Graduate School Entrance Exams As if you did not take enough exams during your undergraduate work! If you are pursuing any type of post graudate coursework there is a strong liklihood that you will need to take an entrance exam in order to get into that program. These exams can seem daunting at times, but with these tips hopefully, a little bit of the stress will subside! Know the Test.
First thing is first. Know which test you need and how much it is weighted into the program you are seeking. Not every program requires the GRE, some programs have mostly perfect scores, and others yet only want to see that you’ve taken the test. So check out the programs that you want to apply to and see what their admissions requirements are as well as look at the current class statistics. The next thing about knowing the test is finding out what the test is actually testing you on. Is it specific content knowledge, or is more abstract and logical? Each test is different and will be testing you on different knowledge so know what you need to know how to study.
Start Hard Finish Easy.
Take a practice exam right off the back. Not to know which sections you’ll do the worst on, but to find out which sections you’ll need the most practice on. Not everyone is going to be great at every section. However, if you identify your weak spots now you’ll be able to improve them exponentially by the time of the actual test.
Develop a Study Program.
We all know that we cannot cram for a test and expect to get a perfect score. The same holds true for entrance exams. Many of these tests will be testing skills that you’ve built over the years of your coursework. So sometimes they might not seem as obvious when you’re asked a widgets and gadgets in a quantitative question. Stick to it! This is the hardest part. If it is recommended to study for 200 hours prior to the exam, then you should! Break it down though don’t do more than 3 hours in a sitting.
It’s more about how you take the test.
The likelihood of getting the same questions on a practice exam and the test you’ll be taking are very slim. When you are taking practice tests it’s about the conditions you are taking the exam in. Study in a quiet place without much distraction so that you can be in the same mind state. You will also be studying for the KINDS of questions, not the answers to questions. This is where being sure to stick to a study schedule really helps out as you are then able to answer any type of questions that may be on the test.
Don’t Forget to Relax.
While some universities place a lot of weight on entrance exams, the majority understand that one test doesn’t make a student. Therefore, they are going to be taking into account the holistic aspect of your undergraduate work. Therefore, RELAX. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep the night before the exam. Eat a wellbalanced meal before and drink plenty of water during your exam. Stressing out during the exam, won’t help you get a better score. Besides you’ve been preparing for this! You’ve got it.