next »

[gpduw]

Hello everyone,

I am going to be applying next year to Ph. D. programs that require the normal GRE test and recommend the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology subject GRE test.  I will be preparing for both.  What preparation materials would anyone be willing to recommend?  Are there a certain company's books that someone one here has experience with that contain practice material that is very relevant to the tests (both normal and subject tests I have described)?

Also, I am planning on allotting 2 and a half to 3 months during the summer to study for both tests.  I know this is a vague question that obviously depends on the responsibility and motivation of the individual, but I plan on treating studying as a full-time job.  Is this enough time?

Thanks everyone in advance.  I appreciate any advice or recommendations from those who have been there.

[dionne_oulton]

I am not from Biology so can't really comment on Subject GRE books, but for normal GRE books, you can look at

http://www.missiongre.com/grebooks.php

[herbertian]

The Princeton Review has the best prep materials on the market.  Avoid Barron's and Kaplan.

[mythosolis]

I second the Princeton Review books. Also, I can't speak from personal experience, but my brother-in-law took a Kaplan course and really thought it was worth the money. I know that our local community college offers GRE prep courses for a pretty good price—like $100, or somewhere right around there. They last 8 weeks and are web-based, so maybe that could help as well?

Also, an unsolicited tip: my best choice in my GRE preparation was taking the time to learn a lot of roots, prefixes, and suffixes. It really helped me to make some solid guesses for words with which I was unfamiliar.

Best of luck with your studying! I am in humanities, so I can't be much help with the subject test.

[titian]

If it is possible to not take both exams on the same day, I'd recommend that.  The first time I did the biochem GRE I took it after doing the general test.  I was so fried out.  The general GRE scores turned out fine, but I ended up retaking the subject test again. 

[buy_low]

If you are studying on your own, the Princeton Review combined with the materials published by the GRE test company are the way to go.

You need to accomplish two things:  mastery of the material and speed.  Your approach to test prep needs to include both timed drills, and learning and memorizing.  Usually the review books include a section on how to structure your study plan to get the best results. 

Test prep classes create the structure for you - this is the benefit that Kaplan classes provide.  I used Kaplan and got good results because I had been out of school for a number of years and had lost my good study habits.  If you find that you need someone else to give you a structure and hold you accountable for accomplishing goals week to week, you should consider a class. Otherwise, save your money.

[madhatter]

If you are studying on your own, the Princeton Review combined with the materials published by the GRE test company are the way to go.

That's what I did. Princeton Review books for preparation and published GRE tests for practice and self-assessment. Of course, I did this almost 25 years ago, so this is less advice than reminiscence.

I'm not familiar with the Biology subject tests. For the Psychology subject test, I reviewed a couple of general psych textbooks and my notes from various survey-level psychology classes.

[happylittletrees]

I agree with Titian to not take them on the same day. My experience with the BCMB exam is that it was more exhausting than the general GRE...and tougher.

I used Princeton Reviews and the published stuff from GRE to prepare for both. I also prepared for the subject test by going through a couple of my texts from undergrad, especially the biochem text.

The test prep courses do provide the structure for you to go over basic information, but they also emphasize test-taking strategy. That can be a plus for when you see something and your mind kind of blanks. Same strategies also help with speed, which is important as Buy_low said.

[gpduw]

Sorry for not quite keeping up with this post as it was somehow "revived" quite a while after it first started :-P.  But, out of curiosity how much time did you take to prepare for the biochem subject test?  I'm about to register, and have the option of having ~6 weeks or ~11 weeks.  I'm working full-time at the moment, but am wondering if dragging the studying period out over 11 weeks while working full-time and working on the application process would work against me in the fact that I'd be trying to focus on too much at once.  Any thoughts from those who have been there?