Every year, the number of applicants for the GRE keeps increasing. Even though the GRE is not a compulsory standardized exam, its popularity hasn’t waned a bit. It doesn’t matter if several universities consider it an optional exam. The need to score well and improve admission chances to top graduate schools is what drives students to go all out for this exam. That’s why they prefer getting admitted to proper coaching centres.
In India, you’ll find a number of options to help you with your exam prep. AbroAdvice.com provides the best GRE coaching in India, but this isn’t the only option available to you. Search for excellent coaching services near you, and you’ll come up with a million options. But are all of them truly worth relying on? Not really! If you want to know how to identify the best service, ask yourself the following questions –
1. Has the center been around for a long time?
A coaching center that has been around for at least 8-10 years is bound to be very familiar with the exam. For example, if you find yourself wondering, “GRE for which country is easier to crack?” you’d visit AbroAdvice. That’s because the consultants on this service are very experienced. Similarly, any website that you hire should have a lot of experience under their belt.
There’s a high demand for professional GRE coaching in India. Taking advantage of this demand, several centers pop up almost every day, claiming to be the best. But you shouldn’t trust lip service. Dig more into them. Want to know how? Just read on!
2. Are the tutors experienced?
The GRE focuses on three categories covering five sections –
- Analytical writing (1 section)
- Verbal reasoning (2 sections)
- Quantitative reasoning (2 sections)
Thus, any expert who claims to provide excellent GRE tutoring must be a pro in all these sections. They must have an excellent grasp of the English language to do justice to the analytical section. Similarly, they must possess critical thinking abilities for the verbal portion and an undeniable mastery of mathematics to ace the quantitative section. In other words, the expert has to be an all-rounder.
So, before signing up for any coaching center, look into the educational qualifications of the experts. Check their certifications and, if possible, participate in a few trial classes. After all, not all experts with lots of degrees can be teachers. You should judge the scholars on their knowledge as well as their ability to teach.
3. Are there options for online and offline classes?
Nowadays, several GRE coaching centres offer online classes and in-person coaching to cater to all students. Which one should you pick? The choice depends upon your situation. There are a few unavoidable circumstances that force people to go for the online sessions –
- When there are no good coaching centres nearby
- When a hectic schedule does not allow attending in-person classes
- When the back-and-forth commute is too hectic and time-consuming
If you face any of these issues, you’d definitely want the center to offer online sessions as well. Even if you opt for offline coaching, having an online alternative is really helpful. Suppose your schedule forces you to miss one class. You can easily obtain a live recording of the session and catch up with the class at your convenience.
4. Are the charges reasonable?
If you’re planning to sign up for GRE coaching at any center, be prepared to pay high charges. The average coaching charges can go up to INR 20,000 to INR 60,000 depending on various factors, such as:
- Duration of the course
- Online/Offline mode
- Number of hours
- Batch/Private tutoring mode
- Location of the center
Usually, online classes are more affordable than in-person sessions. Some centers offer short 1-2 months intensive training sessions that are cheaper than courses ranging from 6 to 9 months. But you have to consider your circumstances. If you’re comfortable with batch settings, you can study in a particular batch (either offline or online). However, private coaching options are also available for those who need some extra help – but these are quite expensive.
Avoid centers where the prices seem too good to be true. Conduct a comparative analysis of the charges of top GRE coaching centres in India. That should be enough to figure out the average you should be spending on such services.
5. What is the success rate of the service?
Some coaching centers might have impressive infrastructure, while others seem like they need a renovation ASAP. The human instinct is to go with the swanky and polished option. But don’t judge a book by its cover. Your primary focus should be choosing a coaching center that has a high success rate. It doesn’t matter whether the walls have fresh paint or the tutors use SMART boards to teach. You should check whether the center can help you score well.
Coaching centres with over 90% success rates will not hesitate to let you know. Just go through their websites or visit the center yourself, and you’ll be bombarded with pictures of successful candidates. If any center doesn’t showcase its success stories, keep an eye out for red flags. They might claim to have helped hundreds of students ace the GRE, but always check the truth behind these claims. Ask for receipts, and don’t be shy about it!
6. Does the service conduct regular practice tests?
Practice tests are an essential part of the GRE preparation routine. After all, just mugging up theories isn’t enough. You must check whether you’re able to apply the knowledge you’re gathering and solve GRE-level questions. Once you solve a few papers, you should have a better idea of the following:
- Sections you need to revise more
- Topics that are your strong points
- Time taken to complete each question
The GRE is a time-restricted test. Recently, it has done away with its 3 hours 45 minutes long exam and introduced a more compact version that will end within 1 hour and 58 minutes. The new format might take some time to get used to if you’ve been preparing following the older format. But that’s precisely why practice tests are helpful. They familiarize you with the question pattern so you can know what to expect in the actual test.
That’s why you should always check if the coaching center you plan to sign up with offers regular tests. Unless you check your progress, it will be impossible to upgrade your study schedule or pattern. Any reliable center should be conducting weekly tests to be on the safe side.
7. How regularly are the doubt-clearing sessions held?
Taking practice tests isn’t enough – you should also be able to pinpoint the particular sections you’re struggling with. It’s heartbreaking to receive poor scores when you know you’re trying your best. But instead of getting discouraged, your first thought should be, “What mistakes am I making? What do I need to fix?” You’ll get the answers to these questions during the doubt-clearing sessions.
Ideally, these sessions should be held at the beginning of every class. It is the trainer’s duty to check whether the students recall all the details covered in the previous class. If anyone has any doubts, this is the perfect time to address them.
Unfortunately, time constraints do not allow trainers to hold these sessions before every class. At the very least, they should be held right after every practice test. After all, the test takers should be made aware of the sections they’re struggling with, whether there are any patterns to their mistakes, and the steps they can take to resolve the issues. This is certainly the bare minimum.
8. What do the existing students have to say?
Right before you purchase anything from Amazon, you’d go through the reviews left by previous buyers. You depend on their experience with the product to decide whether you should go ahead with the purchase or not. Well, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t follow this same method before finalizing on a GRE coaching center.
Try to visit the center and interview some students. Here are some things your questions should focus on:
- Teaching abilities of the trainers
- Aid with improving exam familiarity
- Quality of questions in practice tests
- Resolution of student queries
It’s easy to excuse centers charging above-average prices as long as they remain consistent in the quality of services they provide. Unfortunately, you’d be lucky to find reliable options like that. Most centers overcharge students while also providing sub-par services. Despite the tall claims that they make, they don’t have the professionalism to see them through. That’s why student reviews matter a lot.
In conclusion
There are many good GRE coaching centres in India. But for every reliable option, you’ll have to shift through hundreds of unreliable ones. So, in order to make things easier, this blog goes through the primary questions you should be asking to find the best option. Check out which specific sections you should focus on as you go through the entire blog. Finding the perfect match might seem like an overwhelming task. But don’t give up! You’re sure to find the best GRE coaching center in no time.
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