I didn't take a class at all. I did check a couple of books out of the library to go over the type of questions on the print test and made sure I knew how each section worked. I even found one of those sample questions in the actual test. This had to do with the paper test. Personally I wouldn't bother to pay to take a class just to take the test. The first time I took it I came in well enough to get into my program so it wasn't necessary to do more. The second time I took it, in order to freshen the score and hopefully raise it because I was looking at applying to new schools for Ph.D work, I didn't study anything. I'd just finished a master's degree and I figured that was enough study for anyone!

Statistically there isn't a lot of proof that those study guides and classes do much for your score. I've read articles about this, may have heard something on NPR. That's not to say there aren't a lot of them out there, cashing in on people's fear of taking tests. The GRE questions are general, you don't need to go take science and algebra and all of that either. Understand basic math and simple algebra. Vocabulary is a big part of it, but with 1,000,000+ words in the English language, which ones are you going to choose to review? Probably your best review is going over the sample tests because they contain the same kinds of questions (some still in use) you will encounter.

http://gradschool.about.com/cs/aboutthegre/a/gre.htm has some discussion, but all of the links from there are sponsored, my search didn't get past all of the ads to find those who are critical of the test, but there are plenty of people who object to the test and the expensive strategies promoted. I am one of them.

The About.com site reminds you that you should take it well in advance of applying, and that you shouldn't take it as a "practice" test because all of your scores are reported to the school when you apply.

HOWEVER, if you do want to take it as a practice test, then take it and tell them to send it to some other school than you want to attend. That school will stick the results in a file waiting for the rest of your paperwork, and if it doesn't turn up, they shred it after a while.

After completing the test, the last step is to choose to keep the results (and you don't know what they are yet) or to dump them (and no one learns how well you did, not even you--this is the part I find so dishonest about the test you just paid to take!)

Rather than say "dump it," you can say "yes, grade my test and send the score to X university." I would suggest you take the test, send it to someplace you won't apply to, look at your score on screen or when it comes in the mail, and decide if you like it. IF you do, you can later have your score sent to additonal schools. It may cost you $10 for the extra report, and do it within a certain amount of time. It has been a while since I took it, and that policy may have changed. There will be discussion of this in the free materials the Educational Testing Service (who write the GRE) folks provide.

This isn't dishonest, it's just trying to make this test and it's purveyors give you some useful feedback (I waited years before going to grad school because I hated the idea being dyslexic and taking that damned timed test). Take it and see how you do. with all due respect to Dani, don't waste time on an expensive class, chances are you don't need it. See if you can do it on your own first.

SRS