My GRE Prep Experience at Zishen (字神)

School and program: Ph.D. program, Graduate Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, National Taiwan Normal University

Scores: First attempt: Ｖ145 Q151 AW2.0, total 296 Second attempt: Ｖ157 Q160 AW3.5, total 317

Test dates: First attempt: August 10, 2024 Second attempt: November 8, 2024

[How I prepared for each section]

[Vocabulary]

Li Shuo's audio-annotated book of must-know vocabulary (「李碩精選必背字彙有聲解析」) helped me enormously! For me, it's hands down the best tool for learning advanced vocabulary. Paired with the audiobook Li recorded himself on how to memorize words, it takes you step by step through more than a thousand advanced words. Along the way, you gradually realize how valuable breaking words down and knowing roots and affixes are for learning advanced vocabulary. What you gain goes well beyond the GRE; it improves your English overall. On top of this book, taking Li Shuo's classes and asking him about vocabulary in class helped me even further.

[Text Completion]

Once I had a vocabulary foundation, I learned the logic of answering completion questions from Li. When it comes to GRE answering logic, taking a class makes a big difference! As for course materials, Li prepared plenty of real GRE questions for students to practice, and through the explanations in class, students gradually develop the right problem-solving mindset for the test.

[Reading]

I'm a graduate student, so I read English academic literature regularly. And since my time was quite limited, I didn't do much dedicated preparation for reading.

[Quantitative]

Taking the class and interacting with the teacher in class deepened my understanding of the concepts! But because of time constraints, I didn't manage to finish reviewing the “Introduction to Mathematics” (「數學概論」) course before the test. It's a great resource. If you can finish all of it before the test, it should help your score a lot!

[Logic]

I took the class and discussed concepts with the teacher in class!

[Writing]

Teacher Ai (艾老師) has a condensed course packed with information. It showed me roughly how I could adapt the framework I had built earlier for IELTS Writing.

[Study plan]

This time, my GRE prep clearly centered on Li Shuo's vocabulary course and expanded outward from there. I spent a lot of time thoroughly absorbing Li Shuo's must-know vocabulary book, and on weekends I tried to keep up with the pace set by Li Shuo and the Quant and Logic teachers. Before the course, I had already taken the GRE once on my own, so I knew roughly what test day was like, and I approached the course with that experience in mind! Also, when I had questions about the GRE, I'd ask Li privately, and he always answered patiently. This has also genuinely helped my English grow overall!

[Test center report]

I took the test at WHYGO Language Center (外國語文中心) in Taipei. Each session had about 10 people; it's a small test room. Not fancy, but comfortable. The staff were friendly too!

[Words of encouragement for other test takers]

The GRE isn't an easy test, but if you put in the effort, you will improve! And what you gain from preparing for the GRE doesn't stop at the GRE; it carries over into other areas of learning. My IELTS, for example, was stuck at 6.5 for years, and after the GRE course training, it went up to 7.0! So none of your effort will go to waste!

[Score report]