GRE

[Guest 007]

Did anyone here write it? Does it require prep time? Is it a full day thing like the MCAT? The last thing I want to do is write another standardized test in the next year...but my meds backup plan requires it. sigh.

[Guest Yevgenydorn]

Hi 007, I wrote the GRE in February. I haven't written the MCAT, but I think the GRE seems a bit easier (at least in terms of preparation and time). It isn't a full day thing (I think it takes 3 hours), and you can register to write it any time. Apparently the verbal section is pretty similar to the MCAT Verbal, so just prepare the way you did for that. They send you some useful practice tests when you register that are helpful to practice questions and for getting used to the computerized format of the test. As for the mathematicla reasoning section, it might require a bit of review and/or practice as well, but doesn't require much knowledge, just pretty simple geometry and algebra (that is, probably up to grade 11 or 12 level). Overall the test is not too bad, doesn't take too much preparation time (though I think some practice definitely helps!) Just make sure you understand how the scoring works- it's fairly different from paper tests because the difficulty of questions you get is based one your answers to previous questions (which is annoying since you can't go back to questions you're stuck on, but I guess that's what allows them to offer the test all-year round -since every one is different). Anyway, I hope this helps!

Yev