The Graduate Record Examination® (GRE®) can be a fairly daunting test to have to take, especially for someone who may not naturally be great at testing. Fortunately, however, there are many different GRE® software programs that can help someone study and prepare for the tests and be ready for test day. The best types of GRE® software are typically those that strive to replicate the way in which the test is administered, with a similar layout to how the questions will appear on the screen, and especially those with practice questions from previous tests.
Most postgraduate educational programs, such as those offered at various graduate schools, require that a potential candidate has achieved certain standards on the GRE® tests. The type of tests that have to be taken and the score required depends on the school, but most people looking to pursue postgraduate education will want to take tests such as the GRE®. In order to be best prepared for these types of tests, many people turn to books or computer programs as study guides to have a sense of what to expect.
Specifically for the GRE® tests, the use of GRE® software is often one of the best ways to take practice tests, since the tests are typically administered through a computer. This means you should try to find software that replicates the actual tests themselves as closely as possible. By finding practice tests that closely resemble the real tests, you will be more likely to feel comfortable and more at ease as you take the real GRE® tests. The best GRE® software will usually allow you to take multiple versions of the same basic practice test, since the more times you can take it the more prepared you are likely to be.
You should also look for GRE® software that is created using real test questions that were used in previous years. This is especially helpful for sections such as essay questions, since the practice questions can not only give you a sense of what type of question to expect, but also the language and style you should expect from the questions. For the multiple choice sections of the practice test, the GRE® software should provide you with immediate scoring and specify which answers you answered incorrectly and what the correct answer was.
While GRE® software cannot necessarily review your answers to an essay question, it should provide you with sample answers that received high scores as well as those that received poor scores. This can give you a sense of what has worked well in the past and illustrate some potential mistakes you can avoid. In general, you should look for software that provides a high number of sample questions and practice tests, as more opportunities to practice can often make a significant difference in your results.