lastnightilie

1.) I think it's iii and iv, and that's only from plugging in numbers. I'm not sure if iii is considered to be true if iv is, though? Do you have the answer? 2.) C; the ratio is 3:5 out of 24; thus there are 9 odd and 15 even. 3.) i and v are equal and they are lower than the other choices, so I guess both of them. 4.) I got 99 miles, but I'm not good at these train problems. I figured that it would take 1 + 1/11 hours to get there, and in 1/11 of an hour they would have only traveled a total of 1 mile. 5.) 6 6.) I think it's 7... Draw a line through the middle, then a line through that line, then another line that crosses through both of them. I can't think of a way to have more regions. My brain is too tired to answer #4 right now. I HATE train questions!

Yes, use an old word list and use common sense to know which words you won't need. For example, some of the specialized words (like a person who practices a particular profession) were probably only necessary for analogies. Skip over those, and learn as many adjectives/adverbs and verbs as possible. You will still need a good knowledge of them for the sentence/text completion questions... that's whether English is your native language or not.

Yes, you can choose to turn it on or off.

I took the current GRE last month and I am taking the revised version next month. I did pretty well for my skill level (except on the AWA), but I would like to improve and I think I can. My studying last time consisted of many practice questions I found online for free (in addition to basic math and vocabulary practice). It seems as though certain question types are changing radically or new ones being introduced altogether, yet ETS is offering a very meager selection of practice questions and only one practice test. (If I am missing any resources on their website, let me know.) I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find free practice materials? If you find (or have created) any websites containing practice questions/tests or ebooks for the new GRE, please post it or PM me. I'm even willing to trade practice questions we write ourselves, if anyone's interested! (I think it would be a useful exercise, especially when there are very few official questions available.) I will only use things that are 100% FREE. Please don't send me things that require payment for most of the questions, or paid registration. Thanks in advance!

You're not allowed to wear a wrist watch. The questions aren't themselves numbered, but at the top of the screen it should tell you what number you're on (17 out of 28 or something like that). I would've freaked out if that weren't there, because you need to know when to start guessing.

Okay, I got a pretty mediocre score on the AWA unexpectedly (4.5). It makes me mad that with all the money we pay, it doesn't even tell you which essay had the lower score, much less what you did wrong. I had only done one or two practice essays, but I read every page of ETS's information and I write a lot so I thought I had a good grasp on what they wanted. I had no trouble understanding the topics or finishing in the right amount of time, so it's nothing like that. Anyway, the only thing I could think of is I really don't understand what they want. I know I'm a good writer (at least I know that I can express myself and that I don't make many errors). I also know my reasoning skills are at least adequate; I have always thought they were above average. I don't understand which of the scoring criteria are causing my low scores, because I feel I am addressing all of them. I have looked at the sample essays for the revised test (which I am taking next month), and I really don't understand the ratings. For example, the Score 5 response on this page GRE Revised General Test: Analyze an Issue is absolutely terrible in my opinion. I don't see how it meets ANY of the criteria, even after reading the commentary. This writer spends 3/4 of the essay making overreaching statements about teenagers' obsession with technology, only tangentially touching on the topic. Then finally, for half of one paragraph and a short concluding paragraph, she discusses that her own point of view opposes everything she just said, stating that people can use technology responsibly and it's too soon to tell whether or not they will. Can someone explain to me what I am missing about the criteria, particularly why anyone would consider this essay I have referenced to be "thoughtful, well-developed, clear," etc.?

It's D. You can look at it as 10xy and 12xy. Any multiple of 10 will end with 0, and most multiples of 12 will end with a number >0. However, if x and y happen to multiply to 10, i.e. 2 and 5, then A will be 100 and B will be 120. So they will be equal. You can't know which it is without further information.

Definitely A. "All but" means "almost." It's a confusing phrase but that's what it means. Does it make sense now?

Well, I'm not that surprised because ETS is a monopoly and they get away with a lot of unethical corporate behaviors =/ What is your field? If it's not a math-heavy field, I don't think you got such a bad score, and you got a higher verbal score than expected, which is good.

When I read it, it seemed like they will choose 100 people randomly, from whoever is eligible. Well I haven't heard of anyone winning it, but I suppose someone could have. Mine was a quantitative and I don't think I did better on it than on the regular quant section.

