The GRE can be intimidating. You know you need to study, but how much? Do you need to spend two hours or two months prepping? Ultimately, there is no one answer. It all depends on your target score and your level of English and mathematics testing proficiency. We recommend that you take a practice test to evaluate your position. Then look up the average GRE scores of the schools you’re interested in applying to. You can then create a study strategy based on your test score results and goal score.
How many points away are you from your goal scores in Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning? Below are estimates of approximately how many hours you need to study in order to raise your score by a certain number of points.
- 5 points = 40 hours
- 10 points = 80 hours
- 20 points = 160 hours
- 30 points = 240 hours
These are very rough estimations and results can vary drastically from student to student. Some may need more time, some less time. However, a great way to improve your scores is to enroll in a GRE Test Prep course, like the one offered at UMBC. This four week 8 session workshop prepares prospective students to take the computer-adaptive GRE:
- Providing students with successful test management techniques
- Familiarizing students with question types specific to the GRE
- Teaching the logical, rhetorical, and mathematical problem-solving techniques relevant to the GRE
- Teaching essential grammatical and mathematical concepts and techniques in application to real test problems
- Identifying the specific problems posed by the GRE, and analyzing common test-taking errors
- Improving performance and reducing test anxiety through practice testing
Please note that this course does not replace studying. In addition to taking this workshop we recommend that students dedicate significant time to studying for the examination in order to be truly prepared.
