The Ultimate Guide to Scoring 330+ on the GRE

Chapter 3

101 Powerful Tips to Score 330+ on the GRE

Here are some general tips that we believe would help you get closer to your target GRE score. These tips are more like a checklist of things that you need to make sure you do, before you take the actual test.

Since it is an extremely tough ordeal to keep track of so many tips at a time, we have included a link which will give you a downloadable version of this entire guide. Download and take a print out of this, and stick it wherever you need.

1. Get to Know the Test

As simple as this may sound, many students often tend to neglect this part of their GRE test prep. It always makes sense to get to know the test first, and then figure out how to crack it. So, if you are looking to score very high on a timed test like the GRE, you need to know everything about it, in and out. You need to know what sort of questions you will face on test day, what and how many topics you will have to learn. Learn more about the test format, and understand what you will have to deal with, during the next few weeks of study.

2. Take a Diagnostic Test

It is always important to test the waters before you go for a deep dive. A lot of students do not take any form of diagnostic test, simply because they think all practice tests should be taken after studying for the test. Some students also argue that they may score low on the diagnostic test and it may hit their confidence levels. Not true. The diagnostic test should not be taken as a benchmark. It is not a representation of your final score. It is only there to tell you where you need to focus your attention during your preparation for the GRE. So, don’t worry about seeing low scores, or wasting a practice test. There are so many free practice tests available online, that you should definitely make proper use of.

3. Know Your Strengths & Weaknesses

Once you take a diagnostic test, you will clearly understand where you are scoring really well, and also where you are lagging behind. You might have thought Algebra was a piece of cake for you, but once you take the test, you may realize that you actually forgot some of the basics in Algebra. So, the diagnostic test really plays a role in helping you realize your strengths and weaknesses, thereby helping you devise a perfect study plan.

4. Set a Realistic Target Score

Setting a target always helps, because you always have a benchmark in your mind that you are consciously or unconsciously keeping track of. Now, it is completely fine even if you are not targeting a huge score of 330+, but even if your target is 315 or 305, always set a target and keep it in mind. Keep comparing your practice test scores with your target score and measure how far you have come along, and how far you have to go. If it helps, write your target score on a sticky notes or chart papers and stick them all over your room.

5. Understand How Much Time You Will Need

Now that you have your strengths and weaknesses ready, you should understand how much time you would need to study for the test, before you make a study plan. This is purely individual, and obviously varies from one test taker to the other, so do not try and compare study plans with others. You should try and make your own study plan.

6. Make Your Own Study Plan

It is important that you create your own study plan, even though there are dozens of plans available online. The reason being, you know yourself better than anyone else in the world, and it is you who knows how busy you are throughout the week, or how confident you are right now, or how much time it would take for you to master the entire Verbal section, for example. So, it is better if you can try and create your own study plan, based on several factors that affect you and your schedule. Of course, you can use the standard study plans you find online, as frameworks, and then make necessary changes as you see fit.

7. Review the Basics

Reviewing the basic concepts is a very crucial part of your test prep, especially when it comes to math. Even though you may have scored high on the diagnostic test, it is in your best interest to review everything starting from scratch, unless you have already studied the concepts very recently, or unless you are retaking the test. Again, this also depends on how much prep time you can afford to spend, and how much time you have before your test day. Our suggestion is that, if you have a lot of time – say at least six to eight weeks – before you sit for the test, you should start reviewing the basics before you take the plunge.

8. Learn to Balance Your Time

While studying for the GRE, you must consciously balance the time you are spending on each chapter or concept that you learn. Sometimes, it is easy to go adrift, and spend more time than necessary on a particular topic, or even a question. Sometimes you may get stuck with a tough question or a complex topic, and spend several hours on it, not realizing that there are many other topics waiting to be covered. Do not make that mistake. Always learn to balance your time, by allotting sufficient time slots for each and every topic in your study plan.

9. Focus on Your Weaknesses

Two things don’t allow students to focus on their weak areas. One, it might seem very tempting to keep on solving problems you can easily solve, and two, you are scared of failure whenever you attempt to study difficult topics that you are not very confident of. But the fact is, if you want a score anywhere close to 330, your strengths alone cannot take you there. You cannot afford to ignore your weaknesses if you are aiming to score sky high on the GRE. Always make a study plan around your weaknesses, and keep working on them periodically.

10. Don’t Procrastinate

It is easy to feel tired or distracted whenever you are studying something that doesn’t interest you. But that doesn’t mean you should quit or postpone it. If you already had a fixed study plan, procrastination really disturbs the entire schedule, and it will all be chaos before you realize it. So, make it a point to not procrastinate no matter what, because ultimately, you are dreaming for a top score. And a top score always demands hard work, and determination. Remember that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

11. Work open book

For the first few weeks during your GRE prep, try to work open book. If you forget a formula or a method, or if you really think you need help, do not hesitate to look it up. Do away with traditional learning methods, and have an open book policy for as long as you think you need it. Once you gain confidence and you can solve questions easily, shift to a normal study plan, and practice without any books or helping aids.

12. Build Your Mental Self

The GRE is a mental game, and you always need to be fit in order to win this mental challenge. Staying mentally fit can be done in many ways, but since you are preparing for the GRE, you need to be fit to take the test. Build yourself mentally, by studying at regular intervals, testing yourself when you are done studying a concept, and taking frequent full length GRE practice tests. This will help your mind get used to the fast paced test environment, and you will be able to sit through the actual deal comfortably.

