How to Memorize Vocabulary for GRE

Memorizing and mastering new vocabulary is a daunting task. However, a student's success on any level may depend on his/her power of vocabulary. Mastering vocabulary lists is a must for getting a good score on the standardized tests, such as GRE, GAMT, SAT, and Toefl. It is not an easy task but do it efficiently and effectively using the steps in this article. It works! I scored 99th percentile for my GRE verbal section.

Get a GOOD vocabulary list for the test that you are preparing for. Online resources may be useful. The key for this method is repetition. First, find out what you do not know. Then, memorize them by repetition by tricking the brain to recognize the information as very important. The goal is to make the new vocabulry into long term memory using this method.

For the first time, read (at a skimming speed) the entire list from the beginning to end. Check the words that you do not know. You are done for the day.     The next day, start with any alphabet letter you want. I started with short ones, V, Z, Q... because it's done quicker and give you a sense of accomplishment. For the words you do not know, take time to understand the word by reading the meaning and word usage in a sentence. No need to write the words more than a couple times.    

The following day, read the vocabulary list again. Focus on the words you checked earlier. However, this time around cover the meaning part to see if you remember them. If you don't, put a check mark again on the side of the word. Read the meaning and sentences usage again. Do the prior step with a new set of alphabet.    

Do this step until you cover all the alphabets in the vocabulary list and there are at least 3 check marks for the words that you do not know. This should have taken 1 to 2 weeks working 2 hours a day, 3 to 4 days of the week.    

Now, the number of the words that you do not know would have reduced significantly. From now on, highlight the words that you do not know as you go through the list again. Spend one week (3 to 4 days). Next time around, use different colors. I went from light to dark (yellow to orange to green to blue). When I was done, I had spent 5 weeks (working about 3days a week 2 to 3 hours per day) and the words that I do not know was reviewed at least 7 times.    

Now, create a separate vocabulary list of the words that you have not yet memorized. In my case, the words were about 10 percent of the entire vocabulary list that I did not know the first time around reading them. Just by carefully reading the words and repeating them, I memorized 90 percent of the original list!    

Remaining words are, for some reasons, especially difficult for you to master. For these words, use methods such as association and giving special meaning to the words. The more personal, the easier to remember. Group the words into synonyms and antonyms. Studying prefix, suffix and roots of vocabulary is helpful, too.     For the last couple of weeks, just review the final list that you made. On the last week, take couple of sample tests. You should be pleasantly surprised to find your score improvement.    

NOW, You are ready. Go get'em Tiger! :)