1. HOW TO STUDY & WHAT TO EXPECT HOLLY CLAYTON & SAEID CHAVOSHI The Graduate Record Exam

2. What is the GRE? A computerized, standardized test designed to assess “readiness” for graduate school. GRE scores are often required as part of your graduate application, but may also be used to apply for external grants or financial aid. Not every school requires that the GRE be written in order to apply. Check program websites.

3. General test Subject Test Assesses general skills necessary for graduate studies. Applies to most subject areas. Assesses your ability to read complex information, knowledge of high-level vocabulary, mathematical problem-solving abilities, and writing skills. Offered year round. Always check program requirements Tests fundamental knowledge in a particular subject area. Must have extensive background in subject area. Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Literature, Mathematics, Physics & Psychology. Only offered in Oct., Nov. & Apr. Always check program requirements. Which test should I write?

4. Standardized Testing Since the GRE is a standardized test, it is very predictable. The same concepts are tested on all exams. Scores are reliable & form a bell-curve. Think of the test like a game, and “train” yourself to be successful. Most of the skills necessary to do well on the GRE are acquired; giving yourself enough practice time is imperative to your success! The same problems appear on the GRE year after year, only the words and numbers are changed.

5. How the GRE is organized The GRE is done on a computer. There are 3 scored sections, as shown here. Your test may contain an additional, experimental section (to test out new questions) in either the verbal or quantitative domain. Your test center may not tell you which section this is, so treat all parts of the test as real and scored. Verbal 30 minutes, 30 multiple choice questions. Quantitative 45 minutes, 28 multiple choice questions. Analytical Writing 75 minutes, 2 short essays.

6. The GRE as a Computer- Adaptive Test A computer-adaptive test is a computer- based test taken at a test center, at a time you schedule. One question appears at a time and you must answer it in order to move on to the next. Question difficulty increases when the previous question has been answered correctly; when the previous answer was incorrect, difficulty decreases. You always start with a medium-level question. Do not think about whether the problems are becoming more difficult during the exam as this will only distract you. There is a timer in the test window which you may hide if it bothers you. However, be aware of the time, because when it is up the computer immediately starts the next section.

7. Scoring Verbal 200-800 Quantitative 200-800 Analytical Writing 0-6 You receive a scaled score, as shown on the left. You also receive a percentile ranking. Be aware that a high score may not always translate into a high percentile rank. Find out what scores/rankings the school(s) you are interested in require.

8. Registering for the GRE Every school has different application deadlines, so be aware of these before you register for the GRE. The GRE is (usually) only part of your complete application package. Make sure you’ve left enough time to complete the other portions, too. www.gre.org to register online. www.gre.org 1-800-GRE-CALL to register by phone. It costs $190. It is $50 to re-schedule or change test locations.

9. QUESTION TYPES & EXAMPLES (45 MIN) Verbal Section Antonyms – 9 Analogy - 7 Sentence Completion - 6 Reading Comprehension - 8

10. Antonyms Source: Barron’s GRE 12 th Edition

11. Analogy Source: Barron’s GRE 12 th Edition

12. 1. RECALCITRANT 2. POTABLE 3. INEXORABLE 4. PROLIX 5. REFULGENT 6. PUNCTILIOUS 7. DIAPHANOUS 8. NEBULOUS 9. DIDACTIC 10. PUERILE The key is VOCABULARY

13. SPACED REPETITION LEITNER SYSTEM WWW.SYSTEMSFORCHANGE.CA Long Term Approach

14. 1. FLASH CARDS 2. ESSENTIAL WORD LISTS 3. ROOTS ETC. Cramming…

15. Sentence Completion Source: Barron’s GRE 12 th Edition

16. ONE SHORT PASSAGE (SCIENCE) ONE LONG PASSAGE (NON SCIENCE) 1. READ ONCE BEFORE ANSWERING QUESTIONS 2. REFER BACK TO ANSWER QUESTIONS 3. DO NOT USE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE – ANSWERS MUST BE BASED ON THE PASSAGE Reading Comprehension