13. Start Early

Start your GRE prep as early as you can. Doesn’t matter if you are still a sophomore student, or a working professional three years out of college. Start studying for the GRE as soon as you decide to study abroad. This will really help you because you will have lots of time to study, and you can go at a relaxed pace, rather than hurry at the last moment. If you have not decided when to take the GRE, maybe it is time you gave it a thought.

14. Learn Vocabulary in Context

Lots of students waste their time every year trying to learn the GRE vocab by heart. There is no point in learning words by heart, because one, it is going to take the long time; two, you are going to forget it anyway; and three, it defeats the very purpose. Instead, you would be happy to realize how easy it is to lean vocabulary in context, and how studying this way, you can remember words for a long, long time.

15. Focused, Targeted Practice

Practice is only very effective when it is targeted. Every time you sit down to study, you need to have a defined sense of direction and purpose. The big difference between a 310 and a 330 is targeting weakness and improving constantly, every single day. Which means, sitting down to study, and working on those weaknesses. Always be on the lookout for weaknesses. You need to be honest with yourself and keep track of your weaknesses in a notebook. Then when it comes to practice, focus on improving those skills.

16. Study Consistently

Studying consistently and on a regular basis is a lot better than studying with gaps in the middle. Make sure you devise a study plan keeping in mind your semester exams, thesis submissions, and other family obligations, because a good prep requires constant study and regular monitoring. Just make sure you don’t have a lot of gaps in the middle, as these can turn out to be hiccups in your prep, and you will forget some of the concept you have learnt previously.

17. Take a Prep Course (If you can afford it)

Studying for the GRE is not a normal ordeal, especially if you are aiming at a really good score. There are so many things you need to take care of, from diagnostic tests to performance analysis, from making dynamic study plans to performing regular mistake analyses. Which is why, we strongly recommend that you take a prep course if you can afford, since you can leave all that hassle to the people who do it best, so you can concentrate on what you can do best – studying. If you think conventional in classroom coaching classes are too expensive for your liking, consider taking an online prep course, which has many advantages.

18. Find a GRE Verbal Study Buddy

More often than not, you probably have a friend who is also studying for the GRE along with you. Rather than studying alone, it is better to have a study buddy for the GRE, since a friend can help you with many things. Firstly, your friend can help you learn the things you didn’t know previously, thereby saving your time. Also, you get a chance to help your friend learning something you know, so you have a chance to study something for the second time. But the real reason why you should have a GRE study buddy, is because you and your friend can help each other learn the GRE vocabulary. Make a pact with your friend that whenever you two talk to each other, or text each other, you will use 5 or 10 GRE words per day. This conversational learning will help you understand the meaning of the words, and their contextual usage, thereby help you learn vocab faster than otherwise. Plus, you can always create a healthy competitive environment between the two of you, as to who scores higher in the next practice test.

19. Get the Right Prep Material

Studying from the right prep material is almost as crucial as anything that concerns your GRE prep. Many students start with one book, leave it in the middle, and skip to some other material or online sources very frequently. This will seriously affect your schedule and learning process, since each material has its own way of explaining the concepts, and some books might use different notations and terms, for example. This will only hamper your chances of learning faster and better, so it is better to stick a particular set of material throughout your study plan.

20. Do not try to solve any question you see anywhere

Solve each and every practice problem from the official guide, and the other guides that we have mentioned earlier. Do not try to search for additional problems, once you are done with these.  There is no point in practicing ten thousand problems, if you cannot understand the point behind every question. So, do not try to solve any and every question you see on the internet or elsewhere.

21. Get over Fear

Like a dialogue from a Hollywood movie says, fear is nothing but a mere choice. Understand the fact that you fearing for the test does not alter the situation you are in. If you are underprepared, better postpone the test rather than go in full of fear and doubt. But, if you are fully prepared for the test and are confident of getting the score you dreamed of, then there’s no point in being afraid or anxious of the test. Learn how to cope with test anxiety and get over all your inhibitions.

22. Build your stamina

As you might have already been told several times, the GRE is a test of endurance. For most students, it is probably the first time in your life that you are sitting through a 4 hour test. It’s a grueling experience, which you must get used to before the test day. For this, you must make it a point to take as many practice tests as you can, in front of the computer. No paper tests, people. Use the computers, since that’s how you are going to write the actual test.

23. Take a GRE Practice Test Every Weekend

Since there is a ton of practice material and scores of practice tests available on the internet, all for free, take a practice test every single week using quality tests from Power Prep, Princeton Review, Kaplan, and Manhattan. These practice tests will be very crucial for helping you build the stamina you needed to sit through the 4-hour test. When making a study plan, make sure to take into consideration the fact that you need to take a GRE practice test every weekend. Doing this will help you stay abreast with the test format, and test strategies, and at the same time help you gauge your performance on a weekly basis.

24. The two minute rule

Always remember the two minute rule, which says that you should never spend more than 2 minutes on a single question on the GRE. After 2 minutes, if you still can’t figure out a solution, find out an alternative approach, or start a guessing strategy. But, be sure to be done by 2 minutes, or else it will hurt your chances of scoring high on the GRE.

