Your Admission Tests Study Toolbox

By Francine Fluetsch on November 14, 2016

Why are admission tests still a thing? Applying to grad school is already stressful enough, and then they want to add some standardized test on top of it that will show the school your worth? Oh joy.

image via Graduate School – About.com

We can all agree that admission tests are the worst, but we have to take them anyway, so might as well get as prepared as you can before you have to take the test of choice! Think of this article as a study toolbox. Are you on your way to getting ready for test day?

1) Plan it out.

You want to have a plan for when you need your test by, when you will need to take it, how many attempts you want to do (and pay for), and how many tests you are going to need for a particular school. All of this information is going to be on the website of the school that you are trying to get into, but sometimes you’ll have to do a little digging to make sure that you have the right test for the major that you want to pursue.

If, after digging around for a while, you still can’t find it (a lot of the websites aren’t all that user friendly, which is a pain), don’t be shy to email the graduate admissions department for the program that you are going for and verify with them exactly what you will need to take.

Once you know the tests you’ll need, look up how long it takes for you to get your results, to plan out when you need to take it to apply for the school you want, and to see if you have time to make more than one attempt at the test.

If you have time, I highly recommend it. It’s a little pricey to take these tests, but your score will be worth it!

2) Get a study guide.

When I was studying for the GRE, I opted for the Princeton Review study guide and it was so worth the money! The writers of the book are absolutely hilarious; I was laughing out loud at a test book which I didn’t even think was possible. They laid out exactly how to study for each section of the GRE, and how, in a sense, to crack it and get the best score.

In there, they also had a timeline for how much you should study, which was necessary for a procrastinator like me.

The booklet also came with a code to take practice tests online, which really helped me since the GRE was going to be the first standardized test for me that wasn’t on paper. It’s a great way to get practice in and to see what you still need to polish.

3) Find a study partner.

To get you through the long haul, find a study partner who will help push you to the finish line. They don’t even need to be studying for the same test necessarily, they just need to be dedicated like you. Having someone to meet a few times a week will force you to study, and will help you see what you still need to work on.

You can time each other, grade each other’s work, have friendly competitions to see who can get the better score, and even go through the rest of your applications together. Two is always better than one, and you won’t feel like you are being deprived of a social life if you have someone hitting the books with you.

4) Know the ins and outs of the test.

For your specific test, you want to know everything about it so you won’t get any surprises on test day. What are you allowed to bring? What do you need to bring (all tests require a photo I.D. and your test confirmation)? How long is the test? Do you get a break or not? Should you bring a snack? What score are you aiming for? What score does your school want? How many sections will you have to sit through? And so on.

The more you know about your specific test, the better. Some testing locations are allowed to give you your raw score right as you finish your exam, and you don’t want to be scrambling and checking Google to see if you passed or not — you should already know what you need to aim for.

5) Pace yourself.

These tests are definitely not ones that you want to cram for, so make sure that you pace yourself and give yourself time to absorb all of the information. Also, don’t skip over studying for sections that you are good at. I didn’t study as much for the English section of the GRE since that’s usually my strong suit, but it would have boosted my score even more if I had perfected my skills on that and then would have covered some of the blow for the math portion. Review just a little bit every day so your study sessions aren’t overwhelming.

If you feel yourself getting stressed, don’t forget that self-care is a huge component in doing well on a massive test. Go for a run, fuel your body with healthy food, or take a nap when you just aren’t retaining any more of the information. The more time you give yourself and the more you space it out, the less overwhelming it will be and the more confident you will become before test day.

Good luck! Remember, these tests don’t prove your intelligence or your worth, they are simply a measure you need to take to get into the school of your dreams. If you aren’t happy with your score, there is always a chance to take it again.

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