The content in this post applies in 2024 to the new, shorter GRE!
For those who are focused and ambitious, a 30-day GRE study schedule can work really well, as long as you have the time it will demand.
However, if you feel that life will intrude in one way or another, or if you need to improve your score by hundreds of points, this schedule may not be for you. If an honest look at life’s daily demands reveals that dedicating hour upon hour to GRE study will be unlikely, ask yourself: Is pushing back your test date possible?
If you are able to register or reschedule your exam for a later date, that might be in your best interest, and then you can check out some of Magoosh’s other, longer schedule options.
But! If you are all-in on preparing for the GRE in thirty days, we’ve got you! Just remember, this is an aggressive plan. You will need, on average, 1.5-2.5 hours a day, at least six days per week, to work through this schedule.
Click here to download a PDF of the study schedule!
For GRE Beginners: Starting with the Basics
This schedule was designed with beginners in mind, which means that most of the assigned lessons skew toward covering the fundamentals–the basic topics, techniques, and strategies that provide a solid foundation for how to best approach the exam.
Now, there may very well be subject areas in which you are well beyond beginner status. If that’s the case, you should feel free to modify this schedule to suit your own prep needs. At any point, you can swap out the lessons and practice questions that you’re already comfortable with for ones that cover more challenging topics.
If you’re finding a lot of the beginner material pretty easy, consider checking out our 30-Day Schedule for Advanced Students.
Table of Contents
- Essential Material
- Optional Material
- About the Material
- Day 1 – Basic Introduction
- Day 2 – Introduction to Question Types
- Day 3 – Practice Test
- Day 4 – Practice Test Review
- Day 5 – Intro to GRE Math
- Day 6 – Reading Comprehension I
- Day 7 – Flex Day
- Day 8 – Arithmetic and Fractions
- Day 9 – Percents and Ratios
- Day 10 – Integer Properties
- Day 11 – Reading Comprehension II
- Day 12 – Reading Comprehension III (Paragraph Arguments)
- Day 13 – Timed Practice Sections
- Day 14 – Flex Day
- Day 15 – Algebra
- Day 16 – AWA Day
- Day 17 – Powers and Roots
- Day 18 – Word Problems
- Day 19 – Text Completion
- Day 20 – Geometry I
- Day 21 – Flex Day
- Day 22 – Geometry II
- Day 23 – Sentence Equivalence
- Day 24 – Practice Test
- Day 25 – Practice Test Review
- Day 26 – Flex Day
- Day 27 – Coordinate Geometry
- Day 28 – Statistics and Data Interpretation
- Day 29 – Final Review Day!
- Day 30 and Beyond…
Essential Material
- Magoosh GRE Prep
- ETS’s Official Guide to the GRE book
- ETS Powerprep Free Tests 1 & 2: If you would prefer to take the practice test on paper, you can print out a copy of ETS’s paper-delivered test. However, taking the paper-based GRE is pretty rare these days. If you are like most test takers and will be taking the exam online, we highly recommend that your practice and prep are also online–mimic the medium you’ll be using on exam day as much as possible.
- Magoosh’s GRE Vocabulary Flashcards App and Magoosh’s GRE Math Flashcards App: They’re free and you can use them on the web, iPhone/iPad or Android!
- Magoosh’s Complete Guide to the GRE PDF: This comprehensive, web-based guide to the GRE gives you the quick but very 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.
- Reading materials and journal (error log): More detail on each of these below, in the “About the Material” section.
Optional Material
- Top 5 Free GRE Practice Resources: This page includes instructions on where to find good full-length GRE practice tests, and how to take practice tests and incorporate them into your studies. This page also has links to Magoosh’s free GRE diagnostic quizzes.
- Quizlet.com: Gives you online access to flashcards, making it easier, say, to quiz yourself on your mobile device
- Vocabulary.com: Provides conversational example sentences and a flood of example sentences. If you are really trying to achieve a high verbal score, you can also check out lists of crazy hard GRE words that other users have compiled.
About the Material
About Vocabulary
If you are striving for a top-notch verbal score, daily review of vocab is vital. 30 days is not a lot of time; however, you can certainly memorize a few hundred (maybe more) words in that timeframe.
Make use of Magoosh’s GRE Flashcards, but don’t limit yourself to just these words. Whenever you encounter a word you don’t know, look it up, make a flashcard, and add it to your own flashcard deck. You can go the old-fashioned route with hand-written, paper cards or opt for a digital version like Quizlet.
Organizing Flashcards
As you work through your flashcards you’ll want to organize them into three piles/categories. One category is for words that are “new” to you and you’re just trying to absorb their definitions/usage. Another category is for words that you’ve almost mastered–maybe you still need context clues to grasp their meanings. The final category represents a “done” stack that is only rarely reviewed.
