Planning on applying to masters or doctoral programs in English? You’ll probably need to take the GRE Subject Test in Literature in English—more commonly abbreviated to the “Lit GRE”—before you apply, to ensure that you have test scores available to include with your applications. These scores will form a part of your applications and influence the admissions decisions you receive. For this reason, it’s important to do well on the Lit GRE.

But how do you go about doing that? The Lit GRE is notorious for covering the entire English canon, spanning from Beowulf to modern literature. How does a student who has only studied certain aspects of literature begin to contend with this? Well, first of all, too many students approach this test in fear, when they should be grateful that it spans such a wide range of texts, and here’s why: the Lit GRE is designed to test the knowledge of an average English major, and because English curricula are not officially standardized or required to cover certain texts, the test makers are forced to focus on what they think students are most likely to have studied. This translates into identifiable patterns, which you can take advantage when preparing for the exam.

At the end of the day, the Lit GRE still covers an overwhelming amount of material; there’s no getting around that; however, keeping your cool, training yourself to approach the exam with confidence, and devoting an appropriate amount of time to studying can help you succeed on the GRE Subject Test in Literature in English.

So, what’s tested, and how should you study it? Let’s approach each of those questions separately. The GRE Subject Test in Literature is composed of around 230 multiple-choice questions about literature in English; there is no essay component, and you’re never asked to write short answers. Take heart in that the answer is in front of you somewhere; you just have to pick it out. Some of the exam does ask you to identify authors, titles, and dates of works, but this is not the majority of the exam; only about 15–20% of the test’s questions fall into this category. The biggest category to contend with is Literary Analysis, which makes up about half (40–55%) of the exam. The rest of the exam is composed of questions about Cultural and Historical Contexts (20–25%) and History and Theory of Literary Criticism (10–15%). If theory isn’t your thing, be happy that it only makes a quick appearance; reviewing the big names, ideas, and movements should be enough to help you do well.

Organized by what is tested instead of what kinds of questions are asked, the exam presents a different picture:

• Continental, Classical, and Comparative Literature through 1925 (5–10%)

• British Literature to 1660 (including Milton) (25–30%)

• British Literature 1660–1925 (25–30%)

• American Literature through 1925 (15–25%)

• American, British, and World Literatures after 1925 (20–30%)

British literature is the exam’s main focus, followed by American works and World Literatures. Study accordingly.

“But how do I actually study for this test?” you may be wondering. There are a few options. Flashcards have worked extremely well for students in the past, especially if you have found success with this method before to memorize large amounts of information. Because, at the end of the day, while the exam will test your literary analysis skills, a large portion of your score will be determined by whether you can identify which Shakespeare play Dogberry appears in, when Moby *** was published, and which of the presented poets is a Fireside Poet. There are lots of granular details to be absorbed; hence the flashcards. Memorizing famous lines is also a good idea, as allusions will very likely be tested; an example of this would be knowing that Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart takes its title from Yeats’ “The Second Coming.” You should also be familiar with biblical allusions, as well as allusions to Greek and Roman mythology. Beyond the flashcards and blunt memorization, you will likely find that the test is made even more challenging by the fact that very few official practice tests have been released to help students study; however, Varsity Tutors offers free GRE Subject Test in Literature in English Practice Tests to provide material with which to practice. Each Practice Test consists of twelve multiple-choice questions, like those you’ll encounter on the GRE Subject Test in Literature in English, with complete explanations. Questions are also organized by concept, so if you realize that you need to practice biblical allusions or work on your ability to analyze British poetry before 1660, you can focus on doing just that, streamlining your studies. While the Lit GRE may look like one of the most imposing, impossible exams you’ve ever taken, take heart: you can do it. Studying in the right way, with the right tools, can help you get the score you need.