An overview of the GRE.

1. OVERVIEW OF THE
GRE
By: Haider A. Shishmahal on behalf of USEFP
(has365@mail.harvard.edu)

2. Objectives of this workshop
1. What is the GRE and why you should give it.
2. The types of questions and the types of
answer choices (with examples).
3. Test taking strategies.
4. The essays.
5. Strategies in answering (with examples).
6. How and where to prepare.

3. The GRE
 Computer-based test
 Duration~4 Hours - (3 hours and 45 minutes)
 Fee: $195
 Scores valid for 5 years
 Send scores free to 4 institutions on day of
the exam
 $ 25 for sending score to additional
institutions.
 Offered Monday-Thursday every week all
year around

4. THE GRE

5. The GRE - Scoring
 Verbal Reasoning: 130-170
(In increments of 1.0)
 Quantitative: 130-170
(In increments of 1.0)
 Analytical Writing: 0-6
(In increments of 0.5)

6. The GRE - Quantitative
 20 questions / section - 35 minutes / section
 Score range: 130-170 in increments of 1 point
 Understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, and data analysis
 Quantitative Comparison
 Multiple-choice Questions — Select One Answer Choice
 Multiple-choice Questions — Select One or More
Answer Choices
 Numeric Entry

7. The GRE - Verbal
Total score: 170
 Three types of questions:
 Reading Comprehension
 Text Completion
 Sentence Equivalence

8. The GRE
Why you should give the test
 Extremely important in admissions process of American
universities.
 Very useful preparation for office work and professional
related entrance tests at multinational companies and
banks.
 Critical for professional study and academia.

9. Types of Questions -
Quantitative
Multiple Choice with one correct answer
 Directions
• Select a single answer choice.
 Sample
• If 5x+32 = 4 – 2x, what is the value of x ?
A 4
B –3
C - 4
D -7
E -12

10. Types of Questions -
Quantitative
Sample: Multiple choice with two correct
answers
 Which two of the following numbers have
a product that is greater than 60 ?
 A –9
 B –7
 C 6
 D 8

11. Types of Questions - Quantitative
NUMERIC ENTRY- Examples
 Rectangle R has length 30 and width 10, and square S has
length 5. The perimeter of S is what fraction of the perimeter
of R?
___________
 There are twice as many girls as boys in an English class. If
30% of the girls and 45% of the boys have already submitted
their homework, what percent of students have not submitted
the homework yet.

12. Types of Questions -
Quantitative
 Sample: Quantity Comparison
 Quantity A Quantity B
 23% of 43 43% of 23
 A Quantity A is greater.
 B Quantity B is greater.
 C The two quantities are equal.
 D The relationship cannot be determined from
the information given.

13. Types of Questions -
Quantitative
Sample: Quantity Comparison
Given that: x2 = 25
Quantity A Quantity B
x √25
 A Quantity A is greater.
 B Quantity B is greater.
 C The two quantities are equal.
 D The relationship cannot be determined from
the information given.

14. Recap: Quantitative Types
1) MCQ with one answer choice.
2) MCQ with one or more answer choices.
3) Numeric Entry
4) Quantitative comparisons

15. Recap: Quantitative Types
Tips:
 Simplify whenever possible.
 Become familiar with the answer choices.
 Avoid unnecessary computation.
 Avoid using the calculator given on the
computer unless absolutely necessary.

16. Recap: Quantitative Types
Tips:
 Make sure to answer exactly what is asked.
 Note whether you are asked to indicate a
specific number of answer choices or all
choices that apply.
 In cases where you are asked to round off,
make sure you do it to the required degree of
accuracy.
 Examine your answer to see if it is reasonable
with respect to the information given.

17. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
 Read a passage and answer questions about it
 1-5 paragraphs
 Varied topics
 Question types:
 - MCQs
 - Select all that apply
 - Select-in-Passage

18. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Required skills:
 understanding the meaning of individual words
and sentences
 understanding the meaning of paragraphs and
larger bodies of text
 distinguishing between minor and major points
 summarizing a passage

19. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Required skills:
 drawing conclusions from the
information provided
 reasoning from incomplete data to infer
missing information
 understanding the structure of a text in
terms of how the parts relate to one another

20. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Required skills:
 identifying the author's assumptions
and perspective
 analyzing a text and reaching conclusions about it
 identifying strengths and weaknesses of a position
 developing and considering alternative
explanations

21. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Sample passage: Questions 1 to 3 are based
on this passage.
Reviving the practice of using elements of popular music in
classical composition, an approach that had been in
hibernation in the United States during the 1960s, composer
Philip Glass (born 1937) embraced the ethos of popular
music in his compositions. Glass based two symphonies on
music by rock musicians David Bowie and Brian Eno, but the
symphonies' sound is distinctively his. Popular elements do
not appear out of place in Glass's classical music, which from
its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms with
rock music. Yet this use of popular elements has not made
Glass a composer of popular music. His music is not a
version of popular music packaged to attract classical
listeners; it is high art for listeners steeped in rock rather than
the classics.
Lines
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

22. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Sample passage:
Q1) Select only one answer choice.
 The passage addresses which of the following issues
related to Glass's use of popular elements in his
classical compositions?
 How it is regarded by listeners who prefer rock to
the classics
 How it has affected the commercial success of
Glass's music
 Whether it has contributed to a revival of interest among
other composers in using popular elements in
their compositions
 Whether it has had a detrimental effect on Glass's
reputation as a composer of classical music
 Whether it has caused certain of Glass's works to be
derivative in quality

23. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Sample passage:
Q2) Consider each of the three choices
separately and select all that apply.
The passage suggests that Glass's work displays
which of the following qualities?
A. A return to the use of popular music in
classical compositions
B. An attempt to elevate rock music to an artistic status
more closely approximating that of classical music
C. A long-standing tendency to incorporate elements
from two apparently disparate musical styles

24. Types of Questions – Verbal
Reading Comprehension
Reviving the practice of using elements of popular music in
classical composition, an approach that had been in
hibernation in the United States during the 1960s, composer
Philip Glass (born 1937) embraced the ethos of popular
music in his compositions. Glass based two symphonies on
music by rock musicians David Bowie and Brian Eno, but the
symphonies' sound is distinctively his. Popular elements do
not appear out of place in Glass's classical music, which from
its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms with
rock music. Yet this use of popular elements has not made
Glass a composer of popular music. His music is not a
version of popular music packaged to attract classical
listeners; it is high art for listeners steeped in rock rather than
the classics.
Lines
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Q3) Select the sentence that distinguishes two ways of
integrating rock and classical music.

25. Types of Questions – Verbal
Text Completion
Passage one to five sentences long and you
have to fill in the blanks.
 One to three blanks
 Three answer choices per blank (5
choices in case of single blank
 Answer choices for different blanks
function independently
 No credit for partially correct answers

26. Types of Questions – Verbal
Text Completion
Sample:
Just as different people can have very different
personalities, so too can pets—even those of
the same species and breed possess varied
_______.
initiations
implementations
aptitudes
rationalizations
temperaments

27. Types of Questions – Verbal
Text Completion
Sample:
The journalist was ____(i)____ in his pursuit of the
scandal he suspected: despite a lack of support
from his editors, he was determined to
investigate day and night, follow every lead, and
write until dawn to get the story first and finally
____(ii)____ the big news agencies.
Blank (i) Blank (ii)
decorous scoop
digressive forestall
indefatigable depreciate

28. Types of Questions – Verbal
Sentence Equivalence
Passage one to five sentences long and you
have to fill in the blanks.
 One to three blanks
 5 choices in case of single blank
 Answer choices for different blanks
function independently
 No credit for partially correct answers

29. Types of Questions – Verbal
Sentence Equivalence
Sample:
The cohesion of Alexander the Great’s vast empire was
_______; at his death, Alexander’s lands were divided
among his generals, Ptolemy, Seleucus, and
Antigonus the One-Eyed.
A. abiding
B. precarious
C. protracted
D. redoubled
E. renowned
F. tenuous

30. Test taking strategies
Anticipate the question and answer.
Read actively.
Sort and analyze data as soon as you read it.
Manage your time well.

