3-Month GRE Study Plan

Week 1 — Diagnostic & setup~8h

• Take a full-length diagnostic under realistic timing, essay included, in one sitting (use a free third-party test, or spend one of your two free POWERPREP tests).
• Break results down by section and question type; quantify your gap to target and rank your weakest areas.
• Set up your systems: a vocabulary app (Anki/Magoosh), an error-log spreadsheet, and a running formula sheet.
• Look up your target programs' score ranges, set a goal Verbal/Quant split and test date, and start daily vocabulary on day one.

Week 2 — Daily Vocabulary System • Arithmetic & Number Properties~8h

• Adopt one high-frequency word list (e.g., Magoosh 1000 or GregMat) and learn 15–25 new words a day.
• Use spaced repetition (Anki or a flashcard app) and review all prior words daily.
• Study common roots, prefixes, and suffixes to decode unfamiliar words.
• Keep a word journal with your own context sentences, and self-quiz cumulatively each week.
• Review integer properties: factors, multiples, primes, divisibility, odd/even, and sign behavior.
• Master fraction/decimal/percent conversions, ratios, and proportions.
• Drill exponent and root rules and order of operations.
• Solve 40–50 mixed problems and log every miss by cause.

Week 3 — Algebra & Word Problems • Text Completion~8h

• Solve linear equations, quadratics, inequalities, and absolute value.
• Handle functions, sequences, and coordinate-geometry basics (lines, slope, intercepts).
• Translate word problems: rates, work, mixtures, interest, age, and distance.
• Practice plugging in numbers and backsolving from answer choices; drill 40 problems.
• Predict your own word for the blank before reading the choices.
• Spot signal/pivot words (however, therefore, despite) that set the direction.
• For two- and three-blank questions, solve the most-constrained blank first.
• Drill 30–40 questions and log which distractor traps caught you.

Week 4 — Full POWERPREP test + review~5h

• Take an official section-adaptive POWERPREP test under real conditions — essay included, no notes, one sitting.
• Review every question, including lucky guesses — not just the ones you got wrong.
• Refine pacing (~1.5 min per Verbal question, ~1.75 min per Quant question) and section stamina.
• Don't burn official tests early — save at least one free POWERPREP for about a week out.

Week 5 — Geometry • Sentence Equivalence~8h

• Master lines/angles, triangles (Pythagorean, special right triangles, area, similarity).
• Cover circles, quadrilaterals/polygons, 3-D solids, and coordinate geometry.
• Build a one-page formula sheet and remember figures are not drawn to scale.
• Drill 35–40 geometry problems.
• Predict the blank, then find the two synonyms that complete it with the same meaning.
• Build synonym clusters from your vocab list to recognize pairs fast.
• Avoid the classic trap: one right + one wrong answer earns zero credit.
• Drill 30 questions, reviewing why both correct answers work.

Week 6 — Data Analysis & Statistics • Reading Comprehension~8h

• Master descriptive stats: mean, median, mode, range, quartiles/IQR, and standard deviation.
• Interpret tables, bar/line/circle graphs, and multi-question Data Interpretation sets.
• Cover counting (combinations, permutations) and basic probability.
• Drill 30–40 problems including one full Data Interpretation set.
• Read actively: map each passage's main point, tone, and the function of each paragraph.
• Handle all question types (main idea, inference, detail, “function of,” author's purpose).
• Work the special formats: select-in-passage, select-all-that-apply, and logic-based questions.
• Answer only from the passage; drill 8–10 passages of varied length and subject.

Week 7 — Full POWERPREP test + review~5h

• Take an official section-adaptive POWERPREP test under real conditions — essay included, no notes, one sitting.
• Review every question, including lucky guesses — not just the ones you got wrong.
• Refine pacing (~1.5 min per Verbal question, ~1.75 min per Quant question) and section stamina.
• Don't burn official tests early — save at least one free POWERPREP for about a week out.

Week 8 — Quantitative Comparison • Calculator Use & Quant Efficiency~8h

• Memorize the four fixed answer choices and exactly what (D) “cannot be determined” means.
• Use the test-cases strategy: try 0, 1, negatives, fractions, and extreme values.
• Reason instead of fully computing when a comparison allows it; watch “must” vs. “could.”
• Drill 30 questions; choose (D) only when the relationship can genuinely change.
• Learn what the on-screen calculator can and can't do — and when it's slower than estimation.
• Practice mental math, rounding, and approximation to eliminate answer choices.
• Master Numeric Entry mechanics (fractions, negatives, rounding).
• Rehearse per-question pacing (~1.75 min) and the guess-and-move decision.

Week 9 — Full POWERPREP test + review~5h

• Take an official section-adaptive POWERPREP test under real conditions — essay included, no notes, one sitting.
• Review every question, including lucky guesses — not just the ones you got wrong.
• Refine pacing (~1.5 min per Verbal question, ~1.75 min per Quant question) and section stamina.
• Don't burn official tests early — save at least one free POWERPREP for about a week out.

Week 10 — Analytical Writing: Analyze an Issue~8h

• Study the official published Issue-topic pool and the ETS 0–6 scoring rubric.
• Internalize a flexible template: intro + thesis → 2–3 developed body paragraphs → counterargument → concise conclusion.
• Practice generating specific, concrete examples quickly.
• Write full 30-minute timed essays and score at least one via ScoreItNow!.

Week 11 — Mixed timed drilling & error-log review~8h

• Do daily mixed, timed sets and keep a categorized error log (concept gap vs. careless vs. timing).
• Re-do every missed problem about a week later without looking at the solution.
• Target your two or three weakest topics with focused sets.
• Keep the daily vocabulary habit going and add a timed practice essay.

Week 12 — Final review & test week~5h

• Take your last full-length about five to six days out, review it fully, then stop taking full tests.
• Taper: light, targeted review of your formula sheet and top error-log concepts — no new material.
• Do final cumulative vocabulary passes and one last timed essay to stay warm.
• Confirm logistics (test center or OnVUE system check, ID) and shift to a good sleep schedule.

Yes, if you want a larger score increase or can only study around 8 hours a week. Three months (about 100+ hours total) gives you time to master Quant, deepen vocabulary, and bank several reviewed practice tests — just keep the pace steady so you don't lose momentum.

Around 8 hours a week, roughly 100+ hours total. That's a sustainable pace for a bigger improvement, with daily vocabulary layered on top.

More than enough for most goals. Three months lets you rebuild both sections thoroughly, grow a deep vocabulary base, and take multiple full-length POWERPREP tests with careful review.

Use the first month for Quant and Verbal fundamentals, the second for targeted timed drills and essays, and the third for full-length tests, weak-area cleanup, and pacing — with vocabulary running daily throughout.