My first Verbal score was 146.
146 is roughly the 30th percentile. I wasn't slacking. I was studying five hours a day, working through every resource I could find, and I still walked into the test center in a panic. My total that day was 316 (146 Verbal, 170 Quant). Quant carried me. Verbal was the floor and the score I got back made it official: more hours wasn't the fix.
The second time I sat the exam I scored 165 Verbal, 335 total. Same brain, same English-as-a-second-language, same full-time job. The only thing that changed was the system I prepared with.
I'm not writing this because I'm naturally good at this test. I'm writing this because I was where you probably are right now: grinding, stuck, and not sure if any of it is actually working. The gap between us isn't talent. It's method. The next pages are the exact one I used.
Weeks 1 & 2 (Days 1-14)
Weekdays (Mon-Fri)
Morning (1-1.5 hrs)
- Go through 200 vocabulary words (use Magoosh flashcards or similar)
- Goal is not to memorize all 200. Goal is speed. You're building repetition rounds.
Evening (1.5-2 hrs)
- 1 full verbal set: 7 text completion/sentence equivalence + 1 short reading passage (2 Qs) + 1 medium length reading passage (3 Qs)
- 1 more verbal set: 7 text completion/sentence equivalence + 1 logic single question (1Q) + 2 short reading passages (2×2 Qs) + 1 medium length reading passage (3 Qs)
- Note: for logic single question, think of it as a short reading passage with one blank that you fill in to complete the argument.
- 10-20 quantitative problems
Weekends (Sat-Sun)
Double workload day (3-4 hrs)
- 400 vocabulary words (two full rounds)
- 4 verbal sets instead of 2
- 20-30 quantitative problems
- Review any words you keep getting wrong. Start a "problem words" list.
Time management tip
Start timing yourself from day one. ~1 minute per text completion/sentence equivalence question, ~2 minutes per reading question. You don't need to hit these targets yet. Just start noticing how long things take.
Heads up
Phase 1 is the easy part. The real work, the part that actually moves your score, starts in Phase 2. Most people who plateau never leave Phase 1. They keep adding sets, thinking volume = progress. Don't be one of them.
Weeks 3-6 (Days 15-42)
Weekdays
Morning (1-1.5 hrs)
- 200 vocabulary words (you should be faster now, getting through in 30-40 min)
- Review "problem words" list from Phase 1
Evening (1.5-2 hrs)
- 2 verbal sets (same structure as Phase 1)
- 10-20 quant problems (switch to HARD only if accuracy is already high)
- 30 min mistake review session
The mistake review session (do this every day)
How to review your mistakes
- Go through every wrong answer from today and the past week
- For each one, identify: was it a vocabulary gap or a logic gap?
- For logic gaps: write down your thought process. Where exactly did you go wrong?
- Compare your reasoning to the correct approach
- Start categorizing mistakes into patterns (e.g. "I keep misreading the scope of the question")
- Track patterns in a notebook or spreadsheet. Review weekly.
Weekends
Deep review day (3-4 hrs)
- Double the practice sets
- Full review of ALL mistakes from the past week
- Update your error pattern list
- Redo questions you got wrong earlier in the week. Can you get them right now?
The trap I fell into
I spent a few weeks just doing more and more questions thinking volume would fix everything. It didn't. My accuracy plateaued. The moment I started reviewing my mistakes properly, everything changed. Don't skip this phase. It's the whole game.
Why most people quit at this phase
Phase 2 isn't hard technically. It's hard emotionally. Reviewing your own mistakes alone is exhausting. You're never sure you're diagnosing them right, there's no one to sanity-check your logic, and you can spend an hour on one question without knowing if it was worth it. With someone who's already done it, this phase takes 2 weeks instead of 4, and you come out with a clear map of your error patterns instead of a pile of guesses.
Quant tip
Do simple math in your head instead of reaching for the on-screen calculator. Something like 500 x 3? Just do it mentally. Clicking through the calculator interface is slower than you'd think and eats into your limited time. Build that mental math habit early.
What I figured out too late
I thought I could do this on my own. I did, the second time. But if I'd had someone who'd already done it sitting next to me on day one, I wouldn't have lost four months on the first attempt.
The most expensive part of GRE prep isn't the course or the tutor. It's the next two or three months of your life you spend on a method that doesn't work, plus the application cycle you push back because of it.
