GRE blog
Study advice from the EMPOWER Test Prep team: how to plan your prep, what to expect on Test Day, and how to choose a course.
No Break on the New GRE: Train Your Focus for Two STRAIGHT Hours
The shorter GRE has no scheduled break, so 118 minutes of focus is now part of the test. Here's how to train that stamina on purpose.
The Shorter GRE Didn't Change Your Pace Per Question
The GRE got shorter, but your clock per question barely moved. Here's the real math, and why rushing on a shorter test quietly costs you points.
The GRE Gets SHORTER on September 22. Here's What Changes.
On September 22 the GRE drops to about two hours. Here's what really changes, what doesn't, and the panic moves that will quietly cost you points.
How Many Hours Do You REALLY Study?
You say you study 15 hours a week. A stopwatch might disagree. Here is how to run one honest week of tracking and what to do with the truth.
Topic Drills vs. Mixed Sets: You Need BOTH
Acing a topic drill feels great, but the GRE shuffles everything. Here's how to drill first, then mix, so test day holds no surprises.
Signal Words Tell You the Answer Before You See the Choices
One little word like although or because can tell you a GRE Verbal answer before you even look at the choices. Here's how to hear it and cut fast.
Word Problems: Translate EVERY Sentence Into Notes
GRE word problems aren't hard. You're just holding the whole story in your head. Write one note per sentence and watch the math get simple.
Triangles: A FEW Rules Solve Most Problems
Triangle questions look endless, but six rules handle most of them. Here is the short list and how to train it so it holds up on Test Day.
Start With a Diagnostic Test, Not a Textbook
Opening a GRE book on page one is guessing. Take one realistic practice test first, then train only where your own data says you are losing points.
Answering the Question They DIDN'T Ask
Perfect math, wrong answer. Here's why the GRE keeps baiting you into solving the wrong question, and the three-second habit that ends it.
Inference Questions: What MUST Be True, Not What Could Be
On GRE inference questions, the answer that sounds brilliant is usually the trap. Learn the one test that proves the right answer every time.
Take the GRE Early Enough to Take It TWICE
One GRE morning right before your deadline is a pressure cooker. Here's how to build a calendar with room for a second try, so the first one feels calm.
Weird Symbol Questions Are Just INSTRUCTIONS
That weird star symbol on GRE Quant isn't hard math. It's a recipe printed right in the question, and following it exactly earns you easy points.
Your 'Weak Spot' Might Not Be the REAL Problem
Missed a pile of GRE geometry questions? Before you spend a month on geometry, run one simple test to see what's REALLY costing you points.
Two and Three Blank Text Completions: Start With the EASIEST Blank
You don't have to fill GRE Text Completion blanks in order. Find the blank with the strongest clue, solve it first, and watch it unlock the rest.
Combinations and Permutations: Ask If Order MATTERS
Most GRE counting mistakes happen before any math starts. Learn the one question that tells you whether to arrange or to group, every time.
Applying Next Fall? Start Training NOW, Not in August
Applying next fall? If you wait until August to start the GRE, you get one shot. Start now and buy yourself a second one.
Coordinate Geometry: Sketch It Even When You Think You Don't Need To
Good at math so you skip the drawing on GRE line questions? Here's how a 10-second sketch catches the sign errors your algebra hides.
Rehearse Test Day BEFORE Test Day
Test Day surprises burn your focus before the first GRE question. Here's how to run a full dress rehearsal and fix every problem while it costs nothing.
Triage Is NOT Quitting
One stubborn GRE question can quietly eat the time for three easy ones. Learn to spot a time sink in seconds and walk away from it on purpose.
Write Practice Essays Under the Clock or Don't Bother
That two-hour practice essay felt great, and it tells you almost nothing. Here's how to train the GRE essays against a 30-minute clock.
Exponents: Break EVERYTHING Down to Primes
Ugly GRE exponent questions with bases that don't match turn into simple counting once you break every number into primes. Here's how, with three practice questions.
Read Harder Stuff EVERY Day
GRE Verbal punishes a drifting mind. Build real reading focus with a 20-minute daily habit, and use a simple tally to prove it is working.
Inequalities: The Negative Number TRAP
You know the flip rule for negatives. You still lose points on it. Here's where the negative hides on the GRE and the 5-second habit that catches it.
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