![\"what](\"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2020\/02\/mprep-blogimages-wave1-30-2-e1582121437267.png\")
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There\u2019s a pretty complete list of GRE study topics available at the ETS\u2019s website. <\/span>Here\u2019s the list for Quant<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>here\u2019s where to find the corresponding lists for Verbal<\/span><\/a>. These lists can show you what content you definitely need to know for the GRE. But, in this article, I\u2019d like to complement them by doing the opposite: show you what you may <\/span>think<\/span><\/i> you need to learn for the GRE, but really don\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The rule of thumb is that you won\u2019t see anything beyond middle-school (about 8th grade) math on the GRE. Here are some things you absolutely <\/span>don\u2019t<\/b> have to study, because they aren\u2019t on the test:<\/span><\/p>\n It depends on your goal score! If you\u2019re shooting for a perfect 170 in Quant, you should master all of the math that the GRE tests. But, if you\u2019re just aiming for a strong (but not perfect) score, you can safely miss several questions on each Quant section. The best way to approach that is to quickly and intentionally guess on the very hardest questions, to buy yourself more time to check your work on the easier ones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, if you\u2019re sure that a topic will only be tested rarely, you have the option of ignoring it entirely and saving the study time for something more valuable. The topics on your personal \u201cskip list\u201d should vary from person to person. I\u2019d recommend choosing one or two of the following topics that you\u2019re least comfortable with, and deciding to guess on them immediately.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, you can\u2019t get away with totally ignoring a major topic (like geometry). Also, everyone should learn at least the basics of every topic, to avoid missing easy problems. (Try the \u2018<\/span>GRE math for people who hate math<\/span><\/a>\u2019 series for a gentle introduction to some of the nastier math content on the GRE!)<\/span><\/p>\n Especially if you\u2019re coming from another standardized test, like the GMAT, you may think you need to work on your mental or pen-and-paper arithmetic skills. While knowing tricks and shortcuts is useful, it isn\u2019t as much of a priority on the GRE as it is on other tests. You get a calculator on the GRE, and while you shouldn\u2019t rely on it to the detriment of basic math skills, you also shouldn\u2019t forget that you have it. Feel free to spend more of your time working on skills the calculator <\/span>can\u2019t<\/span><\/i> help you with, like simplifying exponents or quadratics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s turn our attention to GRE Verbal, particularly Reading Comprehension. Reading Comp passages tend to discuss the same predictable academic topics: social science, history, economics, biology, and a handful of others.<\/span><\/p>\n The GRE is a standardized test, and it does its best to test your <\/span>general<\/span><\/i> ability to read and understand academic text, not your specialized knowledge of any one field (that\u2019s what the GRE subject tests are for!). However, you\u2019ll likely find it easier to understand biology passages (for example) if you\u2019ve read at least a little bit of biology material beforehand. It\u2019s not that you need to know any of the jargon: you don\u2019t. It\u2019s that, by exposing yourself to a certain type of writing, your brain will know what to expect and won\u2019t have to work as hard to understand what it sees on test day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some sites that include academic-style writing on similar topics to those that appear on the GRE:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If there\u2019s a topic you\u2019re especially uncomfortable or unfamiliar with, a bit of reading before test day can go a long way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The other thing you should know about real-world knowledge, on the GRE, is that it can actually be dangerous! Some GRE problems are designed so that the wrong answer is a statement that seems extremely plausible, based on real-world facts. However, if the answer breaks the rules of the GRE (for instance, an answer choice on a Detail problem that isn\u2019t actually stated in the passage), it can\u2019t be right, even if you know it\u2019s true.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The GRE doesn\u2019t test every vocabulary word, and it doesn\u2019t test every type of vocabulary word. Specifically, you <\/span>don\u2019t<\/b> have to study what I\u2019ll call \u201cjargon.\u201d The words on the GRE are <\/span>general academic vocabulary<\/b> that you might see in writing from any academic field. If a word is specific to a single field (think <\/span>vacuole<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>epizeuxis<\/span><\/i>) you almost certainly don\u2019t need it on the GRE. Keep this in mind when you decide whether a new word is worth adding to your list.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You should absolutely put the time into <\/span>studying GRE vocabulary<\/span><\/a>. But a strong vocabulary doesn\u2019t mean much without equally strong problem-solving skills. Don\u2019t put so much energy into just studying words that you have none left to spare for practicing Text Completion or Sentence Equivalence problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n By the way, you don\u2019t need to study the etymology of words you learn, <\/span>unless you find that it helps you remember them<\/b>. You also don\u2019t need to memorize the list of synonyms and antonyms for every word you learn (again, unless you find that it helps your memory!). However, if you do end up learning a lot of words with similar meanings, making a chart in your notes showing how they all relate to each other can be a valuable learning tool. If you just want the simple answer to \u201cwhich words should I study,\u201d start with the 500 Essential GRE Vocabulary Words<\/a>. That list will furnish you with a strong core GRE vocabulary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The GRE only tests a limited set of topics, even though it tests those topics in varied and creative ways. Once you\u2019ve learned the basic material, it\u2019s time to switch to perfecting your problem-solving skills. If you know the vocabulary and the math rules, but your score still isn\u2019t what you\u2019re hoping for, it\u2019s probably not because there\u2019s content you\u2019ve missed! More likely, you need to take your ability to <\/span>use<\/span><\/i> the content to the next level. Get working on some practice problems, especially on topics you\u2019ve already learned!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n KEEP READING: <\/b>How to Get a Perfect Score on the GRE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person GRE courses absolutely free. We\u2019re not kidding! <\/i><\/b>Check out our upcoming courses here<\/i><\/b><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Chelsey Cooley<\/a> There\u2019s a pretty complete list of GRE study topics available at the ETS\u2019s website. Here\u2019s the list for Quant, and here\u2019s where to find the corresponding lists for Verbal. These lists can show you what content you definitely need to know for the GRE. But, in this article, I\u2019d like to complement them by doing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[151,168,191],"yst_prominent_words":[1362627,1362701,1363319,1363463,1362787,1365023,1365024,1364992,1365035,1362669,1365034,1365022,1363582,1362628,1363657,1365021,1362797,1363321,1363331,1362692],"class_list":["post-12737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gre-strategies","tag-gre-math","tag-gre-strategies-2","tag-gre-vocab"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12737"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12743,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12737\/revisions\/12743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12737"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=12737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What math topics are not tested on the GRE?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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What GRE math topics can I safely ignore?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Don\u2019t forget the calculator<\/b><\/h3>\n
Do I need real-world knowledge for the GRE?<\/b><\/h3>\n
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What vocabulary words are not tested on the GRE?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
You do not need to know everything!<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n![\"Chelsey](\"https:\/\/cdn2.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2015\/11\/chelsey-cooley-150x150.jpg\" "\\"Chelsey")
<\/a>\u00a0is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Seattle, Washington.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/i><\/b>Chelsey always followed her heart when it came to her education. Luckily, her heart led her straight to the perfect background for GMAT and GRE teaching: she has undergraduate degrees in mathematics and history, a master\u2019s degree in linguistics, a 790 on the GMAT, and a perfect 170Q\/170V on the GRE.\u00a0<\/em><\/i>Check out Chelsey\u2019s upcoming GRE prep offerings here<\/a>.<\/em><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"