10 Tips and Tricks for the GRE

When you are preparing for an important exam, all you need is someone to guide you. If the exam is as important as the GRE, then you don't want to leave any stone unturned. Here are some tips and tricks suggested by test-takers. Students who are going to appear for the exam for the first time should keep these tips in mind to achieve their desired score.

When you're preparing for the GRE, it can feel like you're awash in a sea of advice. Some of it's good, some of it's bad, and some of it's just plain unhelpful. The real secret is staying focused and consistent. Start with a clear study plan for GRE, strengthen your vocabulary, and make practice tests your best friend.

Balance your preparation between Quant, Verbal, and Writing, don’t ignore any section. Those who scored 330+ or even 340 in GRE are regular people, not superheroes. If they achieved it, you can too. Believe in yourself, trust your process.

Prep Tips for GRE Exams 2025

Ten tricks and tips will help you for GRE Preparation.

• Plan Ahead
• Know What You Are Getting Into
• Practice, Practice and More Practice
• Start Studying Vocabulary
• Focus on Your Subjects
• Don't Ignore Other Projects
• Use Good Study Materials
• Understand GRE Exam Pattern
• Make Mistakes and Repeat Never
• Re-Take GRE, if Score is Low 

Why Planning Ahead Matters for GRE Success

Plan ahead. Whether because of sudden decisions or new information, some students don't have a lot of time to plan for the GRE Exam. Can you still get a good score on the GRE? Absolutely. Is it harder? Absolutely. No matter what your situation is, though, make sure that registering for your GRE test date is the first thing you do. Spots fill up early (sometimes months in advance!), and if you're at your mental best on weekends, or afternoons, or have any other special requirements, lock the date down now.

Understanding the GRE Format

Know what you're getting into. It may be too late to turn back now but familiarize yourself with both the exam and your own strengths and weaknesses by taking a GRE diagnostic test. There's no time like the present.

Practice Tests for GRE Prep

Take lots of practice tests. A lot of students prepping for the GRE think that taking/reading lessons and doing practice sets is sufficient. Not so! The GRE is a marathon, and staying alert for almost four hours takes practice. Taking at least one practice test a week, for a total of around ten in all, is ideal.

Build a Winning GRE Vocabulary

Start studying vocabulary. GRE Verbal is extremely vocab-heavy, and (particularly if you're applying to humanities or social science programs) will be important to master. This isn't SAT/ACT-level stuff, either. These are some hard words!

Focus on Your Target Subject Area

Focus on your subject. Well, broadly speaking. This is a little blurrier for those in the social sciences, but if you're applying to an English grad program, your Quant score will have little bearing on your application. Similarly, Engineering admissions committees won't care too much about your English scores.

Don’t Neglect Other GRE Sections

Don't ignore the other subject. I know, it's contradictory. However, you don't want to ignore the other areas of the exam completely. If you score extremely low on a part of the test, even if it's not directly relevant to the graduate program, it might raise red flags for the admissions committee. So do put some work in.

Choosing the Best Study Materials

Use good materials. The materials you use to prepare should have detailed explanations of why the right answers are right and why the wrong answers are wrong. You'll be surprised at how few books do this! Scout out reviews and take a look at a few pages of the material before buying. These books don't come cheap.

Understand the Type of GRE Questions

Know question types. Again, lessons aren't enough here. You'll see some question types on the GRE with multiple answer choices, questions where you have to fill in a numerical answer, quantitative comparisons. All kinds of beasts. Pay attention to the question types you consistently ace and those you get wrong, and make sure you come up with approaches that work for you for each problem type. To do that.

Track Mistakes and Never Repeat it

Keep an error log. Keep a record of your mistakes – and the correct answers and steps to get to them. Work through these problems regularly, and you'll be far less likely to be thrown off-balance by similar questions on test day.

Re-Take GRE, if GRE Score is Low 

Plan on taking the exam twice. Most people will get better scores on the GRE by taking it twice. The tests have to be at least 21 days apart, so make sure you plan well in advance! You may be happy with your score on the first exam. But just think how much pressure will be taken off your shoulders during that test, simply by knowing that you'll have a chance to retake the exam if necessary.