After establishing the importance of the GRE Mock test in the GRE preparation journey, what is it that one must do next? This is the question that we at ScholarDen often encounter. We advise all test takers to take a good amount of practice tests once the concepts are clear as they tell you where you stand and what are your areas of improvement. As significant as it is to take GRE practice tests, their time schedule is also important. We talk about the best approach to taking GRE Practice Tests today.
More often than not, students take all the GRE Mock tests at the end of their preparation plan. They are of the view that GRE practice tests are of use only if attempted once their preparation is complete at the end of their GRE preparation. This, however, is a wrong approach.
Following is a detailed account of how and when you should take your GRE Mock tests.
The first thing to do right after you have decided to take the GRE test is to give yourself 2-3 days for basic GRE understanding. Try to get familiar with the GRE test format, the type of questions it entails, and the skills that it tests. Once you are well-equipped with this basic knowledge, you will be required to check your current proficiency level.
At this point, take one GRE Mock test. This will serve as your ‘diagnostic test.’
When you go to a doctor for a blood infection treatment, he asks you to bring a Complete Blood Count Report. This is the ‘Diagnostic report,” which shows your current state and indicates what needs to be fixed. Similarly, your first GRE Mock test will indicate the type of treatment you need.
This practice test will create a baseline score for you. Comparing it with your desired score, you will know how much gap you need to improve. Don’t get scammed by a standard one-month plan to score 320.
It is advisable to consult a GRE Mentor on ScholarDen at this point so that he can evaluate your profile and understand your diagnostic test scores. This will help you get a clear picture of your situation and will help you develop an effective study plan. Once you are done with this, you will have a good idea of where you stand in Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning. The gap between the diagnostic scores and target scores will determine the timelines you need to study for the GRE. If the gap between your current score and the desired score is wide, then you will need 3-4 months to prepare for the GRE test.
3-4 weeks after starting your preparation, take your second GRE Mock test.
This will help you figure out whether or not your preparation is going in the right direction. You will be able to analyze the improvement in your weak areas after a 3-4-week study.
When you have 2 months until your actual GRE test, take your third Mock test.
Share your mock score with your GRE mentor and take his comments. He will analyze the proficiency of your performance and will tell you ways to bring improvement if required.
Keep the last 7-8 GRE Mock tests for the final month of your preparation.
Schedule them in the last 20 days, when you will have completed the preparation entirely.
One thing that you should keep in mind is NEVER to schedule your mocks on consecutive days. This will exhaust you and jumble things up in your head. The best way to go about it is to take a GRE practice test in one day. Review the mistakes you made on it the next day.
This way, if you have 8 GRE Mock tests to take, you will need a total of 16 days for them.
During those days, you need to solve the GRE Practice Test 2024, mimicking the actual test environment with the same breaks and no distractions as if it were the actual test day. This will help you get a realistic idea of your preparation. Moreover, you can get GRE Free Mock tests or GRE Free Practice tests once you register for the test on the ETS website. After solving the ETS Mocks and the Manhattan Mocks, you can go through the explanations.
Two days before the actual GRE test, you should put your books and study material away. At this time, you should not solve practice tests or study. Just relax your mind and get yourself in the right attitude and mood to attempt your GRE test.
Read on: An effective approach to improving scores.
