GRE Tutoring

GRE preparation is 50% about finding the correct materials and resources for your exam! So many of the currently available resources on the internet and offline are either outdated, overly expensive, or just not original or good enough. In such a quandary, how does one find the best GRE tutor and tutoring materials?

In this article, we will give you an outline of how to find yourself the best GRE tutoring as well as some GRE tips and tricks to earn you the perfect score of 340!

Identifying your Preferences

Scholarden believes in the uniqueness of each exam taker and, thus, would never advise a generalized or non-specialized approach towards any aspect of the GRE testing, even if it is how to find the best resource materials. 

First of all, one needs to identify the learning situation where they most thrive—do you feel that you will learn better in a scheduled, planned setting, supervised by a tutor or instructor? Or are you someone who likes to take charge of their learning themselves? 

Asking yourself these questions will help you identify what situation is best for you and if you need an actual instructor/tutor or supervisor or a learning tool that will assist you but let you supervise your learning yourself. 

In case you thrive in a classroom environment, ask yourself, what kind? In-person or online? If you prefer in-person, research available classes and testing institutions near you or in your city. And remember, don’t just go to the first venue you see! Do your research, speak to the instructors, speak to the students who have already experienced their teaching techniques and have secured better results, and then make up your mind. 

Your next option is online! Now, this one might be a bit tricky just because of the sheer quantity of information that you can receive online! There is always so much help and assistance, even more than one is looking for initially. And secondly, there are so many options to choose from that one tends to become indecisive. 

In such a dilemma, research the approach followed by the test preparation companies online. Are they focusing on individual strengths and weaknesses? Would you get the appropriate amount of attention through these platforms for your individual needs? These questions will help you narrow down your choices and hopefully pick an option that is best suited for you. 

Who is the Best GRE Tutor? 

So, how would you define the best GRE tutor? As for Scholarden, we will define the best GRE tutor as someone who understands your strengths and weaknesses and works with you to maintain your strengths and improve your weaknesses using a learning approach that is most suited to you as a test-taker. 

By that, we mean at every stage of the test preparation process, from taking a diagnostic test to appearing for the final, actual GRE, and everything in between. The best GRE tutor will be able to analyze your diagnostic test for your strengths and weaknesses and develop a study plan and schedule for you to ace your GRE!

How to find study materials/tools?

Scholarden contains video and text lessons for each of the concepts tested in the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE. These lessons are step-by-step, instructional, and very easy to follow, even for beginners. Scholarden understands the recent changes that occurred in the GRE, especially in its Quantitative Reasoning section. 

The focus is less on calculations and more on conceptual understanding, which these lessons seek to improve in the test-takers. GRE also has an updated list of Vocabulary flashcards most used and tested in the GRE. 

A lot of these materials, and so much more, are available on most other test preparation company websites as well. But often, these tools are outdated or incomplete, or otherwise presented in complex language filled with jargon. Scholarden seeks to make this process transparent and easy for all test-takers around the world. 

That said, we recommend giving a try to several kinds of resources before settling on a single one. This is because one tends to find out through a series of trial and error experiments about what works best for them. However, once you decide on which resource/s to use, stick to them. 

Often, a lot of websites will say contradictory things. For example, some preparation websites will advise you to read the questions in the Verbal Reasoning section first before reading the comprehension passages, and some will advise you the complete opposite. In such situations, you are the best judge of your own abilities and needs. 

GRE Tips for Score Improvement

Here are some of the most effective GRE tips for acing your exam:

• No one-size-fits-all

There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” when it comes to test taking. Each individual comes with their own set of capabilities and backgrounds. Although the GRE is a standardized test, there is so much that remains subjective. One of those subjective aspects is the preparation!

We strongly encourage all test takers to identify their own weaknesses and strengths foremost. Do not blindly follow your peers or seniors—their cases might have been a lot different than yours!

• Be specific!

Following on from the previous point, be specific in your weaknesses and strengths! For example, do not just say you are doing better in Verbal Reasoning than in Quantitative Reasoning. Instead, be as specific as you can, and say, for example, “My conceptual understanding of algebraic expressions is good, but I am struggling with questions pertaining to geometrical shapes” OR “I am good at answering Text Completion questions but am struggling to find main ideas in Reading Comprehension passages.”

Such specificity will help you in working on the aspects you need most work on and pinpoint actual, actionable tasks that you need to do in order to improve.

 Conclusion

To conclude, your score will depend a lot on your approach towards its improvement—so make sure you make the best decision for yourself! Scholarden offers FREE GRE mentoring from which you can benefit a lot. There are also lots of other free resources on the website that you can get help from in improving your score.