1. Most of these tests take about two months of preparatory work. The MCAT generally takes longer (2-6 months).
2. Take some practice tests which are available via the Internet or in commercial publications. As the date of the test draws near, practice your test at the exact same time of day that you will be taking the actual test. Practicing will help you to do the following:
   • Be aware of the type of questions that will appear on your test. You should also be aware of the length of each section of the test and the time limits. This will help you pace yourself appropriately.
   • Know the directions for the questions in each section ahead of time. But remember the directions for the questions in the test might be slightly different from ones in your practice material. So always read the instructions quickly. This last bit of advice is especially important for the LSAT which is designed to test you on following difficult directions.
   • Do not stick to one question for too long. Take only 1-2 minutes, even on the hardest ones.
   • Don’t rush. Generally, on these tests, finishing first is not an important goal. Devote the right amount of time to each question. Bring a watch with you!
   • Don’t speed-read. Most of these tests want you to think quickly but read carefully. Read carefully for exact wording and meaning. Read all of the options and every sentence in the stimulus material.
   • Don’t waver about guessing. Decide quickly, once you recognize the possibility. Then do it and forget about it.
   • When taking a practice test, don’t berate yourself about getting answers wrong. Offering incorrect answers is part of the growth process. When you get answers wrong, work carefully with well-informed explanations of the questions.
3. Get plenty of rest the night before.
4. Have a hearty dinner the night before and a low-fat and moderately sized breakfast (high fat foods can make you sleepy).
5. If you are taking a test at a testing center, do a test drive to the center exactly a week before the test. Getting to the test center on time is vital. Taking a test drive the exact week and time before the actual test can help to ensure that you adequately gauge the time needed to travel there. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of time.
6. Wear comfortable clothes; carry a sweater or jacket in case it is chilly.
7. If you don’t know the answer, try a process of elimination. Eliminate any choices that must be wrong. Even if you can eliminate two answer choices, you can greatly increase your chances of a correct response.
8. Use practice tests as benchmarks, not as the primary material for your preparation. Use static material (books) to study. The practice tests should prepare you for the format. Space them out at regular intervals throughout your months of practice. Try a practice test once every one or two weeks. If you practice too much, you will end up practicing mistakes or bad habits.
9. Find study partners.

1. Most experts recommend that you take the GRE in June or early July. After that, academic pressures may put a damper on your preparation for the exam. If you postpone until September of your senior year, you could find that time pressures prohibit you from doing your best.
2. Here are some facts:
   • It is a computer-based, linear exam, whereas the old one was a computer-adaptive test (question pool varies by test taker).
   • It is offered on fixed dates rather than ongoing test dates throughout the year. There will be 30 fixed dates.
   • It is delivered via the Internet to the testing centers. Everyone taking the test on the same date will have the same questions.
   • It lasts about four hours which is a significant increase over the 2.5 hours for the old version.
   • Test takers will receive quantitative and verbal scores on a scale of 130 to 170.
   • The verbal section includes many critical reading passages. There are no analogy and antonym questions.
   • The quantitative section includes a few geometry questions and many “real-life” and data interpretation questions. Quantitative reasoning skills are tested thoroughly.
   • In the analytical writing section, you will be given thirty minutes for each of the two (argument and issues) questions.
3. The questions at the beginning are the most important. Take your time with the beginning questions. Getting these correct will dramatically improve your score. Easy questions generally precede the difficult ones.
4. The GRE does not penalize you for wrong answers. Do, never leave any questions unanswered.
5. Be sure of your answer before proceeding. You cannot return to a question once you have attempted it.
6. Only use the scratch paper provided at the testing center. Use the process of elimination to cross out wrong answers.
7. Double-check your work and answer before you click on the screen bubble. You cannot skip any question, and you cannot go back once you have responded to a question.
8. You cannot bring a calculator to the testing center.
9. The verbal section demands a strong vocabulary. Reading literature by authors such as PG Wodehouse who use abstruse words can help you to prepare!

