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UF GRE Prep Course Review (2024 Student's Guide)

Jordan Coleman
Published by Jordan Coleman
Last Updated On: January 24, 2022

Are you a current University of Florida student who is considering taking the GRE? Or maybe you are considering attending grad school at Florida’s top school?

If so, you might be interested in finding some of the many GRE prep resources available on the University of Florida campus. All of these resources are free for current UF students. Keep reading to see how you can improve your GRE score using these free resources.

What Is the UF GRE Prep Course?

uf gre prep

The UF GRE Prep Course is a GRE preparatory review course offered by the University of Florida.

Like most universities, UF offers free resources for current students who are looking to take the exam.

We thought the setup for GRE resources at UF was unique and potentially helpful for students interested in improving one specific section of their GRE score.

Many of their GRE prep resources are offered through different university services such as the library and other study centers. [1]

Course Highlights

One of the best benefits for current UF students is these resources are all completely free to use. They can also be utilized in many different ways, so students can adapt their schedule to a unique study plan.

You can use as many or as few of the resources as you like, and you are not tied into a course or study session. These free GRE resources are best used in conjunction with a third-party test prep service such as Magoosh for best results.

Pros
  • Resources offered through flexible services
  • Free for current UF students
  • Section specific help
  • Private GRE consulting
Cons
  • No free third-party test prep course
  • Better for self-study plans

5 Important Factors About UF GRE Prep

holding stacked books

1. UF Library Resources

The George A. Smathers Library at UF offers numerous GRE test prep options for students. The Smathers libraries, through the Testing and Education Reference Center, offers e-prep courses, strategies, tips, and many real GRE practice tests.

You can access these materials by signing into your myUFL and library accounts. You can find online practice tests and video resources designed to teach students strategies for improving their GRE scores.

2. Print Resources

The George A. Smathers libraries across the UF campus also offer print resources. You can find guidebooks, workbooks, and practice tests within the library catalog.

Many of the print resources come from test prep companies such as Barron’s and Kaplan. These resources are available to print from the catalog for free. Students are just required to pay for the print fees at the library.

This might be a useful resource for students who do not need to purchase an entire prep book. If you need access to the quantitative section only, then you can simply print that section to help you study.

Recommended Article: Wha'ts the Best GRE Prep Book?

3. Reading and Writing Center

The UF Writing Studio was designed to help students and faculty improve their academic careers by becoming better writers. They offer GRE prep services for the verbal section. They can also assist with the analytical writing portion by reviewing essays, providing tips, and grading the GRE scale.

The UF Writing Studio offers students a chance to co-study with peers for the GRE. They also have free workbooks and CDs. You can attend one of the writing workshops, which are explicitly geared to GRE prep.

4. The Teaching Center

The UF Teaching Center offers GRE prep workshops for the quantitative and verbal sections.They also provide essay writing assistance. The UF Teaching Center, similar to the Writing Studio, is an excellent place for students to engage with other students who are preparing for the GRE.

5. GRE Consulting

UF offers students a chance to connect with a tutor and consultant for free. Daniel Schwieder is the head UF Political Science Librarian and a former standardized test tutor. Students can chat via email or online with Mr. Schwieder to get GRE consulting information.

It should be noted this free service does not cover actual test prep. It covers strategies for taking the exam, creating a study plan, and what test day will be like. For more GRE courses options, visit this page.

Real Student Results from Taking the UF GRE Prep Course

We tested the UF GRE prep course to see if students achieved a real improvement in their GRE test scores as a result of taking the course.

Accordingly, we had students take a GRE prep test before and after taking the UF GRE prep course. We obtained each student’s Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning results from each prep test and compared them to determine a percentage improvement.

Students only recorded a small score improvement after taking the UF GRE prep course. For instance, one student achieved only a 10.8% improvement in score, while another barely saw a 6% improvement.

 

University of Florida

TEST SCORE PREDICTOR (QUANTITATIVE + REASONING)
Baseline (Before taking the course)
After studying the course
Improvement
 
Student 1
278
308
10.8%
Larger Improvement
Student 2
316
336
6.3%
Smaller Improvement

GRE Logo

How Accurate Is The UF GRE Prep?

GRE practice tests are available at the UF library from companies such as Kaplan and Barrons. To test the accuracy of the UF GRE Prep, we decided to take both the GRE and Kaplan prep to see how the scores held up.

Here are the results:

  • Kaplan Prep: 154 Quant, 163 Verbal
  • GRE: 159 Quant, 163 Verbal

 

 

University of Florida

QUANTITATIVE REASONING
Before
(Test score
predictor)
Real
GRE Test
Score 
%Accuracy   
Student 1
154
159
97% 
Student 2
168
162
96% 
97%  
VERBAL REASONING
  Before
(Test score
predictor)
Real
GRE Test
Score 
%Accuracy   
157
164
96%
167
163
98%
97%  

GRE Logo

As you can see, the estimate for the Verbal section is pretty spot-on, however, the Quant can do with some improvements.

FAQs

female student thinking

Should I use the UF resources and enroll in a study course?

Yes. We recommend using the GRE resources at UF as a supplement to a test prep course. If you are interested in significantly improving your score, then we recommend utilizing both types of resources.

Does UF partner with any third-party test prep companies, so I can get a discount?

No, they do not have any current test prep company partners. They offer most of their resources in house for students.

UF GRE Prep: Should I Take Advantage of Their Resources?

After our review of the UF GRE prep resources, we think every student should utilize at least some of these free resources. They offer plenty of in-person tutoring, guidance, and study materials for students to succeed. We liked how you could pick and choose which resources might work for you.

However, if you need a comprehensive review, go for Magoosh. Together with a test prep course, like Magoosh, these UF resources can be used to improve your GRE score significantly.

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