25. Do all OG Questions

If you have all the time in the world, you must do all the problems from the Official Guide. This is because only the OG has real GRE questions that have appeared in the previous tests. But like most students who are studying for the GRE, if you are under time constraints, you must study in a smart way. Instead of trying to solve all the questions from the OG during crunch time, you should focus your energy in the last 100 or so questions from each section, as they are the most recently retired GRE questions and also tend to be the hardest questions of each section. This will help you understand the exact kind of questions you will face on test day.

26. Maintain an Error Log

Error logs are probably one of your best friends during your GRE prep. If you try and use the error log effectively for a while, you will be able to see a distinctive pattern of the mistakes you make and the areas you make them in. Believe it or not, the error log will be your best teacher! You can only get a higher score when you know if you are improving constantly or not. It is quite easy to create an error log; it can be anything, but an excel file would be the most preferred option, since it is easier to not only use, but also make changes in the future. Make an excel sheet with the entire list of topics you are going to study in the next few months: Algebra, Geometry, Text Completion, etc. And write down your confidence levels in the next column, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being ‘very confident’ and 1 being ‘clueless’.

27. Review Wrong Answers Thoroughly

If you get a question wrong, you need to be extremely vigilant about it, especially since you wouldn’t want to repeat the same mistake next time around. When you make a mistake, don’t read the explanation immediately. Try to solve it on your own. Review all material with a pen and paper in hand.

Any mistake you make any time, you should make sure you would not make it again.

So, whenever you get a question wrong in the practice tests, take time to review each and every question, and make sure you review it properly, including finding out the reason why you couldn’t get it right. You must understand why the correct answer choice is right and why the wrong choices are wrong. This exercise may seem boring or repetitive, but it will help you avoid mistakes in the future.

28. Read Everyday

Reading every single day is a wonderful habit to have, and it certainly pays off during the test, since the GRE tests you on how fast and efficiently you can read, without being prone to a lot of mistakes. Make it a habit to read some dailies or magazines on science, politics, environment, social issues, etc. They will not only help you ace the GRE test, but will also make you a smarter person in general.

29. Learn Test Strategies

Learning tactful strategies can be very efficient when it comes to tackling any concept on the GRE. Students generally feel some of the topics on the GRE are really tough to crack. Reading Comprehension for example, is considered as the toughest of all sections on the GRE, and many students falter in this section, making us create an entire strategy guide for the reading comprehension section. Similarly, you should try and learn efficient strategies to easily solve such sections on test day.

30. Learn 20 Words a day

There are scores of word lists available out there on the internet, asking to learn every single word from the list. The lists have as many as 3500+ words for you to learn, if you want a good score in the verbal section. But the point is, you don’t need 3500 words to score high on the verbal section. Plus, it is very difficult to learn and remember 3500 words in a very short period of time. So, what you can do is, make it compulsory to learn at least 20 word a day, if not more. But, it is more important to learn these words in context than simple meanings and synonyms. Start with the high frequency words, and only when you have totally mastered them, move on to the other lists.

31. Learn to Let Go

Do not keep on studying that one concept you haven’t understood yet, especially when you still have a lot of studying to do. Learn to let go of the harder topics or questions, and move on to the ones you can easily understand or complete within the time you have allotted yourself. Once you have completed the rest of the topics and questions, you can always come back and try learning the harder concepts again.

32. Solve 330+ level questions

It stands to reason that if you want to crack 330 on the GRE, you need to know how to solve the harder, 330-level questions the GRE might throw at you on both the verbal and quantitative sections. That’s true. So, keep practicing those questions that always challenge you, instead of doing questions that you can easily solve within a few seconds. Challenge yourself every single day, and one day you will reach a level that’s beyond 330.

33. Read the Explanations

If you have enough time for the test, you should really try to read the explanations provided in the OG to all the questions. This will help you carefully analyze your mistakes, and also to understand how to think about an answering strategy to a particular question. ETS likes to test the same patterns over and over again in their tests, and if you are perfectly prepared to the patterns previously tested, it will definitely help you on test day. In fact, you will be surprised to know how many of the quant problems you will see on test day, would be replicas of problems you solved in the OG.

34. Don’t be a Perfectionist

Consistency is always more important than perfection, and test takers should get this into their heads as much as they can. Remember that you are not aiming to be the greatest test taker ever. You only want a really good GRE score and study at your dream university. To get there, you need to keep the ball in the ballpark. Many students think that, to get that magical score of 330, they need to master every arcane question they find on the internet, do thousands of questions, and memorize long lists of tough words. That’s not true. Instead, you should get yourself as close as possible in the limited time that you have. Every time you try to be a perfectionist, you tend to make careless mistakes, or simple calculation errors that you otherwise would have done right. So, try to get better every day, instead of trying to be perfect.

35. OG is the GRE Bible

Yes, the Official Guide is actually one of the best books you can have, while studying for the GRE. If you ask anyone who scored really high on the GRE, they would say the same. Many people refer to OG as the Bible of GRE prep, and rightfully so. Make sure you get yourself a copy of the official book on the GRE.

