GRE Preparation Tips 2025 - Tricks & Strategies to Crack General Exam

GRE Preparation Tips - Every year lakhs of candidates appear in the GRE. The preparation time for the test will depend on the amount of time they have available and it also depends on their personal preferences on how to prepare. The student who takes the GRE test should know what to expect from the test, it also includes the administrative procedures, types of directions and questions, number of questions in the test, and time allotted for each section. Preparing for the GRE can be a daunting task due to its competitive nature. With a proper GRE preparation strategy in place, candidates can easily ace the exam with a good GRE score.

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1. Top GRE Preparation Tips 2025
2. GRE Preparation for General Test
3. GRE Preparation Tips for Analytical Writing
4. GRE Preparation Tips for Verbal Reasoning
5. GRE Preparation Tips for Quantitative Reasoning
6. How to prepare for the GRE at home?
7. GRE Preparation Books
8. GRE Study Material

GRE 2025 is a standardized test accepted by thousands of B-schools across the world. Candidates can complete their GRE preparation in 4 to 6 months if they are beginning from scratch. Referring to test content, and timely solving GRE mock tests are some of the ETS GRE test prep tips. This article covers top GRE preparation tips and how to focus on GRE exam prep section-wise.

Top GRE Preparation Tips 2025

Candidates preparing for the GRE often get the question in mind - how to Study for the GRE? Or how do I plan my GRE preparation? To answer these questions, we are providing some top GRE exam prep tips. This will help test takers strategize their ETS GRE test prep and ace the exam with good scores.

1. Plan early - Giving enough time for GRE exam preparation is important. In general, three to four months of GRE test prep is enough, given that the candidate is dedicating at least 4 hours daily. Candidate must book their GRE exam date keeping the exam prep duration in mind.

2. Select universities and courses - Prepare a list of targeted universities and desired courses. Now, check the previous year’s cut-off marks and what is a good GRE score to get admission into these selected universities.

3. Fix targeted score - It is ideal to keep a goal in mind to start the GRE preparation. By checking the GMAT cut-off marks of the desired universities, candidates can easily set a target score and start their preparation accordingly.

4. Check the syllabus and exam pattern - Going through the GMAT syllabus and exam pattern in the first place is highly recommended. Candidate must know the sections, topics, subtopics, and type of questions asked in the GMAT exam. With the GMAT focus edition, there are many changes introduced in the exam pattern. Check the major differences in GMAT vs GMAT focus edition to understand the latest changes in the exam.

5. Decide the GRE preparation mode - Once the candidate is well versed with the syllabus and GRE pattern, the next step is to think of the preparation mode i.e. self-study, coaching classes, or GRE preparation online. A good number of resources are available in both online and offline mode for free as well as paid.

6. Practice with the GRE mock test - Solve the GRE mock tests in an exam-like environment and within the stipulated time frame. This way, candidates can get to know where they are lacking in the GRE preparation and work on it in the meantime.

7. Use the official resources - ETS provides many free as well as paid resources to prepare for the exam. For GRE test prep free, candidates can download the GRE syllabus and sample questions. Full-length GRE study test and many other beneficial resources are available for candidates on the ETS website.

For more information - Download GRE 2024 Preparation Tips & Strategy PDF

GRE Preparation for General Test

The general test of GRE exam evaluates a candidate's performance in three sections namely, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. The GRE preparation strategy for all three sections is different, and candidates must adopt different approaches to prepare for these sections. Section-wise GRE tricks and tips are discussed below.

GRE Preparation Tips for Analytical Writing

This section comprises one “Analyze an Issue” task which is to be completed in 30 minutes. Test takers must evaluate the given issue and write an argument with reasons and examples. The task in analytical writing measure can be from a range of subjects like fine arts, humanities, physical or social sciences. This section does not test subject-specific knowledge, but the ability to respond to a given issue. Read the pointers below to know how to prepare for the GRE writing section.

• Check the sample topics, and sample responses to understand the evaluation criteria.

• ETS releases an ‘Issue Topic pool PDF’ on its official website. Candidates will be given one issue topic from this PDF. Read it thoroughly and practice as much as possible.

• Practice in a timed manner. Candidates have to complete the given task in 30 minutes, hence it is crucial to keep this time frame in mind while preparing for analytical writing tasks.

