Getting high GRE Verbal Score depends on your GRE Vocabulary and time spent on GRE vocabulary practice. If you have high vocabulary, then it will be fairly easy to get high score in GRE Verbal section.
There are many students who get 750 in GRE Quantitative section, but less than 210 to 250 in GRE Verbal section. It’s not that those test takes didn’t prepare well for GRE Verbal, their vocabulary must be very low. You can definitely get high score with good GRE vocabulary practice.
Building Vocabulary for GRE Exam
Building your vocabulary just for GRE exam is not an easy process. If you plan to take GRE in 6 months time, you might start reading Barron’s GRE Word lists and assume that you can score 500+ in GRE Verbal section. [ 6 Ways to Memorize Barrons GRE Words]
During practice tests you will realize that scoring 400+ is going to be tough task. Those who score above 500 in GRE Verbal section usually have very good vocabulary built over period of years by reading lots of magazines, books, novels, ..
GRE Vocabulary Practice
Try some creative ways to remember the words and practice to use them in sentences. Everyone has unique way of remembering things. Don’t expect to build your GRE vocabulary within few days or 1 month. It takes time and lot of effort. You can follow which ever method works better
- Memorizing words as-is from Barrons ( Not good way)
- Use sentences to remember
- Associate words
- Link images to each word
- GRE Flashcards
- GRE Words Story
- Using word Roots
After you have memorized all ( or majority) the words from Barrons GRE book, you need take lot of practice tests to check if you can use those words to answers questions in GRE Verbal section. During tests, if you know the words and end up selecting incorrect answers, then you have to improve on your GRE Test taking strategies.
Having good GRE vocabulary is one thing and ability to answer questions in GRE test is another. You need to have both the skills to get high GRE Verbal score.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
hi, i wanted to know that the new GRE Pattern has comletely omitted vocabulary and analogies section or not?
gpa 7.8 gre 1000…wat next? retake of gre or simply apply?
hello, i m a undergraduate electronics and instrumentation engi student from india- i hav a grad point average of 7.8…took my gre recently and was shocked with a low score of 750 (math) and 250 (verbals)…actually i was confident about a score of above 450 in verbals through my practice tests in powerprep before taking the test…and so this gre total was a real shock…i wud lik to apply for a management or maths related masters program in usa or canada from a good university (one that has good standards of edu, more possiblity to get indian roomies after admit and an assured job for a good performer)…what shud i do now?
shall i retake gre or apply for univ in both countries that dont require a gre score?
Really helpful suggestion.
I m following Princeton Review book for GRE.
Well,Barron’s has around 3500 words,,while Princeton Review has around 900-1000 words.
Princeton Review book is considered a reputed one.
I wanna know, whether the vocab in Princeton Review ,would be enough to score 600 in verbal
(I ve got 470 in my second practice test(scored 390 in first) and I have 2 more weeks of coaching left)
Assuming that I may do well in RC and Sentence Completion,please try and answer my idiotic doubt. (Though its idiotic,it really concerns me)
Thank You