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Study With Your Ears: Cracking the GRE Subject Test in Literature
Studying for the GRE in Literature is a daunting task. The exam claims to test “general knowledge” of literature, which includes everything from Beowulf to Thomas Pynchon, a smattering of obscure literary terms, questions on poetic form and meter, and an increasing amount of literary theory.
So what’s the good news? Well, it seems that the folks at ETS are in love with the public domain. For those of you who aren’t familiar with copyright laws, books in the public domain are generally books whose copyrights have expired – which is true of most books published before 1923. Without the copyright, these books are FREE: free to download, free to reproduce and (most importantly) free to listen to. That’s right – FREE AUDIO BOOKS.
This, GRE test-taker, is the answer to your studying prayers. Most of the GRE questions that ask you to identify texts or authors only require the most basic knowledge of those books: knowledge which can easily be gained by listening to a few chapters while you cook, drive, work out or do whatever it is that you do. Given the lengthy lists of must-read books for the GRE, this is a great way to cut down on strict “studying” time, and it might even take the edge off your commute.
This site contains a collection of audio books (novels, poetry, etc.) that are most likely to appear on the GRE. It’s organized chronologically by time-period, so you can zero in on some of your historical weak spots. Most of these are courtesy of Librivox.org, a wonderful site that has volunteers reading hundreds of free, downloadable audio books. Check it out and volunteer; it’s a great resource. It is difficult to search, though, so I’ve done some of that work for you. I’m compiling all the audio books you’ll need into one convenient podcast. But before you start listening, check out the following GRE study tips, brought to you by someone who’s been there (me).
Study Tips for the GRE Subject Test in Literature
1. Sign up Early
Don’t forget that the most important part of applying to graduate school is your application itself, especially your personal statement and writing sample. Pick a test date well in advance of when your applications are due. That way you’ll be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to work on your application, without stressing out about the GRE.
Why wait? Sign up to take the test now on the ETS website.
2. Take the practice test
Before you start studying, it’s important to know what kind of test your studying for. The GRE offers a free practice test in PDF format, which you can download here.
3. Identify Your Weaknesses
When you score your practice test, keep a tally of which type of questions you got wrong: identification, reading comprehension, or literary terms. Also pay attention to which genres and time periods gave you the most trouble, and focus your studies on these areas first. The ETS website offers a pretty accurate breakdown* of what’s covered on the test. It looks something like this:
Question Types:
Literary Analysis: 40-55%
Identification: 15-20%
Cultural and Historical Contexts: 20-25%
History and Theory of Literary Criticism: 10-15%
The literary-historical scope:
1. Continental, Classical, and Comparative Literature through 1925 5-10%
2. British Literature to 1660 (including Milton) 25-30%
3. British Literature 1660-1925 25-35%
4. American Literature through 1925
15-25%
5. American, British, and World Literatures after 1925 20-30%
*BUT WAIT! Don’t be fooled by the percentage points!
Even if you did terribly when it came to identifying texts, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should go out and read everything under the sun. Memorizing literary terms, sonnet types and even grammar (yes, it’s on there too) is much less time-consuming than reading Great Expectations, even if these question types appear less frequently. Also, there’s no guarantee that the specific texts you read will end up on the test. But if you know all of your literary terms, that’s at least three questions in the bag. So even though these audio books are wildly entertaining, don’t forget to learn your grammar!
4. Get yourself a GRE test prep book
These aren’t cheap, so check out your local library before making any rash purchases. You can also browse a good portion of the REA study guide on Google books, just to get an idea of what’s out there.
5. Make yourself a study timetable
This is absolutely crucial. Remember, you’re aiming for broad, general knowledge, and spending all your time on British Romantic poets and skipping the Harlem Renaissance won’t do you any good. Make yourself a study calendar, and stick to it. As someone whose hindsight greatly surpasses her foresight, that’s the best advice I can give you.
6. Hit the (audio) books!
Check out my page on GRE test-prep books to see what kind of materials you’ll need.