Register for the test. Ideally, you should allow at least three months for preparation.
Make a schedule and stick to it. Plan to study several hours a week, and, if possible, isolate yourself when studying. Sign offline, unplug the television, or go to a library or coffee shop. Clear and focus your mind.
Take advantage of free test preparation materials. Upon registration for the GRE, ETS provides practice questions, tutorials and two free practice tests. There are also free online practice tests and questions available at The Princeton Review and GRE Guide.
Borrow or purchase additional materials. GRE preparation books, software and courses are available online or in bookstores. Barron's, Kaplan, Princeton Review and ETS publish comprehensive GRE books (with DVDs included) for $30 to $40. These include practice questions, test strategies, word lists and practice tests. GRE prep courses are considerably more expensive. The Princeton Review charges $350 to $1150 for online courses, while Kaplan charges $500 to $700. On site and tutoring courses are also available.
Make and use flashcards. Vocabulary is one of the most difficult aspects of the GRE verbal section. You should attempt to learn as many words as possible. Start by reviewing GRE word lists, which are available in most preparation materials and online at Major Tests and GRE Guide. Identify the words you don't know and write them down on index cards, with their definitions on the other side. It is possible to buy flashcards, but making them, while time-consuming, helps you to learn the words. Color coding the cards, by using certain colors of card or ink for words with similar meanings, is effective for some people.
Read critically. When you read a book, article or blog, imagine that there will be reading comprehension questions at the end. Pay close attention to the details and the stages of the author's argument, asking whether it makes sense.
Take practice tests. Put simply, you should take as many practice tests as possible. Analyze each test afterward to identify areas needing improvement. Then, focus a few sessions of intensive study on those areas.