17. Source: Barron’s GRE 12 th Edition

18. QUESTION TYPES & EXAMPLES Quantitative Section

19. 45 minutes, 28 questions. You are NOT allowed a calculator. You are provided with a couple of sheets of blank paper for the ENTIRE test. Use them wisely. Diagrams are not drawn to scale unless noted. Quantitative Comparison (About 14 questions) Word Problems (About 10 questions) Data Interpretation (About 4 questions)

20. Column A Column B 2x 3x Quantitative Comparisons – Which is greater?

21. Tips Answer choices (MEMOIZE THEM) You are not solving, you are comparing the values in both columns. Choice D is never correct if both columns contain ONLY numbers. Choice D is always correct if you can find more than one relationship between the columns. (A) The quantity in Column A is greater. (B) The quantity in Column B is greater (C) The two quantities are equal. (D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. Quantitative Comparisons

22. Column A: 2x Column B: 3x If x is a negative number, this column is greater. If x = 0, the columns are equal. If x is a positive number, this column is greater. The choice is D, since more than one relationship is possible. Quantitative Comparison - Example

23. Word Problems At Blinky Burgers restaurant, two hamburgers and five orders of French fries cost the same as four hamburgers and two orders of French fries. If the restaurant charges $1.50 for a single order of French fries, how much does it charge for two hamburgers? (Kaplan, 2010) $2.25 $3.00 $4.50 $5.00 $600

24. Total Revenues (in billions of dollars) Total Profits (in millions of dollars Total Profits (in millions of dollars Data Interpretation

25. 1. Approximately how much did total revenues increase from 1984 to 1987? $.0.5 billion $1.5 billion $4 billion $4.5 billion $5 billion 2. In 1989, approximately how many millions of dollars were revenues from frozen food operations? 1,700 1,100 900 600 450

26. THE ISSUE ESSAY THE ARGUMENT ESSAY Analytical Writing Section

27. The Issue Essay You will be presented with 2 topics. You will have 45 minutes to plan & write the essay. You will be presented with an issue, which you must form an opinion on. It does not matter what the opinion is. All results of publicly funded scientific studies should be made available to the general public free of charge. Scientific journals that charge a subscription or newsstand price are profiting unfairly. (Kaplan, 2010)

28. The Argument Essay You will be presented with 1 argument posed by an unknown individual. It is your job to critique their “line of reasoning”, within 30 minutes, based solely on the evidence (or lack of evidence) in the text. The problem of poorly performing teachers that has plagued the state public school system is bound to become a good deal less serious in the future. The state has initiated comprehensive guidelines that oblige state teachers to complete a number of required credits in education and educational psychology at the graduate level before being certified. (Kaplan, 2010)

29. Writing Strategies for the GRE 1) You must show proper control of language, including grammar, word choice and sentence structure. 2) Keep things simple and straightforward. Using fancy words that you learned in the verbal section will not gain you any extra marks, especially if used incorrectly. 3) Minor grammatical errors will not dramatically decrease your score, you are writing a “rough draft”. 4) The main goal is show that you can clearly and concisely construct, as well as analyse, argumentative essays. 5) Make sure that all points are supported with evidence. 6) Include strong introductions and conclusions. Structure is incredibly important! (Kaplan, 2010)

30. Essay Scoring You will be rated on a 0-6 point scale. A zero is given to someone that ignores the topic completely, cannot communicate an opinion and/or writes in a foreign language. A 6 is given to someone that “convincingly “ supports their opinion, has a well organized essay and has superior knowledge of the English language. The essay may have some minor flaws. You are marked by a computer and a real person. If the scores do not agree, another real person marks your essay(s). (Kaplan, 2010)

31. Test Day The night before, make sure you have the following things together: Valid photo ID Admission ticket A healthy snack Bottle of water A Watch Names of schools you are sending your scores. Any medications you need.

32. HOLLY CLAYTON: HELLOHOLLIS@GMAIL.COM HELLOHOLLIS@GMAIL.COM SAEID CHAVOSHI: CHAVOSHI@YORKU.CA Good luck on the GRE!