Reading Material
We cannot stress the importance of reading to build your reading comprehension skills, refine your understanding of grammar and usage, and expand your vocabulary. You have to challenge yourself to read material that is written at the same level as the passages you’ll encounter on test day. Check out the links below for reliable sources and advice:
Non-fiction, scholarly books, history and social science topics are preferable.
How to Practice with Recommended Sources: Scientific American, Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, National Geographic, The Economist, Arts and Letters Daily, or The New York Times (a Sunday subscription is a great idea!).
Error Log
A notebook or digital document to keep a written record of the questions that you miss. For each question you enter into your log do the following:
- Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
- Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
- Watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
- Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
- When you come across vocabulary that you don’t know or only sorta know in a question, be sure to add it to your flashcards. We use words that are trending on the GRE to create our content.
Not sure how to set up your error log? Here’s a free template.
About Older ETS Prep Materials
Note: ETS launched the shorter version of the GRE in 2023. So, what does that mean if you have older prep materials? Good news!! You do not need to go out and buy new ones. Because there were no changes to the content that ETS tests, there have been no real changes to the prep books that cover that content. In fact, at the time of this writing, ETS hasn’t even released a new edition of its own prep material, The Official Guide, but does provide the following note:
“The practice tests in this book are for the General Test that was administered before September 22, 2023. However, because the shorter GRE includes the same question types (except for the Analyze an Argument essay task which has been removed), this book is a great way to prepare for the shorter GRE.”
Thus, if you have older versions of prep materials, you should be all set to dive in. Just be sure to skip any content related to the Analyze an Argument part of the AWA, and be sure to review the GRE’s updated timing and structure.
Using This Guide Without a Premium Magoosh Subscription
Without your own Magoosh account, you won’t be able to access many of the lessons, practice questions, and practice tests that are linked in the daily tasks; however, there are a number of lessons and practice materials that are publically available, and, of course, you can also follow the daily breakdown of topics and activities using The Official Guide or any other material(s) you are using for your GRE prep.
Day 1 – Basic Introduction
1.) Go to ETS.org/gre, and read about the content of the GRE. Click on and read each sub-heading link.
2.) Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Note: Many lessons are only available to those with a Magoosh Premium GRE subscription—sign up here for a free trial!
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to be sure you have this essential document at the ready.
3.) Take a look at your week ahead and schedule about 2 hours for a full-length practice. It’s planned for Day 3 in this schedule, but you can move that around if needed. If you haven’t done so yet, this is a perfect opportunity to take Magoosh’s Free GRE Practice Test.
Secondary Activities (if needed or time permitting)
Here are a couple options to incorporate additional verbal practice:
1.) Arts and Letters Daily is a great resource for links to GRE-level reading material. Once per week, choose one or more articles that are around 5-20 pages long. While reading, try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. When you encounter words you don’t know or only sorta know, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper. A quick google search will yield definitions.
After you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.
2.) Use the Magoosh Flashcard App and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. At the end of seven days (yes, seven), you’ll have encountered 70 words–not too shabby! For a deeper understanding of these words in context, refer to Vocabulary.com.
If you’re someone who needs to prioritize math, here are options for weekly supplemental activities:
1.) Check out the OG’s Math Review and work through the topics and associated exercises. There are also plenty of practice questions, organized by difficulty, that you can explore.
2.) Dig into the topics in the collaborative Math Review built by ETS and Kahn Academy.
3.) Use this week to review as many cards as possible in the first three GRE Math Flashcard decks: Algebra, Fractions, Ratios, & Percents, and Geometry.
Day 2 – Introduction to Question Types
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Intro to Quantitative Comparison
Intro to Reading Comprehension
Practice
If you have a Magoosh Premium or Trial subscription, navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → and launch Math Quick Practice at the top of the screen (you’ll see a lightning bolt icon). Work through those 10 mixed practice problems.
Pacing Note
Since you’re on a rather tight prep timeline, you should start focusing on the pacing piece of the GRE puzzle as soon as possible. An effective pacing and skipping strategy is a major component of success. But! Be kind to yourself: increasing your speed while maintaining your accuracy will not come overnight. It is a process.
If this feels like a lot to you, work in stages. Set achievable goals as you attempt to improve your pacing! Try to answer questions at a pace of three minutes per question. The next day, set a faster pace, like two and half minutes per question.
Do this day by day until you are answering questions at the target times:
Math ≈ 1:45 per question
Verbal ≈ 1:30 per question
Of course, those target times vary–the greater the question complexity, the longer it will take to solve it.
Difficulty Note
Ideally, you should select Adaptive difficulty. That setting will most accurately reflect the variety of questions that you’ll encounter on test day. However, you should feel free to select the difficulty that best fits your current ability level. If you are struggling with some of the basic concepts, you might opt for easy/medium until your accuracy improves. Just keep in mind that adaptive difficulty will more closely match a realistic test experience.
Please note, if you frequently only work on questions from one category of difficulty, you could exhaust that particular group, which means that you might start seeing repeat questions during custom practice or during a practice test.
