When you take the GRE, you’ll have to write two essays for the Analytical Writing section. All the topics are online right now at the Official GRE website. You should pick out a few and practice . Let’s say you’re going to practice for the Issue Task essay. Which topics should you pick? Is it […]
Doing GRE Reading Comprehension Exercises to Prepare for the Argument Essay
In the Analytical Writing section’s “Analyze an Argument” task, you’ll critique a short argument that’s being made for or against some prediction (“profits will rise”), explanation (“genetics is the cause”), recommendation (“repeal the ban”), or other topic of debate. Your directions may be to ferret out hidden assumptions or to identify evidence that could help […]
Free Official GRE Practice Prep PowerPrep?
You probably know about Powerprep, the two free computer-based practice tests from ETS, maker of the GRE. You may not know about the Practice Book, the free paper-based practice test from ETS that comes in two editions. The two Practice Books have mostly the same questions as Powerprep, so they’re not really distinct practice tests. But you can […]
Data Analysis Challenge: Compare Standard Deviation
GRE data analysis includes some tough Quant topics. One is standard deviation, a measure of how far the values in a data set tend to fall from the set’s mean. This statistic can be confusing and tedious to calculate. Luckily, you probably won’t need to calculate it when it comes up on the exam. Try this […]
Reading Comprehension Challenge: Deconstruct the Argument
Argument passages in GRE Reading Comp vary in complexity. If you’re asked to weaken or strengthen an argument, then the passage probably contains just one conclusion. But if you’re asked to identify the roles that parts of the passage play in an argument, then the text may include a main conclusion and an intermediate conclusion. […]
Official GRE Essay Practice: Strong vs. Outstanding on the Argument Essay
ScoreItNow! is an online writing practice service from ETS, maker of the GRE. For US$20, you can write two responses to real Analytical Writing prompts and have them scored by e-rater, the automated essay scoring software used to check GRE essay scores assigned by human raters. I signed up and wrote an Argument essay. The […]
Unmasking Disguised Average Questions on the GRE
Sometimes the challenge in GRE Quant isn’t doing the math; it’s knowing what math to do.
Real-world prep for the GRE Reading Comprehension and the Argument Essay
A sizable chunk of the GRE requires you to think about arguments. Half of Analytical Writing is the Analyze an Argument task, and about half of Verbal Reasoning is Reading Comprehension, a question type that often uses argument-based passages. Conveniently, you can prepare for Reading Comp and the Argument Task simultaneously using free (and modestly […]
Reading Comprehension Challenge: Strengthen the Argument
GRE Reading Comp passages usually try to persuade you of something. An argument is given, and your job is to analyze it. Some of the hardest Verbal questions require you to identify information that would strengthen an argument. For practice, try this Reading Comp question that likely just 2 in 10 test takers would get right.
Data Analysis Challenge: Avoid Silly Mistakes, Do Simple Math
GRE Data Analysis will, true to its name, require you to analyze data. Sometimes the data will be a series of large values in a graph or table, and you may feel tempted to punch lots of numbers into your calculator. Yet the necessary math may be simpler—and less error-prone—than you realize. Try this table-based […]