“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” ABC’s of the GRE International Director of Education Brother William L. Powell, Jr. Conclave 2009 New Orleans, Louisiana

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Overview: GRE General Test Designed to measure verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing skills Does not test data/facts specific to any field of study Higher scores usually indicate high probability of success in graduate school Most graduate and professional schools require applicants to take the general test

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Format of the GRE General SectionTime AllowedDescription VariesTutorial 130 minutesVerbal Ability 8-10 Antonyms 6-8 Analogies 5-7 sentence completion 6-10 reading comprehension 245 minutesQuantitative Ability 14 Quantitative Comparison 10 Mathematical problems 4 data interpretation 10 minute break 375 minutes totalAnalytical Writing “Present your Perspective ” task (45 min) “Analyze an Argument” task (30 min)

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Verbal Ability Section Measures effectiveness at problem solving based on command of the English language Contains four types of questions: Antonyms-You are given a word and must choose the best opposite Analogies- Given a pair of words, and you must choose the pair that are related in the same way

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Verbal Ability Section Sentence Completion-Measures the ability to recognize which word(s) best fits a sentence Reading Comprehension-You must be able to read thoroughly for understanding, and answer the questions that follow. There are 4 passages: 2 longer ones with 7-8 questions, and 2 shorter ones, with 3-4 questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Verbal Ability Section –Each passage will be from 4 areas of study (social sciences, humanities, physical and biological sciences) There will also be an unidentified experimental section (possibly a second verbal or quantitative section); it will be 30 minutes in length

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Quantitative Ability Section Designed to measure basic math skills and concepts Does not require any mathematical knowledge beyond the high school level Broadly, this section includes: arithmetic, geometry, data analysis, and algebra

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Quantitative Ability Section 14 of the 28 math questions are Quantitative Comparisons: –There will be two quantities: one in Column A and another in Column B, you must compare them –There are only 4 possible answers: The quantity in Column A is greater The quantity in Column B is greater The two quantities are equal; or The relationship can’t be determined

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Quantitative Ability Section 10 of the 28 questions are Discrete Quantitative questions –You must do the necessary work, get a solution, and find your answer among the choices given –These are standard multiple choice questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Quantitative Ability Section 4 of the questions in this section are Data Interpretation questions –2 questions will be based on one set of data, and two more on a second set –Based on information provided in graphs, charts or tables –You will either have to calculate an answer or make an inference

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Analytical Writing The Issue task – You are to write an essay presenting your point of view on an issue of general concern – Support your position with reasons and examples The Argument task – Critique the reasoning of an argument by clearly pointing out its strengths and weaknesses – Support with reasons and examples

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Frequently Asked Questions Does taking the computer based test differ from a pencil-and-paper test?  On paper, you can skip from question to question in the booklet and erase  You can also write in the booklet, cross out wrong answers, or underline words  On the computer-based test however…

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!”  There is no booklet  Questions appear one at a time on the screen and you must answer and confirm before you can move on  Once you have confirmed an answer, you can’t go back and change it  Questions are not arranged according to type Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Why do some people call the Computer- Based General test a CAT?  CAT stands for Computer-Adaptive test. Unlike a paper test, the questions on your screen will be different from others’  The computer begins by assuming you are an “average” candidate, then determines your next question based on the performance of the previous questions Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Can I tell how well I’m doing by the questions I receive?  Don’t try. It only wastes time and energy  Let the computer keep track, focus on answering the questions and pacing yourself Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Should I guess? YYes, you have to! You won’t know the correct answer to every question YYou can’t skip a question you don’t know the answer to, the computer won’t allow it EEliminate any obvious incorrect choices, and then guess Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” How can I use the process of elimination on a computer-based GRE?  During the un-timed tutorial, take a few minutes to write out a rough, scratch paper answer sheet for each section  Before you guess, cross out any answers on your sheet you know are wrong, then choose from the answers that are left Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” How can I determine the unidentified experimental section?  You can’t. Don’t waste time trying to figure it out.  If you are presented with extra sections, do your best on all of them  Experimental sections do not count, but there is no sure way to tell which one it is Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” When and where can I take the GRE?  You can take the test almost any Monday through Saturday all year round  Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early to get the date you want  November through January are the most popular months  There are a variety of testing sites, and can be found online at Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” How can I register?  If you have a credit card,you can register over the phone or online. This is the fastest way  You can also register by mail - complete the request in the Registration and Information Bulletin. Then mail a check or money order to ETS Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” How and when are GRE scores reported?  The raw score (# correct) is converted to a score on a scale of 200 to 800  You will receive separate scores for verbal and quantitative sections  Score report includes scaled scores and percentile rank  Analytical writing score will be the average of the scores from two readers  Combined score ranges from 0 –6, 6 being the highest Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!”  As soon as you finish, an unofficial scaled score for the verbal and quantitative sections will appear on the screen  You will not receive a score for your writing on the day of the test  An official report containing all three scores should arrive in the mail approximately 3 weeks after the test date Frequently Asked Questions

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Preparing for the Test It is never too early to start studying. Cramming is not an effective method! Become familiar with the types of questions, directions, and overall format of the GRE Schedule the test for your best time of day

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Allow yourself enough time to take the test. GRE Bulletin recommends 4 ½ hrs Be sure you know where your test center is. Do a practice run a week or so before the test Get a good night’s sleep Preparing for the Test

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” On The Test Day Take as much time as you need to go through the tutorials that precede the actual test  The CBT has 4 tutorials: How to use a mouse How to select an answer How to use the testing tools How to Scroll

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” As you go through them, make sure you know all of the directions thoroughly Before you begin the test, take a break Make a scrap answer sheet during the tutorial Keep track of the time On The Test Day

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!” Don’t be consumed by any one question Don’t rush, either. Think before you click Never rush through the first questions of a section Eliminate as many wrong answers as you can Be alert for five minute warnings On The Test Day

“Educational Empowerment: We Are Our Brother’s Keeper!”

William L. Powell Jr. International Director of Education For Further Information: Phone: