Who has taken them? Did you fine them difficult?

How did you score?

I took them in '95 or thereabouts. I actually enjoyed taking them. I even remember admiring the design of the answer sheets and the layout of the problem booklets. They were much better written tests than any other standardized test I'd taken. I don't know how much they've changed.

There are some standardized tests that just click with me and I lay waste to them. Others mystify me and I do poorly. The PSAT, ACT, and GRE clicked for me. Something undefinable that was very similar about them. I went to college for free because of my PSAT and ACT scores. In retrospect, I probably got into a really good grad school entirely because of my GRE. I scored very well, much better than I thought I could, though I don't remember the numbers. The SAT destroyed me. Scored Joe Average on it, and opted not to use them when applying for scholarships.

I found the GRE pretty well tested what it said it tested: abstract problem-solving ability. There is no very deep, specialized understanding of any discipline necessary. It's not a regurgitation test. If you don't get flustered and are organized in your thinking, you'll do well.

Good luck.

I took them long long ago. I did predictably well in the wordy bits and averagely in the mathy bits. If I took it again, it would be more level now. Nonetheless, despite the fact that I was saying all along I'd take them again to keep my US grad school options open, I probably won't. I particularly don't want to take the Physics GRE subject test, which is a different and fresher can of hell.

I took the general exam and the English subject exam about two years ago. Split's description of the general seems just about right. I didn't really find the subject exam to be all that difficult; lots of passage identification, but even for periods with which I am totally unfamiliar (eighteenth century English novels were big on this particular exam), I could at least deduce which of the five possible choices was least likely, and whittle it down to one or two very likely choices.

Like Split said, if you relax, stay focused, and don't freeze up, you'll be fine.

Thus far the math is kicking my ass. it is supposed to be critical reasoning but I still see most of the questions as math questions whose process I don't remember from high school.

I took it in '95. My test-taking strategy was
foolish, at best. I didn't do any prep work
until the night before. That evening, I took a
practice test, reviewed my weak areas, then
took another practice test. I did ok on the
test; at least good enough to get into my
schools of choice.

If I ever take it again, I'll probably spend
more time studying.

I actually asked the same question over on the NGB's Grad school thread.

http://neilgaimanboard.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/588609765...10830641#17110830641

Check out some of the replies, in particular the ones about the analytical writing portions.

My own odyssey with the GRE is in progress, I got my appointment date wrong and will be taking it this week. We'll see how I do. My practice tests are ok. As far as the math portion goes get you basic algebraic formulas down again (Pythagorean, area of a circle, etc) and really read the question. I have found that often the ones I miss are because I am answering the WRONG question not giving the wrong answer.

quote:

Originally posted by UberDog:
Thus far the math is kicking my ass. it is supposed to be critical reasoning but I still see most of the questions as math questions whose process I don't remember from high school.

If you haven't done any math since high school, then you can expect to struggle there. I was a poli sci guy, but I was also an econ minor in a very math-heavy department and had spent a year as an engineering student. So I'd had plenty of math during college.

quote:

Originally posted by Splitcoil:

quote:

Originally posted by UberDog:
Thus far the math is kicking my ass. it is supposed to be critical reasoning but I still see most of the questions as math questions whose process I don't remember from high school.

If you haven't done any math since high school, then you can expect to struggle there. I was a poli sci guy, but I was also an econ minor in a very math-heavy department and had spent a year as an engineering student. So I'd had plenty of math during college.

I took only one chem course to satisfy my math requirement.

Urg.

quote:

Originally posted by editengine:
I actually asked the same question over on the NGB's Grad school thread.

http://neilgaimanboard.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/588609765...10830641#17110830641

Check out some of the replies, in particular the ones about the analytical writing portions.

My own odyssey with the GRE is in progress, I got my appointment date wrong and will be taking it this week. We'll see how I do. My practice tests are ok. As far as the math portion goes get you basic algebraic formulas down again (Pythagorean, area of a circle, etc) and really read the question. I have found that often the ones I miss are because I am answering the WRONG question not giving the wrong answer.

Cool, thanks, EE.

Tests! I hate the word. As I hate hell, and Montagues, and thee.

quote:

Originally posted by Metro Dynamics:
Tests! I hate the word. As I hate hell, and Montagues, and thee.

But I don't want to build houses!

The regular GRE's were pretty cake. The subject ones, like physics, math or engineering were several orders of magnitude harder.

What did you get on them, the regular ones?

I think my mean was around 93 percentile, but I'd have to dig to find the actual scores. It was easy.

showoff

Uber I am on the block Friday but I am told a lot of people (even very smart ones) take it multiple times.

I had read that some schools just wind up averaging multiple scores though.

I am happy to offer up my math skillz via email if anyone needs any stupid questions answered.

Even with an English degree, the GRE did wonders for my vocabulary. "Pulchritudinous", indeed.

I get spam that uses pulchritudinous. That was unexpected.

The math is easy, especially if all the answers have different least significant digits. No need to perform the entire problem