GRE Literature as Subject Test HELP!

May 27, 2009 3:06 PM

I'm trying to find a prep course for the Literature Subject Test of the GRE (which is not the same as the general GRE) in NYC.

While I did well with the verbal section of the GRE, I scored lower than I hoped on the Lit. as Sub. practice tests I took in the fall. I also have test taking anxiety so a course specifically for this test would help with my confidence. It doesn't appear that Kaplan or Princeton Review offer a specialized prep course for this test. Any hints where I might look? Also, while I have several books I am using to help review, other advice on ow to prep is welcome.

posted by miss-lapin to education (6 comments total)

Grab yourself the nearest Norton Anthologies (British Lit, American Lit, World Lit) and start reading. I'm not joking--most of the test is geared to literary general knowledge of the sort you'd get from Beowulf to Virginia Woolf and the American equivalent. Obviously, there are advanced questions that are more specialized, but the big surveys are the courses most likely to be common across all sorts of US institutions.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:14 PM on May 27

Thanks Thomas, but I already have several of the Norton Anthologies. I've read and the studied the sections particularly recommended by my prep book (which actually focus a bit more Canterbury Tales than Beowolf), but I will continue on with my "home study" while I search for a course.
posted by miss-lapin at 3:20 PM on May 27

This is the best web site I know of for prep, created by a friend of mine.

http://www.duke.edu/~tmw15/

I would caution you that prep for the Lit subject test is nearly impossible. Also, in my experience, many programs put very little stock in it precisely for this reason; my well-regarded department doesn't even require it.
posted by gerryblog at 4:11 PM on May 27

Some test prep companies (including the one I work for) offer retail books that cover the GRE Lit exam.
You can call the test prep companies and get some private tutoring if you want more guided instruction, but you won't find classes as such because the market it just too small to set up a curriculum, pay for the overhead associated with classroom space, etc.

You can memail me for more info if you're interested.
posted by rmless at 4:23 PM on May 27

You probably won't find a professional prep course (I've never heard of one and I live in NYC and also took the test in April), but the good news is that you probably don't need it. A bad Lit GRE score won't keep you out of your dream school if everything else on your application is solid, and a good Lit GRE score isn't going to get you into your dream school if your application is weak. The Lit GRE is probably the least important aspect of your application and generally required just to make sure you're conversant--not an expert--in the subject matter you aim to study. I also think it's a helpful reminder to finicky grad school applicants that English lit is an extremely rigorous and diverse matter. But application committees also know that you're not going to be studying the whole of the English canon while you're getting your MA or PhD, so the fact that you earned a mediocre score could just mean that you're a post-modern lit student who missed all the Piers Plowman references.

If you're really freaked about your score, look at the Vade Mecum site linked above, and Reed College also has a nice study guide. But really, focus your energies on a stellar SOP, essay, and curry those shining rec letters.
posted by zoomorphic at 5:12 PM on May 27

I created this page after I took the test 7 years ago. A lot of the links are out of date, but it will at least give you one person's experience.

Cracking the GRE from the Princeton Review was a lifesaver for me. The A, B and C lists are amazing, and helped me prioritize my study time much better than just cracking open a Norton Anthology. I couldn't believe how many times I saw stuff from the A list on my test.
posted by junkbox at 9:02 PM on May 27