Gre writing

[dream2pa]

I apologize in advance if somebody has already asked this question. I'm taking my GRE pretty soon and I'm kinda terrified about the writing part. I have not done any major writing in so many years thanks to my hardcore science classes . the thing about writing essays is not only you have to be coherent but cogent also. How can I prepare for the writing section? Any advice is appreciated

[Maynard]

The best way to prepare is to practice under conditions as close as possible to the way the actual exam is taken. It is unlikely, at this point in your life, that you'll be able to make serious improvements in your raw writing ability. You've been working on that since first grade, so what's a few weeks of prep going to do? You can, however, significantly improve your test-taking ability and you do that with practice.They have plenty of practice prompts available for you to use. A lot of it is just coming up with a strategy, learning to manage your time effectively, and making the mistakes before you enter the exam room.

 

On a side note, GRE writing is freakin' silly.

[zoopeda]

Two major things:

1. Organize before you write! Think middle school outlines. Remember the intro is a funnel and should summarize each point of you thesis in the order presented later, that each paragraph should introduce and expound upon each idea from the intro, and that the conclusion is an upside down funnel that inversely restates the intro. Review the basic expository writing outline structure and use it religiously.

2. Write VOLUME. According to every prep book I used, while ETS claims length is not considered in scoring, apparently longer essays are generally scored higher than short ones.

Manhattan Review is awesome, in my opinion. But your old high school English notes are just as good.

[dndandrea]

The writing section terrified me at first when I started preparing for the GRE. I definitely would recommend you try the online practice exams from Manhattan Review, Kaplan, Princeton Review. The Powerprep software from the official ets is very accurate as well. Just keep practicing. I did a couple of practice exams and I felt pretty comfortable during the actual test.

 

Just come up with 3 points, throw in some specific examples (even if you have to make them up, just be relevant), and choose 1 side. Look for flaws in the argument portion, point them out and fix them.

 

As a person who HATES writing, I managed to get a 4.0 without much stress during the test.

[jtmathew]

Big hint, every topic that is used on the writing portion of the GRE is posted on the ETS website. Also, keep in mind that the graders dont necessarily dock you points for not "finishing" your essay. As long as you construct a coherent thesis and logically support your claims, you wont lose points for an incomplete conclusion. That being said, you want to make sure you finish making and supporting your points. An outline is VITAL to your success. First 3-5 minutes should be spent planning and laying the essay out. The rest is speed writing/editing. I am by no means a prolific writer but I scored a 4.5 with half a conclusion on the first essay.

[DancingPA1029]

This sounds silly, but make sure you understand the directions for each essay. For example, if you state your opinion on the argumentative essay, you will significantly hurt your score.