Testing Best way to prepare for physics GRE?

AI Thread Summary
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.
SUDOnym
Messages
88
Reaction score
1
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!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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.
 
TL;DR Summary: I want to do a PhD in applied math but I hate group theory, is this a big problem? Hello, I am a second-year math and physics double major with a minor in data science. I just finished group theory (today actually), and it was my least favorite class in all of university so far. It doesn't interest me, and I am also very bad at it compared to other math courses I have done. The other courses I have done are calculus I-III, ODEs, Linear Algebra, and Prob/Stats. Is it a...
I’ve been looking through the curricula of several European theoretical/mathematical physics MSc programs (ETH, Oxford, Cambridge, LMU, ENS Paris, etc), and I’m struck by how little emphasis they place on advanced fundamental courses. Nearly everything seems to be research-adjacent: string theory, quantum field theory, quantum optics, cosmology, soft matter physics, black hole radiation, etc. What I don’t see are the kinds of “second-pass fundamentals” I was hoping for, things like...

Similar threads

Replies
20
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
21
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
4K
Replies
5
Views
2K
Back
Top