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.

A School's AVERAGE GRE Score Is Not a Cutoff
A few points under a school's average GRE score? That number is a middle, not a wall. Here's how to read it and what to do next.

TEST THE ANSWERS: The Shortcut Math Lovers Refuse to Use
The right answer is already on your GRE screen. Learn to TEST THE ANSWERS, and see why your pride keeps you stuck doing the long algebra.

Your Pacing 'Problem' Is NOT About the Clock
Running out of time on the GRE? The clock is not the problem. Here is what is actually eating your minutes, and how to win them back.

Reading Comprehension: Stop Rereading the Passage
Reading a GRE passage three times isn't careful, it's lost. Learn the few words to jot after each paragraph so one read is enough.

The On-Screen Calculator Is a Tool, NOT a Crutch
The GRE's on-screen calculator can quietly cost you minutes and points. Here's when to click it, and when your pencil wins.

Data Interpretation: Read the Chart Before You Touch the Numbers
Most missed GRE chart questions are reading mistakes, not math mistakes. Learn to read the chart first and stop handing away easy points.

Your Error Log Is the Most Important Book You Own
You keep missing the same GRE questions for the same reasons. A simple error log names those reasons and turns them into next week's study plan.

Leave EARLY: The Commute Is Part of Test Day
Traffic, parking and a maze of a building can wreck your GRE before question one. Here's how to plan the trip so the only fight is the test.

ScoreSelect Changes the Retake Math
Scared one bad GRE day will haunt your applications? ScoreSelect changes the math, but a retake with the same training buys you the same score.

The Argument Essay: You Are a CRITIC, Not a Debater
On the GRE Argument essay, your opinion earns nothing. Learn to spot the holes in someone else's logic and the essay nearly writes itself.

Working in Your Head Is PRIDE, Not Speed
Doing GRE math in your head feels fast, but it is quietly costing you minutes and points. Here is how to prove it to yourself today.

Summer Is Your BEST Window to Train for the GRE
Applying this fall? Summer is the quiet stretch you won't get back. Here's how to train for the GRE now so autumn is about applications, not panic.

The Unscored Section Is a TRAP for Lazy Test Takers
One GRE section doesn't count, and you won't know which. Here's why coasting on your 'fake' section is a bet you lose 2 out of 3 times.

One Practice Test Per Week. MAXIMUM.
Three GRE practice tests a week feels like hard work, but it's just stepping on a scale. Here's what to do with the other six days instead.

Sentence Equivalence: Find the PAIR, Not the Favorite
On GRE Sentence Equivalence, the word you love most is often the trap. Learn to hunt the matching pair and stop handing away easy Verbal points.

Holiday Break Is NOT a Study Plan
Everyone swears they'll study eight hours a day over the holidays. Almost nobody does. Here's a GRE plan built to survive the family dinners.

Fall Deadlines Are Close. Should You RUSH Your GRE?
A deadline is weeks away and you haven't trained. Here's how to decide whether a rushed GRE helps your application or quietly sinks it.

Who Has Their MBA?
If you are considering a Masters of Business Administration degree, you may be surprised of the notable people have them. While advancing you edcuation will…

5 Signs of a Great GMAT Online Prep Course
If you are thinking of entering into a business school, then you must prepare yourself for the GMAT, which is no easy task. With so many individuals working…

Are You Ready For The GMAT?
The GMAT exam has been around for over 60 years and is accepted by more than 6,000 business and management programs worldwide. The Graduate Management…

What to Look for in the Best GMAT Prep Courses
The best GMAT prep courses do a lot more than just throw sample questions at you. While knowing the kind of questions you will get can help, understanding…

Text Completion Is a Reading Test, NOT a Vocabulary Contest
Freezing on fancy words in GRE Text Completion? The answer is already sitting in the sentence. Here is how to find it before you read a single choice.

Quantitative Comparison: Stop SOLVING and Start COMPARING
GRE Quantitative Comparison only asks which side is bigger. Stop solving both sides, start comparing, and grab points faster.

Your New Year's GRE Resolution Is a TERRIBLE Plan
Your 'study more' GRE resolution is a wish, not a plan. Here's how to turn it into real training sessions on your calendar before January ends.
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