GRE Snacks

Did you know that the reason most people score poorly on the GRE Essay section is because they didn't finish in time? Pacing yourself to hit the right word count and essay structure is key to ensuring a strong GRE Essay score. We share multiple tactics that you can use to ensure you pace correctly on the GRE Essay section in this episode.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

If you get close to (but not quite at) your target GRE score, should you retake the exam? Our listener Carolyn asked this question, and Orion breaks down the thresholds he gives his students for retaking the exam and the logic behind them.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

About half of the GRE Verbal points come from reading comprehension questions, so having a system for tackling them efficiently is key to scoring well. The citation technique is a key piece for tackling reading comprehension in the Achievable GRE course, and Orion gives you a sneak peek in this episode.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

You can get a problem wrong on the GRE Verbal and still get a perfect scaled score, but not so for the GRE Quant - if you miss one GRE Quant question, you're already down to a 167. Why is that? Orion shares why, going into how the GRE is scored, how he believes scaled scores are calculated, and how this impacts your score.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ETS has let students take the GRE exam from home. This option has been a boon for many students - rather than go to a sterile and less-than-friendly testing center, you can take the exam from your living room. But it also has its challenges, especially around bad internet connections and the proctoring of the exam. Orion shares how to tackle these challenges in this week's episode. 

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

Are you ready to take the GRE exam? You've taken many practice exams, but you could always take more. You've reviewed all the material, but could always do it again. When are you really ready? In this week's episode, Orion shares a simple secret - no one ever feels fully ready to take the GRE - and what three signs he looks for in his students that show they are ready to take their GRE.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

When you're working towards a goal, if you do nothing, you're actually slowly moving backwards. Every day you don't study, you actually forget a little bit of what you studied previously. If you put in ordinary effort, such as studying 20 minutes a day, you will combat that loss of progress but you won't make much forward progress. In order to truly make forward progress, you need to put in extraordinary effort - literally more effort than ordinary. Orion explains how he applies this philosophy to preparing for the GRE in this episode.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

The GRE is an adaptive test, which means that if you want to reach a top percentile score, you're going to face some tough problems on your second graded GRE Quantitative section. What makes a problem difficult isn't the content - it's the execution. 90%+ of 'difficult' Quant problems are actually "hybrid problems" that require mastery and application of 2 - 4 different solving techniques in the proper order to solve. Orion draws from his deep knowledge of the GRE Quant section to outline how he approaches these problems in this episode.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

We talked about how standardized testing can sometimes be tougher for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and how that can make these tests a barrier that holds back these groups. As that topic has become a national conversation, some are arguing for the GRE to be removed as a requirement for most graduate school admissions. So, should it? Orion and I discuss the pros and cons.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me

A listener Caleb asked us about an interesting problem: if you have a good GRE score, should you send it to a school you are applying to that does not require it? There are tradeoffs, and it depends on a few factors - Orion lays them all out and goes into detail in this episode.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the GRE exam - visit https://achievable.me