Disregard these common misconceptions about the GRE and you’ll be on your way to admission.
MYTH #1: GRE scores are not as important as your personal statement and your relationship with faculty members at prospective schools.
FACT: While the weight placed on your GRE score in relation to other factors (undergraduate GPA, letters of recommendation, relevant experience in your chosen field, etc.) will vary from program to program, poor GREs can seriously hurt your chances of admission. In addition, GRE scores are an important factor when it comes to awarding teaching and research assistantships and merit-based financial aid.
MYTH #2: The GRE tests complex math concepts.
FACT: GRE math is tough because of the way the concepts are tested, not because of the concepts themselves. The GRE tests math concepts you learned in the seventh or eighth grade—you won't see any calculus or trigonometry.
MYTH #3: You can hone a number of skills to improve your math score, but you can't really raise your verbal score.
FACT: The single best way to improve your verbal score is to increase your vocabulary. Antonyms, analogies and sentence completions all rely upon your understanding of the words in the questions and answer choices. If you’re familiar with the definitions, you'll be able to answer the questions quickly and accurately.
MYTH #4: All of the questions on the GRE count equally towards your score.
FACT: The GRE is a computer-adaptive test. This means that unlike paper-and-pencil standardized tests that begin with an easy question and become progressively tougher, the GRE always begins with a question of moderate difficulty. If you get it right, the computer gives you a slightly harder question. If you get it wrong, you’ll receive a slightly easier question. Therefore, questions at the beginning of each section have a greater impact on your score.