How to score a 330 on the GRE?

How to score a 330 on the GRE?

How to score a 330 on the GRE?

The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is the standardized test conducted by a US-based organization, Educational Testing Service (ETS), in which lakhs of students appear to get admissions in the various graduate or business schools worldwide. The GRE Test 2018 is available at over 1000 test centers in more than 160 countries. It covers three major sections- Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. Candidates interested in pursuing a master’s degree, specialized master’s course, MS, MBA, MEM, or doctoral degree can appear for the GRE Test.

What is a 330 score in GRE?
A 330 score is a minimum score which a candidate is required to attain in order to get admissions in the graduate and business schools abroad. Scoring a 330 on the GRE shows your tremendous efforts, especially when scoring such high marks is pretty rare.

How to Prepare?
GRE is an aptitude test which tests your basic skills which you have developed while studying in school and college. It requires you to master in some specific skills to score a 330 in the exam. You just need to remember the strategies and techniques that you have learnt in the past and use them while solving tough questions in the exam. The very well-devised strategies and solving techniques include educated guessing, skipping hard and time-consuming questions or attempting them in the last, perfect management of time, and how to build your mental strength to withstand 4 hours of rigorous work should be a part of your preparation plan.

There are several elements which you need to focus on while preparing for this exam-

1. Verbal and Quant Practice
How good a GRE 330 score depends on what percentiles an individual has scored in Verbal and Quant. These two sections are considered very tough and if not prepared properly, they can become a hindrance in scoring 330 in the exam. For some test takers, it might be easy to get a hang of all the math and verbal concepts, but for the majority, it might be difficult to cope with the broad syllabus and the wide variety of concepts. Below are some steps to score well in these sections-

  • Do the ETS General Test guide cover to cover, to understand the test and the Verbal and Quant sections. Attempting all the questions in the guide will make your concepts in Quants clear.
  • Then begin practicing with the Manhattan 5lb. Book, which is the best resource and has more than 2000 questions. Solve 20-25 questions and then look at the answers. This will help you to understand your mistakes and make sure you note your weak areas. Going through this book and other mock tests will help you to understand the topics that you need to be more thorough in.
  • After getting acquainted with the areas of your weakness, pick up the Manhattan book that is specific to your area of weakness and which will help in clarifying all your weak concepts.
  • Refer the Official ETS Verbal Guide a few days before your actual GRE exam, in order to get a gist of ETS’ way of testing.

2. Analytical Writing
This section tests your structure and critical thinking ability. All topics become available on the ETS website but don’t forget to refer to the guides like Official ETS Verbal guide, Manhattan RC guide which provides you with an explanation of the general structure of each type of essay. Also, read some sample essays which have scored high on this exam.

3. Vocabulary
Vocabulary is something which gets developed when we read something good on daily basis. There are many things that you need to learn for this section, such as basic grammar rules and the seemingly difficult vocabulary that GRE tests you on. For that the Magoosh app is good, but a better way to do it is by downloading the ‘Quizlet’ app on your phone or “Magoosh GRE Flashcards”.

Buying vocabulary books in bulk is just wasting away the money. Rather than practice all the Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion questions in the Manhattan 5lb book. Make a list of those words which you don’t know. Also, go through the answers to catch your mistakes.

4. Practice Tests
Refer to the paid Manhattan Prep test series for your mock test practice. These mock tests are challenging and consist of some very difficult questions. Along with this, you can also practice 1 free Kaplan test, 2 tests in the ETS Official guide, and 2 free Powerprep II Tests that you can download from the ETS website. Only do one mock test in a week. Save Powerpreps for the end. Don’t go for any shortcuts in the mock tests.

Some Recommended Study Material
1. The Ultimate Guide to Destroy GRE Reading Comprehension
2. Free GRE Practice Tests
3. CrunchPrep 101 High-Frequency GRE Words
4. The Advanced Guide to Analytical Writing on the GRE
5. ETS PowerPrep Software
6.  ETS Math and Verbal Guides
7. ETS Official Guide
8. Manhattan Prep
9. Barron’s GRE: 21st Edition
10. Magoosh GRE Book