GRE Intensive – Online

About GRE

GRE – The Graduate Record Examinations – General Test is a standardized test required for admission to various disciplines at many graduate and business schools around the world. However, you must keep in mind that not all universities require GRE score. Even within a university, certain departments ask for GRE score while some other do not. Hence, it is very important that candidates check the admission checklist of the universities they aim to apply at.

GRE General (Aptitude) Test does not have any specific eligibility criteria, meaning that everyone can apply for GRE Test irrespective of their age and qualification. Yet, you have to understand that GRE Test is used for admission to postgraduate programs which implies that students who have completed their undergraduate studies should apply for the test. GRE Test is required by most universities in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.

Structure of GRE

The duration of GRE computer-based is 225 minutes. These 225 minutes are divided into three sections. The three sections of the GRE Exam are:

• Analytical Writing
• Verbal Reasoning
• Quantitative Reasoning

The Analytical Writing section has two essay writing tasks: the Issue and the Argument. The Issue task, which lasts for 30 minutes, presents two topics which the test takes must select one on which to write an essay presenting the writer’s position on the topic. The essay must be supported by the candidate’s point of view with examples and reasoning. On the other hand, the Argument task presents a statement of a position, requiring the test taker to analyze the logic of the given position and recommend how and where the reasoning may be faulty or requires improvement. This task lasts for 30 minutes as well.

The Verbal Reasoning section is consisted of three types of questions: sentence equivalence, text completion, and reading comprehension. The Quantitative Reasoning section has two types of multiple choice questions: quantitative comparisons and problem solving. Some of the questions in this section involve data interpretation. Also, students will be provided a calculator.

The goal of the Analytical Writing section is to measure candidates’ ability to: articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively, support ideas with relevant reasons and examples, sustain a well-focused coherent discussion, and control the elements of standard written English. The Verbal Reasoning section is structured to test candidates’ ability to analyze and draw conclusions from discourse; reason from incomplete data; identify author’s assumptions and/or perspective; understand multiple levels of meaning, such as literal, figurative and author’s intent; select important points; distinguish relevant and major points from minor points; summarize text; understand the structure of a text; understand the meanings of words, sentences, and entire texts; understand relationships among words and among concepts. The Quantitative Reasoning section measures candidates’ ability to understand quantitative information; interpret and analyze quantitative information; solve problems using mathematical models; apply the basic mathematical concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics.

GRE Topics

The first section – Analytical Writing section includes both an Argument and an Issue essay. For the Issue, the test taker is asked to take a view on the issue given, and elaborate on why they have taken that position, testing candidates thinking ability. For the Argument, the test taker is asked to take a side when evaluating the position taken by the other. The candidate is tested for his/her logical thinking ability.

The second section – Verbal Reasoning contains three different types of questions:

• Reading Comprehension, where a passage from everyday academic topics is presented and questions following the passage;
• Text Completion, which involves a paragraph of the length of 5 sentences, where there can be one to three blanks present. The test taker has to pick the correct option and (be careful!) there are no marks for partially correct answers;
• Sentence Equivalence, which contains a sentence given with a blank. The candidate has to choose two options out of the given six words, such that the meaning of the sentence is similar with both options.

The third section – Quantitative Reasoning contains two different types of questions:

• Problem Solving
• Quantitative Comparisons

Both types of questions that fall under this section treat the same Mathematical topics such as:

Arithmetic: Percent, Ratio, Rate, Sequence, Factorization, and Decimal Representations.

Algebra: Exponents, Algebraic Expressions, Relations and Functions, Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Coordinate Geometry, Graphs, Intercept, and Slopes.

Geometry: Circles, Triangles, Types of Triangles, Cylinder, Quadrilateral, Polygons, Concurrent and Similar Figures, Area, Perimeter, Volume, Pythagoras Theorem.

Data Analysis: Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation, Quartiles and Percentiles, Line, Bar, Pie Graphs, Probability, Conditional Probability, Random Variables, Permutations and Combinations.

Course Material

The essential learning materials for this course will be provided by the Instructor. All materials are suggested to help students develop their skills in decoding important information presented in text, numbers, and graphics; evaluating necessary information from different given sources; accumulating and arranging the information and establishing the relationships among them and cracking complex problems to arrive at an adequate conclusion; reading and understanding the written material; reasoning out and appraising the arguments; rectifying the written material in accordance with standard written English;  helping candidates in analyzing and reproducing a given argument.

Learning, Grading, and Workload

This is a “Student Centered Learning” Course. All the materials will be used to develop your Critical Reasoning skills. This places responsibility upon each student to be present and prepared at each class and to participate actively in class and team discussion and work. The materials are offered to help your thinking about the skills you aim to develop.

You are grownups. The major responsibility for learning belongs to the student. Substantial outside effort is expected. Most students will be able to master this subject with a commitment of around one to two hours of homework.

Learning in this course is continuous and cumulative – each session is important. There will formal tests/examinations. Surprise quizzes are always a possibility. These tests, examinations, and surprise quizzes are designed to help you achieve a higher grade on the real GRE Exam.

Schedule and Assignments

The following schedule is a tentative one. The schedule and topics will be adapted around students’ needs, depending entirely on their progress.