Before jumping into preparation it would be smart to get a rough idea of your current aptitude level. This test can help you identify your weaknesses. There are essentially three different kinds of weakness.

1. Weakness in particular topics.

These are weaknesses in your underlying understanding of the concepts the GRE tests. For Quant, this would be any math topic areas you’re weak in (like, say, probability). For Verbal, this could be a weak vocabulary or discomfort with complex passages. The areas you find most challenging on the GRE are probably the ones you dislike the most. If you’re a math kid and have no use for verbose writing on esoteric topics, you will probably find swimming through dense prose akin to a quagmire. Conversely, people who find integers and exponential properties tedious usually have to fight tooth and nail to get through math concepts.

2. Weakness in a particular question type

These are weaknesses that have to do with the specific test format. If you struggle with a particular question type, like quantitative comparison or sentence equivalence, that’s a format weakness and you need to build strategies to address those specific question types.

3. Weakness in test taking ability

These are weaknesses that have to do with your broader test-taking strategy and approach. It includes things like running out of time on sections, forgetting to answer every question, not reading questions closely enough, and so on.


Knowing your weaknesses and how you can chip away at them will allow you to build a balanced pace of study. Do whatever it takes to structure your study plan so that you can target your weaknesses more effectively. It might be awful at first, but it will get less cumbersome.

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