Graduate Record Examinations: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Standardized tests}} |
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'''Graduate Record Examination''' or '''GRE''' is a commercially run [[standardized test]] that is an admission requirement for many [[graduate school]]s principally in the [[United States]], but also in other English speaking countries. Created and administered by [[Educational Testing Service]] (or ETS) in 1949,<ref>[http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=L7CZ9n7TH1wtX2NDndzLxl9rQ6HFLLNDrKj2595y7hTz6NzKnCTX!289183844?docId=5006090031 Alternative Admissions and Scholarship Selection Measures in Higher Education.]</ref> the exam is primarily focused on testing [[abstract thinking]] skills in the areas of mathematics, vocabulary, and analytical writing. The GRE is typically a computer-based exam that is administered by select qualified testing centers; however, paper-based exams are offered in areas of the world that lack the technological requirements. |
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{{redirect|GRE}} |
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{{Use American English|date=November 2015}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2015}} |
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{{Infobox examination |
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| name = Record Examination: General Test |
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| image_name = GRE logo 2024.svg |
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| image_size = |
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| image_alt = |
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| caption = Logo used since 2024 |
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| acronym = GRE |
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| type = Computer-based or paper-based standardized test |
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| test_admin = [[Educational Testing Service]] |
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| year_started = {{Start date and age|1936}} |
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| year_terminated = |
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| skills_tested = Analytical writing, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning. |
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| purpose = Admissions to master's and doctoral degree programs in various universities |
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| duration = 1 hour and 58 minutes<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/test-structure.html|title=GRE General Test Structure}}</ref> |
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| score_range = Analytical writing: 0.0 to 6.0 (in 0.5-point increments), <br /> Verbal reasoning: 130 to 170 (in 1-point increments), <br /> Quantitative reasoning: 130 to 170 (in 1-point increments). |
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| score_validity = 5 years |
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| offered = Computer-based test: Multiple times a year (depends on availability of the test center) <br /> |
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Paper-based test: Up to 3 times a year in October, November and February<ref name="ets.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/|title=GRE Revised General Test: About the GRE revised General Test|website=Ets.org}}</ref> |
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| attempt_restriction = Computer-based test: Can be taken only once after 21 days from the day of exam in every year. Maximum of 5 times a year. (Applies even if candidate cancels scores on a test taken previously.)<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/centers_dates?WT.ac=grehome_grecenterdates_130807|title=GRE Revised General Test: Test Centers and Dates|website=Ets.org}}</ref> <br /> |
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Paper-based test: Can be taken as often as it is offered.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> |
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| regions = About 1,000 test centers in more than 160 countries<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/|title=Registration, Test Centers and Dates|website=Ets.org}}</ref> |
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| language = English |
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| test_takers = {{decrease}} 319,101 (T.Y. 2021-22)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/pdfs/gre/snapshot.pdf|title=A Snapshot of the Individuals Who Took GRE General Test}}</ref> |
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| prerequisite = No official prerequisite. Intended for bachelor's degree graduates and undergraduate students who are about to graduate. Fluency in English assumed. |
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| fee = US$ 205<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/fees/|title=GRE Revised General Test: Fees|website=Ets.org|access-date=December 28, 2013|archive-date=February 23, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223034813/http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/fees|url-status=dead}}</ref><br /> |
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(Limited offers of "Fee Reduction Program" for U.S. citizens or resident aliens who demonstrate financial need, and for national programs in United States that work with underrepresented groups.<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/fees/reductions/|title=GRE Revised General Test: Fee Reduction Program|website=Ets.org}}</ref>) |
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| score_users = Most graduate schools in USA, and in a few other countries |