Review
Today, you are going to start making use of your error log. As you review the results of the mixed math practice set, add each incorrect question to your log and do the following:
Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Don’t just skip over the questions you got right! Double check that you got them right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Day 3 – Practice Test
In Magoosh, take a full-length practice test!
In your Magoosh dashboard, navigate to Practice → Practice Test.
Be sure that you have around 2 hours of uninterrupted time. You want your practice test experience to be as realistic as possible. REMEMBER! There are no breaks given during the five sections of the GRE.
If this is your first full-length test, this is an important moment! Not only will you start to get a sense for how you feel taking the GRE but, at the end, you will also find out your all important baseline scores. These will be the scores (Math, Verbal, AWA) you build from as you push towards your goal, the scores you need to reach to feel confident when applying to your chosen graduate programs.
If you’ve already taken a practice or Official GRE test, that’s great! You already know where you’re at, score wise, and know how close (or far) that score is from where you need it to be.
Note: Don’t worry about reviewing your test immediately after you complete it unless you have enough gas left in the tank. You’ll kick off the next study session with a deep-dive review.
Day 4 – Practice Test Review
Open your error log for a deep-dive review of your practice test. Try to recall which question types you struggled with the most. Can you find any patterns? Are you making careless mistakes? If so, reflect on the reason: Working too fast? Misreading the question? Figure out where you should slow down when testing. Also consider the following:
- Try to determine why you missed the question
- Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
- Watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
- Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
- Add any vocabulary that you don’t know or only sorta know to your flashcards.
- Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Day 5 – Intro to GRE Math
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
If you have a Magoosh Premium or Trial subscription, navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Multiple Choice → Select All. Do 10 questions. As you work through this set, try to identify any clues that indicate you can plug in as a solution option.
Review
As you review the results of this practice set, add each incorrect question to your log and do the following:
Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations. steps.
Day 6 – Reading Comprehension I
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Verbal → Reading Comprehension → check clear all and then only check the box for Short Passages. Do 5 questions. Don’t worry if you don’t end up doing exactly 5 questions. You might do a few more or less depending on the number of questions associated with the passages you are given.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations.
Day 7 – Flex Day
Rest, Review, Practice or Catch-up
If you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! You deserve one! But, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:
Spend some quality time with your error log. Revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.
Do more practice and review in the OG or through your Magoosh Dashboard. You can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.
If you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.
Break out those math and verbal flashcards!
Day 8 – Arithmetic and Fractions
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Conversions: Fractions and Decimals
Quiz: Arithmetic and Fractions
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All and then only check Arithmetic and Fractions. Do 5 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice and quiz that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos (don’t worry about watching them out of order. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.)
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Secondary Activities (if needed or time permitting)
Additional verbal practice options:
1.) Continue with Arts and Letters Daily or your preferred reading material. Choose one or more articles and try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. With those words, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper.
After you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.
2.) Continue using the Magoosh Flashcard App and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. At the end of this week (if you started this last week), you’ll have encountered 140 words. For a deeper understanding of these words in context, refer to Vocabulary.com.
Additional math practice options:
1.) Continue the OG’s Math Review and dig into its practice questions.
2.) Carry on with topics in the collaborative Math Review built by ETS and Kahn Academy.
3.) Use this week to review as many cards as possible in the next three GRE Math Flashcard decks: Number Properties I, Number Properties II, and Statistics & Probability.
Day 9 – Percents and Ratios
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Percent Increases and Decreases
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All and then only check Percents and Ratios. Do 10 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice and quiz that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos. Don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Day 10 – Integer Properties
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All and then only check Integer Properties. Do 10 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos. Don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Day 11 – Reading Comprehension II
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Multiple Answer Questions – Inference
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Verbal → Reading Comprehension → Check Long, Medium and Short Passages. Do around 15 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos. Don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps
Day 12 – Reading Comprehension III (Paragraph Arguments)
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Verbal→ Reading Comprehension → Select Clear All→ Check the box for Paragraph Arguments. Do 8 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos. Don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.
Be aware of any trends that help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Day 13 – Timed Practice Sections
Mixed Practice Verbal and Quant
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Verbal → Launch a Verbal GRE Section (look for the book icon near the top of the screen). You’ll have 23 minutes to complete the 15 questions.
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Math → Select All Math. Launch a Math Section (look for the book icon near the top of the screen). You’ll have 26 minutes to complete the 15 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, log the following:
Try to determine and make note of why you missed the question
Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
Watch any recommended lesson videos. Don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.
Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Add any words from the questions that you only sorta know or don’t know to your vocabulary flashcards.
Did any fall into your skip or guess bucket? Did you recognize them immediately and quickly move on? It’s a good idea to train those instincts so they become second nature by test day.
Day 14 – Flex Day
Rest, Review, Practice or Catch-up
If you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! You deserve one! But, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:
Spend some quality time with your error log. Revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.
Do more practice and review in the OG or through your Magoosh Dashboard. You can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.
