How to Study For the GRE Test (Graduate Record Examination)

 How to Study For the GRE Test (Graduate Record Examination)

The GRE test proves to be a very important test, but do not sweat it just yet. There are ways of which you can go about it successfully. Below is a list of suggestions on how to study for the GRE test.
1. Familiarize yourself with the GRE test prior to the day you have to take it. By familiarizing yourself with the test, you will have an idea of what to expect. By obtaining the knowledge of what to expect, you will have a smoother ride throughout the test. If you do not know what to expect then it will be easier for you to become flustered during the test, thus making the test more difficult than it has to be.
2. Allow yourself an adequate amount of prep time for the GRE test. By being well prepared, you will be more inclined to receive a better GRE score on the test. Spend as much time preparing for the test as you possibly can. As little as three to four months or as much as a year should be plenty of time for you to well prepare yourself.
3. Set a goal to receive the GRE score you wish to obtain. Setting goals is the prelude to an accomplishment. By setting a score goal for yourself, you will give yourself an idea of how much preparation and study time you will need so that you can achieve the score. Goals give you something particular to work toward.
4. Steer clear of distractions when studying for the GRE test. Distractions are, well, distracting. When studying for the GRE test, you want to focus solely on the content of which you are studying. Try to refrain from any and all distractions, such as television, music (unless listening to music helps you study), cell phones, etcetera.
5. Study a variety of texts. Studying more than one text will cover more of the test overall. This can definitely help you to better prepare yourself. Some text suggestions are Kaplan, Princeton Review, Barrons, Big Book, and Power Prep.
6. Vigorously practice the GRE test before taking the actual test. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect". Think of it as a sport. In sports, players have to practice regularly so that they can become better and better at their sport. The same goes for the GRE test. The more you practice, the more likelihood that you will receive the GRE score that you would like to will increase.
7. Concentrate primarily on the sections of the GRE test of which you believe you will struggle in. The test is divided mainly into four separate sections: analytical writing, research, quantitative, and verbal. Only you yourself can truly know what areas you excel in and what areas of which you may need more assistance in. Study the test as a whole, but spend a bit more time on the areas of which you are not so great in.
8. Be aware of how much time you are allotted for each portion of the test. Once you have studied the test content for awhile, begin taking practice tests. When taking these practice tests, time yourself in tandem with the time limitations for the actual test. By doing this, you will acquire an idea of how to pace yourself during the test.

GRE Test

Studying a GRE Book to Achieve Better Results

Studying a GRE Book to Achieve Better Results

Getting a top score on your GRE needs some hard work, with the help of a top GRE book.
The GRE - which stands for Graduate Record Examinations - is asked for by most universities for advanced degrees. This consists of a general exam, which tests both the test-taker's verbal competence, as well as her or his mathematical understanding.
Since the exam plays a place in university admissions process, it is extremely important to dedicate an appropriate block of time for study.
Have a Pre-exam
Locate an exam on the web, or in one of the preparation guides you use. Using a GRE book is extremely important as a guide, as well as regularly practicing to achieve higher results.
Around 3 to 4 months before planning on sitting for the GRE exam, take a practice exam. The results will tell you where you are with regards to the GRE. Each person does differently. As an example, I did great on my math portion, but not so great on my verbal section. Because of the initial exam, I knew exactly what material I needed to work on.
An Hour Each Day
Once you have taken a practice exam, you know where your weaknesses lie. If you are not certain what to do to deal with those weaknesses, ask someone for help!
Working for an hour a day 5 times each week is good. Some people may require more time, and other people less. It is important to not compare yourself to other people when studying for the GRE.
What material is good to study?
Using a preparation book that you can purchase online, start focusing on the sections you are weak at. If this is the verbal part, then working on and going over new words is very useful, as is preparing for reading comprehension.
If the quantitative questions confuse you, then start working with simple problems, until you are able to regularly answer them. It is important not to hurry the process of study. If you do, you may not completely understand the thought processes needed to answer the questions.
Keep taking practice tests
Practice test are very useful. It is unfortunate that almost all GRE guides only come with several exams, although a few of them have CDs that include more. Sitting for a practice test every 2 to 3 weeks is great as it allows you to track your progress, in addition to allowing you to adapt to the exam structure.
Like you did with the first exam, do go back and look at what you are good at, and what you did poorly in. If there are sections that you do not comprehend, then get guidance!

