The GRE is a standardized test that many graduate university programs require applicants to take before applying in order to assess their readiness for graduate study. According to ETS, who administers the GRE, the test measures verbal and quantitative reasoning, analytical writing skills and critical thinking. GRE stands for Graduate Record Exam.
Corporate Courses
Many companies offer test preparation courses for the GRE. These can be quite expensive, but are geared toward maximizing your score on the test, which will help you get into the graduate program of your choice. Some have online courses which can be completed at home, and provide access to an instructor who can answer questions.
University Sponsored
Some universities offer free or low-cost GRE preparation courses to their students. Check with your school to see if it offers such a program. If there is no university-wide course available, it is possible that individual departments within your university will have GRE classes. You might have to dig around to find a class, but if you do, you'll save yourself a bundle even as you improve your score.
Self Study
You can study for the GRE on your own as well. There are many books on the market that explain in detail the types of questions on the GRE, as well as test-taking strategies. There are also many free internet sites devoted to helping non-native English speakers expand their vocabularies. ETS provides free information on preparing for the GRE, as well as practice tests on its website.
Considerations
For some competitive graduate programs, the GRE score is very important. According to ETS, the GRE is a major factor in comparing the qualifications of applicants. When choosing a GRE course, honestly assess your current test-taking ability and choose the course that you believe will get you the score you need to be accepted into the school of your choice.
Tags: preparation courses, your choice, your score