GRE CS Subject Test Prep?

coaxial asks: "So it's that time again to consider taking the GRE. While there are many resources on the web about the general test (mostly vocabulary building), the computer science subject test seems to be lacking. This is a shame, since this test covers pretty much everything in the undergrad curriculum. So I ask the grad student readers of Slashdot: what resources, besides the one book I've found, did they use."

Comments

Are you sure it's actually worth taking?

[Alphabet Pal]

Have you looked into prospective graduate schools yet? When I started looking at entrance requirements, almost all of them said that GRE CS test scores wouldn't even be considered in the application. I just focused on the "plain old" GRE, made sure to do well on the math section, and had no trouble getting into the grad school I wanted.

Re:Are you sure it's actually worth taking?

[ccoakley]

I am in a PhD program in CS (UCSB). I didn't take the CS GRE. I was told it wasn't necessary by the school I applied to.

As far as their policy on the "plain old" GRE, they didn't look at the math section -- they assume you got perfect or near perfect. They cared about the verbal section, requiring a score of over 600 -- so that you could, in theory, be an understandable TA. Of course, the average for native speakers is below the average of foreign students, which is why you always should try to email TAs that don't speak English with multiple choice questions. They usually understand written English quite well.

For me, it was my letters of recommendation that made the difference.

The bottom line: Talk to the schools you wish to apply to. Play their game. Most schools have a staff member and a faculty member that will give you a complete picture.