phinlit

Beware of using the REA Best, Princeton Review and other tests to measure progress. These are not tested against the same population of test-takers as are the ETS offical practice tests. Measure ETS against ETS. The other tests are great for practicing the testing style and environment. You can take one of the REA Best tests, for example, at a library under timed conditions. Get a feel for the pacing. Don't use the score, though, to rate your performance. Hope this helps. I took the GRE Subject Exam--Literature in English in December 2005. I've listed where I've found three version of ETS tests at.... http://quiz.agencyinfo.org/grelit/ I've heard there is a 1982 version available in old "ETS Practicing the GRE Subject Exam" but I have not come across the test myself. Good luck. Mike

Here's a site with some really good material including quizes, though the site is still under construction. I haven't browsed the whole site but seems to be pretty complete up to Middle Romantic period. http://academic.reed.edu/english/gre/ Doesn't seem to be much activity in the "study materials" section. Anyone taking the test in the coming year?

I don't know how helpful this is, as much of the information is from my prior posts in this community or at Live Journal, but I've posted my experience with the GRE last December at: http://quiz.agencyinfo.org/grelit/ In addition to shameless links to Amazon, there is a short quiz in the multiple choice format of the GRE. Sorry for such a short quiz. Most of my effort was in developing the Quiz application for an Ethics Exam with the idea that by developing a quiz in the style of the exam, I would be less threatened by the exam itself. If the questions seem lame....give me some of your own to include. Happy to make more quizes. Please, though......don't send actual test questions or copyrighted material. BTW...The Ethics quizes are at..... http://quiz.agencyinfo.org/ethics/ Anyway....I would love feedback.

The link seems to be working for me..... http://www.geocities.com/titaniumbits/0972732446.pdf

I've seen many references to "Brilliant" materials on this site. Any suggestions on how to obtain a copy here in California? Thanks.

Hey Cridamour, I'm hoping to complete in the next year. My approach is part-time, but, thanks partially to slow business, I was able to complete 34 semester units in the first year. Maybe I can finish within a semester. The 4 courses are all self-paced. If business picks up, I don't have to turn down work. Mike

I took the GRE Lit in December. Scored 74%. I hadn't been a Lit major. I was going for a B.A. in Liberal Arts with a major in Philosophy. Anyway....I decided to add English Literature as a second major. I need two more classes in Philosophy and two more in Literature and I'm done. Mike

BlueWhiskey....Now it's just waiting. I remember swinging back and forth between must've done okay because I was relaxed, to must've bombed because I might not have been focused enough. In the end it was okay. I think the trick now is to find something to take your mind off of the test for a month. 20 questions left at the end in itself isn't bad. Just depends on the rest of the test. On the test in December, I made it to the end but I'm sure I left more than 20 unanswered throughout the test. Anyway...good luck pkkim, bluewhiskey and everyone that tested this weekend! Ain't no more problem questions. The test is over. Go see a good movie and escape.

Good luck. Relax. In the room I took the test, they allowed water bottles and even bags, if stowed under the desk. If I were to do it again, I would bring a water bottle and little snack bar for a short break and just toss 'em out if they aren't allowed. Desk was small with enough room for the answer sheet and a couple of pencil. Where I had practiced, I has lots of room to spread out. Don't know if any of that helps.

That's the one I found with my litineng.pdf" search. I've documented one other official test I came across in hard copy at my post.... http://www.www.urch.com/forums/171790-post21.html I spaced these ETS official test throughout my studying, using the first one as my baseline and the other tests as measures of progress. It's easy to get discouraged by scores in REA Best Test series and even Princeton Review's Cracking. There may be great for helping to study, but I don't find their results comparable to the ETS official tests. Compare ETS with ETS and maybe REA with REA. Beware that the older tests don't cover new material, but with that in mind they are great for measuring progress. I went from 38th percentile on my baseline test in May of 2005 (1st of 3 official tests) to 76th percentile on the third and last official test in November 2005. On my 4th offical test--the actual GRE on December 10th....I scored 74th percentile. I also took each of the three official tests several times to be sure I mastered the nuances of the specific questions.