I had what I called a strategy. Looking back, I was just doing questions and hoping. Hoping that the next set would be the one that finally moved the score. Hoping the words I was memorising were the right ones. Hoping I was reviewing my mistakes in a way that would actually stick.
If any of this sounds familiar, please don't repeat my first four months.
Want me to do this with you instead of for you?
I work with a small number of students 1-on-1. Same plan you just read, applied to your specific weak patterns. Weekly sessions on Zoom, a direct line to me between calls when you get stuck, and a real diagnosis of where your score is actually leaking points. The first session is free.
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Weeks 7-8 (Days 43-60)
Week 7: Analytical Writing + One Mock Exam
Analytical Writing (new focus)
- Go to the ETS website and look at the pool of 100+ issue topics
- Build a flexible essay template (see below)
- Prepare ~10 versatile examples that can adapt to almost any topic
- Write 3-5 full practice essays this week (timed, 30 minutes each)
Mock Exam
- Take one full-length mock exam this week under real conditions to know your benchmark. For example, the official ETS PowerPrep software has both timed and untimed options.
- Important Tip: Ensure you take the test in timed mode to get the score report. If you take the untimed version, the system will not calculate your scores.
- Simulate everything: timing, sections, screen font, no distractions
- Use a computer for practice and mock exams when you can. The real test is computer-based, so it's best to simulate that experience.
My essay template structure (works for almost any issue topic):
- Intro: Acknowledge the statement. State your position (I partially agree).
- Paragraph 1: Why I agree with side A + example
- Paragraph 2: The limitation of side A + example
- Paragraph 3: Given that limitation, why side B is stronger + main example
- Conclusion: Restate nuanced position
About this template
This template works for almost any topic. But the template is only 30% of the result. The other 70% is knowing how to adapt it to a specific prompt in 30 seconds of reading. That's a one-call thing. Once you've seen it done on real prompts a couple of times, you can write a 5.0 essay without overthinking.
Week 8: Final Push
The last 7 days
- NO new material. Only review.
- Go through questions you got wrong in Phase 2. Can you get them all right now?
- One more full mock exam (if you have the energy)
- Light vocab review to keep it fresh
- Write 2 more practice essays using your template
- Day before the exam: light review only. Rest. Trust the process.
My biggest regret
I didn't take a mock exam until last week. When I finally sat down for one, the screen size and text font looked different from what I'd been practicing on (I was always using my iPad). It threw me off. Start mock exams in Week 7 at the latest. Ideally whenever you feel comfortable getting your benchmark score.
5 mistakes that cost me 4 months of my life
- ⚠️ Thinking more questions = higher score. It doesn't. Reflection on errors is what actually moves the needle.
- ⚠️ Waiting until the last week to take a mock exam. Do it in Week 7 or whenever you feel ready to get your benchmark score, whichever comes first.
- ⚠️ Practicing on a tablet or phone when the real test is on a computer. The screen size and layout difference matters more than you think.
- ⚠️ Taking mistakes too seriously. They're data, not failures. Track them, learn from them, move on.
- ⚠️ Completely ignoring Analytical Writing until the last minute. Two weeks is enough, but don't leave it for 3 days.
Most of these are invisible from the inside. You only realise you've been preparing wrong on test day, or after it. That's the part nobody warns you about. It's also why a second pair of eyes doesn't save you weeks. It saves you months.
Sentence Equivalence Cheat Sheet
These 150 pairs are what I memorised instead of the standard 3,000-word lists everyone hands you. ETS doesn't test vocabulary one word at a time. It tests it in pairs. That's how Sentence Equivalence is built. Once you know the pairs cold, a lot of these questions become 10-second answers; you don't even need to fully read the sentence. This isn't a hack. It's how the section is actually engineered.
