Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

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fayez0
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Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by fayez0 » Thu May 19, 2011 5:22 pm

I need help from anyone who managed to score 900 or more in the PGRE on how to prepare, I just got my results and I got 840, and I need to pull it up more
Help me pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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complex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by complex » Thu May 19, 2011 8:02 pm

How did you get the results? By phone?

I still cannot see them online.

I hope to get 990 or something like that (we are just about to see), so I guess I can give you some advices.

fayez0
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by fayez0 » Thu May 19, 2011 8:36 pm

I got them both by phone and by mail, by they are still not online

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complex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by complex » Thu May 19, 2011 8:48 pm

You got mail already? Where do you live, US?

Hm, I wonder when they'll be available online. How was it going previous years?

fayez0
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by fayez0 » Fri May 20, 2011 12:02 am

I live in the US, usually the online scores are earlier, I don;t why this time it was the way around

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complex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by complex » Fri May 20, 2011 1:00 am

Online results just arrived few minutes ago.

So, I got only 980: :mrgreen:
(link to imageshack deleted)

I dont want to be sissy but, 10 incorrect? A bit negatively surprised. :mrgreen:
Last edited by complex on Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.

fayez0
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by fayez0 » Fri May 20, 2011 1:23 am

how did you prepare?

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complex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by complex » Fri May 20, 2011 2:00 am

Ok, just typeing a long respond. ;)

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complex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by complex » Fri May 20, 2011 2:15 am

So, maybe I would not be a good (typical) example, since I took part in some physics competitions in a high school (IPhO etc.), and "got trained" in those little tricks (which you can find in a GRE test too) long time ago.
Personally, for PGRE I just needed to refresh agility a little bit, and memorize the important formulae. It took me a week to do so.


I would recommend you one very good Russian book, which I used in a high school as the main material for preparing for (inter)national competitions.
It's name is I.E Irodov's "Problems in General Physics" or shortly "Irodov" (Иродов).
I got the Russian version :mrgreen: , but english one also exists ofc.
The problems are much more difficult then those in the GRE test, but the benefit is great and guaranteed.
My opinion: In order to make sure to get 950+ points, you need not to practice problems of difficulty like those in pgre, but much more difficult problems instead. I think it's the biggest mistake people do: preparing by solving problems of pgre-level-difficulty, so they end up with failing to finish the test in those 2h 50min. I personaly saw only one pgre test, that one which they send us as an example, it was useful for getting familiar with the content, not as a practice for the test. The real practice should be on a higher level, which will provide you with cunning and tricks, and that's what gives you speed for pgre problems which are easier (yet tricy), time is essential for this test.

My advice: Take few months, solve 300 various problems from Irodov (cca 70 in mechanics, 50 in electrostatics/magnetism, 40 in thermodynamics...), that book will boost your understanding of general physics, and teach you concepts, usefull time-saving shortcuts and tricks. If you do so, I bet you'll earn at least 940 pts, if you got 840 now. The Irodov problems are quite challenging (still not too difficult, I used the book in a high school!), but it's worthy. Irodov can cover about 80% of the gre content, for the rest 20% (particles, atomic, experimental/statistics, microelectronics...), some additional literature is needed. To put things in a nutshell, there's no magic stick, just work hard with a good book.

Soviets had had very good school science programs and math/phys books, it is shame not to take advance of it. ;)

Some feedbacks from US guys on book I recommended:
http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/in ... 31410.html
http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/in ... 98599.html

Image

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complex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by complex » Fri May 20, 2011 1:12 pm

fayez0 , I sent you pm.

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quizivex
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by quizivex » Fri May 20, 2011 4:06 pm

Interesting, it looks like the cutoff for 990 on complex's test was an 87 formula score. That's two points higher than the "easiest" of the practice tests. The prevailing opinion on this forum is that the real tests are always "easier" than the practice tests. But it's probably just as hard to get a high score because of the scaling.

CarlBrannen
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by CarlBrannen » Fri May 20, 2011 9:58 pm

I got a 990 and I think complex's advice is excellent.

In my case I was out of physics school for 25 years, but this difficulty was helped by my having a job for the last year teaching introductory physics at ITT Technical Institute. These sort of jobs are low paying but very easy to get and if you're not otherwise employed, they are a great way of learning the basics.

Besides that, I spent the last two weeks before the exam cramming about 3 dozen basic physics equations into my head. There are techniques for memorizing large amounts of drivel that work well with this but I didn't find them necessary as the number of equations isn't so many.

In addition, I have a tendency to be able to solve simple problems quickly and (relatively) accurately. People who are better on things that involve a great deal of thought will do worse on this test.

And finally, I think it's a good idea to treat the test as a competition that is worth working hard at. When I took the test (at U. Washington's Seattle campus) there was a student sitting near me who left the room a half hour early. He probably got through the questions and didn't see any advantage to sitting around for a half hour going over his answers. I spent that time going over my problems. I don't know how he did on the test but I do know he did not get a better score than me (LOL). Treat this as a serious competition and prepare and expect yourself to do well in it.

When I took the test I marked the questions, in the question book, with an asterisk if I didn't answer the first time through, a check mark if I am certain of my answer, and a question mark if I am uncertain. That way I can go through the questions the second time more efficiently.

jessicawilkins88
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Re: Please, help from people who scored higher than 900 in PGRE

Post by jessicawilkins88 » Sun Aug 28, 2011 2:17 pm

The best way to prepare is to work with a study group of physics colleagues. I have been graduated from UCSD and going to take PGRE in October with some of my colleagues. If you want you can email me at jessicawilkins88@yahoo.com and we can share our experience on previous PGRE real questions. we would also like to have your experience.



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