If your GRE preparation is on track—you’re performing well in practice sets and understand the material—but your score isn’t improving, the issue might not be your knowledge. Instead, it could be your ability to handle the unique challenges of the GRE itself.

The GRE is as much about strategy as it is about content. With its strict timing, strategic skipping, educated guessing, and the mental demands of test-day stress, excelling on the GRE requires more than just knowing the material. You need to practice managing these factors effectively to see your score increase.

Here’s how to develop strong test-handling skills:

1. Take Practice Tests Regularly

Begin incorporating full-length GRE practice tests into your study routine. Utilize both official ETS practice tests and high-quality third-party tests. While third-party tests may differ slightly from the real GRE, they still provide valuable opportunities to practice handling the test under timed conditions.

2. Analyze Every Test Thoroughly

After each practice test, take time to analyze your performance. Look beyond which questions you got right or wrong. Ask yourself:

Timing: Did you manage your time effectively, or were you rushing or lingering too long on certain questions?
Skipping and Guessing: Did you skip strategically and make educated guesses where needed, or did you get stuck?
Stress Management: How did you handle the mental and emotional demands of the test? Were there moments of anxiety or loss of focus?

3. Address Key Issues

Identify the specific areas where you struggled. For example:

If timing was a problem, practice pacing strategies and focus on answering easier questions quickly to save time for tougher ones.
If you struggled with skipping or guessing, refine your approach by learning to quickly recognize questions that are worth returning to later.
If stress impacted your performance, consider techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or test-day visualization exercises.

4. Apply What You Learn

Each test is an opportunity to learn and improve. Use your analysis to make targeted adjustments to your strategies, and then test those changes in your next practice test. For instance, if your timing needs work, set mini time goals for each section during your next test.

5. Repeat and Refine

Continue this process of testing, analyzing, and adjusting. With each practice test, you’ll refine your strategies and build the confidence and skills needed to handle the GRE’s unique challenges.

Why This Matters

Improving your ability to handle the test itself can be the key to breaking through a score plateau. Practice tests simulate the pressure and pacing of the real GRE, helping you develop the mental agility and test-day strategies necessary to perform at your best. By mastering the test-taking process, you’ll position yourself to achieve the score you’ve been working toward.

Remember, great GRE prep isn’t just about mastering content—it’s about mastering the test.

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep