Who has recently taken the GRE & what are your thoughts about it?

I took it last fall so it is all still pretty fresh in my mind. The test is adaptive so I wouldn't really say it's hard or easier. It used to be adaptive between questions, but I believe it is now adaptive between sections. For example, the first verbal section is somewhat middle of the road. If you do really well the next section will be harder or vice versa. I did pretty well on the verbal section and I could definitely tell that the 2nd section of the verbal was more difficult. My prep sounds somewhat similar to yours. I studied a little bit over the course of several months, but I really clamped down the last few weeks. I'd just moved across the country and didn't have a job yet so I was able to study pretty much all day. If I was taking the test again I wouldn't go that route, but I think that you can still get a good amount of prep in if you make test prep your #1 priority for the next couple weeks.

As far as prepping for the verbal I don't think memorizing a whole mess of words is all that effective. You really need to see the words in context to develop a true understanding (connotative vs denotative, etc). The best way to do this is find reading material that might normally be outside of your comfort zone vocabulary wise. Honestly at this point I'm not sure how much you can bolster your vocabulary all that much.

Personally I found the quantitative section to be more difficult, simply because I hadn't studied math much since high school (15 or so years ago). It took some time to refresh my memory. Once you start practicing everything it starts to come back. There were a couple of question types that I still struggled with, but it was stuff that I probably never really mastered in high school either.

Put yourself in the mindset of the test writers. They have certain tricks and traps that they like to incorporate into the test, particularly in the Quant section. I didn't really figure this out until the last week or so before the test. Once I figured that out my prep was much more efficient.

Finally, take at least one practice test in realistic conditions. Try to find an area where you won't be disturbed, start the test about the same time of day when you real take the real thing, and take breaks only when you would during the real test. The test is LONG and you want your mind at its peak. I had to push my test out until I could find a time in the middle of the day. I am worthless in the morning and I knew I would be fading toward the end of the test if I took it after 5 PM. I think I took it around 11, which was perfect for me. Also make sure you eat a good meal. I had a nervous stomach and I didn't eat near enough. I was getting some brain fog on the last section, which also happened to be the only section I didn't complete. With a better meal I think I could've bumped my score up a point or two. By practicing in realistic conditions you can get a feel for how your body will react on test day.

I'm not sure what your timeline is, but if it doesn't go well you can always retake it later. I waited until the last minute to take mine and I didn't have time to redo it before my application deadline. I think with the experience of taking the first test under my belt I could do much better now and bump my score up a point or two to get into the 320s. I am slated to find out tomorrow if I was admitted to grad school. If I don't get in I might be back in your shoes again very soon.

Good luck!

It wasn't easy, take more time on the essays than you think you need. I feel that overall I'm a pretty good writer and I still only got a 4.5 on the essay section.

Took the GRE for a third time this past December.

If you're just starting to prep now, you're probably a little late. They say a good 6 months of prep is required. The two times I've prepped well in advance, I got the scores I wanted.

The format is the same as the last time I took the test (2009). The scoring is different, though. I get different scores every time I take the test.

The math was harder for me this time around. The verbal and the essays were the same, it seemed.

Advice: get a good night's sleep, have a big breakfast, stay hydrated, take breaks during the test.