Overview of the GRE
As we have all come to
learn, standardized tests seem to be an inevitable part of the admissions
process as we climb from one phase of education to the next. Having braved the
standardized tests for an undergraduate education, it seems almost unfair that
graduate schools should continue torturing students in this fashion. Sadly they
do, and so we include this article in hopes of providing an overview of the most
common graduate school test, the GRE. There is also information on
www.GradSchools.com on the other common graduate school tests. (GMAT, LSAT, MCAT,
TOEFL)
We will focus on the GRE General Test for the
purposes of this article, but be aware that there are also a number of
specialized subject tests (Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science,
Literature in English, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology), which may or may
not be required or suggested by the programs to which you are applying. Always
be careful to know which tests you need to take.
|
The Graduate Record
Examinations (GRE) General Test is a multiple-choice admission test for
applicants to graduate schools. The GRE is a computer-adaptive test
(CAT), and consists of three scored sections: |
|
* Two essays to
be written on the computer: Analysis of an Argument and Analysis of an
Issue (introduced in October 2002) |
|
* One 45-minute,
28-question Math section: Problem Solving and Quantitative Comparison
|
|
* One 30-minute,
30-question Verbal section: Sentence Completions, Antonyms, Analogies,
and Reading Comprehension |
|
In addition, there
may be a marketing survey, or one or two experimental sections, which
can be Verbal or Quantitative. |
It is important to understand what a CAT is
and how it works. A CAT is a computer-adaptive test, whose software calculates
your score based on the number of questions you answer correctly, the difficulty
of the questions you answer, and the number of questions you complete. When you
take the GRE CAT, you'll begin each section with a medium-level question and a
score of 500. If you answer the question correctly, the computer will raise your
score and give you a harder question. If you answer the question incorrectly,
your score will decrease and you'll be given an easier question. The process
repeats for each question in the section, to arrive at your final score for that
section.
Each of the multiple-choice sections is scored
on a scale of 200 to 800. The average scores for the GRE are about 470 for
Verbal and 570 for Quantitative. The Analytical Writing section is scored on a
scale of 0 to 6.
Many students want to know how important the
GRE will be in determining their entrance into the school of their choice. It
really depends on the school. Some schools view them as a necessary but minor
part of the process while other schools place a much heavier emphasis on the
scores. You can probably determine this by talking to the schools themselves and
studying their admissions requirements. Either way, however, it is important to
keep in mind that your scores are a major factor in determining eligibility for
financial aid.
|
