Consider this scenario: You have a high school English exam scheduled for the last period of the day. Earlier in the day, your friend Jamie takes the same test. During lunch, Jamie tells you what the questions were. Naturally, going into the test with this information will give you a significant advantage. Your score may not reflect your actual skill level, but rather the benefit of prior exposure.

This kind of score inflation is not limited to the classroom. It happens frequently when students prepare for the GRE using practice materials that are overly reliant on official test content. Some test prep companies construct their materials by closely mimicking or repurposing official GRE questions. At first glance, this might seem helpful. However, the result is often a narrow focus on patterns and question types that may or may not appear on the actual exam.

Of course, practicing official GRE questions is important. But if your primary prep materials are thinly veiled versions of official content, your practice test scores may not reflect your true readiness. Instead, they might give you a false sense of confidence. You may appear to be performing well, but in reality, you might be developing familiarity with certain patterns, not building the core analytical skills the GRE is designed to test.

High-quality GRE preparation should focus on more than just content familiarity. It should challenge you to reason analytically, interpret complex information, and solve novel problems. These are the skills that make a real difference on test day.

If your prep lacks that depth, you may unknowingly be training to do well on practice tests, not the actual GRE. And that disconnect can become very clear when the questions on test day do not follow the same patterns you have grown accustomed to.

To prepare effectively, take the time to evaluate your prep resources. Look for materials and programs that go beyond surface-level patterns and instead emphasize deep understanding and skill development. That is the kind of preparation that leads to strong and reliable GRE performance.

Reach out to me with any questions about your GRE prep. Happy studying!

Warmest regards,

Scott Woodbury-Stewart
Founder & CEO, Target Test Prep