31. Test taking strategies
Sleep well the night before the test.
Take a small drink or snack like chocolates and
fruit juice to have in the break.
Practice for the GRE everyday except the last
day leading to the test.
Do not stress.

32. Halfway mark
Coming up next
 The essays
 Strategies in answering questions
 How and where to prepare

33. The Essays – Analysis of an
Issue
Sample:
 As people rely more and more on technology
to solve problems, the ability of humans to
think for themselves will surely deteriorate.
Q) Discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with the statement and explain your
reasoning for the position you take. In
developing and supporting your position, you
should consider ways in which the statement
might or might not hold true and explain how
these considerations shape your position

34. The Essays – Analysis of an
Issue
Always think about the issue from several points of
view.
Take a stance/position.
It is important that you address the central issue
according to the specific instructions. i.e. is it
asking to:
1) consider ways in which the statement might or
might not hold true.
2) describe specific circumstances.
3) address both of the views presented.
4) consider the possible consequences of
implementing the policy.

35. The Essays - Analysis of an
Argument
Q) Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need
to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is
likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the
answers to these questions would help to evaluate the
recommendation.
Sample:
 In surveys Mason City residents rank water sports (swimming,
boating and fishing) among their favorite recreational activities. The
Mason River flowing through the city is rarely used for these
pursuits, however, and the city park department devotes little of its
budget to maintaining riverside recreational facilities. For years there
have been complaints from residents about the quality of the river's
water and the river's smell. In response, the state has recently
announced plans to clean up Mason River. Use of the river for water
sports is therefore sure to increase. The city government should for
that reason devote more money in this year's budget to riverside
recreational facilities.

36. The Essays - Analysis of an
Argument
Pay special attention to:
 what is offered as evidence, support or proof
 what is explicitly stated, claimed or concluded
 what is assumed or supposed, perhaps
without justification or proof
 what is not stated, but necessarily follows from
or underlies what is stated

37. The Essays - Analysis of an
Argument
You are not being asked to:
 You are not being asked to discuss whether
the statements in the argument are true or
accurate.
 You are not being asked to agree or disagree
with the position stated.
 You are not being asked to express your own
views on the subject being discussed (as you
were in the Issue task).

38. Answer Strategies
What comes to mind?
1. Process of elimination

39. Answer Strategies
1. Process of elimination
 Sample Question
 Although the stress tests given to European banks
are supposed to reassure ____(i)____ investors
by distinguishing the reliable financial institutions
from the more ____(ii)____ ones, the lack of
candor from those reporting has made the test
results ____(iii)____.Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)
prolix precarious monetary
cantankerous staunch suspect
timorous venerated sound

40. Answer Strategies
2. Backsolving

41. Answer Strategies
2. Backsolving
Sample
In a club with 35 members, the ratio of men to
women is 2 to 3. How many men belong to
the club?
 2
 5
 7
 14
 21

42. Answer Strategies
2. Plugging in

43. Answer Strategies
2. Plugging in
Sample:
Quantity A Quantity B
2x3 3x2
A Quantity A is greater.
B Quantity B is greater.
C The two quantities are equal.
D The relationship cannot be determined from the
information given.

44. Checkpoint
Answer strategies:
1) Process of Elimination
2) Backsolving
3) Plugging in
4) Checking grammar

45. How and Where to Prepare
1. https://www.ets.org/gre
2. Powerprep software
3. GRE prep classes at USEFP
4. Kaplan and Princetone books
5. www.majortests.com
6. www.aldaily.com
 And remember to keep up a positive attitude
and not have an unhealthy amount of stress

46. The End
 has365@mail.harvard.edu