GRE Exam

USMLE 2 - THREE Steps to Guaranteeing a Score Above 220

USMLE 2 - THREE Steps to Guaranteeing a Score Above 220

It is becoming tougher and more competitive as the years pass bye to get into a residency program you desire, let along any residency program. For this reason, it's important to approach each and every one of the USMLE exams as if it was the make-or-break exam in your career.
It isn't enough to just browse through a review book, do a couple hundred questions from a question bank, or try to squeak through from what you learned while working on the wards. Achieving a great score is done with precise planning and targeted preparation, targeting the high-yield information and learning every single nugget about it that you can. So how do we find out what is really the high-yield information? Here is how...
1. Select the right study/prep guide
As you know if you are a medical student, there are some review books that only cover the bare essentials and are very superficial in nature, and on the opposite spectrum there are those that are so long that they come in a series of books. It is ideal that you select a guide that is somewhere in between these two choices. An ideal study guide is one that covers every single high-yield and medium-yield topic, as these will be tested on your exam. From these clues, you can dig a bit deeper and properly learn the details about all the high-yield information, as the USMLE exams will never ask a simple straight-forward question, rather they'll ask you something that is secondary, tertiary, and even quaternary, all the while still being related to that high-yield topic. Ideally, if you can find a study guide that does this step for you, you are way ahead of the game.
2. Do at least ONE FULL question bank
Ideally, you would do a full question bank after having gone through your study guide and adding more in-depth information to it. From here, you should take good quality notes from the qbank information and insert them into the appropriate places in your study guide. Not only will this add to your knowledge of the highest yield topics, but it will give you a different twist on these topics. This altered method of thinking about topics is one of the greatest benefits of doing the question banks. Once you have been through the whole qbank, you will have a top-notch preparation guide.
3. Try to get through your study guide a minimum of TWO times
You've taken the time to go through and add more information to your study guide, you've worked hard to implement the extra information from your qbank, now is the time to fully commit all of the material to memory. Ideally, you would read through each chapter at least 2-3 times, followed by a full once-through of the whole book. These are the minimum steps you should take to ensure you will be able to tackle each question on the USMLE exam without hesitation.