36. Have Fun

Don’t forget to enjoy what you are doing. Even though sometimes it gets a little boring or difficult to keep up with, it is necessary that you keep going, and have fun while you’re at it. Remember a time when math problems were kind of fun, or the time when the reading comprehension passages you read contain some interesting information. Find a way to have some fun with your GRE preparation. It’s probably something very different from what you do on a normal basis, so consider it as a unique experience, and appreciate it for what it is. Once you can convince yourself that what you are doing is fun, the process becomes a whole lot easier.

37. Keep it Short

Some test takers, with an aim to score really high on the test, devise study plans spread over 4 or 6 months. Remember the fact that if you can study in a perfect and disciplined manner, and follow the schedule without deviating, it is easy to get a good score on the GRE within a few weeks. Contrary to what many students think, most of them do not need more than 6 weeks to get a high score. The problem is, if you study for months together, you will start losing the excitement and interest after the first couple of months, and it can lead to burnout as well as forgetfulness.

38. Maintain Notes

Record all important points and critical notes about the GRE onto pieces of paper, or better yet, on self-made flashcards, so you can take them wherever you go. This really is helpful because sometimes you come across a point that strikes you as brilliant, but you eventually forget that as you approach the exam. By making flashcards filled with important observations and notes, it can turn out to be a very effective method for drilling strategy points and knowledge into your head. Start making flashcards from the first day of your studies.

39. Pacing is Key

If you ask test takers who scored a 330+ on the GRE, they would tell you that pacing through the test is one of the most important things they do. Now, if you want to pace quickly through the questions and still get them all right, you need to expand your skills outside of practice problems, and also have a very strong understanding of the questions types, the common wrong answer traps for each question type, and the strategy for each type of question. This knowledge definitely saves you a ton of time on test day. Students scoring in the 330+ range also have a strong pacing strategy, know how to save time, and use time efficiently. Not feeling rushed when you don’t have much time on hand, is a key to success, which comes with practice for sure. So, if you lack a pacing strategy, it is time to start coming up with one, right now, during practice.

40. Practice Questions Aren’t Enough

Plenty of students tend to think that if they answer hundreds, or even thousands of practice questions, they are ready to take the test. But sadly, though, this is a myth. Practice alone isn’t the key yo success; smart practice is. The best test takers, on the other hand, not only practice a lot of problems, but outside GRE prep, they also read a lot, and also choose really tough articles to read. These students make a habit to improve their skills outside of practice problems and grammar points. You too, should hence start believing the fact that practicing for the GRE means more than just opening a test prep book or logging into your test prep software.

41. Master all the Advanced Topics

In the GRE verbal section, you need to make sure you can read passages and complete questions in the allotted time without sacrificing comprehension. For that, you need to learn the basics, such as general grammar rules that determine the correct answer. Similarly, in the math section, if you can spend the time to go through each and every chapter, doing the exercises and practice problems along the way, you will know all of the math content you need to score a 330+.

42. Timed Practice

As we discussed many, many times previously, it doesn’t matter whether you can answer a question correctly. It only matters whether you can answer a question within the limited time the GRE will give you. For the math section, you need to answer 20 questions in 35 minutes, and for the verbal section, 20 in 30. So, make sure that you never practice without a stopwatch by your side. If it takes you three or four minutes to do a problem, make it a point to do it again and again, until you can complete it confidently, correctly, and within the time constraints.

43. Stay Confident

Always have confidence in yourself, and in your preparation for the test. You must walk into the test center with a never-say-never attitude. No matter what happens during your prep or during your test, do not lose faith in yourself. Prepare well for your test, expect to score high, and reach your target. If you do not have high confidence levels, it will definitely impact your performance on test day.

44. Execution is What Matters

Getting 330 on the GRE is largely about execution that anything else. On test day, you’ll need to avoid careless errors, manage your time impeccably, and apply all the skills you’ve worked on, without much room for mistakes. Does that mean you’ll have to answer every question right? Of course not, since if that were the case, this guide would be called “Guide to 340 on the GRE.” But we’re talking about 330, which means you need to study smart, and execute smarter, without having to be perfect at all.

45. Know the concepts back and forth

Take as much time as you need to learn every single one of the concepts, and forget about speed, during the initial stages. Focus on learning concepts first, and only when you think you have mastered all the concepts completely, you should focus on speed. It is pointless to study for speed until you know every concept the GRE is going to throw at you. This is because, if you do not focus much on concepts, when you face a question that relies on you knowing that specific piece of formula or concept, you’ll either be forced to guess or you’ll have to leave it.

46. Don’t Peek at the Answers

No matter how tempting it is to peek at the answer every time you solve a question, don’t do it. You can review all the answers once you finish the entire set, or the entire test, for that matter. Also, even if you are solving questions for fun, or just for practice, do not look at the answers, unless you are really clueless or stumped. Following this practice will help you in the long run.

47. Always be Accountable

Share your goals with people. As soon you as register for the GRE, you should make it public that you are studying for the GRE, and tell everyone about your plans to score a 330. This is a mental trick that you play on yourself, wherein the social pressure that you have compelled on yourself, will make you feel very responsible for achieving your goal. You step your game up a notch in an effort to not look bad in front of your family and friends. But then, make sure you will not be undone by the pressure, and that you have friends who supported and encouraged you to reach your goal.

