Your GRE prep, laid out week by week.

The GRE General Test is just under two hours: two Verbal Reasoning sections, two Quantitative Reasoning sections and one Analytical Writing task, “Analyze an Issue”.

1. Content review, the first half. Quant topics and verbal question types, a couple a day, with practice questions to finish.
2. Practice, the second half. A full practice test every other week, timed sections in between, and one timed essay a week.
3. Final week. Your last practice test about five days out, light review, and a day off before the test.

Quant and verbal get about the same total time, with less for the essay. Any area you tick as a worry gets 50% more.

Use the free official practice tests from ETS, and check current rules at ets.org/gre.

A plan that survives week two beats a perfect one that doesn’t.

• Study at the same time each day. Your phone goes in another room for that block.
• Keep a log of every miss and why. Re-read it before each study day.
• When you miss a day, don’t double up. Carry on from where the plan says you are.