GRE Physics Subject Test study plan

Derive and apply Newton's laws to constrained systems, including inclined planes, pulleys, and friction cases, until each setup can be solved in under three minutes.

Solve central-force problems by writing the effective potential and identifying stable circular orbits and turning points.

Work rotational dynamics problems using moment of inertia, angular momentum conservation, and rolling-without-slipping conditions.

Set up and solve simple harmonic oscillator equations for springs, pendulums, and physical pendulums including damping regimes.

Apply Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations to obtain equations of motion for two- and three-degree-of-freedom systems.

Solve collision and impulse problems in one and two dimensions, distinguishing elastic from inelastic outcomes.

Compute electric field and potential for continuous charge distributions using Gauss's law and direct integration.

Analyze capacitor networks and dielectrics, calculating equivalent capacitance and stored energy.

Apply the Biot-Savart law and Ampere's law to wires, loops, and solenoids, and compute magnetic forces on moving charges.

Use Faraday's and Lenz's law to determine induced EMF and current direction in changing-flux geometries.

Solve DC and RC circuit problems using Kirchhoff's rules, including steady-state and transient behavior.

Analyze LC and driven RLC circuits qualitatively and quantitatively, identifying resonance conditions.

Solve geometric optics problems with mirrors and thin lenses using the lens equation and magnification, including multi-element systems.

Apply interference and diffraction conditions for double slits, gratings, and thin films, computing fringe positions and phase shifts.

Use the Schrodinger equation for infinite square wells and harmonic oscillators to find energy eigenvalues and normalized wavefunctions.

Compute expectation values and uncertainties from wavefunctions and from Dirac notation operators.

Apply angular momentum quantization, spin, and addition of angular momentum to determine allowed quantum numbers.

Solve tunneling and barrier problems using transmission coefficients and exponential decay of the wavefunction.

Analyze hydrogenic energy levels and spectra, including fine structure and selection rules for transitions.

Explain the photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, and blackbody radiation quantitatively, computing photon energies and threshold frequencies.

Apply the first and second laws of thermodynamics to cyclic processes, computing work, heat, and efficiency for Carnot and Otto cycles.

Use entropy and free energy to determine spontaneity and equilibrium conditions in ideal-gas processes.

Derive and apply Maxwell-Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac, and Bose-Einstein distributions to simple systems such as two-level and ideal-gas models.

Solve time dilation, length contraction, and Lorentz transformation problems, and compute relativistic energy and momentum.

Identify appropriate measurement techniques and estimate uncertainties for common lab setups, including error propagation and significant figures.

Describe the operation of detectors, oscilloscopes, and interferometers and predict their output for given inputs.

Apply specialized-topic methods such as Fourier analysis, statistical distributions, and basic solid-state or nuclear models to short problems.

Review boundary-condition and symmetry arguments that shortcut specialized-topic questions.

Complete two full-length timed practice tests under exam conditions and record per-domain accuracy.

Re-solve every missed question from weeks 1-7 without notes, checking that the method is reproducible.

Drill the highest-frequency formula families in mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics for speed.

Finalize a test-day strategy covering question triage, time per question, and guessing rules for a five-option multiple-choice format.