So you’re preparing for the GRE — no easy task by itself — and you’re also working a demanding job that has the uncanny ability to usurp your every waking moment? Do you worry about how to prepare for the GRE efficiently without going bonkers?

There are a few time-tested strategies that you can use to achieve a top score while balancing work demands.


More than ever, students preparing for the GRE have a number of test prep resources available. However, not all of these GRE resources are created equally. The materials you use while you study can be either assets or liabilities.

Content matters! Do your due diligence on the courses and prep material you’re considering. See what other students have to say. Consider online courses that can fit your schedule — they are available anytime that you need them. Most courses offer a free or low-cost trial — pick several resources and give them a test drive. Your goal is to find a course that presents clear, practical, and actionable content, in a way that makes sense to you, along with skills, strategies, and techniques for acing the exam.

If you need outstanding GRE math help, sign up for a free trial of Target Test Prep’s GRE Quant Course. The entire course is designed to help students break through longstanding barriers to success on the quant part of the GRE.

In addition to helping students master content tested on the GRE, the Quant Course introduces novel approaches toward developing sophisticated critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and decision-making skills — mastery in these areas will pay off on the GRE. Whether you’re completely new to the exam or whether you’ve been studying with limited success for some time is immaterial — either way, Target Test Prep will provide you with the tools necessary to achieve an impressive GRE score.

Once you’ve found outstanding test prep material to fit your needs, the next step is to make time in your busy schedule.


How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t have time for X” or “I don’t have time for Y”? We hear such statements constantly. Here’s the reality — there is time only for the things we make time for. With a demanding job, it’s important to make time for yourself and for your personal growth and development.

Otherwise, you may find that your days become occupied with the demands of your job again and again, which leaves no time for growth and results in self-stagnation. Don’t let this stagnation happen! Your first step on the path toward career progression is to create time for studying. Here are some effective methods for finding time, even when your days are tough.

There is only time for the things we make time for.


Go to bed early on weeknights and wake up early on weekday mornings. Get some coffee and spend two hours studying. One great benefit to studying before work is that your brain and body will be well-rested and ready to absorb new information.

There’s also something satisfying about beginning the day by doing something for yourself, something that will help you grow and that will have a positive impact on your future. By the time you get to work, you’ll have put in a good amount of study time — that’s a great feeling to have in the morning.


If you commute to work by train or bus (or plane), use this time to drill flash cards, review your notes, and solve problems. In addition to paper-based materials. you can review test material using apps or different websites.

For example, you could go through some Target Test Prep GRE Quant Course questions on your phone, or watch videos on topics you’re still trying to master. You may even find that you start looking forward to the commute — that half-hour or hour commute could become your prime time for self-development.

That half-hour or hour commute could become your prime time for self-development.

If you drive, you can study, too! The morning commute time can be spent learning the myriad vocabulary words that are tested on the GRE, or you can memorize all those squirrelly math formulas, such as the Pythagorean Theorem! You can pre-record a list of the vocabulary words or math formulas that you need to know, with built-in pauses that allow you to say them out loud as you are (safely) driving.

Then you can listen to the correct answer and check your response. This is a great way to get in a lot of study time!


Your lunch hour is another optimal time to study. Learning is best accomplished in strategic and well-spaced chunks. If you studied in the morning before work, by lunchtime your brain has had a few hours to assimilate and store what you studied. During your break, take some time and go to a quiet place.

Maybe you could bring a healthy meal replacement shake so you don’t spend time procuring or preparing lunch; instead, use this time to prepare for the GRE. Continue studying the topics you worked on in the morning. Your lunch break is the perfect time to tackle practice problems and reinforce the morning’s topics.


Exercise has proven health benefits — in addition to being essential for the body, exercise is just as necessary for the brain. Exercise balances and recalibrates neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Without this recalibration, it’s easy to feel stressed and anxious.

These emotions are never optimal for learning and growth. In addition, exercise substantially improves your ability to learn and process new information. Since you know all this, get some exercise after work! Go for a run, take a long walk, hit the weights, or do some yoga.

If you’re a multi-tasker, hit the elliptical or the treadmill at the gym and review your notes or flashcards during your workout — just be careful! Evening exercise is a great way to destress, leave the day behind, and prepare for a productive evening of studying.


Once you get home, take another hour or two to study. Depending on your stamina, you may be a bit tired, so, instead of starting a new topic, this study session might be better spent reinforcing what you’ve already learned.

For example, if you studied ratio questions in the morning and reviewed them during lunch, the evening may be a good time to work through several high-value ratio practice problems. Once you get tired, stop studying and relax. It makes no sense to study when you’re too tired to retain information.