At Magoosh, we understand that life’s pace and unexpected circumstances can mess with ideal timelines. As a result, you might find yourself unprepared for a GRE test scheduled for the very near future. First and foremost, remember that you are not alone; many students have faced this challenge and navigated it successfully. To aid you in the endeavor to cram for the exam, we’ve curated a 1-week GRE study schedule designed to optimize your preparation and boost your score.
Now, if you’ve navigated here but happen to have more time to prepare for the GRE, check out Magoosh’s other schedule options.
Click here to download a PDF of the study schedule!
Essential Materials For Your 1 Week Study Plan
- Magoosh GRE Prep -Our test prep platform will be essential to gaining rapid command of the test.
- Magoosh’s GRE Flashcards. Download the flashcard app to your mobile device or use the site from your desktop–it’s free.
- Vocabulary.com (for in-context vocabulary) A very useful site to supplement your work in the app.
- ETS’s PowerPrep Online – There’s an option to take the practice test on paper, but I recommend using PowerPrep Online if you can, since taking the test on a computer is a better simulation of test day conditions.
- Magoosh’s GRE Complete Guide: This free comprehensive, web-based guide to the GREis a helpful overview you need to understand this test. You’ll see how the GRE is designed and scored, what skills it tests, how to find and use the best GRE prep, and how to study for each test section.
- A guide to GRE Practice Test Resources: This page includes links to good full-length GRE practice tests, and diagnostic quizzes. It also offers some essential tips on incorporating them into your studies.
Days 1 – 3: Get Started
Knowing your focus is pivotal as you start this intensive week of GRE preparation. The first three days should be spent determining areas of strength and areas of challenge, so that you can optimize your limited study time and have realistic expectations. The best way to do this is to take a full-length GRE test through your Magoosh Dashboard.
Now, you may already know that you have challenges with quantitative skills. In that case, delve into Magoosh’s Math Lessons. You should dedicate two of these days to revisiting fundamental concepts, and then amplify your understanding by complementing each video lesson with related practice questions. In practice, that means after a series of lessons on exponents, tackle the accompanying quizzes for each module.
Your general mathematics overview should give way to more tailored practice. Go to the “Customize your practice” feature on the Magoosh dashboard for more practice questions. Here, you can focus on specific areas such as “Powers and Roots.” Start with “easy” questions to solidify your foundational understanding. Through it all, remember the importance of active engagement—watching the lessons without practicing is less effective for retaining new information.
When it comes to the verbal section, some students assume that reading well will suffice, but the GRE’s verbal section has obstacles that can be challenging even for adept readers. Familiarizing yourself with test strategies is essential to avoiding the obstacles. Magoosh’s lesson videos offer invaluable insights into tackling this section effectively, and they will also help you set a realistic goal for a competitive Verbal Reasoning score.
If vocabulary intimidates you, Magoosh’s GRE flashcards will be valuable. They provide not only definitions but also sentences for context. For added vocabulary practice, consider using other sites such as Vocabulary.com. Vocabulary enrichment combined with Magoosh’s verbal practice questions will fine-tune your strategies and reinforce your lexicon as you embark on this intensive schedule.
Lastly, once you start, you may notice that you grapple with both Quantitative and Verbal sections. If so then it is important to balance your preparation. The best way to balance is focusing on specific topics that are challenging as soon as possible. For example, interpreting bar graphs and pie charts may feel overwhelming during your general overview, in which case your focus may involve Magoosh’s comprehensive Data Interpretation lessons. Remember, every step, no matter how small, brings you closer to GRE success.
Day 4: Simulate the GRE Test Experience
Take a Practice Test – We recommend the practice materials on the ETS website.
Now we’re at the most pivotal part of your preparation journey: the practice test. Magoosh offers official GRE materials, and the testmaker itself, ETS, has free PowerPrep Online tests. (You can take either a paper or online version.) You spent the first three days drilling down from an overview of topics into a focus on your areas of challenge. Those intensive days of concept review and Magoosh practice sessions will make being under the clock for the simulated test less overwhelming than it might have been just a few days ago.
A word of encouragement: today is a practice session and not the final evaluation. It’s natural to hope for your target score, but regardless of outcome, take heart–prepping is growth! Let your outcome set expectations for where you are now, and use the time left to make what progress you can. Your dedication will make a difference, and there’s still valuable time for refining and improving your test strategies.
Stay determined and encouraged; you’re on the right track!
Day 5: More Practice and Review
After the practice test, prioritize engaging with practice questions from Magoosh and ETS. An essential step is reviewing questions you found challenging. Can you tackle them successfully now? If you are still struggling, identify reasons. What specific techniques or strategies aren’t clicking yet? Revisit relevant videos and lessons to find the clarity you need.
By the fifth day another priority is to ensure that you have completed all lesson modules. By now, you should feel a solid grasp of the foundational concepts. At this stage, you are not concerned about quantity, but quality–the fundamental strategies that apply across the test. Your commitment to understanding nuance and refining your skills will pay off. Every step you have taken so far has brought you one step closer to being ready for the test.
Day 6: Almost There!
You’re almost there! While it’s natural to feel the weight of the upcoming test, today is also a day to manage stress. That’s often easier said than done, but maintaining perspective about test day is crucial. Like anything in life, being diligent and learning from errors will be the best steppingstones to your goals. If you are still missing questions, prioritize them in your review today.
You may hesitate to take another PowerPrep test today. On this point, trust your instincts. Prioritize your well-being if you feel stressed or exhausted from your intensive week. Day six is a day for reviewing the areas that you’ve found most challenging over the week, and delving into more questions from Magoosh.
If vocabulary was a big challenge this week it may especially feel like a struggle given time constraints. If so, Day 6 is a day to grasp that memorizing countless words in a short period isn’t the sole solution, nor does it guarantee context. Again, your goal is quality not quantity, today focusing on honing elimination strategies and building confidence in the process of educated guessing. Mastering every word is not essential–emphasize familiarity with the most frequent terms highlighted in Magoosh’s lessons.
Above all else, on day 6 stay encouraged; you’ve made significant strides!
Day 7: Test Day
Your first priority is a good night’s sleep for a calm, focused start to the day. If you want to review a few formulas or strategies feel free to do so but only briefly. You owe it to yourself to focus on a serene, low stress start to the day. Do not let eleventh-hour concerns induce anxiety-you’ve come too far in this week’s journey. Take a step back and appreciate your strengths and learnings: getting to your test with a composed, calm outlook outweighs any benefits of last-minute cramming.
Reflect on your journey: the dedication, the hours spent, the challenges met. Regardless of outcome, your determination and rapid progress in such a limited timeframe is commendable. If you’ve followed this schedule, you have reason to be proud. Hold onto that pride as you sit for the test – you’ve already achieved so much. Give it your all!
For more personalized support, practice questions/tests, and lesson videos that are guaranteed to improve your score, you can sign up for an affordable, premium Magoosh GRE prep subscription. Happy studying!
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