GRE Test Day Tips

Tips for the day/night before?

You've probably heard this a hundred times before: Always get a good night sleep the day before something important. I would say the GRE is no different. But actually it is, in terms of the importance of rest. You see, the GRE is a long, taxing experience. And for the four plus hours that you’ll be sitting there, you don’t want to be nodding off at any point. So a good night rest is crucial to your performance.

Also, don’t do anything that is not part of your routine. For instance, if a friend asks you out for dinner, reschedule. That’s not because you are antisocial, but we tend to stay up later if a social engagement is involved. At the same time, don’t turn off your phone and hide under the covers, hoping for a twelve hour sleep session. Again, try to keep to your weekday routine as much as possible.

Now if for some reason you were forced to get an 8:00 appointment (assuming you are not an early riser), make sure, for a week leading up to the exam, to start waking up a little bit earlier each day. That way you will be on your natural sleep cycle when it is time to wrestle yourself out of bed at 6 in the morning.

Finally, don’t feel you need to cram–or worse yet, stay up cramming. The GRE tests knowledge built up over a lifetime–or at least a few months of intensive prepping. Cramming the night before won’t lead to a higher score, and because it will most likely fray your already frayed nerves, cramming may actually hurt your score. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do a few practice questions the day before the test. But otherwise, try to relax, as much as it is possible to do so.

What do I have to bring?

Besides yourself, the most important thing you need to bring is a valid I.D. If you come John Doe, i.e., without any form of identification, the testing center will have to turn you away. The next most important thing you need is some form of sustenance. The GRE is a long test and you will need some brain fuel lest you crash during the 65-line passage on the use of isotope dating in glaciers.

I recommend bananas, dates, and nuts. In other words, natural foods with a high caloric density. Though you know yourself best. If you got through college by keeping yourself up on Snickers bars, then that’s what your body is used to. Chomping on pistachios for the first in your life, right before the test begins, may not be the best idea.

Do I need to know which schools I want to send my scores to that day? How many schools can I pick?

The GRE has a feature called Score Select, which allows you to send your scores–for free–to as many as four schools. It also allows you–again for free–to send your scores from test day or scores from all the GRE tests you’ve taken in the last five years, assuming you’ve taken the GRE more than once. You will get this option at the end of the test.

If you want to send your scores to more schools, you will have to pay $25 per school. At the same time, you do not have to select any schools when queried. The downside is sending the score reports will not be free. You’ll have to pay for each school you send your scores to, even if you are only sending your scores to one school.

Do I need to know the codes of the schools I’m applying to? Or will that be provided?

The test will provide the relevant codes for each school. So don’t worry, you won’t have to burden your brain with yet more information.

What’s the testing center like?

Unnerving and sinister, if you are unlucky. If you are lucky, drab and sterile. Essentially, you’ll be asked to part with everything on your person. So anything in your pocket, even the innocuous penny, must come out. Luckily, there is a trusty locker in which you can put your stuff. You get to keep the key once you go into the testing room (in case you need to run out for an emergency supply of M&M’s—though I recommend bananas).

The important thing is mentally preparing for the testing center experience. You don’t want any surprises: bad traffic, poorly marked buildings, or a testing center staff that moves at the pace of glaciers. Some GRE test takers even visit the testing center a day before to trace their exact steps.

How long is the test?

The test will take you close to four hours. This includes checking into the testing center, answering a few background questions, and then diving into two 30-minute essays and five math/verbal sections (including the one experimental section).

The good news is that you will get two scheduled breaks of 10 minutes each. While you are free to take a break at any other time, the clock will keep on running if you choose to do so. In other words, unless you are about to pass out—which could conceivably happen during the GRE—don’t get out of your seat, except during a scheduled break.