Common Mistakes Students Make On The GRE

By Francine Fluetsch on February 28, 2016

This article is brought to you by Kaplan, the leader in test prep for over 90 standardized tests, including the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT.

It’s time to talk about a little thing called the GRE. Well, maybe it’s not so little. Maybe it’s a life-altering test that you don’t want to take, but alas, that test will get you into grad school.

So even though we don’t like to think about it, it’s time to think about it! If you are going to be a senior this fall, now is the time to crack open a GRE study guide and prepare for your test. You want to have it done before you send your apps out so your scores will have ample time to be processed.

pixabay.com

I know this is the last thing you want to do during a busy semester, but the more you prepare now, the better your score will be. How exactly should you go about getting this score? Well, let’s look at some common GRE testing mistakes that students make, so you know what to avoid before you go in for your test.

Glossing over important information

A testing environment is a stressful environment, and watching the clock may make you rush when you shouldn’t. Make sure to read the question carefully and all the answers before you make your selection. Remember that unlike the SAT, the GRE is taken on a computer, where the questions get harder if you get the question correct, and easier if you don’t.

You want to show your potential grad schools what you know, so you want to get to the hard questions as soon as you can, which won’t happen if you are making careless mistakes. Take your time, remember to breathe, and really give the test all the focus you can muster. Don’t worry too much if you think the question is easier/harder than it should be, just answer one question at a time and do your best.

Clicking too hastily

Once you select an answer, double-check it before you click to submit it. This article on Studybeans.com says you won’t be able to go back and change it, so you really want to make sure you are satisfied with your answer as much as you can be.

This is definitely a new testing style for many students, so if you like to second guess yourself, make sure it’s while you are still on the related page. Once you click next, try to push the question out of your brain. There is no use in dwelling over it since you can’t go back to it anyway.

Not studying

Sure, these tests seem like you can’t really study for them, but I highly recommend that you do! You don’t want to walk into that test blindly, especially since it is going to be a lot different than what you are used to and you want your score to impress colleges, not repel them. There are tons of great study guides that you can buy, which may seem slightly pricey but it will be worth the investment.

There are also practice tests that you can take online which will give you the feel of what the actual test will be like. Practice makes perfect, so if you are studying for the GRE a little bit every day, the odds will be more in your favor when the real one takes place.

Studying and practicing beforehand will show you what sections you are fine in and which ones you really need to work on (which for me is math). Figuring out your weak point will allow you to spend more time going over those sort of questions, and will then lead to you obtaining a higher score overall.

Ignoring the vocab

While many people are going to stress about the math section, remember that although there isn’t an official vocab list that you need to know, it will be very helpful to study common and extensive vocab terms and make sure you know how to make them work in sentence structures.

We can always brush up on new words, and being able to articulate your thoughts correctly will be very crucial for the test. This seems more intimidating because it might seem like a challenge to study, but after doing some practice tests, you will be able to gauge the type of words you should know and go from there.

Burning out

This test is going to be about four hours long, so you definitely want to make sure you don’t burn out. A 10 minute break will be allotted, but every so often, make sure to flex your fingers and stretch your neck; you don’t want to get a cramp while taking your test! The essay portion will take a considerable amount of time and effort, since you want it to flow and make sense, so once you finish it, take a breath, close your eyes, and get ready to switch into test mode and continue the rest of the exam.

You want to give yourself little breaks where you can look away from the screen and refocus your attention. These will really help you out in the long run because then you will be less likely to burn out and will be able to get a good score.

Good luck taking that GRE; you got this!

Learn more about Kaplan’s test prep options and start building the confidence you need for Test Day.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format