48. Always try on your own

It is advised that you always tried to solve a question on your own, and that you do not seek much help from someone else, unless and until you know you cannot solve it on my own. Usually, students tend to try a problem, and if they get it wrong, they see the explanation given. BIG mistake. Do not make that yourself. Sure, it might sound like the most convenient thing to do, but you won’t actually be learning anything. What you can do is, spend a few minutes on a question (obviously not during a sample test), trying to solve it. You might say “it is such a waste of time”, but you will realize your theory was wrong, especially when you start getting answers to tough questions.

49. Fall in love with whatever you are studying

Sometimes you may come across topics or concepts that might sound very boring to you. If you really want to score high on the GRE, you must try to embrace even the boring concepts, and figure out a way to make it interesting for you to learn. Having a friend study with you helps in such situations, as your friend might figure out a way to explain it to you easily.

50. Have Formulae on Your Fingertips

For the quant section, you already know that formulae are like diamonds. Always have formulae on your fingertips, and know certain concepts like the back of your hand. For example, know the squares of all the numbers up to 25, the multiplication table of numbers up to 20, the square roots of all the numbers up to 10, and all prime numbers up to 100. These are really instrumental in getting a high score on the math section. Numerical fluency will allow you to figure out certain questions in a matter of seconds as opposed to wasting crucial minutes in calculations.

51. Don’t sweat the AWA section

Don’t expend all your energy on the AWA section, since it is the first section you will face on test day. If you don’t take it easy, you will end up totally worked up one hours into the test, and it will definitely have an impact on the rest of the sections. Now, since it is a universal fact that you need to bring your A game for the quant and verbal sections, you must not sweat the essays at the beginning of the test. For that, you need to prepare for an easy AWA ride, which you can, if you take a look at our complete AWA guide.

52. Choose a Good Guide

Choosing a good guide is really important, especially since most guides you find on the internet are not really great. This because, most guides are targeting the middle market, which means, people who want to get away with scoring an average GRE score. But you are not looking for a 300 or 305. You want a 98 percentile score, which is why you need a top class guide or a great book to get you there. A good guide will lead you very carefully through each and every step and also show you various answering strategies, and where you can go wrong. A good guide will explain concepts and techniques in a way that is easy to understand and remember. So, in a way, a good guide should make you feel like you have access to a brilliant private coach, who is always at you beck and call.

53. Calm Your Nerves

Never get too anxious about the test. Learn to manage your composure, and practice the correct breathing techniques that can help relax you. Take very deep breaths whenever you are stressed on test day, and use other techniques like roll relaxing your neck muscles, or smiling for a few seconds, or shaking your legs. Also, use the instruction time to take a few deep breathes, and to get into the exam mood.

54. Make extensive use of the Process of Elimination

Learn to live and die by the process of elimination strategy, which is one of the best strategies ever. Whenever you come across a question to which you have no idea how to answer, this process can come in very handy. If you are new to this and don’t know what the process of elimination is, it is a simple process where you eliminate options based on how irrelevant or wrong they sound in the context of the give question, and then end up with that one option that sounds the least incorrect to you. Then you choose that option and proceed

55. Slow down

In the last few days before the GRE test, ramp down your prep a bit, and don’t focus your mind and body much on the test. Make it a point to relax yourself by means of good food, sleep, and exercise. Your body needs lots of rest, and your mind needs a lot of focus and determination, to withstand the pressure of this big test.  Eat well, lift some weights if you can, and get some decent sleep!

56. Learn to move on

Do not spend much time on questions you think you cannot answer. If you think a question is rather difficult, and it is going to take you more than two minutes to get anywhere close to answering it, guess the answer, mark the question, and move on. Don’t fall prey to these enticing but difficult questions, and lose out on valuable time which you can use for the rest of the section.

57. Review Guessed Questions

During practice, if you were unsure about a question but guessed correctly, do not just leave it be. Review it as if you got it wrong, because you didn’t get it right by solving it. Maybe you got lucky this time around, but you may not be so lucky on test day. You never know. It is better to learn why you couldn’t get the answer would help you in the long run.

58. Stick to the Plan

Once you’ve created a study plan, stick to it. A lot of students tend to change study plans too often, and end up not getting adjusted to any one of the plans they have created for themselves. This will affect you badly, since a proper study plan needs to be followed, if you want a decent score on the GRE; forget about 330. Even a score of 310 will need a lot of diligent planning and execution.

59. Keep your cell phone away

Never have the cell phone with you while studying. It can be a bad influence on your prep, because you will then be easily distracted. If you are using the phone to keep track of time, or to use the stopwatch, then by all means put it in the airplane mode. This will prevent you from texting, surfing, or receiving calls from people, and thereby will keep you from getting diverted while you are studying.

60. Procrastinate Procrastination

In other words, do not procrastinate, no matter what. Remember that only the tough get going when the going gets tough. So, when you feel like giving up, or postponing stuff, you should try to get back to work by thinking all the positive thoughts in the world, like you scoring a 330 on the GRE, and studying at a world class university, etc. These positive thoughts will help you overcome the feeling to procrastinate things.

61. Maintain a GRE Cheat Sheet

As you work, build your formula/strategy notebook. If you find a method that works for you for a specific question type, write down the method. If you discover a great formula for something, write it down. If you find a way of analyzing lists or realize that you keep forgetting about special quadratics, make a note to remind yourself about them before every study session. Successful studying is about learning from your mistakes.

