GRE: Increasing Your Speed

4/5/18

Improving your knowledge of the areas tested on the GRE can be an important way to improve your speed. When you start studying, focus on your technique, taking as much time as you need. When you learn how to solve the problems, start thinking about time. Give yourself time limits and continually try to get faster. The target times you should go for are approximately 1 minute and 45 seconds per math question and 1 minute and 30 seconds per verbal question. (See the end of this section for target times for each type of question on the Verbal section.)
While taking the exam, skip or postpone the challenging and time consuming questions and answer the easier ones first. Each question is worth the same amount of points in a section, so it is worth it to get the fast questions done and miss out on a couple challenging ones rather than spending all your time on the challenging questions and missing out on the easier ones.
There are no points deducted for wrong answers, so answer every question. Towards the end of the period, if you think it will take too long to get it right, just guess and move on.
On multiple-choice questions, start by reading the options and eliminating answers you know are wrong. If you still need to guess, your chances of guessing the right answer will be higher.
Some tests are adaptive, so if you did well on the first section, the second section will be more difficult and allow you to score higher.
The more you work at memorizing rules, definitions, formulae, mnemonics, etc., the easier it will be to recognize the first steps in a problem. For example, learn to recognize supplementary angles, vertical angles, congruent shapes, similar shapes, etc.
If the problem asks you to find the area of a complicated shaded object, look for a way to simplify by arranging the region into common shapes like squares or triangles.
If the problem is a geometry problem stated in words, sketch a diagram, unless you can visualize one. If the problem is numerical or algebraic, try visualizing with a number line, an x-y plane, etc.
On a multiple-choice question, if you can estimate the answer, you may see that one option is closer to your approximation than the others, so it is probably correct.
In expressions with variables, you may be able to rearrange the variables and factor the expression to make it simpler before you worry about solving for individual variables.
One useful thing to remember is FOIL: First-Outside-Inside-Last. When you have an expression like (x+2)(2x-3), you multiply the First terms (x * 2x = 2x²), then the Outside terms (x * -3 = -3x), then the Inside terms (2 * 2x = 4x), and then the Last terms (2 * -3 = -6). Add them up: 2x² + -3x + 4x + -6 = 2x² + x – 6. Factoring is FOIL in reverse, turning ax² + bx + c into (x+n)(x+m).
On reading comprehension questions: skim through the passage first (first and last sentences of each paragraph), then read a question, find your own answer before reading the answers from the test, then find the answer that best fits yours.
One useful step in preparing for the GRE is preparing to devote four or more hours to the test.
When I took the GRE, I did all my GRE sections and specific area tests in the same day to make it easier, or so I thought. I was not prepared to spend so many hours of my day in concentration and hard work.
While practicing for the GRE, I suggest setting a four hour block of time to do practice tests, to get an idea of what it will be like on test day and develop the necessary willpower and endurance.