GRE Preparation Tips 2025: Best Strategies & Tips for GRE Exam

GRE

Raj Vimal
Updated on Oct 8, 2025 15:19 IST

By Raj Vimal, Assistant Manager Editorial

If you are preparing for the Graduate Record Examination, then you must have searched queries like how to prepare for GRE to get a good score in the exam. GRE is not one of the top 10 toughest exams in the world, but test takers need to prepare hard to crack this exam. ETS (Educational Testing Agency), the conducting body of the GRE General Test, offers multiple sample papers and study materials to help students in the exam preparation.

To get admission into their desired Postgraduate courses offered by universities around the world, students need to score well in the GRE exam. Apart from the GRE Preparation strategy, you need to have a set of preparation books to cover the syllabus on time.

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GRE  Preparation Tips

Having extra time to practice for the GRE exam 2025 is helpful. With 4 to 5 hours of daily practice, a student will need 8 to 12 weeks to prepare for the GRE from scratch. Keep in mind that students need to fulfil GRE eligibility to complete the process of registration process. Let's have a look at the top GRE preparation tips and more.

Q:   How do I prepare for GRE exam in 1 month?
A: 

It is possible to cover the GRE syllabus in one month only if you have understood the basics information of Graduate Record Examination. Here is the 1-month GRE preparation plan.

  1. Join a class. It is really stressful to cover the syllabus in one month without guidance.
  2. Understand the GRE pattern and syllabus before you start the preparation.
  3. Create a study plan and dedicate 10 hours daily for the preparation.
  4. Practice with different sets of GRE sample papers and identify your weakness.
  5. Create Flashcards to remember the lessons

This one month plan can help you to improve your score and not to become topper. 

Q:   How I can prepare for GRE?
A: 

To start the GRE preparation, students should follow these tips

 

Q:   What are the best apps for GRE preparation?
A: 

There are multiple applications available on the internet, where you can prepare for the GRE exam. Some of them are free while many of them will ask you to pay some amount. Below, we have mentioned some popular apps which can help you to assess your preparation:

  1. Magoosh GRE Prep
  2. Manhattan Prep GRE
  3. Kaplan GRE Prep

Other than, you can explore other mobile applications.

Table of content
  • Top 10 GRE Preparation Tips
  • Effective GRE Preparation Strategies
  • GRE Preparation Online
  • How to Prepare for GRE (section-wise)
  • Best Books for GRE Preparation 2025
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Top 10 GRE Preparation Tips

A lot of students are confused about the best GRE exam preparation practices and ask, How to study for the GRE? We are going to dive right in and discuss the best GRE study material for them. Here are the top 10 Tips and Tricks for the GRE

  1. Plan ahead
  2. Know what you're getting into
  3. Take lots of practice tests
  4. Start studying vocabulary
  5. Focus on your subject
  6. Don't ignore the other subject
  7. Use good materials
  8. Know question types
  9. Keep an error log
  10. Plan on taking the exam twice
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Commonly asked questions
Q:   What should I do next to prepare for GRE?
A: 

If you are doing GRE preparation for the first time then you should know GRE General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills of a candidate during the test. You need to work on these sections to get good score. Here are the preparation tips for you

  • Start your preparation as soon as possible.
  • Take a practice or mock test before you start your preparation.
  • Identify strengths and weaknesses.
  • Choose limited but authentic study materials.
  • Create your notes and flashcards during preparation.
  • Divide your objective in small goals and keep tracking your progress.

Also, candidates from India can explore some helpful tips to prepare for GRE especially for Indian students.

Q:   What is the best time to take GRE Exam?
A: 

The best time to take the GRE exam depends on you. Ask two questions to yourself,  

  1. Are you prepared to take GRE exam?
  2. When are you planning to apply for admission?

The ETS conducts the GRE exam every month so you can take the test according to your schedule. Also, the validity of GRE scores is five years, but it's generally recommended to take the GRE within a year or two before applying for admission.

