Now that you have some actual data, you can figure out a study plan. Remember, roughly speaking, every 40-50 hours of study equates to a 5-point score increase.
The question now remains, how are you going to utilize the study hours throughout the weeks leading up to your exam.
Decide how many free hours you have per week
Here is where you need to do some planning in advance. Remember, an organized and consistent routine goes a long way in your GRE prep.
Start by determining how many hours you can put aside each week to study. Be realistic and factor in all the different scenarios and obligations you have, and come up with an accurate number. Don’t overestimate because you could end up exhausted and demoralized.
Get a blank calendar and map out your days in advance. Figure out the free hours you have each day, and that is your study time. However, be advised that consistent study sessions are more effective than, say, a day or two per week. Theoretically, you could spend 40 hours over the weekend “study,” but you and I both know that is not practical. You will be lying to yourself until you sit down and find out that it’s not possible.
Instead, space out your weeks and make it so that you can study at least 2 hours each day of the week. Even every other day is better than cramming all your study hours into a day or two.
Calculate how long you need to study
Now that you have figured out how many hours you can spare each week to study, go ahead and divide the total number of hours you need to study by the total number of hours you have every week.
So, for example, let’s say you need to study for 75 hours to improve 10 points over your baseline score, and you have 10 hours per week to study, 75 divided by 10 is 7.5, which means that you need to study for 7.5 weeks before taking GRE.
As discussed above, time management is essential if you want to achieve your desired GRE score. Aimlessly studying now and then without a clear goal in your mind won’t do you any favors. The formula above may not be 100 percent empirical, but it is tremendously better than an unorganized study plan. Make sure to account for any personal scenarios that you may have and factor into the total number of hours you need to study. If you are a slow learner or have particular difficulty with one of the two sections, i.e., Verbal and Quant, please add 10 or so hours to your total.