USMLE Step 2

USMLE Step 2 CK Exam - FIVE Steps to Guarantee a Score Over 230

USMLE Step 2 CK Exam - FIVE Steps to Guarantee a Score Over 230

Some people will tell you to run out and grab this or that study guide, swearing that it is "the only" guide that you need. But there is a problem with this approach, and this is that the majority of study guides on the market are very superficial high-yield guides, going into little or no detail about each topic it touches. If you really want to score well above average on the CK exam, you have to dig deeper, you have to go that extra mile in order to succeed in surpassing the average and knocking this exam out of the ballpark.
Many medical students aren't really sure how they should approach an exam in order to significantly surpass the average, but the answer truly is not to simply read a review book and do a few questions. The key is to take the high-yield information that is being presented to you in books and on the wards, and take this information one-step further, learning everything you can about it, even the smallest detail you can find.
Here are FIVE steps that can help you secure a score of more than 230 on your USMLE Step 2 CK exam:
1. Figure out what is truly high-yield information
This is the first and most important step in preparing for your Step 2 CK exam. The best place to find this information is in a study guide that is written specifically for the CK exam. A word of caution here is to purchase a study guide that gives you complete information, not simply one or two supposedly high-yield quick facts. You really want to find something voluminous, because truly learning medicine requires lots of information, so don't cut yourself short here by purchasing something because it is smaller than the rest of the guides on the market. On the other hand, don't feel like you have to have full books on each individual subject, because this is not necessary for Step 2 CK preparation.
2. Take the "high-yield" information and dig deeper
This is the step that most people will unknowingly miss, and in turn it will really hurt their score. The key to "digging deeper", is to realize that each topic being presented to you is simply an introduction, and in no way a multidimensional look at that topic. In order to best prepare yourself for the CK exam (and your career in medicine), you should learn the surface information for the topic (ie. the basics), then learn some secondary, tertiary, and quaternary information. Be sure to review the histology, pharmacology, anatomy, pathology, and physiology for each topic. In doing this, you will have a well-rounded knowledge base for each topic on the test. Just a note - this sounds like a lot of work, but most of this information will come back to you from your Step 1 exam, and in the end it will go a long way in helping your score.
3. Take this "deep" high-yield information and apply it to a question bank
Using a question bank as a study supplement is absolutely essential these days, and with the highly targeted information being presented in the qbanks, it is going to go a long way in your quest for a 230 + score on the CK. The key to making the best of your qbank efforts is to go through them relatively slowly and take meticulous notes. These notes are going to be added to your study guide in order to fill in each and every piece of information you may be missing.
4. Fill in the cracks of your current knowledge with your new qbank knowledge
The second-to-last step in fully setting yourself up for a great score is to take your qbank notes and to fill them into your study guide. If your study guide is a PDF document, simply print it out and you will have plenty of room to write in the hundreds of important points you grabbed from doing your question bank.
5. Read your super high-yield preparation guide at least THREE times
Now that you have gone deeper to learn as much as you could about each superficial topic presented in your study guide, taken it a step further by filling in the cracks with all of your qbank information, you are ready to sit down and round out your test preparation by absorbing every last nugget of information in your study guide. Studies have shown that the absolute best way to commit something to your memory is by seeing it at least THREE times. The best approach to doing this can be either reading each chapter three times through, then moving onto the next, or by reading your guide all the way through three individual times. You will know what is best for you from experience. If you want to truly ensure you won't forget anything on test day, you can read each chapter three times in a row, then once you are done, read the guide once through. This will ensure you remember everything, even the first few chapters that you might have forgotten a bit about.
These are FIVE steps you must take in order to ensure you get a score well above average on your CK exam. If you are a weaker test-taker this information may be what you need to propel your scores that much higher, if you are a strong test-taker then this information will help you stay strong and possibly do even better on this test than the Step 1.

USMLE Medical Books

 

13 Tips to Crack the GRE Test

Obtaining good score in GRE is not a tough task, if you plan and prepare in a systematic way. You need to have through understanding about the exam in order to crack it; here are some important tips to crack the GRE test.
· Generally many students get low scores on tests because they don't take time to read the directions before answering the questions. Make sure you got the complete understanding of the question before answering it
· Set a goal to receive the GRE score you would like to obtain. Setting goals for yourself will allow you to have a clear idea of how much time and preparation required to meet your goals
· Spend more time on the starting questions, because these questions have bigger effect on your score than the questions at the end
· You do not have negative marking for wrong answers in GRE, so never leave answers blank, If you are not sure about the answer of a question then use the method of elimination, it narrows down your guess to two options sometimes one
· Practice, practice and practice more! Preparing for the GRE is a time consuming feat, however, it will be worth it when you can be proud of your high score
· Don't stick to the one question for too long, if you fail to answer that particular question in spite of allocating maximum time, this will have a negative effect on the rest of your test and it can dent your chances of good score
· If you are taking computer adaptive test (CAT), the computer scores each question before going to the next section, you can not go back to a particular question once you answer it
· Read Extensively, this is the best way to prepare for the GRE reading comprehension questions. The GRE usually uses passages from scholarly journals and university press.
· Look over the entire passage first, do not skip ahead to the questions before reading the passage and more over reading the questions first will reduce your ability to focus on the passage.
· Write down the first three words of sentences that contain main points. This will give you reference points within the passage for the questions that will follow.
· Refer back to the passage for confirmation when choosing an answer. Do not relay on your memory.
· Read questions carefully; missing just one word can throw you off the correct answer. Remember the questions at the beginning of the test have more effect on your score than the ones at the end.
· Make sure that you reach the test center at least 30 minutes before the exam schedule.

