How Much Time Do You Need to Study for the GRE?

How much time do you need to study for the GRE? That’s not exactly a simple question. But today, I can help you get to the answer.

How Much GRE Prep Time do You Need? Know Yourself.

Who are you? It’s a huge question, perhaps best left to philosophers. But who are you as a GRE student? That’s a little easier to answer.

Knowing yourself as a GRE student is a two-step process.

Your first step? Take a mock GRE exam or two, and look at your practice scores. You can find good mock GRE tests online through GRE PowerPrep, and through reputable services like Magoosh GRE.

Your mock test results will show you where your GRE skills are right now. If you’re already in or near your target score range, that’s great! In that case, your GRE prep probably won’t be all that time-consuming.

However, if you’re like most GRE preppers, your target score probably isn’t in reach just yet. Look at how you did in each section of your practice GRE. Typically, you’ll be stronger in some sections than others. You’ll need enough prep time to reach your goals in every section.

Now you can go to step 2 of knowing yourself: figuring out how much spare time you have. Take a careful look at your responsibilities and your daily schedule. How many hours do you have each day for GRE studies? The less time you have per day, the more weeks you’ll need to spend prepping. On the other hand, if you’ve got all day to study, your prep timeline can be shorter.

So, Exactly How Much Time Will You Need? Make Some Plans.

You’ve learned your GRE weaknesses, and you’ve figured out how much time you have to work on them each day. Next, you should make a specific study plan, and map out your exact timetable.

Here, Magoosh GRE can help you in quite a few ways. Are you looking for a GRE workbook to guide your studies? Check out our list of the best GRE books. Want to see an example timetable that meets your study needs? Browse our various GRE study plans. By knowing yourself and using some good GRE guides, you can figure out exactly how much time you’ll need to get your target score.

Or at least, you’ll know almost the exact time you need. Remember, a good time table is a flexible one. If you master a skill faster than you thought you would, you can get ahead of schedule. And you should also be willing to put in some extra study time if you come across something that’s harder than you thought it would be. To manage your GRE study time well, know yourself, know the test, and approach your studies with an open mind.

David Recine is a test prep expert at Magoosh. He has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has been teaching K-12, University, and adult education classes since 2007 and has worked with students from every continent.