If you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.
Break out those math and verbal flashcards!
Day 15 – Algebra
1.) Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All and then only check Algebra. Do 10 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Secondary Activities (if needed or time permitting)
Additional verbal practice options:
1.) Continue with Arts and Letters Daily or your preferred reading material. Choose one or more articles and try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. With those words, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper.
After you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.
2.) Continue using the Magoosh Flashcard App and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. At the end of this week (if you started this last week), you’ll have encountered 210 words. For a deeper understanding of these words in context, refer to Vocabulary.com.
Additional math practice options:
1.) Continue the OG’s Math Review and dig into its practice questions.
2.) Carry on with topics in the collaborative Math Review built by ETS and Kahn Academy.
2.) Use this week to review as many cards as possible in the next three GRE Math Flashcard decks: Mixed Practice I, II, and III.
Day 16 – AWA Day
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Writing Tips for the 4 Major Scoring Components
Score your AWA Essay–use this link to analyze the Issue Essay you wrote during the practice test. It will help you better understand the process and the score your essay was given by the Magoosh AI Tutor.
Note I: Score your AWA Essay above leads you to the scoring rubric that will be used by the official readers when they evaluate your essay. Even though the essays you write in your Magoosh Dashboard will be scored and given detailed feedback on how to improve by The Magoosh AI Tutor, it’s still important for you to read through and be familiar with the scoring rubric.
Note II: There could still be out-dated content pertaining to the Argument Essay in the above lessons. You can skip/ignore any references to the now retired Argument Task.
Day 17 – Powers and Roots
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All→ Check the box for Powers and Roots. Do 10 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 18 – Word Problems
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Intro to Sets and Venn Diagrams
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All→ Check the boxes for Word Problems. Do 8 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 19 – Text Completion
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Intro to Double Blank Sentences
Intro to Triple Blank Sentences
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Verbal → Text Completion→ Select All. Do 10 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 20 – Geometry I
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Clear All→ Only check the box next to Geometry. Do 8 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 21 – Flex Day
Rest, Review, Practice or Catch-up
If you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! You deserve one! But, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:
Spend some quality time with your error log. Revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.
Do more practice and review in the OG or through your Magoosh Dashboard. You can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.
If you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.
Break out those math and verbal flashcards!
Day 22 – Geometry II
1.) Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Clear All→ Only check the box next to Geometry. Do 8 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Secondary Activities (if needed or time permitting)
Additional verbal practice options:
1.) Continue with Arts and Letters Daily or your preferred reading material. Choose one or more articles and try to identify at least fifty unfamiliar words. With those words, make flashcards in your app of choice or with good old pen and paper.
After you read, write a concise summary or review of one of the articles, weaving in the vocabulary words you’ve learned from not only the articles but also lessons, practice questions, reading, etc.
2.) Continue using the Magoosh Flashcard App and challenge yourself to learn 10 words daily. At the end of this week (if you’ve kept up the pace), you’ll have encountered around 280 words!
3.) In your dashboard, work through additional Verbal timed sections.
Additional math practice options:
1.) Continue the OG’s Math Review and dig into its practice questions.
2.) Carry on with topics in the collaborative Math Review built by ETS and Kahn Academy.
3.) Use this week to review as many cards as possible in the final three GRE Math Flashcard decks: Mixed Practice VI, V, and VI.
4.) In your dashboard, work through additional Quant timed sections.
Day 23 – Sentence Equivalence
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Avoiding Pseudo-Synonyms: Practice Activities
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Verbal → Sentence Equivalence → Select all categories. Do 10 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 24 – Practice Test
In Magoosh, take a full-length practice test!
Try to be sure that you have around 2 hours of uninterrupted. You want your practice test experience to be as realistic as possible. Remember that there are no breaks given during the GRE.
In your Magoosh dashboard, navigate to Practice → Practice Test.
As Always, don’t worry about reviewing the test immediately after you finish. That’s for the next session.
Day 25 – Practice Test Review
Open your error log for a deep-dive review of this last practice test.
Consider the following:
- Reflect on the testing process: Are you satisfied with your performance?
- If yes, try to articulate the pacing choices etc. that helped you navigate this practice test successfully.
- If no, try to determine what went wrong? Did you spend too long on a question that you should have skipped or guessed? Were you feeling tired or feeling frustrated by distractors?
As always, work through the following:
- Determine why you missed the question
- Read any related text explanations and watch any related video explanations
- Watch any recommended lesson videos. Don’t worry about watching them out of order or watching them again. You’ll likely be watching the videos a few times, especially those that relate to your weaker areas.
- Double check that you got the correct ones right for the right reasons. If you guessed or just weren’t all that sure how you arrived at the correct answer, devote time to reviewing the explanations and absorbing the underlying concepts and solution steps.
