Rome they say was not built in a day, so is the process of studying for your GRE mathematics or better still, Quantitative Reasoning. It takes practice to get the best result out of your GRE examination, most significantly, your mathematics.
It is a fact that mathematics is understood only if you repeat the process over a long period. Even if you are not a math lover, you should know a good score in your GRE will improve your chances of getting into the best graduate schools. As you work on your knowledge of content, you will need some tips to help you get the best score possible for your GRE Maths.
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But Before Unveiling These Tips, I Will Quickly Give You an Overview of What the Gre Maths Section Looks Like;
The GRE math has two Quant sections with 20 questions each, with a time frame of 35-minutes for each section – there is a possibility of having a third Quant section that will not be added to your final Quant score. In the Examination hall, you will be provided with a plain paper for your rough calculations and an on the screen calculator with essential arithmetic functions such as addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and square roots. It is not mandated for you to use the calculator for your GRE math, but you are at liberty to do so if you desire.
The GRE math section will test you on four major topics which are as follows:
- Algebra
- Arithmetic
- Data Analysis
- Geometry
Although studying for the GRE math can be difficult, here are ten (9) proven tips that will help you get the best as you study for your GRE math.
Tip 1: Understand the Quant Pattern
I already gave you an overview of how the GRE math comes in Quant sections which have been a consistent pattern for the GRE over the years. Which means it is never changed, so you must get yourself familiar with how the Quant works, this will help you to know how best to manage your time and see the kind of questions to expect. For you to get a grasp on the type of questions to expect, I will suggest you surf the web for a sample of the Quant questions to see what they look like.
Tip 2: Examine all the Information given on Quant Comparison Questions
When attempting QC questions, examine all the provided information and note down all critical variables, numbers and phrases from the items on your provided rough paper. It would help if you never went on to solve a Quant Comparison question without noting the factors mentioned above, because QC questions are relatively different from PSQ’s (Problem Solving Questions), and most times do not require any mathematics at all to solve. So, before attempting the question, ask yourself; why am I being provided with all this information? And then strategically try the question.
Tip 3: Unravel the Word Problem
Following tip two near is to learn how you endeavour to break down the imagination underlying the questions, the usage of one or two words can cause a radical alteration in what the problem is inferring. So, it would help if you slowed down when attempting these tricky questions. Know that even If the math is so glaring in the question, you should spend time to unravel the English used and translate it into math.
Tip 4: Avoid Using Calculator
You will be provided with a calculator, but it is advisable to avoid using the calculator when practising for your GRE math, except if you have to use one.
The reason for this tip is because, most of the GRE Quant questions can be solved within a minute to three minutes without using a calculator, and the calculator will consume your time if you are too reliant on it. So, it is advisable always to do simple calculations in your head and avoid usage of a calculator perpetually.
Tip 5: Learn to Solve from the Answers Provided
Now, this might be a little tricky, but it works like magic, let me explain. Whenever you are given a question with numbers in the answer choices provided, solving from the answer is a great place to start from.
So what you should do at this point is to go through the answer choices and plug them into the question, one after the other, and you will have a 45℅ probability of finding the right answer based on your calculations.
Tip 6: Simplify Complex Figures
One of the reasons GRE math might look challenging to solve is the complex figure that is often used to confuse, so always break them down. Take, for instance, complicated Geometrical questions like quadrilateral have triangles hidden in them, circles embedded in squares and so on. Find ways to make all of these figures stand-alone, and from there, it will be easier to solve the question.
Tip 7: Time Yourself
Give yourself a target of 2 minutes maximum time on a question. Each math Quant section comes with 29 questions, and you are given a time frame of 35 minutes to complete each of them.
While some questions can be solved in a minute, some others might take up to 2 minutes, so it is essential to use your time judiciously and move on when you have spent more than 2 minutes on a question without the solution. At that point, what should do is to guess the answer strategically.
Tip 8: Thoroughly Analyze Tables and Graphs
When dealing with questions that have to do with the interpretation of Data, be calm and give a thorough understanding of what the data are saying.
Gradually read the units of measurement, labels and titles and take note of the trend. Get to understand the correlation between the variables, the conclusions can be drawn from such correlations, and you will know what exactly to do to find your right answer.
conclusion
I will give you one last tip on how To Study For Your GRE Maths, which is to be yourself and Stick to the Methods That You Know. The GRE math has questions from all levels of difficulty, so a systematic approach should be what you use, and you should not discontinue your strategy when you come across a more tricky question.
Therefore, always look at all questions from all aspects, before deciding on what strategy to apply, I believe with the above tips, you are going to smash your GRE math.