Praise / Approval / Support
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| hail | acclaim | to praise enthusiastically |
| approbation | adulation, commendation | approval, praise |
| extol | applaud, lionize | to praise highly |
| valorize | exalt | to give value or praise to |
| venerate | honor, respect | to regard with deep respect |
| espouse | champion, advocate, defend | to support or adopt a cause |
| buttress | bolster, prop up | to support, reinforce |
| sanction | endorse, countenance | to officially approve |
Criticism / Disapproval / Attack
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| chastise | castigate | to criticize severely |
| lambaste | denounce | to criticize harshly |
| decry | condemn, reprehend | to publicly criticize |
| disapprobation | censure | strong disapproval |
| derision | mockery, ridicule | contemptuous laughter |
| opprobrium | disdain | harsh criticism, disgrace |
| slight | disparage, discount | to belittle |
| calumny | defamation, aspersion | false accusation, slander |
Reduce / Weaken / Lessen
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| mitigate | abate, curtail, temper, ameliorate | to make less severe |
| attenuate | dissipate, mute | to weaken, reduce in force |
| palliate | damp | to relieve without curing |
| dwindle | contract | to gradually decrease |
| undermine | impair, subvert, undercut | to weaken from beneath |
| impede | hamper, hinder | to obstruct, slow down |
| stymie | hinder, inhibit | to block, prevent progress |
| deter | constrain | to prevent, discourage |
Increase / Strengthen / Grow
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| proliferate | abound | to increase rapidly |
| burgeon | expand, flourish | to grow quickly |
| augment | extend, expand, enhance | to make greater |
| exacerbate | aggravate | to make worse |
| galvanize | animate, rouse, inspire | to shock into action |
| hone | enhance | to sharpen, improve |
Unclear / Confusing / Hard to Understand
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| equivocal | ambiguous | open to multiple interpretations |
| obscure | opaque, obfuscate | unclear, hard to understand |
| arcane | esoteric, recondite, abstruse | understood by few, mysterious |
| cryptic | elusive, enigmatic | mysterious, hard to interpret |
| inscrutable | unfathomable, impenetrable | impossible to understand |
| perplex | confound, baffle, flummox | to bewilder completely |
| vague | nebulous | unclear, not well defined |
Clear / Obvious / Easy to See
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| patent | evident, manifest | clearly obvious |
| conspicuous | obtrusive, prominent, salient | standing out, easy to notice |
| pellucid | limpid | transparently clear |
| self-evident | manifest | obvious without explanation |
| unmistakable | decisive | impossible to misunderstand |
Old / Outdated / Stale
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| archaic | antediluvian, outdated | extremely old or old-fashioned |
| fusty | obsolete, outmoded | old-fashioned, stuffy |
| stale | banal | lacking freshness or originality |
| formulaic | canned | predictable, following a formula |
New / Original / Unprecedented
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| novel | original, unprecedented | new and not resembling anything before |
| nascent | budding, unformed | just beginning to develop |
| innovative | experimental | introducing new ideas |
| unprecedented | abnormal, unexampled | never done or known before |
Bold / Aggressive / Forceful
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| truculent | pugnacious, bellicose, combative | eager to fight, aggressive |
| belligerent | pugnacious | hostile, ready to fight |
| audacious | striking | daring, bold |
| zealous | impassioned, fervent, fiery | intensely enthusiastic |
| zealot | extremist, ideologue | a fanatical believer |
Careful / Cautious / Restrained
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| prudent | circumspect, provident | careful, showing good judgment |
| vigilant | careful | keeping careful watch |
| abstemious | austere, moderate | restrained, not indulgent |
| spartan | austere | rigorously simple, bare |
| frugal | thrifty | economical, avoiding waste |
Fake / Deceptive / Dishonest
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| specious | artificial, spurious, fabricated | seemingly true but actually false |
| duplicity | dissemblance | deceitfulness, double-dealing |
| mendacity | hypocrisy | dishonesty, untruthfulness |
| guile | deviousness | sly cunning, craftiness |
| sycophantic | obsequious | flattering in a servile way |
Stubborn / Rigid / Unyielding
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| obdurate | intransigent | stubbornly refusing to change |
| dogmatic | doctrinaire, rigid | asserting opinions as absolute truth |
| unyielding | implacable | not giving way to pressure |
| pedantic | hidebound | excessively concerned with minor rules |
Changeable / Unpredictable / Unstable
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| volatile | fickle, erratic, capricious | liable to change rapidly |
| whimsical | capricious | unpredictably changeable |
| mercurial | volatile, inconstant | subject to sudden changes of mood |
| wayward | errant, unpredictable | difficult to control or predict |