62. Take a Morning Test

Research says that we are always more energetic in the morning, and our minds are fairly fresh. Hence, it is better to schedule the actual GRE test in the morning, and give your best when you feel the best. But, if you are not at all a morning person, and your daily schedule means you wake up at 12 in the afternoon and sleep at 5 in the morning, then by all means, schedule a test in the evening. Otherwise, morning is the best time to take a test.

63. Don’t skip AWA during Practice

Almost half of the GRE test takers are native English speakers. And these students tend to neglect practicing the AWA section at home, because according to them, it’s not worth investing time on something they are very confident about. But, there are a few vital points that they don’t realize, which we have illustrated in detail here.

64. Study and Then Book a Slot

Do not book a slot right as soon as when you decide to take the GRE. Book your test slot only when you reach your target score in practice tests. Now, sometimes this is not possible, especially if you are planning to take the test in some of the busiest seasons. If that is the case for you, you should book a slot once you start feeling confident about writing the test, instead of miscalculating the time you will need to study, and booking it too soon to get a good score.

65. Prepare to Go Wrong

Unless you’re Sherlock Holmes of the GRE world, you are not going to get every question right. You need to accept that, and prepare to go wrong on test day. Of course, scoring 330+ on the GRE means you are going to lose about 10 points somehow, and it is completely okay. Don’t try to be a perfectionist, and punish yourself for going wrong on one or two questions. Even if you’re incredibly well prepared, chances are there will be one or two questions that will throw you for a loop. That’s okay. Prepare the best you can, and a good score will follow.

66. Always take full length practice tests

Always take full length practice tests, including the full 60 minutes on the AWA section. Many students easily skip off the AWA during practice, which is a really bad idea. Also, sometimes students tend to take only one or two sections, and then come back later, which again isn’t very good for you as a test taker. If you never practice sitting for the entire duration of the test, the last hour of the actual test will be a torture for you. Plus, your score on that test will not be representative of your actual score. You just cheated, and skipped the AWA, which you are not going to do on test day. So, never skip any section during practice.

67. Try to study in 30 minute chunks

It is not a good idea to sit for marathon study hours, since the human mind cannot concentrate on something for a long time. Research says it is not easy to study with great concentration for more than twenty to thirty minutes. So, instead of trying to sit down for marathon study hours, you should rather try to study in 30 minute chunks, with 8 minute breaks in between each session. Studying in this fashion will help mold your work into a test day environment. Remember that every section on the GRE is for 30 or 35 minutes, which means you will be accustomed to taking the test easier, if you study this way.

68. Wear earplugs while studying and on test day

This is something that many students either forget or neglect. On test day you have a room full of other people, who are writing their own tests, which would obviously disturb your composure.  Unlike your practice tests, you’re not going to be in your bedroom with all doors shut, and all noise cut out. All these test takers will be going in and out of the room, all on different test schedules than you. That is why, you will be provided with earplugs on the test day. But sometimes wearing earplugs for hours together can seem uncomfortable, which is why you should buy some earplugs and wear them during your practice tests and study sessions. Get used to what it feels like, sounds like, and to have them in.

69. Get the blood moving!

You should not sit still during the break time. Jump around, move your legs, arms, hands, stretch out your muscles, or walk around inside the test center. Though this might feel weird, it helps get the blood flowing through your body, and you will feel refreshed. Visit the bathroom during the break and splash some cold water on your face. It will rejuvenate you physically and mentally.

70. Forget the previous sections

You should never think about the previous sections, whether or not you did well on them. Seriously, forget about it. Everybody tries to guess how they did, or think about that one question they couldn’t solve, or how many incorrect answers they might have answered in the previous section. Don’t do that. Remember that it doesn’t matter anymore. You should try to be mentally strong instead. When you are mentally strong, you force those thoughts out of your head, and move onto the next question, and the next section, which is your next opportunity to take your score to the next level.

71. Eat and drink healthy

Studying on four hours of sleep and living on a junk-food diet will take you nowhere! Throughout your prep course, or study plan, stick to a very healthy diet, and always look to sleep eight hours every single day. Eating and sleeping healthy will help you maintain good health, and you will eventually be able to perform much better not only in your practice tests, but also on the test day. You should know exactly what you are going to eat, how much you are going to drink, and how long it will take you through the test. Decide what you are going to have for breakfast and how much water or juice you would drink with that meal and how long before you will have to use the restroom. There isn’t a statistic on this, but observe your body, and practice drinking water and eating different types of foods during practice tests. You really need to know your body, so that none of these factors distract you on test day

72. Learn how to use a scratch pad

Use the scratch paper to the fullest. Your effectiveness on the GRE depends on how well you use the scratch paper. Remember that one of the most underrated but important test day tips is knowing how to effectively use the scratch paper on the GRE. Also, request for additional paper, if needed. Don’t hesitate.

73. Visualize test day success

Many Olympic athletes use this technique to stay focused. Before you start writing the test, visualize your success on the big day. Imagine yourself getting every problem right, seeing questions you know, pumping your fist when you see your dream score, walking out of the test center and telling all your friends and family your success. The psychological effects of visualization can be profound in building confidence and keeping a clear mind. It’s called the self-fulfilling prophecy. Using this technique could help give you that confidence boost to push you to the next level on test day!