Day 26 – Flex Day
Rest, Review, Practice or Catch-up
If you’re feeling pretty good about where you’re at (both in the schedule and in your overall progress), take a break! You deserve one! But, if you are raring to keep going check out the following options:
Spend some quality time with your error log. Revisit (maybe redo a few) missed questions and review their associated lessons.
Do more practice and review in the OG or through your Magoosh Dashboard. You can set up custom practice sessions or launch timed sections.
If you are feeling a bit behind schedule, use this as an opportunity to get caught up or closer to caught up.
Break out those math and verbal flashcards!
Day 27 – Coordinate Geometry
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → All Math → Select Clear All→ Check the box for Coordinate Plane. Do 8 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 28 – Statistics and Data Interpretation
Watch the following Magoosh lesson videos:
Practice
1. Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Math → Data Interpretation. Do 5 questions.
2. Navigate to your dashboard and select Practice → Custom Practice → Math → Statistics. Do 5 questions.
Review
For each question from the above practice that you missed, add it to your error log and analyze what went wrong.
Day 29 – Final Review Day!
You are almost at the finish line!
Pick out a few topics that you want to brush up on or questions that you want to review from your error log, or you could even re-watch a few lesson videos. Keep it light and easy! Today is not the day to overtax your brain.
Watch this final lesson: Test Day
Day 30 and Beyond…
Day Before
Focus on feeling your best for test day!
No GRE preparation
Eat a large, healthy, leisurely dinner—no alcohol
Go to bed earlier than usual
Day Of
ABSOLUTELY NO LAST MINUTE CRAMMING!
Eat a large breakfast, full of protein
Do relaxing, fun activities to pass time until the test
If you have any remaining time before your exam, focus on a concentrated review
For whatever days remain before your test, keep up the work on GRE math and verbal. Some suggestions for what to do:
By selecting question type and difficulty on your “Dashboard,” keep doing Magoosh problems or do problems you’ve previously attempted over again to see how you do a second time.
Keep watching Magoosh lesson videos on whatever topics you feel you need to review.
Keep reading challenging material to build vocabulary and acclimate to complex sentence structures.
Keep drilling your vocab flashcards and your math flashcards.
If you have time for more practice tests, you can check out the free and paid versions of ETS Power Prep. Another highly recommended source for practice tests are those produced by Manhattan Prep.
You have done an incredible amount of work, so be proud of what you’ve accomplished!
Good luck! 🙂
Takeaways:
Do your best to follow this list, and you will improve dramatically in a very short time. Again, if you can’t commit the hours to this study plan, you may want to consider postponing your test or choosing one that works on a different timeline.
For more personalized support, you can sign up for a premium Magoosh GRE prep plan. We have affordable 1 month or 6 month subscriptions, or you can test out the material with a free 1 week trial. Happy studying!
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53 responses to “30-Day GRE Study Guide for Beginners”
Hi Chris,
Thanks for such a wonderful and quintessential GRE blog,I have been reading articles from New Yorker, but from AWA & RC perspective which section of articles would you suggest for reading.I really get confused with so many sections offering articles with eclectic information.It would be really helpful if I knew to cull one or two articles from a particular section.
-regards,
Chinmay
Hi Chinmay,
Great question! This post should give you a better idea of which types of articles to read: https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/reading-vocabulary-in-context-where-should-i-start/
Hope that helps!
Best,
Rachel
Oh thanks a lot Rachel,thats pretty neat and precise.
Happy to help!
By the way, I have to say that I didn’t study hard until 3 weeks before the exam date, so I can’t blame anyone but myself for not start studying hard at an earlier date.
Hi Chris,
I just took my GRE General Test today, and I was disappointed with my scores. I am desperately in need of help! This was my second time taking the GRE, but I only scored 155 and 156 in verbal and quantitative sections, respectively. I felt stupid about myself, because these scores were roughly the same as last year’s. For some reason I just couldn’t make it to 169 or 170, which are my target scores. (I have to admit that due to my full-time job, I couldn’t devote the whole day everyday to studying for the GRE.) Could you please tell me how I can reach my target scores?
Thanks,
Diana
Hi Diana,
Without knowing exactly how you approach the math and verbal section, this is a tough question to answer. So while I can give general advice, which will hopefully help :), I can’t dispense specific advice unless I have a better sense of your weak spots. One way to remedy this is to let me know why you think you scores were in this range. Were these scores similar to those from your practice tests? What were you getting on the magoosh diagnostic? If you did take practice exams, did you take the PowerPrep 2.0 ones.
Of course a host of other questions abound. How much were you studying each day? How were you studying (were you doing a bunch of questions, were you only watching lesson videos, did you use other sources besides Magoosh).
In short, I’d love to help you conquer the GRE beast this time around, but in order to do so I need to get a better understanding of how you approached your prep.
