How to Switch from the GMAT to the GRE
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Lately, we’ve been talking about how to decide which test to take, as well as what to do if you decide to stick with the GMAT. What if you decide to switch from the GMAT to the GRE? That’s what we’ll tackle today! (Next time, we’ll talk about what to do if you want to switch from the GRE to the GMAT.)
How Do I Study?
The overall way that you want to study doesn’t actually change that much; rather, you’ll just need to change what you are studying, as discussed later in this article.
First, you’ll need to determine whether the way that you’ve already been studying is actually the optimal way. If not, then you’ll need to make some changes, regardless of whether you stick with the GMAT or switch to the GRE.
The GMAT and the GRE are both executive reasoning tests; that is, the test makers want to know how you think and make decisions. You of course need to know content (certain facts, rules, formulas) in order to do well on either test, but that level of study is not enough; you also need to lift yourself to a second level of understanding that allows you to think your way through these sometimes bizarrely-worded problems as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Follow the two links I put in the last paragraph. Take some time to just think about the concepts presented there. Has this been your approach to studying so far? If so, great. Keep thinking and working in that way.
If not, however, recognize that you’re going to need to start studying with this new mindset, regardless of whether you take the GMAT or the GRE.
What Are My Strengths and Weaknesses?
Any time you’re developing or revising a study plan, you’ll want to put together a solid analysis of your strengths and weaknesses.
If you have been studying for the GMAT for a while, then you should have some practice CAT data. (If not, or if it has been more than 6 weeks since you last took a CAT, then you’ll need to take one to get the data. Make sure to take the test under official conditions, including the essay and IR sections, length of breaks, and so on.)
Analyze your most recent two CATs (this link tells you how to analyze Manhattan Prep CATs). If you haven’t taken MPrep CATs, you can still read through that link to get an idea of how you want to analyze your data from another test. Your goal is to split all question types and content into one of three buckets:
Bucket 1: Strengths. I’ll still study and practice these but not as heavily as other areas.
Bucket 2: Low-Hanging Fruit: These are my easiest opportunities for improvement. Careless mistakes. Things that I get wrong fast. Things that I get right but just a little too slowly.
Bucket 3: Weaknesses. These are areas that I’ll ignore until I’ve worked out my Bucket 2 issues. Things that I’m likely to get wrong even if I give myself unlimited time. Things that I get right but way too slowly. Things that use up way too much mental energy, even if I get them right.
Your primary focus until your next practice test will be working a lot to improve Bucket 2, while maintaining Bucket 1 skills and getting Bucket 3 questions wrong fast (yes, seriously!).
[Aside: there are certain things that will stay in Bucket 3 forever. I’m terrible at combinatorics and I’m pretty bad at 3D geometry. That’s been true since my very first practice GMAT, nearly 20 years ago! When I see these, I’ll give it a look in case the problem is very similar to one that I do remember how to do, but otherwise, I pick my favorite letter and move on.]
Okay, now that you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, you need to familiarize yourself with the differences between the GMAT and the GRE.
What New Things Do I Have to Learn?
The Essays
You won’t care as much about one difference, so let’s get it out of the way. At the beginning of the GMAT, you write an essay. The GRE also asks you to write essays (two this time) and one of these is in the same format as the GMAT essay, so you don’t need to re-study for that.
The other GRE essay, though, is different. Instead of asking you to analyze an argument, it asks you to develop a thesis (provide your opinion) on a given issue. Think something like: Coke is better than Pepsi. Discuss whether you agree or disagree and why. You’ll need to learn how to write this type of essay.
Quant
Next, for the Quant section of the test, you’re going to need to learn about the different question types contained on the GRE. The most important one is Quantitative Comparisons (QC).
The GRE also includes “select all that apply” question formats (with no partial credit). These questions still test the same overall topics, but you’ll have to learn how to approach this somewhat different set-up to the question. You’ll learn this from the books or other resources you identify to help you study specifically for the GRE.
The GRE tests Data Interpretation (DI) on the Quant section; on the GMAT, this material shows up mostly in the Integrated Reasoning section. If you have not yet studied data and graphs for the GMAT, or you didn’t study it much, then you’ll need to learn this for the GRE.
[In Manhattan Prep’s book set, we’ve combined QC and DI into one book, so if you already have our GMAT books, you likely won’t need to get the content-specific GRE books (algebra, geometry, etc.). You may be able to get away with adding just the Quantitative Comparisons and Data Interpretation Strategy Guide.]
The timing on the two tests is also quite different, so you’ll have to learn how to handle 20 Quant questions in 35 minutes on the GRE, or about 1 minute 45 seconds per question on average. In general, QC questions should be faster than the other types, about 1 minute 15 seconds on average, allowing you to spend about 2 minutes on average for the others.
Verbal
Most of your new efforts on Verbal will be geared towards the two vocabulary question types, Sentence Equivalence and Text Completions. You may find it useful to buy pre-made vocabulary flash cards or to make your own. (I prefer to make my own; I find that it’s much easier to learn a word if I have to think about what I want to write on that word’s flash card in the first place.)
Again, if you are already using Manhattan Prep materials, you can use what you already have for Reading Comprehension (RC) and Critical Reasoning (CR). Note that, on the GRE, both of these question types fall into the one category Reading Comprehension (that is, nothing is called Critical Reasoning on the GRE).
All of the GMAT RC material can also appear on the GRE. For CR, the following GMAT question types also appear on the GRE: Describe the Role (called Analyze the Argument Structure on the GRE), Strengthen and Weaken, Explain a Discrepancy, and Inference.
In other words, there are more GMAT CR question types than GRE, so you can drop some of the GMAT types. All of the types that show up on the GRE also show up on the GMAT, so you won’t have to learn about any new types just for the GRE.
Again, the timing will be different on the GRE. You’ll need to answer 20 Verbal questions in just 30 minutes, or about 1 minute 30 seconds per question on average. The vocab question types should average about 1 minute each, allowing you the necessary time to read the RC passages and answer these questions.
How Do I Make a Study Plan?
We’ve already talked about part of the process (analyzing your strengths and weaknesses). You may decide to take a class or work with a tutor, in which case your teacher will give you specific assignments. If not, you’ll need to develop your own study plan.
The article that I just linked talks about how to build a GMAT study plan, but the steps apply to both tests; you can use it to build a GRE study plan just as well. Don’t forget to reassess as your skills change! When you take a new practice test (a GRE one this time), analyze it to see where you’ve improved and where you’re now (or still) struggling. Then use that information to update your study plan.
Takeaways for Switching from the GMAT to the GRE
(1) Make sure that you’re going into your studies with the right overall mindset (executive reasoning!) and that you know how to lift yourself to the “second level” of study.
(2) Begin your studies by concentrating on the aspects that are new to you: the different question types and topics that are tested on the GRE. Once you build those skills up to a competent level, you’ll review all aspects and question types. ?
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Stacey Koprince is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Montreal, Canada and Los Angeles, California. Stacey has been teaching the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT for more than 15 years and is one of the most well-known instructors in the industry. Stacey loves to teach and is absolutely fascinated by standardized tests. Check out Stacey’s upcoming GMAT courses here.