Q:   What are some of the top GRE online coachings?
A: 

Here are some of the popular coaching institutes for online GRE preparation. The fee of these institutes vary based on the type of educational services they offer.

  1. The Princeton Review
  2. Kaplan
  3. ETS Official Prep
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Effective GRE Preparation Strategies

The first section of the GRE is always the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section. This section comprises an analysis of an issue task. The duration of this task is 30 minutes. This section is followed by two Verbal Reasoning sections, two Quantitative Reasoning sections.. For students to master the section-wise preparation for GRE, they can start the preparation early so that they can get enough time for it.

  1. Start by Taking a GRE Practice Test: The first step towards preparing for your GRE exam would be to know your current standing. By taking a full-length GRE practice test, the candidate should be able to identify weak areas and sections that would need extra focus.
  2. Determine your GRE Cut off Score: This would be the score you would require to apply to your preferred university. Candidates should note that their GRE target score should be above the average score of the university. This way, the candidate would be able to make his application stand out.
  3. Close the Gap: The next step in the GRE preparation process would be to plan on closing the gap. Candidates can opt for GRE preparation online, or offline.
  4. Practice with and without a calculator: Candidates would have access to an onscreen calculator, which is a huge advantage but can also prove to be a liability. So it is important that the candidate knows when to use the calculator and when he is better at using the rules of a key math concept.
  5. Build up your GRE vocabulary: Candidates are required to read a lot of analytical non-fiction to build up their GRE vocabulary.
  6. Practice GRE Practice Papers: Candidates are required to practice GRE sample papers as many times as possible and review their results, and note down their progress.  
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Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is a good GRE score out of 340?
A: 

The ideal score depends on the university you are targeting for admission. You have to get 320 or above out of 340,  for getting easy admission in to the top universities worldwide. Keep in mind that score equal to or above 75 percentile is considered good enough to apply for admission.

Q:   What is the highest GRE score?
A: 

340 is the highest score or full marks in GRE exam. Here, score range for Verbal reasoning section and Quantitative reasoning section from 130-170 (each section). Also, Analytical Writing section is a part of GRE syllabus but score of this section does not count as part of your overall GRE exam score.

Q:   When is the ideal time to take GRE?
A: 

Any time is ideal for taking GRE exam, if you are well prepared. Here are the things to keep in mind before taking the exam:

  1. If you have completed your preparation and feel confident. It is the right time to take the exam.
  2. If the deadline is approaching, you should take the exam as soon as possible.
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GRE Preparation Online

Whether you are planning to pursue a master’s course in law, business, or any other graduate course, you need to take the GRE test, which is accepted by thousands of schools across the globe. For the benefit of our readers, we also have a very dedicated GRE sample papers section for candidates to visit for the latest GRE study material. Here, the study material available is online, and the GRE study material has been sourced from the most reliable sources and is in tune with the current GRE Exam Syllabus and pattern.  

The GRE Test evaluates the candidates on their verbal, analytical, and mathematical skills. Whereas, the Subject Test focuses on judging the candidates’ abilities in specific areas. The GRE General Test is taken by students from various educational backgrounds and it provides schools with common selection criteria for comparing candidates' qualifications. We have collated the latest GRE sample questions and brought them together for our readers. They can be found below.

Solve GRE Question Papers Here:

GRE Practice Test

GRE Analytical Writing Practice Test

GRE Quantitative Practice Test

GRE Verbal Practice Test

Why You Should Prepare Online?

One big question everyone preparing for the GRE faces is figuring out how to start the GRE preparation. Some prefer good old private tuitions, coaching classes, or self-studies, the most recent favourite among students is online prep courses. If you are confused between coaching classes or online prep, here are a few points clarifying why online exam prep is suddenly a rage among test-takers internationally.

