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Subject:RE: Tech Writers and the GRE From:"Rock, Megan" <Megan -dot- Rock -at- fanucrobotics -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 1 Jun 2001 08:00:22 -0400
I am in the process of preparing to take the GRE on June 16. I bought a
book to help me "study." Mostly the book is just giving me strategies for
out-smarting the folks who wrote the test questions. The test really isn't
about what you know, it's about how well you can take the test. I took a
practice Verbal test on the CD that came with the book after going over the
Verbal chapter in the book, and I scored 750 out of a possible 800. Does
anybody know if that's decent or not?
I am currently working through the math chapter but haven't taken a
computer-based practice test yet for the math or analytical sections. The
school I'll be applying to requires a GRE score in the 40th percentile or
higher on the Verbal section, and a score in the 40th percentile or higher
on EITHER the math or analytical section. I think I have a better shot at
scoring well on the analytical section than the math section.
To answer Bryan's question, I've worked as a TW for 4 years. I think that
spending so much time writing things "clearly and concisely" did make it
harder for me to understand the reading comprehension sections on the
practice test I took. It was so hard to ignore the horrendous writing and
focus on what the authors were saying. I really wanted to rewrite the
stupid things!
Megan Rock
Technical Writer
FANUC Robotics North America, INC.
Views presented and opinions held are not necessarily those of my friends,
family, or employer.
-----Original Message-----
From: bryan -dot- westbrook -at- amd -dot- com [mailto:bryan -dot- westbrook -at- amd -dot- com]
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2001 4:49 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: Tech Writers and the GRE
I've been curious for several months now (ever since I took the test
actually) about how other tech writers have scored on the different areas of
the GRE -- and whether you took it before or after you worked as a tw. My
highest score was on the logic section (a frustrating 790), followed by the
math section with the verbal coming in last.
I think that my profession actually worked against me on the verbal portion
of the test because it focused on vocabulary and your command of big words.
Most of the words on the test are words that I would probably never use in a
technical document.
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