Have RARE GRE Math SUBJECT Practice Tests?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the availability of rare practice tests for the GRE Math Subject exam, as well as participants' experiences and concerns regarding the exam's difficulty and scoring expectations. The scope includes inquiries about resources, personal test experiences, and advice on GRE scores relevant to graduate school admissions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant requests access to rare GRE Math Subject practice tests that are no longer in circulation, seeking help from the community.
  • Another participant expresses a need for additional practice ahead of their upcoming GRE exam.
  • A participant shares their experience of finding the actual test significantly more difficult than practice tests, noting time management issues during the exam.
  • Some participants discuss the importance of GRE scores and percentiles for graduate school admissions, suggesting that percentiles may be more critical than raw scores.
  • There are differing opinions on whether undergraduates should take the GRE Subject test, with some suggesting it is primarily for PhD programs.
  • Concerns are raised about the expectations for GRE scores, with some participants mentioning that top schools often require very high percentiles for admission.
  • A participant mentions finding a rare practice test at a public library, suggesting that others check similar resources.
  • There is a discussion about whether retaking the GRE is advisable, with varying opinions on what constitutes a satisfactory score.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of agreement and disagreement regarding the difficulty of the GRE exam and the significance of GRE scores and percentiles for graduate school admissions. There is no consensus on the necessity of taking the GRE Subject test as an undergraduate or the optimal strategy for retaking the exam.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying experiences with the GRE exam's difficulty and the preparation needed, highlighting the subjective nature of test readiness and expectations. There are also references to differing opinions on the relevance of GRE Subject tests for various academic paths.

Who May Find This Useful

Students preparing for the GRE Math Subject exam, those interested in graduate school admissions processes, and individuals seeking resources for GRE test preparation.

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Have RARE GRE Math SUBJECT Practice Tests?

Does anyone have any of the rare practice tests for the GRE math SUBJECT exam? NOT the ones that are currently being sold in bookstores (the Princeton Review and REA ones). I learned online that there are several practice tests that are no longer in circulation. I was hoping to get this question out to the general community so that if anyone has access to the practice tests, or knows of anyone who does (friends, grad students, professors, etc), I would appreciate it if I can purchase it. Thanks.
 
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I would love to see some of these, too. I've got the real thing coming up in 2 weeks and I still need more practice.
 
hi Jeff, did you take the test on this saturday? How was it?
 
Hi luna,

I did take it this Saturday. My friends and I were very surprised; it was much harder than the practice tests we took. On the practice tests we did pretty well and had plenty of time at the end to go back and check our answers. On Saturday, time ran out on me. Many of the questions were considerably more difficult than the practice tests.

I spoke to some friends at other schools, and they agreed.

The thing was, I didn't feel like I could have prepared any more than I did. I felt completely ready for that test. So hopefully it turned out okay and I don't have take it again in October... Since the general consensus seems to be that it was very difficult, I'm hoping that means that the scores will all balance out.

-Jeff
 
practice tests?

Did anyone ever get the practice tests that the original person asked about?

i am hoping to take the MATH in the fall.
 
Hi Jeff, thanks for reply. I feel much better now. My friend and I took it also and we can’t agree more. At one moment I felt like complete idiot because I couldn’t solve half of it. And like you said time was flying.
Hopefully we will have good results at the end. Thank you again and fingers crossed for us. Luna
 
Sorry for just bumping into conversation, but i am just curious to know what would be considered as decent GRE scores? In other words, what score on GRE would give you some good opportunities to be accepted to some decent grad schools, if not the top ones, like UT at Austin UCLA etc?
 
Pay more attention to the Percentile you fell in rather than the score itself. When I was asking grad schools what scores they required, they said that percentile was more important as it compares you to your peers.
 
If you take it as an undergraduate you should expect to not know a lot of the questions as it is material you mostly likely haven’t seen before. When I took it I pretty much wrote off topology and statistics.
 
  • #10
Check your university's library or ask some math professors/grad students. I found a copy of one of the rare tests (from '93 I think) at my city's public library.
 
  • #11
JonF said:
If you take it as an undergraduate you should expect to not know a lot of the questions as it is material you mostly likely haven’t seen before. When I took it I pretty much wrote off topology and statistics.


Isn't one supposed to take it while he is an undergrad? What is the point of taking it if you already are in grad school?
 
  • #12
i thought subject tests (especially math) were primarily for phd type programs so undergrads generally don't need them anyway.
 
  • #13
exk said:
i thought subject tests (especially math) were primarily for phd type programs so undergrads generally don't need them anyway.

Well if you apply for a phd math programm, aren't you supposed to take GRE including subject tests in math? I am just asking for getting information.
 
  • #14
sutupidmath said:
Isn't one supposed to take it while he is an undergrad? What is the point of taking it if you already are in grad school?
Correct.

The top schools often require a 99 percentile result. The next tier of good schools (still ranked in the top 20) will accept, on average, international students with about 85% or better and domestic students with about 70% or better scores.
 
  • #15
Gokul43201 said:
Correct.

The top schools often require a 99 percentile result. The next tier of good schools (still ranked in the top 20) will accept, on average, international students with about 85% or better and domestic students with about 70% or better scores.

Thanks for that information. I can't call and get my scores until May 14th, and I've been wondering what kind of scores should be my "cut off", such that I will decide not to take the GRE again in October. Many of my professors think that I should take it twice no matter what (unless I get an unexpectedly high score, which I don't think will happen), while others seem to think that a percentile above 70 would suffice. Tough decision! The GRE was definitely not fun, so I would certainly like to never take it again.. :rolleyes:
 
  • #16
Do you think you'll do noticeably better on a second attempt?

I would recommend a second try only if you think you'll improve by at least 5% and the risk of a poorer score is small.
 

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