-
Target Test Prep 20% Off Flash Sale is on! Code: FLASH20
Redeem
How to Switch from the GMAT to the GRE
Lately, weve been talking about how to decide which test to take, as well as what to do if you decide to stick with the GMAT. What if you decide to switch from the GMAT to the GRE? Thats what well tackle today! (Next time, well talk about what to do if you want to switch from the GRE to the GMAT.)
How do I study?
The overall way that you want to study doesnt actually change that much; rather, youll just need to change what you are studying, as discussed later in this article.
First, youll need to determine whether the way that youve already been studying is actually the optimal way. If not, then youll need to make some changes, regardless of whether you stick with the GMAT or switch to the GRE.
The GMAT and the GRE are both executive reasoning tests; that is, the test makers want to know how you think and make decisions. You of course need to know content (certain facts, rules, formulas) in order to do well on either test, but that level of study is not enough; you also need to lift yourself to a second level of understanding that allows you to think your way through these sometimes bizarrely-worded problems as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Follow the two links I put in the last paragraph. Take some time to just think about the concepts presented there. Has this been your approach to studying so far? If so, great. Keep thinking and working in that way.
If not, however, recognize that youre going to need to start studying with this new mindset, regardless of whether you take the GMAT or the GRE.
What are my strengths and weaknesses?
Any time youre developing or revising a study plan, youll want to put together a solid analysis of your strengths and weaknesses.
If you have been studying for the GMAT for a while, then you should have some practice CAT data. (If not, or if it has been more than 6 weeks since you last took a CAT, then youll need to take one to get the data. Make sure to take the test under official conditions, including the essay and IR sections, length of breaks, and so on.)
Analyze your most recent two CATs (this link tells you how to analyze Manhattan Prep CATs). If you havent taken MPrep CATs, you can still read through that link to get an idea of how you want to analyze your data from another test. Your goal is to split all question types and content into one of three buckets:
Bucket 1: Strengths. Ill still study and practice these but not as heavily as other areas.
Bucket 2: Low-hanging Fruit: These are my easiest opportunities for improvement. Careless mistakes. Things that I get wrong fast. Things that I get right but just a little too slowly.
Bucket 3: Weaknesses. These are areas that Ill ignore until Ive worked out my Bucket 2 issues. Things that Im likely to get wrong even if I give myself unlimited time. Things that I get right but way too slowly. Things that use up way too much mental energy, even if I get them right.
Your primary focus until your next practice test will be working a lot to improve Bucket 2, while maintaining Bucket 1 skills and getting Bucket 3 questions wrong fast (yes, seriously!).
[Aside: there are certain things that will stay in Bucket 3 forever. Im terrible at combinatorics and Im pretty bad at 3D geometry. Thats been true since my very first practice GMAT, nearly 20 years ago! When I see these, Ill give it a look in case the problem is very similar to one that I do remember how to do, but otherwise, I pick my favorite letter and move on.]
Okay, now that you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you need to familiarize yourself with the differences between the GMAT and the GRE.
What new things do I have to learn?
The Essays
You wont care as much about one difference, so lets get it out of the way. At the beginning of the GMAT, you write an essay. The GRE also asks you to write essays (two this time) and one of these is in the same format as the GMAT essay, so you dont need to re-study for that.
The other GRE essay, though, is different. Instead of asking you to analyze an argument, it asks you to develop a thesis (provide your opinion) on a given issue. Think something like: Coke is better than Pepsi. Discuss whether you agree or disagree and why. Youll need to learn how to write this type of essay.
Quant
Next, for the quant section of the test, youre going to need to learn about the different question types contained on the GRE. The most important one is Quantitative Comparisons (QC).
The GRE also includes select all that apply question formats (with no partial credit). These questions still test the same overall topics, but youll have to learn how to approach this somewhat different set-up to the question. Youll learn this from the books or other resources you identify to help you study specifically for the GRE.
The GRE tests Data Interpretation (DI) on the quant section; on the GMAT, this material shows up mostly in the Integrated Reasoning section. If you have not yet studied data and graphs for the GMAT, or you didnt study it much, then youll need to learn this for the GRE.
[In Manhattan Preps book set, weve combined QC and DI into one book, so if you already have our GMAT books, you likely wont need to get the content-specific GRE books (algebra, geometry, etc.). You may be able to get away with adding just the Quantitative Comparisons and Data Interpretation strategy guide.]
The timing on the two tests is also quite different, so youll have to learn how to handle 20 quant questions in 35 minutes on the GRE, or about 1 minute 45 seconds per question on average. In general, QC questions should be faster than the other types, about 1 minute 15 seconds on average, allowing you to spend about 2 minutes on average for the others.
Verbal
Most of your new efforts on verbal will be geared towards the two vocabulary question types, Sentence Equivalence and Text Completions. You may find it useful to buy pre-made vocabulary flash cards or to make your own. (I prefer to make my own; I find that its much easier to learn a word if I have to think about what I want to write on that words flash card in the first place.)
Again, if you are already using Manhattan Prep materials, you can use what you already have for Reading Comprehension (RC) and Critical Reasoning (CR). Note that, on the GRE, both of these question types fall into the one category Reading Comprehension (that is, nothing is called Critical Reasoning on the GRE).
All of the GMAT RC material can also appear on the GRE. For CR, the following GMAT question types also appear on the GRE: Describe the Role (called Analyze the Argument Structure on the GRE), Strengthen and Weaken, Explain a Discrepancy, and Inference.
In other words, there are more GMAT CR question types than GRE, so you can drop some of the GMAT types. All of the types that show up on the GRE also show up on the GMAT, so you wont have to learn about any new types just for the GRE.
Again, the timing will be different on the GRE. Youll need to answer 20 verbal questions in just 30 minutes, or about 1 minute 30 seconds per question on average. The vocab question types should average about 1 minute each, allowing you the necessary time to read the RC passages and answer these questions.
How do I make a study plan?
Weve already talked about part of the process (analyzing your strengths and weaknesses). You may decide to take a class or work with a tutor, in which case your teacher will give you specific assignments. If not, youll need to develop your own study plan.
The article that I just linked talks about how to build a GMAT study plan, but the steps apply to both tests; you can use it to build a GRE study plan just as well. Dont forget to reassess as your skills change! When you take a new practice test (a GRE one this time), analyze it to see where youve improved and where youre now (or still) struggling. Then use that information to update your study plan.
Takeaways for switching from GMAT to GRE
(1) Make sure that youre going into your studies with the right overall mindset (executive reasoning!) and that you know how to lift yourself to the second level of study.
(2) Begin your studies by concentrating on the aspects that are new to you: the different question types and topics that are tested on the GRE. Once you build those skills up to a competent level, youll review all aspects and question types.
Recent Articles
Archive
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009