Preparing for the Physics GRE: Majors vs. Non-Majors

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SUMMARY

The Physics GRE presents significant challenges, particularly for non-physics majors who lack comprehensive exposure to core topics such as electromagnetism (EM), modern physics, classical mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Participants in the discussion emphasized the importance of dedicated preparation, with one individual noting that two months of rigorous study yielded positive results. Access to relevant textbooks and resources is crucial for non-majors to bridge knowledge gaps. Overall, while some non-majors with related backgrounds may perform adequately, physics majors generally have a distinct advantage due to their extensive coursework.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of core physics concepts: electromagnetism (EM), classical mechanics, modern physics, and quantum mechanics.
  • Familiarity with the Physics GRE format and structure.
  • Access to relevant textbooks and study materials.
  • Experience with practice exams, particularly those provided by ETS.
NEXT STEPS
  • Review and study textbooks on electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.
  • Take the official practice exam available on the ETS website.
  • Explore study groups or forums focused on Physics GRE preparation.
  • Research graduate programs in physics to understand specific requirements and expectations.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for prospective graduate students in physics, particularly those with non-physics majors seeking to understand the challenges of the Physics GRE and how to effectively prepare for it.

maverick280857
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Hi

Just curious...how (tough/different) is the Physics GRE for people who don't have physics majors, but are introduced to most of the stuff at a basic level? Would like to hear from both physics majors and non-physics majors who have taken Physics GRE (subject test).

Cheers
 
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maverick280857 said:
Hi

Just curious...how (tough/different) is the Physics GRE for people who don't have physics majors, but are introduced to most of the stuff at a basic level? Would like to hear from both physics majors and non-physics majors who have taken Physics GRE (subject test).

Cheers

hell, it's hard for physics majors! :-p

take the practice exam that's on the ETS website--it's pretty representative of the exam.

i put in two months of hard work for the test, and it really paid off.

non-phys majors might have the disadvantage of not having textbooks in EM, modern physics, classical mechanics, and quantum mechanics, so you'd have to look for those books in the library or something in order to understand many of the problems.
 
Looks like Brad beat me to it. The physics GRE is hard enough for us, I can't imagine a non-physics major taking it. Maybe, if you're in a related field such as chemistry, you've taken the first two years of physics, as well as classical mechanics and E&M, and you've got some quantum mechanics from another department, then you could do just as well as a physics major.

But if you're not in physics, why would you want to? Are you trying to go to graduate school in physics?
 
Arunma, are you from India?
 
maverick280857 said:
Arunma, are you from India?

No, I'm from Minnesota. But I am Indian (hence the Indian name). Why do you ask?
 
arunma said:
No, I'm from Minnesota. But I am Indian (hence the Indian name). Why do you ask?

Because all this time I never noticed that the first four letters of your login-id actually form a name :approve:.
 
We have a reasonably difficult entrance test to get into the university I'm studying in. Our coursework in the first year also builds on what we do for this test. The sample gre test has several accessible questions, but of course there are some things we haven't been exposed to and will not be--in an engineering curriculum. My question really was--how much does the undergraduate preparation help there?
 

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