Look forward to hearing from you soon!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your reply. Honestly, I didn’t spend a lot of time studying for the GRE, and I wasn’t using any Magoosh material last time. For quantitative part, I only did 2-3 practice sets 2 days before the exam. As for verbal, I spent about 3 weeks (not everyday during those 3 weeks though) going through the material from ETS, Kaplan, and Barron’s. (I’ve a copy of the first and second editions of the ETS study guide each.) I have a full-time job during the day, so I can only study in the evenings and on weekends.
I haven’t tried the Magoosh diagnostic test yet, and I didn’t take the PowerPrep 2.0 ones either due to computer technical problems. (I am getting a new laptop in a few days.) I have scheduled another test in mid-October, and unlike before, I am studying for the GRE EVERYDAY now. What study plan would you suggest me to take?
Thanks,
Diana
Hi Diana,
I would recommend the 2-3 month plan, which will have you ditching Barron’s and especially Kaplan. So lots of in-context reading, on top of the usual GRE study plan (Magoosh, MGRE practice tests, etc.) will help test day.
Of course the drive to study every day will be a major factor. So keep me updated on your progress :).
Hi Chris
I have about 45 days to my test. I took GRE last November. In old scale my scores are: Q:800, V:330, W:3. I am not native English speaker but have studied in for two years in an English speaking university. I wanted to know what is your suggestion for me to improve my verbal score as much as possible. I don’t think I need to study math (maybe 3-4 days). But my verbal and writing score are really poor and I want to improve them. If I can devote 5 hours a day how much do you think, I can improve my score (assuming I follow your guidance and use your product)? Can I have a verbal score like 500?
thans
Hi Mo,
If you spend the next 45 days diligently working on your vocabulary, I am fairly confident that you can reach–and perhaps even break–500. A good place to start laying the groundwork is by reading our ebooks. You’ll find helpful tips, study schedules, etc. Let me know how the prepping goes and if you are making steady progress.
Good luck!
https://magoosh.com/gre/gre-ebook/
https://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/
Thanks, I read your guides. Two new question
1. You mentioned that you teach 25 words a day for your students. What is your method? Do you teach them in context?
2. Must I start to do the tests from beginning?
1. It is a combination of in-context (which is usually a test question) and having students try to use the words in sentences. Pop quizzes also help to job intractable synapses.
2. Which tests do you mean?
Thanks again. I meant must I start answering GRE question right now? or try first to improve my vocabulary first and then start to do test questions.
Hi Mo,
You should start doing a combination of the two. Remember, you can learn new words as you go through practice questions. Simply use an online flashcard app. such as quizlet.com.
Good luck!
Hi chris, your post is great 🙂 i have given my gre but couldn score well in quants…i have practiced from NOVA and given kaplan Mst’s..could you suggest more practice options for me…??
i want atleast a 12 point increase in my quant score….
Hi Manasi,
Have you used Magoosh yet? Together with MGRE (esp. it’s practice tests), Magoosh makes for the best prep out there. A 12-point increase can be yours :).
Hello Chris, I registered last month as a student, I have booked my GRE appointment for July 20 and recently took the manhattan GRE mock test and scored 284. I need your advice on what to do to achieve my target score of 315 at minimum.
Please advice.
Thank you
Test date is August 20 and not July 20 as stated above.
Thank you.
Hi Yemmy,
I would combine the best resources: Magoosh, MGRE, and ETS tests. Make sure to nail the fundamentals by using Magoosh and do all 6 mock test for MGRE. For your time you might want to have a look at the 30-day study guide:
https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/30-day-gre-study-guide/
Good luck!
Really ur words may help me alot,
i would like to ask u one que that …for the quant section i did barrons ,ets GRE ,1014 princeton review, grubers ……….is there any necessary to read further more books …or can i go with my revision ………..
I’d recommend Magoosh and MGRE. The 1,014 book is riddled with errors and Gruber’s is not the greatest. Also, don’t forget the Magoosh ebook:
https://magoosh.com/gre/gre-ebook/
hi chris,,,,
really u r an awesome one i have seen…first of all thanks for guiding…n regarding me my GRE date is on 13 august ….so,, for the quant i have studied barrons new gre ….and the offical guide from ETS….so,bt still i lack in my confidence ….b,coz the every time i see a new problem on fb….i am scared and unable to answer some tough ones…wat should i do for this???
and for verbal , i am with barrons ,kaplans high frequency words?
Hi Vishnu,
Thanks for the positive words :).
Many are nervous with a test date approaching. Nevertheless, use new problems as a learning experience. Even if you get them wrong, you will be able to pinpoint any weaknesses. So next time you see a FB question, don’t feel browbeaten but think, “I may learn something that will help me test day.”
Hi Chris,
I took the GRE yesterday, and for some reason, the first math section seemed really difficult. The wording of the problems were convoluted and the problems themselves seemed different from what I have studied. Does the test get more difficult as time passes? Do they change the question pool every month, because I am planning on taking it next month again. I have been using Magoosh for over a month, and I love it, but yesterday’s test really threw me for a spin and now I feel as though I won’t be able to score in the 90th percentile like I need to and I honestly don’t know how to study for interpreting crazy worded questions.
Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Hi Annette,
Thank you for your insights. I have not taken the test recently, but you are not the first student in the last month to mention convoluted word problems. I am not sure how often the GRE changes its question pool. I think I remember reading that they do so every couple of months, but I can’t seem to find anything to corroborate this.
Perhaps, in our next product improvement, we will include more convoluted word problems. For now, I would not despair. Continue with the product questions. Also pick up a copy of one of the Manhattan GRE books. Doing so gives you access to 6 free online tests. Simulating the grueling experience of taking the GRE as much as possible will definitely help you test day.
Finally, you’ve inspired me. My next math post will be convoluted word problems. I will go out of my way to create some really difficult convoluted word problems. Hopefully, I’ll get that out in a couple of weeks.
Sorry for the harrowing experience, but let’s work together to help you break that 90% barrier your next time around :).
Hi Chris,
I have created my account on “MYGRE” services and later found out that
my name which should be “DASARADH” as per my passport(i’m from India and passport
is the only primary identification for GRE in India) is actually registered as “Dasaradh”
with the lower case letters. All the spellings and spaces are right except for the one thing
mentioned above and they do not allow name modification in that account.I’ve tried
creating another account with upper case letters but it says
the account already exists citing my previous account and no option to delete that
redundant account. The rule says the name must exactly match the ID documents or
else you will not be permitted to the exam. I haven’t booked my slot yet but it seems
there is no option but to use the name given while creating the account. I feel as if I have
lost the opportunity to GRE. Please suggest any solution. Thank You.
Hi Pintoo,
I am sure there is something you can do, as there is no reason you should be barred from the GRE based on an issue of spelling and caps lock. My advice is contact ets.org or gre.org itself. Send the site administrator an email and let that person know your predicament.
Let me know if that works, and if not we can brainstorm another approach.
Thanks for the advice chris i’ll try it right away.
Hi Chris,
I have my test on the 14th of August and hence I have just signed on for the Magoosh Product. I had a couple of queries:
1) How would you recommend I make the best use of the product with relation to verbal? Also, in my product it says around 368 verbal questions to begin with. Do the tests also borrow questions from the same 368 set or are those questions different?
2) Secondly, I find that I need to work on my vocabulary. Some of my friends seem to be using the 3500 Barrons word list. Would you recommend the same? or do you proposa an alternative?
Hi Saagar,
The mock tests, which of your own making, include the same questions. The good news is we will soon be releasing a spate of questions, about 150 total. That should definitely boost the number close to 500.
For using the verbal section, make sure to not only do practice questions, but to learn the words contained in those questions. You should also build your vocab in general. In my vocab ebook I expand on this. As for Barron’s 3500, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for the New GRE, which requires more of an understanding of words in context. (I elaborate on this in the ebook).
https://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/
Hey, I am planning on following the plan given above. I just had a question regarding what source you suggest to learn the 150 words per week. Thanks.
Nishant,
Barron’s 1100 Words is a great self-study tool. Manhattan GRE offers 500 flashcards (that would keep you going for 4 weeks). You might also want to check out our Ebook:
https://magoosh.com/gre/2012/gre-vocabulary-ebook/
Hope that helps 🙂
Hello Chris,
I’ve been studying for verbal thru Magoosh for about 3 months. At this point, I’m scoring around 160 on mock exams thru Manhattan and Magoosh. I’d like to get my score up to 165. I have 4 exams left to take thru Manhattan, and I’ve worked through the Manhattan verbal guides and all of the Magoosh questions/videos several times. I’ll take the two tests from the official guide as soon as I find a PC to borrow (haha). Do you have specific tips for increasing my score from 160 to 165 (or higher, of course)? I’d like to study/prepare more before I use up the rest of my practice exams. I’m only referring to verbal, by the way.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Glenn,
A 160 is great! What’s even better is your aiming for the top mark.
To really answer your question, I would have to know your strengths and weaknesses within the verbal section. But let’s assume each is one par and you want to ace all of them.
For RC, pick up the Official GMAT guide and an LSAT prep book by LSAC. Those questions are challenging and will really help hone your RC skills.
For vocab, become ravenous and devour as much vocab as you can. More specifically, know every word in PR Word Smart. For that matter if you can get your hands on Barron’s 3500 word list – ditto. (though the definitions are vague and sketchy at times. Cross-reference).
Of course that is general advice – let me know if there are any specific areas in which I can help you :).
Hi Chris,
My weakness is long RC passages, particularly if they’re science-based. The main problem is pace. I usually can answer the questions correctly, but not fast enough. I’ve even wondered if it would be a good strategy to guess or spend less time on the 3 to 4 long passage questions, which would give me more time on the rest of the verbal. But I’m not sure that gambling on 3 or 4 questions is such a good idea. (I think there’s just one long passage per two verbal sections? But if the experimental section is verbal then that’ll complicate matters.) I know I said 165, but I’d be content with a 162. Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll definitely look at the GMAT and LSAT guides, and continue to beef up vocab.