1. The MCAT is administered twice a year, in April and August. On each test date, there are 40 versions of the test being administered. It consists of four parts: verbal reasoning, physical science problems (including general chemistry), writing samples (two essays in one hour), and biological problems (including organic chemistry).
2. Each section of the test is given a score from 1-15 (except for the writing samples), with 15 being the highest. Most students who retake the MCAT do not score significantly differently. Some schools will average your scores together. Thus, it is generally not a good idea to retake the test.
3. Check specific medical school application policies. While almost all medical schools require the MCAT, a few (such as Johns Hopkins) do not.
4. Try to take the MCAT in mid-April if you can. Since the medical school application process begins in June, taking the mid-August one in your senior year can delay your application, particularly if you want to go for early decision. But August can be good if you don’t have much time to study before April.
5. Take courses in introductory zoology, chemistry, physics and organic chemistry.
6. Study mainly from MCAT review books, using course notes and textbooks only as reference material.
7. Remember that the MCAT is primarily a critical thinking test. Think about and understand the principles behind the question. Ensure that you understand concepts as opposed to memorizing facts. However, you will need to memorize basic equations.
8. Remember, no calculators! No notes allowed!
9. Take 2H pencils for multiple choice sections, an eraser that won’t smudge, and black ball point pens for the Writing Sample.
10. Take a packed lunch unless you plan to eat in the cafeteria. Take some high sugar snack foods to keep your blood glucose up.
11. Don’t neglect studying for the verbal section as it typically gives students the most difficulty.
12. Note that the MCAT scores are good for three years.
13. Practice getting up early the week before the exam.
14. Guessing is not penalized. A wrong answer is scored the same as no answer. So, go ahead and respond to every question.
15. Although the questions are not generally tricky, there will often be answers that include preconceptions, assumptions, inferences, and examples of incomplete reasoning which are decoys from the correct answer. Try to avoid faulty reasoning.
16. In the sections on the physical and biological sciences, you will probably not have time to calculate precisely every answer. So, rely on inspection, on rounding off numbers for quick calculations and on using intuition to speed up the process of responding.
17. You cannot make any extraneous marks on the answer sheet, but it is permissible to mark the test booklet. Sometimes drawing a picture or diagram can help to visualize the problem.
    
    

1. Most law schools require that the LSAT be taken by December for admission the following fall. Taking the test earlier—in June or October—is often advised. The fee is $118.
2. Plan on taking the test once. If you retake it, your scores are averaged.
3. The LSAT is a five-section, multiple-choice, standard-scored ‘aptitude’ test, followed by a 30-minute writing sample. Taking the test requires three hours and 25 minutes, not including rest breaks and the time needed for the distribution and collection of test materials, as well as other test center procedures.
4. The reading comprehension section will include 26-28 questions, arranged into four sets, each containing a passage followed by 6-8 questions. The analytical section focuses on logic game of “matrix” type. It contains approximately 24 questions, arranged in four sets of analytical problems or “setups” with 5-7 questions apiece. The logical thinking section includes approximately 25 sections, and it is not usually grouped into sets.
5. The LSAT score is three-digit number ranging from 120 to 180. One section of both Reading Comprehension and two sections of Logical Reasoning are used to produce your LSAT score. A non-scored section, that can be of any type, is included in each test but cannot be identified as such while you are taking the test. Remember that you do not have to answer every question correctly. You can answer 2-3 answers incorrectly and still receive a score of 180 (which is considered a perfect score). In addition, a 120 does not mean that you answered every question incorrectly. Generally, you need to answer 15-17 questions correctly before you score moves above 120. Once you reach that threshold, every three additional correct answers will lift your score by about two points. The writing sample is unscored. However, copies of your sample will be sent to each law school.
6. Scores are determined entirely on the basis of the number of correct answers only. Nothing is deducted for wrong answers. Never leave a question unanswered.
7. Start preparing for the exam at least two months in advance. Develop a pacing strategy, and improve upon your weaknesses. Do not plan on cramming! Devote chunks of time to studying each section. Begin by attacking the section that gives you the most difficulty. Eventually, you should get in the habit of taking an entire 35-minute section in one sitting. Try taking practice tests at the time of day when the actual test will be held.
8. The test makers make it very difficult to complete the entire test on time. It is not unusual to find you are not able to finish each section of the test without some guessing. There is no time re-read. Attack each problem aggressively the first time around.
9. Write in the test booklet! It is one of the few exams that is not computerized, so take advantage. Underline key words.
10. While questions do vary in complexity, all answers count the same. The questions are not arranged in order of difficulty. Do the easier questions first, since they are worth just as much as the difficult ones.
11. The LSAT is designed to evaluate you on the following criteria: critical and accurate reading; dispassionate, flexible, intelligent, inferential thinking; distinguishing fact from opinion and the relevant from the irrelevant; stability under pressure; tolerance of ambiguity and abstraction; quick adaptation to unfamiliar procedures and strange circumstances.
12. Read and practice with an elementary logic text; or take a logic course. Learn to recognize common logical fallacies.
13. Don’t answer from your own knowledge or experience, but from the information given. Try not read anything into a problem. Answer the questions based on the information given, not on your assumptions.
14. When completing the analytical reasoning section, read carefully and understand the conditions that mark the relationships in the “game” or question. Some people find it helpful to create a diagram to illustrate relationships.
15. When you begin your writing sample, create a quick outline to organize your ideas. Clarity and organization of the essay are critical. Support all of your claims well.
    

Barron’s How to Prepare for the GRE: Graduate Record Examination—This is particularly helpful for offering you lists of arcane words that the ETS people enjoy using.

The GRE Big Book , published by the Educational Testing Service.

Princeton Review has preparatory CD’s for the GRE.

PowerPrep is an online test package that you can download for free from ETS.

AAMC: MCAT Student Manual