74. Take care of the little things

After practicing many test taking techniques, test day stamina and the environment should not be an issue. In fact, it could be a huge advantage. Imagine those 1000s of people, failing to score high because they didn’t know what you know. Every time you use one of these techniques, you are leaving 1000s of other test takers behind. There are so many unknowns that you can’t control on test day, including the test, but all of these factors will be within your control if you take care of the little things like test day tips and strategies.

75. Don’t be afraid of the tough questions

If you encounter a hard question on test day, and you are not sure how to solve, be happy. Don’t be tensed that you got a tough question in front of you. Remember that if your questions are getting tougher and tougher, you must be doing really well and you must be on the right track. Be proud of that, instead of freaking out. Pause, take a deep breath, and think of an unusual solution to it.

76. Don’t jump into conclusions

As soon as you read a question, do not try to jump into conclusions immediately. Try to pause after reading a question, and think about it for a few seconds, and recollect any answering strategy that you can apply. Especially on the math section, take a casual look at a question after reading it, and before you solve, think if an easier solution already exists, or if you can solve that question easily using some other strategy. This trick will help you save time and also avoid some silly mistakes you may make by rushing to read the question.

77. Practice guessing

Sometimes you may find that you have problems with timing, especially when it comes to leaving the hard questions. What you can do to avoid that, is take an experiment practice session. For example, you can take a test on which if you don’t answer a question within 2 minutes, you simply move on.  By doing this, you can simply guess on all questions after 2 minutes, and then you can easily measure the time you have left for hard questions.

78. Use Mind Maps To Memorize Concepts

If you find some concepts difficult to comprehend or crack, try and use concept maps. Also known as mind maps, concept maps are tools used as a way to visualize a concept. Concept maps are diagrams that related different elements of a concept to each other and/or to the main idea. These diagrams can be simple or complex—depending on your own style of learning and what helps you understand the concept. You can easily use concept maps to understand and remember similar concepts in Math, which would really help you ace the entire quant section at a brisk pace.

79. Set Smart Goals

Have smart goals, and try to achieve them within the time limits you have set for yourself. Award yourself with something that you like, every time you reach a milestone or a goal. For example, if your goal was to finish off Algebra by 5 PM and you managed to do it, gift yourself with something you really love; like a slice of pizza, or a bar of chocolate, or a short video game of your choice, etc. These tiny goals and rewards will help you maintain motivation throughout your GRE prep.

80. Don’t Cram

Don’t study or try to memorize anything on the test day. Leave your books at home. Don’t bring them along to the test center. If you see someone else studying at the test center, which you will, don’t start to panic. Maybe they aren’t as confident as you are, or maybe they didn’t read this article

81. Take an untimed practice test

Another thing you can really do if you have a lot of problems with timing, is take an untimed practice test, and how much ever the time you needed on every question. This allows to identify how much time you really need to comfortably solve a question, on an average. Be aware though, that only a few test simulators and software allow you to take an untimed practice test, while most of them are timed by design, and you cannot have this option.

82. Never leave questions unanswered

Although this is an obvious advice, it deserves to be told, since not a lot of students realize the fact that they can attempt all questions on the GRE, and not be penalized. The GRE does not have any negative marking, and you should take full advantage of it by not leaving questions unanswered. Remember that every question you lave unanswered is an opportunity to score an additional point that you missed.

83. Have a physical stopwatch with you

Whenever you are taking a practice test, or just solving some questions for fun, always have a physical stopwatch with lap functionality, and make full use of it. Remember to always keep a stopwatch with you, especially during the beginning of your GRE prep. This will help you keep track of time while solving questions.

84. Don’t lose sight of the big picture

The more specifically you can target your weaknesses, the better. For instance, if you know that you can handle algebra problems but have difficulty with probability, you can drill with those types of questions. The harder you concentrate on your weaknesses, the faster you will see tangible improvement. At the same time, remember to keep the big picture in mind: while focusing on your weakest areas, you should also maintain your mastery of areas in which you excel.

85. Build confidence during the test

Confidence is another important factor when it comes to scoring well on a timed test like the GRE. if you are able to answer several questions correctly in a row, it will decrease your level of stress, and at the same time will boost your confidence levels, thereby allowing to tackle the next set of questions with a great amount of confidence and positivity.

86. Don’t panic

Even if you cannot answer several questions correctly in a row, do not let that hinder your confidence levels, or do not let that affect your composure. There is no point in getting panicked in a test like the GRE, because all it does is simply waste more and more precious time of yours.

87. Practice Mental Math

When you are practicing for a test at home, you should also practice doing mental math, wherein you calculate stuff inside your head, instead of on a calculator. If you are capable of doing mental math, it will definitely help you solve problems quicker during the test, since you won’t have to use the calculator for every single question you see on the test.

88. There are no shortcuts

Always remember that success has no shortcuts. Even though we are trying to make things a lot easier for you to score 330 on the GRE, it is actually nowhere near this easy. These are just strategies designed to help you score higher, and by no means are shortcuts for the GRE. Just like in real life, there are no shortcuts to success on the GRE.

89. Always find the right place to study

Where you study also impacts how well you study. Don’t keep on reading at the same table or room. Keep changing places, and make it a new experience every time you read. Go to the local library, sit in the garden, study with friends in the university lawn, go to the terrace during sunrise and study; make learning a rather exciting experience, and you will not find it boring at all.

