“Reading” may not be one of your hobbies, but it is an important skill to grow. Therefore, even if you get scared or bored by looking at the long black text, somehow you have to develop a knack for effective reading. The more you read and practice, the easier it will be for you to comprehend what you are reading. Here are the seven straightforward techniques to improve your GRE reading comprehension abilities:
1. Increase vocabulary power
When you understand the meaning of the words you read, it can be easier for you to grasp the author’s perspective. You can improve your vocabulary by developing a habit of active reading. You can mark the difficult words and phrases that you come across while reading and search for their meaning in the dictionary. Once you understand the meaning of words, use it in your own language and try to use it in different contexts. This will aid in your long-term retention of those words.
2. Ask questions regarding the text you are reading
As you become more immersed in the text, asking questions about what you are reading can help you become a better reader. In order to gain a deeper understanding of what you are reading, consider themes, motifs, and other aspects of the text that you may have overlooked.
You can ask yourself the following questions as you read:
- Why did the author choose to start the book that way?
- What sort of bond do these two characters have?
- What do we now know about the protagonist of the story?
- Are there any recurring themes throughout the book? If so, what do they mean?
Click here for tips to master Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence and here to learn about mastering the GRE Quantitative Reasoning section.
3. Visualize the content
Creating mental images related to the content can aid in reading comprehension for GRE. Imagine that you’re watching a movie in your mind while you read. Picture the characters, places, and events described in the text. When you visualize what you’re reading, it’s like bringing the words to life! This technique helps you understand and remember the ideas better because you can see them in your imagination. So, next time you’re reading, try to make pictures in your mind to help you understand the content more easily!
4. Make use of situational cues
Even if you are unfamiliar with all the words being used, using context clues can really help you grasp what you are reading. The words and sentences that precede and follow the unfamiliar word can provide context cues. By concentrating on the major words or concepts in a sentence, you can use context clues to infer the sentence or paragraph’s core theme. Additionally, you can search for neighboring terms that are either synonyms or antonyms of the unknown word.
5. Identify the core idea
You can evaluate the relevance of an article by finding the main idea in a paragraph. Understanding the significance of what you’re reading may help you better understand the author’s perspective. After reading every paragraph, stop reading and try to figure out what the major point is. Then, for even better understanding, try to rephrase the primary idea in your own words.
6. Summarize the information you read
Writing a summary is a foolproof method to learn more about what you have read. In order to summarize, you must first determine what is crucial in the text and then express it in your own terms. Summarizing enables you to assess your comprehension of the text and improves your long-term retention of what you have read.
7. Diversify your reading materials
Try reading different kinds of books, articles, and stories. Each type of writing has its own style and way of presenting information. By exposing yourself to different genres and topics, you’ll become familiar with various writing styles, vocabulary, and ideas. This exposure broadens your understanding of language and context, making it easier for you to understand different types of texts. So, try to mix up what you read to improve your reading skills and learn new things along the way!
As India’s leading Study Abroad Consultant, Dilip Oak’s Academy offers a comprehensive suite of admission counseling services that can guide you through the entire process from Shortlisting Universities to Visa Counseling. With our expertise, we have successfully sent 32,000 students to various prestigious American universities like MIT, Stanford, Cornell, and Carnegie Mellon. We also offer classroom and online coaching for GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS, as well as GRE Self Prep. To explore our services, book a free consultation or call us at 91-20-67444222.
Each of the major tests that students generally take to get higher education in the United States – i.e. the GRE, IETLS, TOEFL tests – allows you to send you scores to a certain number of universities or colleges free of charge.
- GRE – 4 free score reports
- names of universities to be specified on the day of the test, immediately after your exam
- current fee per score report thereafter $ 27
- TOEFL – 4 free score reports
- names of universities to be specified one day before the test
- current fee per score report thereafter $ 20
- IELTS – 5 free score reports (to universities accepting an IELTS score) + 1 given to the candidate
- names of universities to be specified one day before the test
- current fee per score report: Online Rs 250, and physical copy Rs 1500
Types of Master’s degrees:
Postgraduate Taught Degree (M.Sc.): This one-year degree program requires students to attend regular classes, write exams and complete a project at the end of the course.
Postgraduate Research: Students work on a research project and at the end of the program submit a Dissertation.
Minimum required qualification
Most universities in the UK accept a three-year Bachelor’s degree (12+3) but there are a few universities that require a four-year Bachelor’s degree (12+4) for admission to a Master’s program. Therefore, students who have completed their Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.), Bachelor’s in Computer Science (BCS), Bachelor’s in Computer Application (BCA) and other similar three-year degrees are also eligible to apply for a Master’s degree.