  1. Convenient and customizable
  2. Personalized lessons
  3. Learn at your speed
  4. Evaluation
  5. Cost-effective
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Commonly asked questions
Q:   Why is online GRE preparation becoming so popular?
A: 

Online GRE preparation has increased because it offers unmatched convenience and flexibility. Students can create personalized study plans for their preparation and use technologies at their own pace. Students can access study materials from anywhere at any time. Also, students can do attempt their self evaluation tests.

Q:   Can I get GRE sample papers in PDF format?
A: 

Yes. ETS provides it on official website:

  1. Verbal Reasoning practice PDFs
  2. Quantitative Reasoning practice PDFs
  3. Analytical Writing prompts

These are freely downloadable PDFs from the ETS Practice Materials page. Other than this, several website offer GRE sample papers to the students.

Q:   What does the GRE General Test evaluate?
A: 

The GRE General Test checks skills you've built up over time, which are important to start your studies in graduation school. It assess your skills related to reading and vocabulary (Verbal Reasoning), your basic math and problem-solving (Quantitative Reasoning), and your essay writing. These aren't tied to one specific subject; they're useful for many different graduate programs.

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How to Prepare for GRE (section-wise)

As mentioned earlier, the GRE exam is made up of multiple sections that come together to make the GRE test. Check out section-wise GRE preparation tips and tricks for our readers. 

GRE Analytical Writing Prep Tips

  • Understand Task
  • No Right or Wrong Opinion
  • Use the ETS Topic Pool
  • Practice with Timed Tests
  • Follow a Template

GRE Verbal Reasoning Section Prep Tips

  • Understand Goal
  • Build Strong GRE Vocabulary
  • Use Multiple Learning Techniques
  • Practice Sentence Equivalence and Text Completion strategies
  • Focus on Clues, Not Guessing

GRE Quantitative Section Prep Tips

  • Do not ignore Math fundamentals.
  • Give due importance to the math topics that are tested more extensively.
  • Refer to Official Guide and take a look at the list of all the math topics that may appear on the GRE
  • Keep in mind that although GRE doesn’t test you on esoteric math concepts, questions are often tricky.
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Commonly asked questions
Q:   How do I score 340 marks in GRE exam?
A: 

To get score 340 out 340 in GRE exam results, you need to follow these section-wise preparation tips:

  1. Read books and newspapers as much as you can. 
  2. Develop writing habbites, this will help you analytical writing section.
  3. Learn new words and their meaning.
  4. Read the reading comprehension passage carefully and pay attention to the details.
  5. Eliminate incorrect answers crack down the correct answer.
  6. To solve Quant questions, learn the formulas and principles of related topics
  7.  Solve a variety of questions. This will help you to self evalute your performance.
Q:   How to Prepare for GRE Quantitative Section?
A: 

The quantitative section of GRE exam has two 35-minute sections with 20 questions each. The test is adaptive. It means the difficulty of next question depends on the previous answer of students. Here are some pro tips to prepare for GRE Quantitative Preparation. These tips will be helpful for all test takers who want to score good in quant section.

  1. Do not ignore Math fundamentals
  2. Give due importance to the math topics
  3. Refer to the Official Guide
  4. Time Management
  5. Practice GRE Quant Sample Papers
Q:   Can online GRE prep replace coaching classes?
A: 

Yes, online GRE prep can absolutely replace traditional coaching classes. Online learning offers flexibility, personalised learning paths, adaptive practice tests with detailed feedback. It allows you to study at your own pace. Note that success with online preparation needs strong self discipline and accountability.