| vacillation | irresolution | indecision, wavering |
Brief / Short / Temporary
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| ephemeral | transitory, short-lived | lasting a very short time |
| evanescent | momentary, fleeting | quickly fading from sight or memory |
| terse | laconic, curt, taciturn, succinct | using few words |
| economy | brevity | sparing use of something |
Wordy / Excessive / Over the Top
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| verbose | prolix, long-winded | using too many words |
| loquacious | garrulous | tending to talk too much |
| hyperbole | exaggeration, overstate | extreme exaggeration |
| profligate | extravagant, prodigal | recklessly wasteful |
| intemperate | excessive | lacking moderation |
Hostile / Harmful / Dangerous
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| antagonistic | adversarial, inimical | showing active opposition |
| deleterious | detrimental, pernicious | causing harm or damage |
| perilous | precarious | full of danger or risk |
| vitriolic | acerbic, caustic, mordant | bitterly harsh or critical |
Kind / Generous / Positive
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| benevolent | altruistic, magnanimous | well-meaning, generous |
| affable | easygoing, cordial, genteel | friendly, good-natured |
| genial | friendly | warm and cheerful |
| innocuous | harmless, benign | not harmful or offensive |
| conciliatory | placatory | intended to make peace |
Boring / Dull / Unremarkable
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| tedious | dreary, boring | too long, slow, or dull |
| humdrum | dull | lacking excitement or variety |
| insipid | bland | lacking flavor or interest |
| unremarkable | commonplace | not worthy of attention |
| nondescript | unexceptional | lacking distinctive qualities |
High-Frequency Pairs (show up all the time)
| Word | Equivalent(s) | Meaning |
|---|
| anomaly | aberration, irregularity | something that deviates from normal |
| exonerate | absolve, vindicate | to clear of blame |
| analogous | comparable | similar in certain respects |
| indispensable | essential, crucial | absolutely necessary |
| ubiquitous | omnipresent, universal | present everywhere |
| perennial | long-standing, constant | lasting for an indefinite time |
| pragmatic | realistic | dealing with things practically |
| impartial | evenhanded, disinterested | treating all fairly, unbiased |
| heterogeneous | disparate, dissimilar | diverse, made up of different things |
| circumvent | bypass, sidestep | to find a way around |
| relinquish | cede, abandon | to give up, let go of |
| quixotic | idealistic | unrealistically optimistic |
| voracious | prodigious, insatiable | having a huge appetite (literal or figurative) |
| perfunctory | cursory, casual | done without care or interest |
| supplant | supersede | to replace, take the position of |
How I used this list
Start slow, maybe 10 pairs a day to get the ball rolling, then gradually increase the number of pairs you go through each day. The goal isn't to memorize every word in one round. The key is to increase the number of rounds you complete within 60 days. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Eventually, I was skimming through 200 words a day, which I found was the maximum I could handle while still keeping my memory fresh after each quick skim.
Want me in your corner for the next 60 days?
This plan is what I did alone. It worked. But I wouldn't wish that path on anyone.
I spent weeks doing the wrong kind of practice before I figured out what actually moved my score. I wasted months thinking volume was the answer. I sat through evenings of "did I understand this mistake correctly, or am I about to repeat it tomorrow?" with no one to tell me. I walked into my first GRE anxious, prepared in the wrong way, and scored 146 on Verbal. A 316 total, with Verbal as the floor.
The second time, I had a system. And I would have given anything to have someone hand me that system on day one instead of month four.
That's what I do now.
When you work with me 1-on-1, you get the same plan you just read, but applied to you. Your weak patterns. Your timing issues. Your specific vocab gaps. Your essay style. We meet weekly, you message me between sessions whenever you're stuck, and you stop guessing whether you're going in the right direction.
Here's what changes when you have a tutor who's actually scored 335:
- You don't waste 4 weeks figuring out what your real weakness is. I see it in your first 5 mistakes.
- You don't wonder "did I review this correctly?". We review it together.
- You don't walk into the exam hoping. You walk in knowing exactly what you'll do for every question type.
- You don't lose months. Most of my students hit their target in 6–8 weeks.
If you want to see what working together actually looks like, the first session is free.
Not a sales call. Not a webinar. A real 30-minute working session where I look at your recent mistakes, name the pattern you're stuck on, and give you two specific changes for the next two weeks. At the end, I'll tell you honestly whether ongoing tutoring makes sense for your situation, or whether you're better off finishing alone.
Either way, you walk away with something useful.
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