What It Means for Graduate School Applicants The New GRE: What It Means for Graduate School Applicants 1

The Most Sweeping Changes in the GRE’s History The New GRE

Why is the GRE changing? The official word: “Starting August 1, 2011, the GRE® revised General Test will replace the current GRE General Test, giving you the advantage of a better test experience — and new types of questions that help show your readiness for graduate-level work.” - ETS (the GRE Testmaker)

Reading between the lines (the unofficial word) Why is the GRE changing? Reading between the lines (the unofficial word) Question types? Business school? Scoring scale? Lee – Give the background on the GMAT/b-school angle and source our b-school admissions officer report (that way you help show why/how we know this).

Big Change #1: Test Type CURRENT GRE The GRE is currently a computer adaptive test—a “CAT” Adapts question by question Each time you answer a question correctly, you’re given a harder question. Each time you answer a question incorrectly, you’ve given an easier question NEW GRE The Revised GRE will be a Multi-Stage Test—an “MST” Test does not adapt within a section, but rather, performance in the first section determines level of difficulty you’ll see in the next section

Big Change #2: Test Interface & Functionality Unlike the current test, users will be able to move freely within a section From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Big Change #2: Test Interface & Functionality From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Big Change #2: Test Interface & Functionality Four-function calculator with memory, square root and “Transfer Display” options. Calculates up to hundred millions From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Big Change #3: Length of the Test Current GRE Section Number of Questions Allotted Time Analytical Writing (One section, Two timed tasks) One Issue Task, One Argument Task Issue-45 Minutes, Argument 30 Minutes Verbal Reasoning (One section) 30 questions 30 minutes Quantitative Reasoning (One section) 28 questions 45 minutes Unscored Varies Research Total Testing Time: About 3 Hours Revised GRE Section Number of Questions Allotted Time Analytical Writing (One section, Two timed tasks) One Analyze an Issue task and One Analyze an Argument task 30 minutes per task Verbal Reasoning (Two sections) Approximately 20 questions per section 30 minutes per section Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections) 35 minutes per section Unscored Varies Research Total Testing Time: About 4 hours 9

Big Change #4: Scoring Scale CURRENT GRE Scoring for Verbal and Quantitative Sections: 200-800 in ten point increments Verbal and Quant Scores Available immediately after test Official scores available 2-3 weeks from test date NEW GRE Scoring for Verbal and Quantitative Sections: 130-170 in one point increments From August 1, 2011 through the fall: test takers will not receive official scores until late November 2011

Big Change #5 Rules Around Re-Taking the GRE CURRENT GRE You can test every 30 days—once per calendar month, up to six times per year NEW GRE You can test every 60 days—up to five times per year

Big Change #6: Question Types NEW GRE Analytical Writing Verbal Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning

Majority of passages are one paragraph in length Reading Comp About half of the Verbal Reasoning questions on the GRE will be based on passages Majority of passages are one paragraph in length One to six questions per passage

Reading Comp: Single Selection On single answer multiple choice there are five choices From GRE PowerPrep II, www.ets.org/gre

Reading Comp: Multiple Selection On multiple answer multiple choice there are three choices: one, two or all three of which may be correct. From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Cousin of old Sentence Completion questions Text Completion Cousin of old Sentence Completion questions Composed of one to five sentences Can have one, two or three blanks Each blank functions independently No credit for partially correct answers

Text Completion Example – Single Blank From GRE PowerPrep II, www.ets.org/gre

Text Completion Example – Multiple Blanks From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Sentence Equivalence A cousin of the Sentence Completion question type that also tests your knowledge of synonyms Big difference: six choices; exactly two mean nearly the same thing and lead to a complete coherent sentence

Sentence Equivalence Example From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Quantitative Reasoning Four Question Types Quantitative Comparison (same as current GRE) Multiple Choice-Select One Answer (same as current GRE) Multiple Choice-Select One or More Answers Numeric Entry

QC Example From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

MC Select One Answer Example Questions have ovals when a single choice is necessary to solve From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

MC Select One or More Example Questions have boxes when one or more correct choices are possible From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

Numeric Entry Example From GRE PowerPrep II, from www.ets.org/gre

The Six Big Changes Test type Test interface & functionality Length of test Scoring scale Rules around re-taking the GRE Question types 26

Some specifics New GRE test launched August 1, 2011 Registration was discounted 50% for August and September dates only For test takers from August through October/ November 2011, scores will not be available until late-November 2011 By early December, current reporting practices will resume (ie: unofficial Q and V scores day of test, full report ~two weeks later)

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Questions and Answers about the New GRE Q & A