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| qualification_rate = |
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| free_label = |
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| free = |
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| website = {{URL|www.ets.org/gre}} |
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| footnotes = |
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}} |
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The '''Graduate Record Examinations''' ('''GRE''') is a [[standardized test]] that is part of the admissions process for many [[graduate school]]s<ref>[http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre_0910_online_bulletin.pdf ''GRE Registration and Information Bulletin''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228213153/http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre_0910_online_bulletin.pdf |date=December 28, 2009 }}</ref> in the United States and Canada<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/exams/ielts/tests-that-make-you-eligible-for-canadian-universities|title=Tests that make you eligible for Canadian universities {{!}} shiksha.com|website=studyabroad.shiksha.com|access-date=2019-09-18}}</ref> and a few other countries. The GRE is owned and administered by [[Educational Testing Service]] (ETS).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=L7CZ9n7TH1wtX2NDndzLxl9rQ6HFLLNDrKj2595y7hTz6NzKnCTX!289183844?docId=5006090031|title='Alternative Admissions and Scholarship Selection Measures in Higher Education. (Assessment in Action)' by Sedlacek, William E. - Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, Vol. 35, Issue 4, January 2003|website=|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=June 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627005204/http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=L7CZ9n7TH1wtX2NDndzLxl9rQ6HFLLNDrKj2595y7hTz6NzKnCTX!289183844?docId=5006090031|url-status=dead}}</ref> The test was established in 1936 by the [[Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching]].<ref name="wilkesbarremisericordiasophomores"/> |
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In the graduate school admissions process, the level of emphasis that is placed upon GRE scores varies widely between schools and even departments within schools. The importance of a GRE score can range from being an important selection factor to being a mere admission formality. |
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According to ETS, the GRE aims to measure [[verbal reasoning]], [[Mathematics|quantitative reasoning]], analytical writing, and [[critical thinking]] skills that have been acquired over a long period of learning. The content of the GRE consists of certain specific data analysis or interpretation, arguments and reasoning, [[algebra]], geometry, [[arithmetic]], and vocabulary sections. The GRE General Test is offered as a computer-based exam administered at testing centers and institution owned or authorized by [[Prometric]]. In the graduate school admissions process, the level of emphasis that is placed upon GRE scores varies widely among schools and departments. The importance of a GRE score can range from being a mere admission formality to an important selection factor. |
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Critics of the GRE have argued that the exam format is so rigid that it effectively tests only how well a student can conform to a standardized test taking procedure.<ref>[[Princeton Review]], ''Cracking the GRE, 2007 edition'' p. 19 # ISBN 0375765514, ISBN 978-0375765513. 2006</ref> ETS responded by announcing plans in 2006 to radically redesign the test structure starting in the fall of 2007; however, the company has since announced, "Plans for launching an entirely new test all at once were dropped, and ETS decided to introduce new question types and improvements gradually over time." The new questions have been gradually introduced since November 2007.<ref>''[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=8fc9a1d64ffd3110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD GRE General Test to Include New Questions]''</ref> |
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The GRE was significantly overhauled in August 2011, resulting in an exam that is adaptive on a section-by-section basis, rather than question by question, so that the performance on the first verbal and math sections determines the difficulty of the second sections presented (excluding the experimental section). Overall, the test retained the sections and many of the question types from its predecessor, but the scoring scale was changed to a 130 to 170 scale (from a 200 to 800 scale).<ref name="ets.org1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/|title=GRE Revised General Test: Scores|website=Ets.org}}</ref> |
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In the United States and Canada, the cost of the general test is [[USD|$]]150 as of May 1, 2009, although ETS will reduce the fee under certain circumstances. They are promoting financial aid to those GRE applicants who prove economic hardship <ref> MBA Channel: [http://www.mba-channel.com/channel/article/gre-wharton/ "GRE:Wharton joins the club"] 31 July 2009</ref>. ETS erases all test records that are older than 5 years, although graduate program policies on the admittance of scores older than 5 years will vary. |
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The cost to take the test is [[US$]]205,<ref name="ReferenceB"/> although ETS will reduce the fee under certain circumstances.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> It also provides financial aid to GRE applicants who prove economic hardship.<ref>MBA Channel: [http://www.mba-channel.com/channel/article/gre-wharton/ "GRE:Wharton joins the club"] 31 July 2009</ref> ETS does not release scores that are older than five years, although graduate program policies on the acceptance of scores older than five years will vary. |
