Last Updated on October 31, 2023
So, your official GRE exam is coming up in a few days. To help you get the best score you can, I’d like to share some valuable tips for GRE test day and the days leading up to your exam, and hopefully impart some inspiration as well. With the 23 GRE tips in this article, you’ll be able to head into test day with your head held high.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Tip #1: Manage Your Time Properly
- Tip #2: Stay Engaged in the Moment
- Tip #3: Don’t Try to Determine How Well You’re Doing
- Tip #4: Don’t Seek Perfection
- Tip #5: Guess Judiciously and Intelligently
- Tip #6: Don’t Skip Any Questions in a Section
- Tip #7: Don’t Worry If You Struggle With the First Question or Two
- Tip #8: Use Your On-Screen Calculator Sparingly
- Tip #9: Eat a Healthy Breakfast
- Tip #10: Caffeinate in Moderation
- Tip #11: Pump Yourself Up With Music
- Tip #12: Get to the Test Center Early
- Tip #13: Warm Up Your Brain
- Tip #14: Be Prepared for Check-In
- Tip #15: Know the Tools You’ll Have
- Tip #16: Remember That You Are Not Competing Against the Computer
- Tip #17: Check the Rules Before You Chew Gum
- Tip #18: Strategically Use ScoreSelect
- Tip #19: Hydrate Properly in the Days Leading Up to the Test
- Tip #20: Relax the Day Before GRE Test Day
- Tip #21: Be Confident!
- Tip #22: Prepare Yourself For Ups and Downs
- What’s Next?
Tip #1: Manage Your Time Properly
A major component of earning a good GRE score is savvy time-management. Although different students use different time-management techniques, whatever strategy you use, don’t let yourself get behind on the clock. Be disciplined. This is one of the most important GRE tips I can give you.
If you have practiced spending one-and-a-half minutes per Quantitative question, don’t suddenly start spending five minutes or more on a given question because you’re desperate to find an answer. If you can’t answer a question in the allotted amount of time, quickly eliminate any answers you can, take your best educated guess from the remaining answer choices, mark the question for review, and move on.
Don’t let yourself get behind on the clock.
If you spend four or five minutes on a few earlier questions, you’ll likely end up guessing on the last four to six questions. There is reasonable evidence to suggest that guessing on these questions will lower your score. Be strategic with your time-management on test day.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you encounter a time-consuming problem, make an educated guess, mark the question for review, and move on.
Tip #2: Stay Engaged in the Moment
Staying engaged and focused is essential to your success. When you begin solving the first problem on the GRE Quantitative section, don’t think about anything else but that problem. Don’t worry about the questions that lie ahead, don’t worry about those final few formulas you couldn’t master, and certainly don’t worry about how other students in the room are doing. Just focus, be in the moment, own it; this is your time to shine.
Similarly, as you begin each subsequent problem, don’t ever think back to the earlier problems and don’t anticipate upcoming problems. Don’t think about anything except exactly what you’re working on at that exact second in time.
Be in the moment.
Tip #3: Don’t Try to Determine How Well You’re Doing
You will never know how well you are doing until the test is over. Despite your best intuition, you have absolutely no way of determining whether a question is easy or hard for the purposes of your score. You have no way of knowing how other students did or are doing on similar problems. What seems easy to you may be hard for the majority, and what seems hard to you may be easy for the majority.
Furthermore, you’ll be blindly exposed to a section of experimental questions. That is, you won’t know it’s experimental. Perhaps the section that’s worrying you so much won’t even be counted. So why waste your limited energy thinking about things you can’t control? Just focus on doing the absolute best you can.
Similarly, do not try to guess how well you did on a particular section. You may feel like you really bombed verbal section 1, but you have no real way of knowing. Worse yet, if you get down on yourself because you assume you messed up on the first GRE Verbal section, that may negatively affect how you perform on the next one.
Why waste your limited energy thinking about things you can’t control?
Tip #4: Don’t Seek Perfection
Too many student experience anxiety regarding the number of questions they have to answer correctly. First, worrying about your performance never improves your performance; being alert to the problem at hand can do that. Second, realize that you can probably get more questions wrong than you think and still get a good score.
The GRE exam is computer-adaptive. That is, the questions presented to you in, for example, the first Quant section are based on how well you performed on the second Quant section (and the same for Verbal). So, at some point, you’ll be facing questions that will be difficult for you to answer, and you’ll possibly get them wrong. That’s okay—you should expect that to happen: it happens to almost everyone. Remember, you don’t have to answer every question correctly to earn a good score. To be clear, your goal is to correctly answer as many questions as you can. Just stay focused on that goal.
Tip #5: Guess Judiciously and Intelligently
Let’s first be crystal clear about one thing: if you find yourself having to guess and mark for review a large number of questions, you are probably not as prepared as you should be. With that said, almost all test-takers will encounter some problems that are just too difficult for them to solve. Recognize the question types that you know are difficult for you, take your best guess on them, mark for review, and move on.
