GRE^® courses

What is the GRE?

The GRE is a computerized test that lasts approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. The exam is divided into 4 parts: analytical writing, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and an experimental section, which can be verbal reasoning or quantitative reasoning.

ANALYTICAL WRITING: This is always the first section in the GRE. It consists of two separate tasks, each lasting 30 minutes to plan, organize and write an essay. The two tasks are:

• Analysis of a problem: the topic is of general interest and the objective is to convincingly argue your position on the problem. The topic presented can be looked at from multiple perspectives, so there is no one “correct” opinion that you should seek and defend. You have to make sure to argue it from different angles; Using part of the essay to discuss other positions that were not taken into account shows that you considered the complexities it presents.
• Analyze an argument: the objective is to make a critical analysis of the argument and discuss the consistency of that argument. To produce a well-written essay, consider the explicit evidence that is offered as part of the argument, as well as any assumptions or implications that derive from the position taken by the author. Also, it is important to discuss the logic at the joining points of the argument.

Each essay will be graded from 0 to 6 in half-point increments based on several factors, including level of understanding, development of ideas, use of logic, organization of ideas, and level of writing itself (fluency , grammar, usage and mechanics).

VERBAL REASONING: After the Analytical Writing section is done, the rest of the test comes in a random order. Each GRE includes two Verbal Reasoning sections that assess knowledge of reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and use of vocabulary. These areas are assessed through four types of verbal reasoning questions:

• Complete text: in this type of verbal reasoning questions an exercise is presented that includes one to three blank spaces in which you must choose the correct word for each blank space. In the TLA course we will help you to analyze the exercise, identify key clues about its structure and use contextual clues to make choosing the correct answer (or answers) much easier.
• Phrase equivalence: in these questions you will have to choose words to complete a sentence. Unlike the previous questions, you will choose multiple words for a blank instead of one word for one to three blanks. The goal is to choose the two answer options that create a sentence with the same meaning. In the TLA course we will prepare you to analyze all the possible options and evaluate the answers in a logical way.
• Reading comprehension: In the GRE, the passages and questions that you must read are more complicated than usual, and it is not enough to be a good reader. You also need to identify the important information and how to break down the questions to answer correctly. In our TLA course we will teach you to read the passage through a strategy that addresses two very common mistakes: spending too much time reading and withholding little information. In addition, we will teach you to understand exactly what is being asked of you, how to read the passage effectively to find the correct answer, and how to identify common pitfalls that GRE writers use.
• Critical thinkingCritical Thinking Problems measure your ability to think critically. In large part, they ask you to read arguments and identify errors, and alternative proportions and counterarguments. In our TLA course you will learn to identify types of statements in an argument, understand what they are asking you to write, and understand the logic of the argument.

Each Verbal Reasoning section consists of 20 choice questions that you will have to answer in 30 minutes. This test is adaptive by sections, so the second section of verbal reasoning will be more difficult if you answered correctly in the first section. The scoring range of the Verbal Reasoning section GRE ranges from 130 to 170 in one-point increments.

QUANTITATIVE REASONING: Similarly, each GRE includes two Quantitative Reasoning sections that test high school math knowledge, including four main areas: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, and Basic Probability.

In the TLA course you will develop skills and techniques to answer the four types of questions included in the quantitative reasoning section:

• Multiple choice with a correct answer: these are the typical math questions with which you will be familiar, however, reading them is more complicated, since it includes several traps that you will have to learn to identify.
• Multiple choice with one or more correct answers- A variation of the previous format, in which you must find all the correct answers for the entire question to count as correct.
• Numeric input: here, you will have to write the answer yourself. Although you will not have options that will give you a clue as to what the correct answer may be, you will be able to use the calculator.
• Quantitative comparison: a new question format specific to the GRE in which, of two quantities, you must choose which is always the greater. In these types of questions, logic and interpretation are very important.

In each Quantitative Reasoning section, you must answer 20 questions in 35 minutes. As in the verbal section, the quantitative sections are also adaptive so the level of the second section will depend on the answers in the first section. The GRE Quantitative Reasoning section scoring range is 130-170 in one-point increments.

EXPERIMENTAL SECTIONS: The Experimental section is a verbal or quantitative section that does not score and is only used to analyze questions in future exams. Present the same content and types of questions, and you will have no way of knowing that a section is experimental so you must treat all sections of the exam in the same way, as they score for the final grade.

There is also a research section, which does not score, and you can choose if you want to do it or not.