Why is the GRE so difficult?

Test Preparation
1

<p>I have been preparing for the GRE exam for years. Despite having decent credentials and extensive professional experience, my GRE scores have deterred me from gaining acceptance into graduate school. I would have thought that the GRE would have been nothing more than a mere formality and I thought that other factors could have compensated for lackluster GRE scores. However, it does not seem to be the case. My scores have been quite low and I am uncomfortable to even disclose how poor they were. I've taken the exam twice and my scores have not improved. When I look at the questions and examine the solutions, they don't seem to be so difficult. Yet, when I actually take the test, I often perform quite poorly. I don't get it. </p>

<p>I struggled on the SAT but that exam was extremely convoluted. I need to improve on the GRE and I know I can do it but I just need to develop more effective strategies. Has anyone improved on the GRE and/or is having similar difficulties?</p>

2

<p>I also hate the GRE and am hoping other portions of my application will compensate. </p>

<p>How poor are we talking? I don’t like my scores and think they will be bad for top programs, but others I’ve talked to disagree and say my scores are competitive (85%V, 70%Q). Have you discussed your scores with any grad students or faculty to get a better idea on where you stand?</p>

<p>One thing I’m trying to do is contact potential faculty mentors ahead of time. I’ve heard that they can sometimes push your application through the GPA/GRE screen to review. Also, some applications do have a portion where you can explain your poor scores, perhaps by emphasizing your real-life results in these areas - e.g. did very well in a metric crap-ton of stats classes, so a low quant score isn’t indicative of quant true skill or have gotten consistently positive feedback on writing, so low AW/Verbal score is bunk. </p>