For example, maybe you didn’t have the time to study functions sufficiently. Furthermore, let’s say you tend to incorrectly answer roughly 80 percent of all function questions you attempt. If you see what appears to be a difficult function question on the test, would it be wise to spend four minutes trying to solve it? Probably not.
Instead, guess and move on to the next question, armed with the extra time that you just gained by not wasting time on a likely miss. In other words, use strategic guessing to enhance your score. Fight the battles you have a good chance of winning.
Tip #6: Don’t Skip Any Questions in a Section
As you go through a given section, you may encounter a question that stumps you. You might be tempted to skip it, knowing that you are allowed to come back to it later. Heed this advice: Answer it instead of skipping it! Even if it’s a wild guess, force yourself to mark an answer choice. Be sure to mark the question for review, and then move on to the next question.
Here’s the rationale: it’s possible that you will run out of time at or near the end of the section. If this happens, then at least you guessed at the answer, and there is a chance that you will get it correct. If you instead chose to leave it blank and then had no time to go back to it, then there is no chance of getting it correct.
Remember, the GRE does not penalize you for an incorrect answer; it gives you credit for the questions you answered correctly. By using this strategy, you could get one (or more) extra questions correct because you at least marked an answer.
Tip #7: Don’t Worry If You Struggle With the First Question or Two
Often, students who perform below their goals on the GRE say that they had a hard time with the first few questions and, as a result, lost their focus on the following questions. Of course, it would be desirable to recognize and easily solve the first few questions you encounter, but if you can’t, or if the first few questions seem unusually abstract or difficult, don’t worry. Just keep your focus. Put your energy into the questions to come; don’t ever think back. Stay engaged.
Remember, you can guess on any question that flusters you. Make sure you mark it for review, and if you have time at the end of that section, bring up the status screen and take another look at it. It’s quite possible that you will now be able to see it in a new light, and you’ll be able to solve it.
Tip #8: Use Your On-Screen Calculator Sparingly
You have already done practice tests, so you know that the on-screen calculator is unwieldy to use. You know that when you bring it up, it blocks the current question, and then you have to move it out of the way even before you hit the first keystroke. The calculator is both a distraction and a time-waster. Use it if you must, but realize that you are wasting valuable seconds every time you do.
That said, if your brain totally forgets the product of 8 and 7, don’t get the problem wrong because you mistakenly guessed 54 instead of 56. Wise use of the calculator will help you through some tough calculations, but don’t let it be too much of a crutch.
TTP PRO TIP:
Overly using the online calculator will waste valuable time. Use it only when necessary.
Tip #9: Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Your brain is a major consumer of nutrients, including glucose. Today is not the day to go on a low-carb diet. Unless you have dietary or medical reasons not to do so, be sure to fill up on healthy, energy-rich foods such as steel cut oatmeal, whole wheat toast, bananas, peanut butter, or blueberries. In fact, you may choose to begin preparing your body with good, healthy food right away—why wait until test day!
Today is not the day to go on a low carb diet.
Tip #10: Caffeinate in Moderation
We personally love coffee. However, whether you caffeinate before the test is up to you. If caffeine helps you perform better, go for it. However, it’s probably not the best idea to slam down a venti caffe Americano right before the test. After all, the entire test experience wil run about 3 hours from checking in to receiving your unofficial score report.
Tip #11: Pump Yourself Up With Music
This is a big day — it’s your Super Bowl, your World Cup, your Olympic gold-medal match. Get excited about it! Look forward to showing the test what you can do. Be resolved to dominate the questions!
There’s no better way to get in the zone and pump yourself up than to listen to some inspirational, feel-good tunes. Jeff Miller, head quantitative instructor at TTP, recommends “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC. Amaury Peniche, VP of Engineering at TTP, prefers Csárdás – Vittorio Monti (Violin & Piano). I enjoy a good ole fashioned Rocky 4 Montage culminating in “Eye of the Tiger”.
Whatever your taste, from Belinda Carlisle to Beethoven, find a way to get yourself excited to take the test.
Tip #12: Get to the Test Center Early
There’s nothing worse than being rushed before your test starts. Make sure you know where the test center is and arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled test time.
Tip #13: Warm Up Your Brain
Before the test starts, it’s a good idea to do a light warm up. For example, you could sit in your car and solve 5 quant and 5 verbal problems. Review your formula sheets or a few tough vocabulary words. This way your brain will be focused and ready to work analytically when the test begins.
Tip #14: Be Prepared for Check-In
Security at GRE test centers is high for obvious reasons, so expect the check-in process to take a little time. Of course, don’t forget to bring valid and acceptable identification. At the time of this writing, acceptable forms of identification are an International passport, a government-issued driver’s license, a government-issued national/state/province identity card (including European ID card), and a military ID card.