• Focus on sentence formation, grammar and spelling errors as it might affect the scores.

• Take time to edit and improve the essays. Reviewing the response will lower the chances of any possible error.

GRE Preparation Tips for Verbal Reasoning

This section of the GRE syllabus includes reading comprehension, text completion and sentence equivalence. Half of the questions in verbal reasoning require test takers to read the passage and then answer the questions accordingly. The rest of the questions will require reading, interpretation, and completion of the existing sentences and paragraphs. Below are some GRE exam prep tips for the verbal reasoning section.

• Develop a reading habit, and observe the author's point of view. To excel in reading comprehension it is important to go through the passages carefully and figure out their inherent meaning.

• Read featured articles from newspapers like The New York Times, The Guardian or The Wall Street Journal.

• Read books by experts and journalists to gain exposure on various topics.

• For text completion and sentence equivalence questions, make it a point to read through the passage before attempting any questions.

• Vocabulary plays an important role in the verbal reasoning section. So one the major GRE tricks for verbal is to learn new words from various newspapers and magazines along with their synonyms and antonyms.

GRE Preparation Tips for Quantitative Reasoning

This section evaluates the basic mathematical skills of the candidate. The GRE maths syllabus includes high school mathematics and statistics. The questions asked in this section can be tricky and require a lot of practice. Below are some GRE quantitative tricks.

• Check the GRE syllabus for Mathematics and understand the topics and subtopics from where questions are asked.

• The syllabus is mostly of high school level, so learn the fundamental concepts thoroughly.

• The quantitative reasoning section requires a lot of practice, hence make sure to solve sample problems. Solve different types of question formats for various topics.

• Test takers will be provided with a basic on-screen calculator for the quantitative reasoning section. However, using a calculator for basic calculations can be time-consuming. So learn to solve questions without a calculator and use it only for difficult calculations.

• Check the GRE maths review and GRE math convention PDFs available on the official website of ETS. These resources will help candidates in getting familiar with the questions and syllabus.

How to prepare for the GRE at home?

Many GRE aspirants have this question in mind - Can I study GRE by myself? Or how to Crack the GRE Without Coaching? Well, to prepare for the GRE exam at home, candidates first need to have a proper GRE preparation strategy. Some tips to prepare for the GRE Exam at home are discussed below.

• Browse the official website and gather all the information and resources available.

• Thoroughly check the GRE syllabus and pattern, and understand the type and difficulty level of the questions.

• There are multiple YouTube channels, GRE preparation online forums and apps. Go through them, and learn about the GRE content for free.

• Enhance your learning by reading daily newspapers and magazines.

• Focus on learning fundamentals and concepts. Do not jump directly to solving questions.

• There are various GRE preparation books available in both online and offline mode. Candidates can refer them to GRE preparation at home.

• Once the concepts are all clear, then only solve GRE mock tests. By solving the GRE Mock within a stipulated time, candidates can learn time management.

GRE Preparation Books

• Kaplan's GRE Prep Plus: This is a popular book for GRE preparation. The book contains more than 1500 practice questions, online access to a question bank of more than 500 questions and video tutorials. The highlight of this book is the 5 full-length practice tests which are in a computer-based format which simulates the actual test environment.

• Princeton Review GRE Premium Prep: This is another book that counts among the best books for GRE preparation. The book contains 7 practice tests including reviews and techniques and online tools. It also contains topic reviews.

• Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems: This is another helpful book for GRE preparation. The book contains practice problems for all sections of the GRE exam and has 1,800 questions.

• Apart from the above-mentioned books, candidates can refer to the following books to enhance their vocabulary -

• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

• The Vocabulary Builder Workbook by Chris Lele

• All About Words by Morris Rosenblum and Maxwell Nurnberg

GRE Study Material

Selecting the right study material for GRE exam prep is extremely important. With a wide variety of books available in the market, selecting the right one can be a task. For the ease of candidates, a list of official study materials and other books available in the market is given below.

Official GRE preparation material for free

Below is the list of GRE mock test online free available for candidates. These are accessible from the official website of ETS directly.

1. POWERPREP® Online - Practice Test 1 (Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores provided).

2. POWERPREP® Online - Practice Test 1 (Untimed version - No scores provided)

3. POWERPREP® Online - Practice Test 2 (Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning scores provided)

GRE study material (Paid)