Testing Best way to prepare for physics GRE?

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Preparing for the GRE Physics test involves a consensus that specialized prep books are generally ineffective. Instead, utilizing undergraduate textbooks and released practice exams is recommended. Test-takers suggest starting with an untimed, open-book practice exam to identify areas needing focus, followed by timed practice under exam conditions. A solid understanding of fundamental concepts is crucial, and clear expression of knowledge is emphasized as beneficial for test performance. Recommended resources include Serway or Resnick for foundational review and the Schaum's collection for problem-solving practice. Additionally, managing time effectively during the exam is critical, with an ideal target of about 1.5 minutes per question.
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I am hoping to take the GRE physics test soon in order to apply to US grad schools..
I would be very interested to hear advice from people who have taken this test in relation to their opinion on how best to prepare for it and if they used any textbooks designed specifically for physics GRE preparation.
... So if you are one of these people, please leave a comment!
 
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The general consensus is that every book designed specifically for physics GRE preparation sucks. :smile:

Your best bet is to review using your undergraduate textbooks and the released PGRE exams. (You have to ration your use of the exams, since there aren't many of them. I started by taking one untimed and open book just to see where I needed to focus my efforts, and then periodically took the others under simulated conditions to see what sort of score I could get.)
 
I'm not "one of these people".

But generally, know your stuff and know how to express it clearly verbally and in writing and you shouldn't have any problem with any tests in the subject.
 
InternetHuman said:
But generally, know your stuff and know how to express it clearly verbally and in writing and you shouldn't have any problem with any tests in the subject.

Strange advice for a multiple choice test!

Although I can agree, if you can express the material clearly, you have a sufficient understanding of it to do well.
 
First go and review the basic stuff in a Serway or Resnick. Then do a LOT of the problems in the Schaum's collection and finally focus all the rest of your time in solving the practice tests released by ETS, focusing on the 2008 version since your test will be extremely similar to this one.
 
Oh, one additional thing to keep in mind... there are 100 questions and 170 minutes. So if you are spending more than about a minute and a half on a question, you are doing something wrong and should probably move on.
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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