You will be given a locker to store your valuables. However, you should not bring your cell phone or digital watch into the testing center; leave them at home or in your car. Empty your pockets before you go into the testing center.
Tip #15: Know the Tools You’ll Have
Don’t worry about running out of scratch paper. You can always ask for more. When you get your pencils, inspect them, making sure they have good tips and write smoothly. If you don’t like the pencils you’re given, immediately ask your proctor for new ones.
Tip #16: Remember That You Are Not Competing Against the Computer
A lot of students imagine that they are taking the GRE against the computer. That is, they somehow feel that they are scoring against the computer, that the computer is the opponent. Remember that this is not true; your score is only being compared to those other students who take the GRE.
It’s comforting to know you are not playing against a computer that can’t be beaten. The computer is simply there to facilitate the game and provide you with a score.
You are not playing against a computer that can’t be beaten.
Want to see how your goal score stacks up against the scores of your competition? Check out this article about GRE percentiles.
Tip #17: Check the Rules Before You Chew Gum
There are studies that show that chewing gum improves test-taking performance. I guess it can’t hurt. Just make sure that your test center allows gum, since some explicitly prohibit chewing gum during your test.
Tip #18: Strategically Use ScoreSelect
At the end of the exam, you will be asked whether you want to see or cancel your score. Once you view your score, you may not cancel it. In other words, you have to make your cancellation decision blind. While it’s your decision whether to cancel, consider that you have already paid to play. If you don’t like your score, you at least have a baseline for strategizing your GRE preparation for the next time you take the exam.
Additionally, you never have to send this score to anyone, if you don’t want to, because the GRE has a feature called Score-Select®, which allows you to decide which GRE score(s) to report to graduate schools.
Here’s how it works: Let’s assume that you choose to see your score. You now have a second decision to make: to send or not to send? You may send today’s score to up to four institutions for free. Or you may choose to send all scores from the past five years to up to four institutions. This service is free on test day.
If you are unsure on test day about what to do, you may wait until later and use the Score-Select option to send any score to any institution you choose. Each report will cost you, but you will be able to select any or all GRE scores from your five-year history.
Note that there is no “super scoring” on the GRE; you may not combine your best GRE verbal score with your best GRE Quantitative score. You must instead choose a single test date’s scores.
In my opinion, there is little value in canceling a GRE Score. However, there is plenty of value in strategically using ScoreSelect to send only the scores from your best test day(s) to graduate schools.
TTP PRO TIP:
You can use the ScoreSelect® option to strategically choose which score(s) to send to which institutions.
Tip #19: Hydrate Properly in the Days Leading Up to the Test
Your brain and body perform their best when they are properly hydrated. On the days leading up to your test, make sure to drink enough water and other healthy fluids. On test day, drink an amount of water that you can comfortably tolerate, considering you’ll be sitting for a long test.
Tip #20: Relax the Day Before GRE Test Day
The day before GRE test day is not the time to try to cram in final GRE lessons or do tons of practice questions. Rather, use that time to relax and clear your head for the test. Do something fun but not overly strenuous. Get some light exercise. See a movie. Go out for dinner. Do anything that makes you feel good, but don’t spend the day immersed in GRE books. You’ll need a fresh mind tomorrow. If every bone in your body is telling you to study for the GRE on the day before your exam, remember: the GRE is the mental equivalent of a marathon. Would a marathon runner ever run 25 miles the day before the race?
Similarly, practice tests serve as a valuable tool in your GRE preparation. However, taking full-length practice tests right before your official test is not a wise move. If you’ve studied properly and strategically with a comprehensive test prep course, these last few days will provide you little value in learning new information. Instead of trying to cram new knowledge in the days before your exam, do some light studying and review, reinforcing what you already know. Give your brain and body a break; you’ll need them well-rested come test day.
Tip #21: Be Confident!
A positive attitude never hurt anyone. In fact, the power of positive thinking can go a long way toward helping you perform your best. Start telling yourself that you own this test.
Tip #22: Prepare Yourself For Ups and Downs
Think of the GRE exam as a long journey. As with all journeys, expect there to be some ups and downs. To quote Mary Schmich from the Chicago Tribune, “Sometimes you’re ahead. Sometimes you’re behind. The race is long ….” Take the time to prepare yourself mentally for this fact. Don’t get overly excited when you recognize concepts and questions. Similarly, and more importantly, don’t be waylaid when you hit some rough patches during the test. Instead, stay level and focused. Be cool, calm, and confident.
Think of the GRE as a long journey. As with all journeys, expect there to be some upThink of the GRE exam as a long journey. As with all journeys, expect there to be some ups and downs.
What’s Next?
Hopefully, you found these tips for taking the GRE test useful. Check out our guide to the at-home GRE for some GRE test-day tips for the online exam.
I wish you the best of luck on your exam!