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==Structure== |
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{{Cleanup|date=July 2008}} |
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The exam consists of four sections. The first section is a writing section, while the other three are multiple-choice style. One of the multiple choice style exams will test [[English language|verbal]] skills, another will test [[quantitative property|quantitative]] skills and a third exam will be an experimental section that is not included in the reported score. Test takers do not know which of the three multiple-choice sections is the experimental section. The entire test procedure takes about 4 hours.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure GRE Test Content]</ref> |
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Once almost universally required for admission to [[Ph.D.]] science programs in the U.S., its use for that purpose has fallen precipitously.<ref name="drop-in-use">{{cite web|title=GRExit gains momentum as Ph.D. programs drop exam requirement|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/gre-exit-gains-momentum-ph-d-programs-drop-exam-requirement-amid-pandemic|orig-date=November 29, 2022|access-date=December 2, 2022|work=[[Science (journal)|Science]]}}</ref> |
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===Analytical writing section=== |
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The analytical writing section consists of two different essays, an "issue task" and an "argument task". The writing section is graded on a scale of 0-6, in half-point increments. The essays are written on a computer using a word processing program specifically designed by ETS. The program allows only basic computer functions and does not contain a spell-checker or other advanced features. Each essay is scored by at least two readers on a six-point [[holism#Education reform|holistic]] scale. If the two scores are within one point, the average of the scores is taken. If the two scores differ by more than a point, a third reader examines the response. |
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==History== |
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The Graduate Record Examinations was "initiated in 1936 as a joint experiment in higher education by the graduate school deans of four [[Ivy League]] universities and the [[Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching]]."<ref name="wilkesbarremisericordiasophomores">{{cite news|title=Misericordia Sophomores Take Graduate Record Tests|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396100933/?terms=%22Graduate%2BRecord%2BExaminations%22|access-date=May 29, 2018|work=Wilkes-Barre Times Leader|location=Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|date=March 25, 1949|page=10|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=registration |quote=Graduate Record Examination project was initiated in 1936 as a joint experiment in higher education by the graduate school deans of four eastern universities and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. [...] Until the Educational Testing Service was established in January, 1948, the Graduate Record Examination remained a project of the Carnegie Foundation.}}</ref> |
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The first universities to experiment with the test on their students were [[Harvard University]], [[Yale University]], [[Princeton University]] and [[Columbia University]].<ref name="iowacityrecordsare"/> The [[University of Wisconsin]] was the first public university to ask their students to take the test in 1938.<ref name="wisconsinstateuwdistinguished">{{cite news|title=U.W. Distinguished By Selection For Requirement|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/397344363/?terms=%22graduate%2Brecord%2Bexamination%22|access-date=May 29, 2018|work=Wisconsin State Journal|location=Madison, Wisconsin|date=November 19, 1938|page=9|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=registration }}</ref> It was first given to students at the [[University of Iowa]] in 1940, where it was analyzed by psychologist [[Dewey Stuit]].<ref name="iowacityrecordsare">{{cite news|title=Records Are Being Made. Examinations Are Being Given to Graduates of University.|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/364145766/?terms=%22graduate%2Brecord%2Bexamination%22|access-date=May 29, 2018|work=Iowa City Press-Citizens|date=January 8, 1941}}</ref> It was first taken by students at [[Texas Tech University]] in 1942.<ref name="lubbockrepresentatives">{{cite news|title=Representatives of Carnegie Foundation Visits Texas Tech|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/8531839/?terms=%22graduate%2Brecord%2Bexamination%22|access-date=May 29, 2018|work=Lubbock Morning Avalanche|location=Lubbock, Texas|date=February 20, 1942|page=8|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=registration }}</ref> In 1943, it was taken by students at [[Michigan State University]], where it was analyzed by [[Paul Dressel]].<ref name="lansingstudentstaking">{{cite news|title=Students Taking Tests For Degrees. College Seniors, Facing Immediate Induction Into Armed Services Qualify.|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/206722035/?terms=%22graduate%2Brecord%2Bexamination%22|access-date=May 29, 2018|work=Lansing State Journal|location=Lansing, Michigan|date=April 11, 1943|page=5|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|url-access=registration }}</ref> It was taken by over 45,000 students applying to 500 colleges in 1948.<ref name="wilkesbarremisericordiasophomores"/> |