No, it is the addition of all four probabilities, minus the multiplication of the four. The probability of something is rarely 1. Just because on average they hit it every three times, doesn't make it definite that they do, remember.

I know, but I can't remember it. I meant is there a trick or something?

Hey, just so you know, they are not giving $250 to everyone who beats their reported score... they say in the instructions they are only giving away 100 cash prizes, and you are ONLY eligible if you beat your reported score. So, people who don't beat their scores cannot win the money, but not everyone who beats it will get the money.

I have been studying ALL the time for the past couple of months, I barely took any breaks. In the practice tests, I kept getting perfect verbal scores (800) and low quant scores (610-630), so I started intensive math practice and stopped worrying about the verbal... I guess I should have been practicing the verbal though. Also, when I got to the verbal section, I was so tired that I kind of rushed myself, went with my first instinct on each question, and finished early. Obviously I should have taken more time to understand everything. Oh well, too late now! I think I did well on the writing, so hopefully I did. I really believe the quant score was the top score I could get with my abilities, so I am proud of it, but I am VERY good at reading and verbal reasoning so I feel terrible about my verbal score :( I am taking the new GRE at the end of August so hopefully I do much better. -edit- Also I am a psych major... does anyone know if my scores are acceptable for good psychology PhD programs?

Do you have a way to remember the sum of an arithmetic progression? I find it so hard!

How can the answer for 2 be 8? I drew it and with one big square, I could fit three 2" squares and five 1" squares.

Well actually I am pretty good at data interpretation (just not standard deviation/normal distribution), but I hate geometry. But I heard the actual calculations will be more intensive because they're allowing calculators? But the RCs I've seen for the current GRE, I find very easy. This question makes no sense at all, and the passage doesn't even make sense. Also I decided if I do okay on this one I may as well not risk taking the new version. If I do very poorly it will only bring down my average. I can't see doing much better on the new one, when there is way less material to study from and everything.

Ok, I've just attached the question with the sketch included, enlarged a bit.

"In the normal distribution shown, the x-values 350, 450, and 550 are evenly spaced along the horizontal axis. The 15th, 30th, and 45th percentiles of the distribution, however, are NOT evenly spaced along the horizontal axis. The area between the curve, the horizontal axis, the vertical line at the 15th percentile, and the vertical line at the 30th percentile represents 15 percent of the x-values in the distribution (the yellow shaded region). The area between the curve, the horizontal axis, the vertical line at the 45th percentile represents 15 percent of the x-values in the distribution (the blue shaded region). Thus, the yellow shaded area equals the blue shaded area. Given the shape of the normal distribution and the fact that the yellow shaded area equals the blue shaded area, one can conclude that the width of the yellow region is greater than the width of the blue region. Thus, the 30th percentile must be at an x-value to the right of 450. Since the kth percentile of the distribution is 450, k must be less than 30." It seems so complicated to me, I hope this counts as a hard question. I'm going to copy their sketch in a minute.

Where was this? They should not be allowed to take your money after they did that... are you sure you had the right time and everything? Did they even say anything about being late?

Is that the whole passage? I am taking the old GRE first, but I already registered for the new one too... if I do okay on the old one I am just going to cancel the other. From the math and verbal questions I've seen so far, it seems way too hard for me.

They gave an explanation about normal distribution for why it's not 30, but I couldn't understand it. I don't really understand normal distribution...

Not sure which ones I've already posted, but these are the problems from Power Prep I still don't understand.

It says on the website that the test fee covers the sending of four scores on test day. Anything you send on another day, or anything over four, will cost extra money.

No, the thing you have to remember is there will ALWAYS be a relationship between the two blanks. Choice A does not establish a clear relationship, and it also sounds awkward in the sentence. If anything, the relationship that sounds strongest is the correct answer. The relationship can be as strong or as weak as the writer wants, but as long as the relationship makes sense, it is the correct answer. You will never have to choose between, "antithetical" and "conflicting," for example, or any two words that differ only in degree, UNLESS there is a degree-related hint in the sentence, for example, "Reading differs slightly from writing, in that one is [blank] and the other is [blank]." In this case, you would want two words that almost mean the same thing, but one is slightly different (in degree or otherwise).