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Best Books for GRE Preparation 2025

If you take the route of self-study to prepare for the GRE, there are a lot of GRE preparation materials and GRE study plans available to help you. The official ETS has its own official study guide and a mobile app. Refer to the following GRE books and guides to help you create a study plan -

  • The Official Guide to the GRE revised General Test, Second Edition - Both the book and eBook feature two actual, full-length tests, hundreds of authentic GRE test questions, explanations for many answers, test-taking strategies, sample essay responses with reader commentary, and more.
  • The Official GRE Guide app - It gives you access to authentic test questions with answers and explanations, plus valuable test-taking tips and strategies. The Official GRE Guide app is the most accurate and informative GRE revised General Test preparation available in an interactive, electronic format.
  • Official GRE Verbal Reasoning Practice Questions, Volume One - this guide includes an authoritative overview of the GRE Analytical Writing measure, complete with sample writing tasks, and scored sample responses.
  • Official GRE Quantitative Reasoning Practice Questions, Volume One – This book offers 150 never-before-published Quantitative Reasoning questions with complete explanations. It also includes a review of the math topics you need to know for the test.
  • ScoreItNow! Online Writing Practice Service for the GRE revised General Test – This service is a web-based tool that can help you sharpen your analytical writing skills and prepare for the Analytical Writing section of the GRE revised General Test. 
  • Manhattan Prep - They offer 8 test-taking strategy guides, focusing on each of the tests' content areas, including Algebra, Fractions, Decimals & Percents, Geometry, Number Properties, and Word Problems.
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Commonly asked questions
Q:   What is the importance of GRE Books?
A: 

GRE Prep books are one of helpful resources for GRE candidates. It saves students time to cover theoretical part of exam. Also it offers comprehensive coverage of different topics. Some GRE books provide sample tests, practice problems, and strategies to prepare for GRE.

Q:   How to buy the best books for GRE preparation?
A: 

To buy the preparation books for GRE exam 2025, you can visit the online or offline market. Websites like Amazon, Flipkart, and other websites offer the latest edition books for GRE prep. You can also try online marketplaces like OLX and second hand book stores where you can buy one or two-year-old editions at a lower price.

Q:   What is the best book to prepare for the GRE?
A: 

There are three sections in GRE exam so you need to buy separate GRE books to prepare for these sections.

Best Books for GRE Analytical Writing:

  • GRE Analytical Writing - Solutions to the Real Essay Topics - Book 1 and Book 2 by Vibrant Publishers.

Best Books for GRE Quantative Reasoning:

  • Kaplan GRE Maths Workbook
  • Barron’s New GRE

Best Books for GRE Verbal Reasoning section

  • Manhattan Prep Complete Verbal Set
  • ETS Official GRE Guide

These GRE books are easily available in the market.

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Comments

(506)

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Rutul Kumar

a year ago

Hi I am unable to book my GRE Physics Test in Ahmedabad, even though test centre are initially showing, but at the time of registration it is showing this error since last two months "No test centers found based on your search criteria. Change search criteria or enter a specific city location and tr

...Read more

Reply to Rutul Kumar

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Abhay kumar

a year ago

go for GRE at home, only Arizona state university doesn't accept GRE at home except them every college in USA accept GRE at home

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Rutul Kumar

a year ago

When should I apply for GRE Physics April Session in Ahmedabad, India?

Reply to Rutul Kumar

H

Hari

a year ago

How is physically handicapped dear and dumb?

Reply to Hari

R

Rahul Singha

a year ago

Hello Hari. Kindly elaborate on your query for me to be able to assist you better.

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Reshmi Kadamati

2 years ago

hi i am architectural student so i need to join cullen university of space architecture college , i.e, university of houston , USA .

Reply to Reshmi Kadamati

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Rahul Singha

2 years ago

Hello Reshmi. If you are looking for assistance with university admissions, do reach out to our team of Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/apply You can know all about the University of Houston, here: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/usa/universities/university-of-hous

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A

Akshat Mishra

2 years ago

Hey Studyabroad.shiksha! The dates given for 2023 for gre 2023 are in Jan,Feb,Mar,Apr,May,June. What if I wish to appear in Sep-Oct? Will this be possible? Does ETS reveal new dates as the months pass by?

Reply to Akshat Mishra

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Rahul Singha

2 years ago

Hello Akshat. Yes, GRE dates for September to December have been updated on our GRE exam dates page: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/exams/gre/important-dates Please feel free to go ahead with your GRE slot booking.