How to Prepare for the GRE at Home in 2025: Step-by-Step Guide

The GRE is used to pursue education abroad, which requires extensive GRE preparation and expertise. GRE preparation at home can be exercised if students follow a certain learning strategy and discipline themselves. Creating a plan that suits the student is very crucial. Students can begin by reviewing the GRE pattern and syllabus to familiarise themselves with the exam. It is a computer-based exam with three sections, including Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Students should focus on weak sections, create an error log, and practice consistently to build accuracy and speed. Short, regular study sessions and timed practice tests help improve performance. 

Students can practice the previous year's question papers and mock tests by imitating the same examination conditions and duration to gain insights into their speed of solving, analysis, and time management. 

Continue reading the blog for more preparation and GRE time management tips for GRE study at home. 

How to Prepare for the GRE at Home?

The GRE Study Guide on how students planning to study at home should do so is as follows: 

• Develop a study plan that fits your day-to-day schedule and have specific objectives for each section of the GRE.
• The most common tools in building core competencies include an official ETS tool, such as practice tests, question banks, and vocabulary tools.
• Mimic test conditions, e.g. full-length, timed practice exams and permitted materials, e.g. whiteboard.
• Check out all the mock tests, keep a list of the mistakes, and pay more attention to the weak sides.
• Take time to practice to ensure that you have time management in each section.
• External resources, including online study groups, analytical non-fiction reading, and a stable internet connection, can be used.

What are the Best Materials for GRE Self-Study at Home?

Some of the best and most effective study materials for the GRE preparation at home include: 

Official GRE materials

• ETS Official Guide: A must-have to understand the test format, with real practice questions and full-length tests.
• POWERPREP Practice Tests: Free online tests from ETS that simulate the actual exam environment, including the calculator and test-taking features. 

Practice books

• Manhattan Prep 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems: Contains a vast number of practice problems, making it a great resource for drills.
• Kaplan GRE Prep Plus: Offers a strategic approach with review, techniques, and online tools.
• Barron's GRE: Provides detailed reviews of all test sections and practice questions. 

Online courses and apps

• Magoosh: Offers video lessons, a large database of practice questions with detailed explanations, and personalized study plans.
• GregMat: A popular online resource, including on-demand videos and strategies.
• Khan Academy: A great source for building foundational concepts across various subjects. 

Vocabulary builders

• Anki and Quizlet: Digital flashcard apps that use spaced repetition to help you memorize vocabulary efficiently.
• Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Flashcards: An app-based tool to build your vocabulary on the go. 

Why Study GRE at Home? 

• Home-based study provides versatility to develop a unique schedule and study at a pace of your own.
• The at-home GRE also has a bigger selection of test days, up to evenings and weekends.
• Self-study saves the money spent on coach fees and travelling to testing centres.
• Training at home is also a way to be familiar with your strengths and weaknesses, and to have an atmosphere that encourages growth. 
• Full-length practice tests can be used to find areas of weakness and work on them.
• Preparation is cheaper and more effective because of the possibility of finding free online study materials.

What is GRE: Meaning and Factors 

The GRE or Graduate Record Examinations is a standardised test which is required by universities abroad, especially in the USA and Canada, for higher education as an admission criterion. The key factors about the GRE are listed below: 

Key Factors: 

• Purpose: Admission criterion for checking the preparedness for the graduate-level academic work.
• Administered by: The GRE is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) 
• Structure: It consists of 3 sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
• Exam Pattern: 1 hour and 58-minute computer-based format with three sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing
• Questions: 55 scored questions across the sections.

What is the GRE Exam Pattern?

The GRE pattern is demonstrated in a detailed structure below: 

What are the GRE Dates?

The important upcoming dates and events for the GRE test are provided below: 

FAQs

Ques: Can I prepare for the GRE at home?

Ans: Yes, it is possible to study for the GRE at home. You need a convenient schedule, training with the ETS material, and exercise.

Ques: Can one take the GRE at home?

Ans: Yes, GRE at home is safe, comfortable, and benefits are offered throughout the year.

Ques: Within 1 month, can I manage to score 330 in the GRE?

Ans: It is not easy, but can be achieved by practising every day, through tests, and basics.

Ques: What is the difficulty in scoring 330 on the GRE?

Ans: It is hard and one needs a lot of accuracy, good vocabulary and a lot of timed practice.

Ques: What is a 75% GRE score?

Ans: A score of the 75th percentile implies above-average scores and is in the strong range of most programs.

Ques: What percentage is a 320 GRE score?

Ans: A score in the 320 range will generally be in the 80th percentile range.

Ques: Is it hard to achieve 300 on the GRE?

Ans: No, it is possible to obtain the result of 300 after the basic concepts are practised with the help of continuous study.

Ques: Is 300 a good GRE score?

Ans: It is an average score of certain programs, whereas some of the best universities tend to expect more.

About the Author 

Hello! I am Devanshi Joshi, working as a content writer at Select Your University for the past 5 months. I am well-versed in SEO, academic, marketing, and healthcare niches of writing for more than 3 years now. Strengthening the foundation with well-researched content and connecting with the audience through words are my key motives!