GRE tips by the MBA Student, A guide to getting a high score in GRE from a SDA Bocconi, Mumbai student

A passionate student dedicated to academic excellence, fueled by a curiosity that knows no bounds. My journey is not just about textbooks; it’s a fusion of learning and growing from being an Engineer to pursuing MBA. 

Q. What is your academic background and work experience? How did you join International Master in Business programme at SDA Bocconi Asia Center?

My name is Aditya Bhutada, and I am a current student of the International Master in Business program at SDA Boconni Asia Centre. I hold a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering  from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, after which I worked as a Product Analyst at a manufacturing startup, where I led market research and product development efforts for a new product launch. That experience gave me a strong technical grounding but also made me realize how much I wanted to grow on the business and strategy side.

After that, I joined SDA Bocconi Asia Center to build a proper foundation in business management, gain international exposure, and find a way to combine my analytical background with broader management and leadership skills, something my engineering degree alone couldn't give me.

I joined SDA Bocconi, Mumbai with my GRE score, preparing for it while working and also gearing up for B-School interviews. This article is about how I prepared for the GRE test, and what helped me score a 328 in the test.

Q. What tips would you give to GRE aspirants?

I'll be honest, when I signed up for the GRE, I had no idea what I was getting into. I'd heard it was "like the SAT but harder," which told me almost nothing useful. After three months of prep, one practice test that genuinely humbled me, and a final score I that I was happy with, here's what I actually learned.

Q. Could you explain what the GRE exam Is and Why It's Different From What You're Expecting?

The GRE is split into three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Verbal and Quant are each scored between 130 and 170, and Writing is scored from 0 to 6. Most grad programs care most about Verbal and Quant, though competitive programs often have a writing minimum too, so don't ignore it.

One thing that surprised me is how the test is structured. The GRE is section-adaptive, meaning if you do well on your first Verbal or Quant section, the second one gets harder, but also gives you access to higher scores. It sounds stressful, but it's actually fair once you understand it. Also, unlike a lot of standardized tests, you can skip questions and come back within a section. Use that. If something is stumping you, flag it and move on rather than burning five minutes on one question.

Q. How was the Verbal Reasoning section for you? Do do you think it involves more Logic Than You'd Think? What stratergy did you choose for verbal reasoning section?

This was the section that caught me most off guard. I'd always considered myself a strong reader, so I figured Verbal would be my easier half. Then I started hitting words I had genuinely never encountered, words like "tendentious" or "recondite", and my confidence took a hit.

But here's what I eventually figured out: the GRE Verbal section isn't really a vocabulary quiz. It's a logic test. For Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, the sentence itself tells you what the blank needs, you just have to read it carefully. Words like "although" and "despite" signal a contrast, so the answer should flip the direction of the sentence. Words like "moreover" or "indeed" signal continuation. Once I trained myself to look for those signals before even glancing at the answer choices, I stopped second-guessing myself so much.

For Reading Comprehension, the biggest change I made was slowing down on the first read. I used to skim passages quickly to "save time," then spend twice as long re-reading to answer questions. Reading carefully once, with the goal of understanding the author's main point and the overall structure, is genuinely faster.

On vocabulary: I focused on a high-frequency GRE word list rather than trying to memorize everything. Magoosh has a solid free flashcard app. More than flashcards though, reading longer articles, I picked up the habit of reading one long-form piece from The Atlantic or similar every day helped words actually stick because I was seeing them in context.

Q. How was the Quantitative Reasoning section for you? How do you think it is the High School Math, but students should not underestimate it?

The Quant section doesn't go beyond high school math, no calculus, no statistics beyond the basics. But if you're a few years out from high school, some of that foundation has probably gotten shakier than you realize. Mine definitely had.

Geometry was where I lost the most points early on. I kept assuming formulas would be given, the way they were on my high school exams. On the GRE, they are not. Memorizing things like the area of a triangle, circle formulas, and the Pythagorean theorem variations is just a baseline requirement.

One technique I relied on heavily was plugging in numbers. When a problem has variables and no specific values, pick a simple number like 2 or 10 and substitute it in. It turns abstract algebra into arithmetic you can actually work through. It sounds too simple, but it's a legitimate strategy and it works consistently.

Also worth knowing: there's no penalty for wrong answers on the GRE. If you're running low on time, guess on everything you haven't answered. A blank guarantees zero points. A guess at least gives you a shot.

Q. What was your stratergy for Analytical Writing? How did you manage to write teh two essays?

Thirty minutes per essay, two essays total. The first asks you to take a position on a broad issue and defend it. The second gives you an argument written by someone else and asks you to evaluate its logic, not whether you agree with the conclusion, but whether the reasoning actually holds up.

That second task tripped me up early on because I kept writing opinion essays when I should have been finding logical flaws. Common ones to look for: assuming correlation means causation, generalizing from a small or unrepresentative sample, or drawing conclusions that require assumptions the argument never actually supports. Practice spotting these before test day.

What is the last piece of advice you would like to give to the aspirants preparing for the GRE exam and wish to join the MBA programe at SDA Bocconi Asia Center?

Give yourself at least 8 - 12 weeks. Take the free POWERPREP practice tests ETS offers. Review every wrong answer and understand why it was wrong, not just what the right answer was. That habit alone will move your score more than anything else.

You'll be fine. It just takes the right preparation.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha