Last Minute Tips to Ace the GRE

You’ve put in months of long and hard studies for the GRE. As you wrap up your preparation, you wonder if all the sacrifices you’ve endured will be worth it and if you can do something at the last moment to give you that extra push to crack the GRE.

Sound familiar? If so, we have got some awesome last minute GRE tips that are guaranteed to work and get you into the GRE hall of fame!

Do not try to learn new concepts

Typically, it takes us at least two weeks to understand and master any concept. So when you’re really close to the GRE exam (i.e. less than 1 week left), there’s really no point in learning new concepts. Choosing to study new concepts will only make you nervous – and that’s bound to throw you off focus in the days leading up to the exam; and even during the exam. This in turn will negatively affect your GRE score. Instead, focus on what you do know and practice problems to achieve mastery in these areas.

Revise all formulas

We cannot overstate how important this is! We’ve seen countless students perform sub-optimally in the GRE exam just because they forget basic math formulas! It’s also a good idea to understand how a particular formula is derived. Do this successfully and you’ll be confident of succeeding even if you forget any formula. While revising formulas is the way to go for the Quant section, revise best practices for writing essays for the AWA section.

Take a few mock tests

Your brain must get used to performing in peak condition for the entire duration of your test slot. Taking a few mock tests in your GRE test slot in a quiet environment will help you achieve the Zen like focus needed to ace the GRE. Do take online practice tests that are very close to the actual GRE in their user interface and level of difficulty. This will remove any last minute doubts with regards to how to navigate the exam interface and your level of preparation. AdmitAbroad’s and ETS’ Online Full Length Mock GRE tests are best suited for this.

Get a good night’s sleep

Studies show that sleep deprived students perform worse on exams than well rested ones. Now while there’s no “perfect” amount of sleep, most experts believe that the sweet spot is between 7 to 9 hours per night. Lack of sleep can lead to nervousness and loss of focus on the day of the exam – both of which are sure to reduce exam performance.

Carry something to eat

Sugar is the fuel on which your brain runs. When your body’s sugar levels are depleted, it becomes difficult to think. That’s why you can’t think when you’re hungry. In an intense exam like the GRE in which your brain is constantly performing mental acrobatics, you sugar level gets depleted really fast. So it is important to refuel in the 2 breaks (10 minutes each) by eating foods that are low in volume but high in calories and sugar. Eating foods like chocolate or dry fruits will do the trick and ensure that you continue to perform at peak performance in the subsequent sections.

That’s a wrap on the last minute tips! If you liked them, do share them. If you have any additional tips that you think others might find useful, let us know by dropping us an email.

Good luck with the GRE!