Common Traps on the Physics GRE & Chemistry GRE - Verified Traps

Trap 1: The "Memorization Gap"

• The Reality: Physics GRE questions assume you have memorized key formulas—you cannot derive everything from first principles under time pressure.

• The Fix: Create a formula flashcard deck and review it daily. The Case Western physics department offers free flashcards online .

Trap 2: The "No Calculator" Arithmetic Trap

• The Scene: You know the physics, but you mess up the decimal.

• Why It Happens: The physics GRE (like the general test) does not allow calculators. Students today are unpracticed at mental arithmetic .

• The Fix: Practice all calculations by hand during prep. Approximate aggressively.

Trap 3: The "Careless Reading" Trap

• The Scene: You miss a key word like "not" or "except" in a multiple-choice question.

• Why It Happens: Physics students are used to free-response problems where they can show partial credit. The GRE's all-or-nothing format punishes skimming .

• The Fix: Circle or underline negatives in the question stem before looking at answers.

Trap 4: The "Old Test" Mismatch

• The Reality: The physics GRE moved to a computer-based format in Fall 2023 .

• The Trap: Practicing only with old paper-based tests (which had longer problems) may not prepare you for the new format's pacing.

• The Fix: Seek out computer-based practice materials and time yourself strictly.

Chemistry GRE – Traps from Test-Taker Reports (2008-2011)

Note: These are older, but the fundamental content areas haven't changed dramatically. Use with caution.

From detailed test-taker recollections , these traps repeatedly appeared:

Trap 1: The "Unit Notation" Trap

• The Mistake: Confusing "molarity (M)" with "molality (m)" in a calculation.

• The Scene: The test booklet explicitly defines the notation in the front matter, but students skip reading it .

• The Fix: Always glance at the test's introductory information—ETS often hides helpful definitions there.

Trap 2: The "Electron Counting" Trap

• The Scene: A question asks which compound has an unpaired electron.

• The Trap: Students forget to count total valence electrons to check for odd numbers.

• Example: NO₂ has 17 valence electrons (odd), so it has one unpaired electron .

Trap 3: The "Magnetism Material" Confusion

• The Scene: A graph shows magnetic susceptibility rising then peaking then falling with temperature.

• The Trap: Students guess "ferromagnetic" (common answer) when the shape suggests anti-ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic behavior .

• The Fix: Memorize the characteristic curves for different magnetic materials.

Trap 4: The "Syllabus Scope" Trap

• The Observation: Test-takers report that physical chemistry and organic chemistry are the largest sections.

• The Trap: Neglecting p-chem because it's harder.

• The Fix: Allocate study time proportionally—p-chem and organic deserve the most attention.

Trap 5: The "Equation Memorization" Trap

• The Scene: A question asks for the relationship between Cp and Cv.

• The Trap: You know it's something with R, but you forget the exact formula.

• The Fix: For physical chemistry, rote memorization of key equations is non-negotiable