GRE Exam

Winning Approach to GRE Test Prep - Boost Your GRE Test Score

The GRE exam is designed to test your general ability rather than your knowledge of a specific area. That is why it is regarded as a g-factor exam. A key area for testing general knowledge is language. Vocabulary is a well known indicator of intelligence and is widely used in g-factor tests such as IQ and GRE. Therefore the best way to prepare for your GRE test is to improve your masterly of English vocabulary. In this article, I show you exactly how to achieve this.
Firstly, you can improve your vocabulary specifically for GRE test by taking advantage of commonly repeated words that are used in the test. This is why you will find many word lists and flash cards on the Internet that you can use repetitively. This would work quite well when you have a lot of time. However, to make rapid progress, you need to adopt other rapid learning strategies
The second way to prepare for your GRE test is to get extra information about these words. Access to thousands of word usage examples combined with special synonym and antonym exercises will boost your learning dramatically. This technique allows you to understand and remember words with ease.
Another approach that is available is auditory simulation. Reading and hearing the words can accelerate your learning ability by over 50%. What you only see you may easily forget. What you see and hear will remain with you for a longer period.
These techniques will help you not only in your preparation for the GRE tests but you can use them with your GRE prep test reviews to build your confidence and produce increasingly better results. Passing this exam is easy once you understand what is needed. Many people are posting impressive grades all the time and you can do it too.

There is a surprisingly easy way to beat g-loaded exams like GRE. The most effective way to prepare for such exams is to boost your vocabulary specifically for the test. Listen; to score well, you need to go beyond word lists and flash cards.
Discover the 7 different proven learning strategies to maximize the speed and efficiency of your learning. Try a personal tutor that can keep track of the words you currently know and customize tests and activities appropriately taking you step-by-step through progressive levels of difficulty.

GRE Test

USMLE Step 1 Exam - 7 Tips For A Top USMLE Score

Studying for the USMLE Step 1 exam is serious business, and we are now in a time where there are more applicants than there are available residency positions, so there is absolutely no room for error in preparing for it thoroughly. It's true, there are almost twice as many people applying for residency today than there are available positions, so students should no longer be striving to simply "pass" the exam and go into a primary care field, because even the simplest residency programs to get into are now extremely competitive.
Because of the increasing difficulty in attaining a residency and the direct relationship between getting interviews and a good Step 1 score, I am going to share seven tips that I believe can help anybody do well on the USMLE exam, even if you are not a strong test-taker.
My seven tips for an outstanding Step 1 score are:
#1 - Start thinking USMLE from day 1 of med school
Get into the mindset from day 1 that you are preparing for the boards, because the sooner you set your mind for it's preparation the sooner you will start to absorb the appropriate material.
#2 - Class time = USMLE prep time
Pay close attention throughout your courses and pay extra attention to anything that your professors say is "high-yield", because they have been there already and they know what is likely to be on the exam. Take notes and develop your own process for marking the high-yield stuff that comes up in your classes.
#3 - Give the USMLE 1 hour every week from the start
If you are taking the right steps and making notes consistently for the Step 1 then you should have an ever-growing set of USMLE notes. Every week, take only 1 hour and sit and study your USMLE-specific notes, which will help you to absorb the high-yield information over time and this will ultimately help you best prepare.
#4 - Combine your class notes with your study guide notes
Something I didn't do but I wish I had done was get a USMLE Step 1 study guide from day 1 and bring it to all my classes. I had friends who did this and it helped them tremendously, and the only thing you need to do is jot down class information that comes up that is discussed in your study guide. This helps you to add more depth to the high-yield topics mentioned in the study guide and this ultimately gives you an even better study guide in the long-run.
#5 - Do a question bank from day 1
Starting a question bank from the beginning of your med school days is a great way to learn how to take standardized exam questions as well as a great way to help you prepare for your classes. Be sure to work through the qbanks slowly and take great notes along the way, as these will come in handy closer to your Step 1 exam date.
#6 - Create 3 sets of notes for the USMLE
Studying simply from a pre-written study guide is a fast way to a mediocre score, so instead of that you want to create 3 sets of study notes for your USMLE prep. First, you need to create notes straight from your classes which are your most in-depth set of study notes, secondly you need a set of notes mentioned in #4 which is more high-yield in nature, and third you need a thorough set of notes taken from your question bank. These three are a killer combination and will help you do very well on your exam.
#7 - Treat your USMLE preparation like a job
This test is tough, so approach it as if it was a job, giving it plenty of dedicated attention. When you are done with your 1st and 2nd year courses, create a schedule for studying and stick to it firmly, as you need to study intensely and consistently for a few weeks in order to get a top score.

USMLE Step 123