GRE Vocabulary Builder - GRE Study Tips

GRE exam approaching and nervous about the verbal section, specifically your vocabulary?  Stop worrying and start preparing, but spend your time wisely. No need to read the dictionary from cover to cover--there are more effective ways to prepare for the GRE exam.

The GRE exam is typically required for entry into U.S. graduate schools and is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Beginning August 1, 2011, the GRE Revised General Test will be available, however, if you need GRE scores prior to November 2011, ETS recommends that you take the GRE General Test.

The pre-August 1, 2011 GRE General Test requires knowledge of vocabulary in the reading comprehension, antonym, analogy, and sentence completion sections.

Vocabulary will continue to be important to the three areas (reading comprehension, text completion, and sentence equivalence) of the verbal reasoning section of the revised GRE exam, which will be administered on and after August 1, 2011. While this section of the exam consists of multiple-choice questions, if you do not know the definitions of the words in the answer choices, you will not be able to select the accredited response (the answer the test writers want you to select).

Mindset. The GRE, like other standardized tests, provides multiple choice responses from which to choose. The goal isn't necessarily to know the "correct" answer--it's to be able to eliminate the wrong ones and narrow down the options so that you have a better chance of choosing the response the test writers (ETS) want you to pick (the "accredited response").

Study smarter. Various companies have reviewed past GRE exams and created lists of words that tend to appear more frequently. Focus on learning the words and definitions that are more likely to appear, but select sites/materials that have been recently updated. GRE word lists and materials from 2005 may not be as relevant for GRE exams being administered today. If you have extra time, you can learn less common words and definitions.

Study aids. I used to teach for The Princeton Review and can absolutely recommend their courses and books. Not only do they provide materials and techniques for improving your GRE score but also they provide you with practice exams. If you don't have or want to spend money on GRE prep courses, there are free tools available on the internet. You can download vocabulary lists and flashcards (see resources below).

Study plan. There's no short cut to actual study time. Allow enough time before your exam to prepare adequately (I would recommend a minimum of 6-8 weeks). Block out time each day, or set aside a certain number of hours per week, and study.

Daily activities. When you read for school, work, or pleasure and come across unfamiliar words, get in the habit of looking them up. Repeat them and try to use them in a sentence after you have read the definition. If you incorporate new words into your daily conversations, you will be less likely to forget them.

GRE Words. Find lists of words that have more frequently appeared on the GRE exam. You can find GRE words online, in official ETS study materials, and in GRE prep course materials. For specific GRE word lists, please see the resource section below.

Flash cards. Flash cards can be a great way to study. You can make your own (either hand write or type) or use online tools (see resource section below--Dictionary.com allows you to create various flash card decks). If you write or type the words and definitions yourself, however, you are reinforcing the concepts, which may better assist you with recall later on the GRE exam. You can also watch and listen to flash card videos, which include the correct pronunciations of the words.

Podcasts. Keep studying while on the go. You can download GRE vocabulary podcasts and listen while commuting, cleaning, exercising, etc.

Memorization tips. Review the word lists and definitions several times. Practice incorporating these words into your daily speech or writing so they become more familiar. Come up with ways to memorize the definitions and associate the word with its definition. An easy way to do this is to associate the word with something personal, which will trigger both the word and definition when you recall the memory. Another way to associate words and definitions is to create your own flash cards while listening to music. If the word appears on the GRE exam, you may remember what song you were listening to when you created the flash card, which may help trigger the related definition.

Know where the GRE exam site is located and allow sufficient travel time so that you are not rushed.

Get a good night's rest before the exam.

Wear layers to the GRE exam site. If you get too warm, you can take a layer off.