Thanks, Cridamour. Should give me 24 units, completing all of my non-Philosophy requirements toward my Liberal Arts degree with a Philosophy major. I need to complete four more courses for the degree. An additional two courses can give me a second major in English Literature. Makes it all worth the many months studying. Started in May with my first practice test (GR9964) in the 36th percentile.

Two days ago when I called in for test scors was told to "wait a week." But tried again today and got my results.....74%.

Here is a December comments... Thanks everyone for comments, ideas and material. It helped. On Saturday...the pacing working. I started out slow, but by the end of the second column of questions I sped up and kept up pace til the end, finishing with 5 minutes to spare. I looked over skipped sections and erased a few stray marks and was done. Just happy I made it through without freaking out or zoning out. No just the wait for result. Better now in that is-what-it-is-state than the is-there-anything-else-I-can-cram-in-my-head" state.

Good luck everyone!

It's been quiet in here lately. Love to hear from TestMagic forum members how the experience was. My test is December 10th. There is talk in Live Journal on the November test. http://www.livejournal.com/community/litgre/

I picked up a copy of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature." Found it at discount bookstore, but new it's only about $17. Mike

Ok...quite on the topic. Stopped by the bookstore this weekend and paged through the latest "Cracking the GRE Literature Test" 5th Edition by Princeton Review. Didn' t seem like much is new from prior edition. Didn't do a side by side comparision, but test questions looked familiar if not the same. Doubt that it's worth buying the supposed "revised" edition. Love to hear an alternate opinion if any one has reviewed both. Thanks. Mike

Anybody have the latest "Cracking the GRE Literature Test" 5th Edition by Princeton Review? Wondering if the test is updated or if there is new material from the 4th edition. Thanks. Mike

Thanks for keeping the forum going! Appreciate the updates on the TestMagic home page about the forum move. Good job on getting everything up and running.

Yup, Cridamour. Testing for credit. Pkkim, not sure about the brave part. Figure it gives more time than November. If I don't do so well, I can decide to try to retake in April. As it is for credit, I don't have to worry about multiple tests appearing on the report to the college. The Masterplots was the one missing piece from the library. For excerpts of older stuff there is gutenburg. I have a variety of Nortons--Classical, Medieval, American, English. The three ETS practice tests, "Cracking the GRE" and old REA book with six tesst. Kinda like the Idiot's Guide to American Literature as well. Also listening to academicmp3audiobooks.com lecture. Plus all the great web material everyone has provided in prior posts. On the back shelf, behind the useful books are now...Bullfinch's myths, and Jack Rudman's book, and a couple duplicate versions of ETS material and versions that duplicate later versions. Thanks God for e-bay and half.com. No way I could've accumulated half the books (Masterplots aside) at retail. Also watching some DVD versions of Shakespeare. Probably a waste of time for sole purpose of GRE Lit, but won't hurt. May help. And beats staring at a blank tv screen, which is about what I'm ready for at the end of the day.

Latest material to come in.....Got a 15 volume like new set of Masterplots from e-bay. 1964 edition. Will save trips to the library. Best of all....under $10. Ok almost $20 included shipping. Also...registered online for December 10th test date.

Ok here is one that is not strictly literature, but addresses some questions on the test. Interactive grammar quizes along with instruction. http://grammar.uoregon.edu/toc.html While it does give ye olde english examples, might not be bad to be honed on grammer while trying to find the direct object in an 8 line passage.

Good overall advice and what's better, great encouragement. Find myself in a bit of a lull in motivation after two months of studying. While listening to some audio lectures in the car my mind drifts into wondering why I'm not studying enough, then realizing that save for my distraction, I was studying. Latest material ...... academicmp3audiobooks.com English Lit lectures, The Iliad audiobook, and an old REA Best Test with 6 exams. I'm still saving one of the three official version to compare with my baseline practice. Nortons are still by bible(s) with help from en.wikipedia.org and Sparknotes. Mike

Nope. I was enrolled for a few years while taking a few courses. The credit bank at Regents College was very helpful in a few early job positions and I was able to complete my third year of college, but....no degree yet.

I'm a returning Excelsior student. Was enrolled in Regents College waaay.... back. BTW...I don't think Thomas Edison awards credit on GRE subject exams. Charter Oaks does.