90. Learn to Speed Read

Learn how to read fast, as this really helps you solve reading comprehension passages at lightning speed. Reading is like exercising a muscle. What the gym is to your muscles, reading is to your mind. And just like you exercise your muscles every day in the gym, you should exercise your mind every day by reading. If you would like to read faster, you should understand that speed reading cannot be achieved overnight. It comes with a lot of practice, and you should start doing it right now. If you want to learn more techniques to read faster, we have discussed it in great detail in our reading comprehension guide.

91. Don’t read anything before the test

Don’t bring any books to the center. The anxiety will compel you to study at the last moment, which is bad for you. You are not allowed to open books inside the testing area, and if they find books in your locker, your scores might be cancelled, even if you haven’t opened them. So, be careful with the books. They are your friends when you’re studying but enemies when you’re giving the test.

92. Make use of forums

If there is one place where you can learn for the GRE for free, it is forums. Most students don’t prefer forums as a means of learning because they mainly consist of fellow students, and most students don’t like to learn from fellow students. They think they are all at the same level. But you couldn’t be more wrong if you are thinking the same. First of all, not everyone is at the same level, and second of all, forums don’t have just the current students. There are tons of students who have already written the GRE and scored high; and there are lots of trainers who help out students with free suggestions and strategies.

93. Get rid of Pessimism

Always try to be positive about your test and your performance. Do not try to allow negativity to interrupt your study schedule or disturb your confidence levels. Never allow any scope for pessimism, irrespective of whether it comes from yourself or your friends and family. Only then can you achieve a score as high as 330 on test as tricky as the GRE.

94. Make the most out of your tutor

If you have the time and if you are willing to spend money on coaching classes, make the most out of them. Do not simply skip classes citing mediocre reasons. Always pay full attention in class, and make full use of your teachers, and approach them if and when you have questions.

95. Workout to stay Focused

If you have a gym membership, workout as frequently as you can every week. Exercise really helps you maintain great health, and your mind is rejuvenated every time you shed some sweat at the gym. A sound mind in a sound body, after all.

96. No Last Minute Preparation

Never give way to any sort of last minute prep. It will only further your anxiety, and you will often forget whatever you have learnt previously. Also, there is no point in mugging things up for a test like the GRE, since it tests a lot more than just your ability to memorize formulae or vocab. So, try to practice problems instead of learning things by heart.

97. Set Yourself Up for Test Day Success

Setting up yourself for the test is really crucial in helping you achieve a high score on the GRE. Before you book a test slot, as yourself some basic questions. Are you a morning person? How is your test taking ability on Saturday? What do you normally do on a Wednesday evening? Can your brain function at 8:00 in the morning? You should not only be trying to figure out what time fits best in your schedule, but also what time works best for you mentally. The general advice for the BEST time for the MOST amount of people to take the test is on Monday morning. This is because you have the whole weekend to relax, and then your brain is usually prepared for the test on Monday.

98. Visit the testing center before your test

Unless you live in another city, you should definitely check out the test center before the test day. You have no reason not to. This may be one of the most overlooked opportunities to familiarize yourself with your testing environment. People go to great lengths to have great practice tests. Why wouldn’t they check out the center, and get a hang of the environment? Plus, you’ll know how to get there, you’ll know where the bathrooms are, and there will be so many intangible advantages you can gain by going on this simple trip.

99. Learn Test Day Strategies

The GRE ultimately is a test, and it can easily be brought down to its knees, lest you know how to. Test strategies is the answer you are looking for. No matter how much you learn and study for a test like the GRE, if you fail to learn the strategies to ace the test, you will not be able to, well, ace it. This is precisely why we have come up with a long list of test day strategies that you can bank upon whenever the road gets steep.

100. Don’t expect a 330 on the first attempt

You must have understood by now, how difficult it is to score a 330 on the GRE. You must also note that only a few test takers get there on their first attempt. For the rest of you, it might take multiple takes, but eventually you will get there if you are determined to. So, the point is, it is safe for the majority of you readers to not expect a 330 the first time itself. If you can get it, well and good. But if you don’t, you should not be disappointed all, since 330 isn’t a small number.

101. Hard work pays.

The way people get to the top is through hard work. No one gets a great score on the GRE without having worked hard, and certainly without a strong set of skills. The best thing that you can do at this point is to practice and study. You need to read more, and you need to read material that is on par with GRE reading. You’ll need to learn the question types, the common wrong answer traps, and refining your pacing strategy. You’ll probably need to perfect your math skills by memorizing percent, fraction, and decimal conversions. You’ll need to have formulas easily accessible in your mind and you’ll need to do it all without a calculator. Know the common argument flaws and know how to strengthen them. It’s time to get to work!

Conclusion

So, that’s about it. We have come to the end of this guide, which we believe would help you score a staggering 330+ on the GRE. We have discussed more than a hundred invaluable strategies that you could use to improve your overall GRE score, in addition to your individual quant and verbal scores. This is by far the most comprehensive guide in the world, to help you ace the GRE, and get a 330+ score on this tricky test. If you think this is very helpful, or if you really loved it, share it with your friends right now! Our goal is to help as many students as we can. So what are you waiting for? Go share the living daylights out of this guide! We almost forgot! If you think you would like to save this guide for future perusal, be our guest! Download this entire guide as PDF, and take it with you.