Educational Grade
The most important requirement for admission to a Master’s program in the UK is the academic grade obtained in the Bachelor’s degree. A minimum grade of 2:1 at the bachelor’s level or in some cases a grade of 2:2 is also accepted with relevant work experience. You can convert your marks into the grading system followed by universities in the UK by referring to the table below:
| First-Class Honours (1) | marks of 70% or above |
| Upper Second-Class (2:1) | marks between 60-69% |
| Lower Second-Class (2:2) | marks between 50-59% |
| Third-Class Honours (3) | marks between 40-49% |
English Language Proficiency Test
Universities require evidence that you are proficient in the English language. This can be proved by taking the IELTS or the TOEFL (accepted by a few universities). The minimum score required on the IELTS is 6.5 out of 9, with a minimum score of 6.0 in each section and the minimum score on the TOEFL is 80 out of 120.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
The GRE score is required by only a few top universities and programs. Therefore, if you wish to apply to some of the top ranked universities, then it is recommended that you take the GRE.
Relevant work experience (recommended)
Work experience is not mandatory for all programs but is considered especially if the student has a weak academic background (low GPA). In case of programs that accept students from different academic disciplines, relevant work experience is a mandatory requirement. Minimum duration should be at least one year.
For more details and inquiries about pursuing higher education in the UK, reach us at 020-67444222 between 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm (Monday to Friday) and enroll for admission counselling for UK right away!
Wondering how to manage time efficiently on the Quant section of your GRE? Don’t worry! Here are our important techniques that will help you to master time management in the Quant section. So, let’s get started!!
As you are aware, each section on GRE Quant has 20 questions, and the time allotted is 35 minutes. So, unless an effective time management plan is in place, getting a good score is slightly difficult. The following proven techniques will certainly help you in the same regard:
Don’t solve the questions sequentially
Remember, it is not necessary to solve the questions in the same sequence as they appear in the section. If you want to save time, it is always better to solve the easy questions – the ones which you are confident about; in the beginning and attempt the difficult questions afterwards. This will allow you to save a few seconds on every question solved, which could be utilized for attempting difficult questions.
Attempt lengthy questions at the end
Questions based on some topics, such as Data Interpretation (DI), are usually lengthy. Instead of solving such questions when they appear, it is a good technique to try them at the end. This will allow you to utilize the extra time saved on the previous questions.
Use a calculator only when it is absolutely necessary
Sounds strange, right? Some of you might be wondering if the calculator is provided on GRE; why not use it every time? But here is the catch- using the on-screen calculator every time will eat up a lot of your time and would affect time management severely. Thus, as long as possible, do the calculations manually and use the calculator only when it is utmost necessary.
Seek the balance between speed and accuracy
This perhaps is the most important point of all! Solving the questions quickly is very different from solving them hurriedly! If you rush to answer the questions without paying attention to the accuracy, it is of no use. Thus, maintain the balance between speed and accuracy so as to get a good score on the section.
Wish you all the very best for your preparation!!
The UK is recognized as the second best international study destination after the USA. It offers students world class career prospects, state-of-the-art facilities and a multicultural environment. Some of the most reputed universities in the world are located in the UK. In fact, four of the world’s top ten universities are located in the UK.
Some of the advantages of Studying in the UK are:
1. A wide variety of courses to choose from
Universities in UK offer a wide choice of subject to choose from, therefore if you are looking at studying a specialized subject then you can apply to universities that offer a Masters in that specific field (e.g. Artificial Intelligence or Machine learning) or if you are undecided about your specialization you may choose to study a general subject (e.g. Computer science)
2. Shorter duration courses
The duration for a Masters Taught program is one year. Some universities also offer a two-year program which includes one placement year.
3. Benefits of world leading resources and facilities
Most campuses provide students with an excellent learning environment which is complemented by well-equipped labs with latest technology and modern facilities.
4. Top quality Faculty with industry exposure
Most professors who teach at the university hold a Ph.D. There has been a constant transfer of knowledge between universities and the Industries through research projects. This enables students and companies to collaborate with each other.
5. Scholarships and Jobs while studying
Some universities offer scholarships to international students. The amount offered may not cover the entire tuition cost but it will surely reduce the fees to some extent.
Students can also apply for the GREAT Scholarship offered by The British Council
6. Excellent job opportunities
Computer Science or IT jobs have been classified among the “Shortage Occupations” List by the UK Government.
For more details and inquiries about pursuing higher education in the UK, reach us at 020-67444222 between 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm (Monday to Friday) and enroll for admission counselling for UK right away!