Lastly, do you believe that my mock exam scores are pretty good indicators of how I’ll do on the real thing? Manhattan suggests scoring in your targeted range 3 times on their tests before taking the real one.
Thanks
Hi Glenn,
Yeah, I’d say your scores on the Powerprep test is indicative of your score. I forgot to mention this in the last post, but you should pick up a copy of the Official ETS Revised GRE guide, if you haven’t done so already. There is a practice test (and gobs of material) in there that doesn’t overlap with the CD. See how you do, and that should give you a good idea. (3 times is great – however there just aren’t too many legit practice tests out there).
I would practice the science-based long passages in the GMAT, LSAT books. You WILL get better with practice. Skipping a few questions can be risky, but if it frees up time to focus on the rest of the section, this strategy may work for a 162.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck on the test :).
Sounds good. Thanks for your help.
I’m glad to help 🙂
Hey chris how r u.
Wanted to ask if you can suggest a study plan for me, i’m scheduled to take my GRE on April 11, seems like i got a bit over a month but i don’t! . I’m a trauma ICU nurse and i do 3 12hour shifts per week and on my forth day im dead (so 4 days per week i cant study) that leaves me with about 2 weeks if any to study. i’ve purchased the barons review book, the kaplan book, your magoosh online program, and even the ETS official guide. what do u think i should start with and how to go about with trying to score well on this test.
p.s. i started your program online and i cant believe how bad im doing on the math! i guess not using it does make u lose it.
thanks
Hi Ya Mahdi,
I would def. spend some time brushing up on the math fundamentals by watching all of the Magoosh lesson videos. Don’t do this all in one go, of course :). Watch a few videos, then make sure you identify your weaknesses and do practice problems relating to those areas. You can use the books you have to find questions that test a given concept.
Two weeks is not a lot of time. So do not try to become good at just a few things, but have a basic grasp of most of the concepts.
Good luck 🙂
Thanks Chris for answering my question.
I actually meant word roots and you are right, they do not always give a hint of what a word might mean. Again thanks.
You’re welcome 🙂
Hey Chris,
What I only have 30 days for my GRE exams. Would you suggest I learn the root words for the verbal section?
Hi Mish,
I am not sure what you mean by “root words.” Do you mean a list, such as Barron’s Essential 800? If so, I would say yes, that is not too ambitious. If you are ambitious, consider the 30-day study guide above. Of course cross-referencing the vocab words you encounter while reading is always helpful.
If by “root words” you mean word roots, I would strongly suggest against doing so.
Many GRE words do not conform to word roots; applying roots will only lead you to infer an incorrect definition.
Hope that helps!
Hi Chris,
Can you suggest a study plan for quant for me, I have 40 more days until my exam, and I am ready to follow a schedule even if it’s very strict…
Pavan,
I think a great idea would be for you to go through the 2-3 months study guide (https://magoosh.com/gre/2011/2-3-month-gre-study-guide/) and focus just on the quant. Covering the quant alone in 40 days will be challenging, but I think that should be a great study plan for you.
Hi Chris,
I’m interested in your product & a bit new in the GRE world!
I just wanna ask : according what you wrote above in the essential material, Does this means that your premium product is not enough to master the GRE exam?
Thanks,
To answer your question, I would have to know the person’s level and what you mean by “master,” e.g. perfect score or near perfect score.
Regardless, you should avail yourself of the best resources out there. Magoosh, I believe, is definitely the best (at least for the price). And if I’d have to recommend one and only one resource for a student who wants to master the test, I’d recommend Magoosh. However, it always helps to have more practice material, especially ETS material.
Hope that helps!
Hey Chris,
Thanks for all these great resources, your verbal videos are great!
I am holding off on using the power prep software because I want to first utilize all the resources given by Magoosh and my other study materials so that I can get a much more accurate gauge of my performance.
Are the questions in the booklet provide in this post the same questions as asked on the power prep software?
Thank You!
Hi Kay,
Thanks for the kudos!
So the questions in the powerprep software overlap with the questions that are part of the CD accompanying the book. The questions in the book, including those from the sets in the beginning, are different from any found in the powerprep software.
Hope that helps!
Hi Chris, the post is awesome and very helpful. Please do let me know how many unique tests are there in POWERPREPII? How many full timed tests can we take in Powerprep, given that most of the questions don’t repeat again?
Power Prep has only one full-timed test, unfortunately. Luckily that breaks down into two 25-question math sections and two 25-question verbal sections. The good news is you don’t have to buy the Power Prep CD because the on-line test (that you can download from the gre.org site) covers those exact same questions. The bad news is if you do all the questions from the on-line test, you can’t really take the Power Score test (you’ll have seen the questions already).
I know, it’s pretty confusing. Here’s hoping that ETS releases more practice material.