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"Until the [[Educational Testing Service]] was established in January, 1948, the Graduate Record Examination remained a project of the Carnegie Foundation."<ref name="wilkesbarremisericordiasophomores"/> |
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=== 2011 revision === |
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In 2006, ETS announced plans to make significant changes in the format of the GRE. Planned changes for the revised GRE included a longer testing time, a departure from computer-adaptive testing, a new grading scale, and an enhanced focus on reasoning skills and critical thinking for both the quantitative and qualitative sections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/testprep/testprep.asp?TPRPAGE=880&TYPE=GRE|title=Comparison Chart of GRE Changes|website=Princetonreview.com|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-date=June 18, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618012728/http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/testprep/testprep.asp?TPRPAGE=880&TYPE=GRE|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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On April 2, 2007, ETS announced the decision to cancel plans for revising the GRE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=e9e8b524b40b1110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=dd2d253b164f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD|title=ETS Home|website=Ets.org|access-date=April 2, 2007|archive-date=September 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923032608/http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=e9e8b524b40b1110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=dd2d253b164f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD|url-status=dead}}</ref> The announcement cited concerns over the ability to provide clear and equal access to the new test after the planned changes as an explanation for the cancellation. The ETS stated, however, that they did plan "to implement many of the planned test content improvements in the future", although specific details regarding those changes were not initially announced. |
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Changes to the GRE took effect on November 1, 2007, as ETS started to include new types of questions in the exam. The changes mostly centered on "fill in the blank" type answers for the mathematics section that requires the test-taker to fill in the blank directly, without being able to choose from a multiple choice list of answers. ETS announced plans to introduce two of these new types of questions in each quantitative section, while the majority of questions would be presented in the regular format.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=8fc9a1d64ffd3110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD|title=ETS Home|website=Ets.org|access-date=September 19, 2007|archive-date=July 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723212717/http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=8fc9a1d64ffd3110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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Since January 2008, the Reading Comprehension within the verbal sections has been reformatted, passages' "line numbers will be replaced with highlighting when necessary in order to focus the test taker on specific information in the passage" to "help students more easily find the pertinent information in reading passages."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=fbf8d69b413f6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD |title=Revisions to the Computer-based GRE General Test in 2008 |access-date=2008-01-18 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822044424/http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=fbf8d69b413f6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD |archive-date=August 22, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> |
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In December 2009, ETS announced plans to move forward with significant revisions to the GRE in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/education/06gre.html|title=A New Look for Graduate Entrance Test|date=December 6, 2009|work=The New York Times}}</ref> Changes include a new 130–170 scoring scale, the elimination of certain question types such as antonyms and analogies, the addition of an online calculator, and the elimination of the CAT format of question-by-question adjustment, in favor of a section by section adjustment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general_institutions/|title=GRE Revised General Test: For Institutions|website=Ets.org|access-date=December 15, 2009|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026135008/https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general_institutions|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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====Issue task==== |
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The test taker will be able to choose between two topics upon which to write an essay. The time allowed for this essay is 45 minutes.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure GRE Test Content]</ref> |
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On August 1, 2011, the Revised GRE General test replaced General GRE test. The revised GRE is said to be better by design and provides a better test taking experience. The new types of questions in the revised format are intended to test the skills needed in graduate and business schools programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/faq/|title=GRE Revised General Test: Frequently Asked Questions|website=Ets.org}}</ref> From July 2012 onwards GRE announced an option for users to customize their scores called ScoreSelect.<ref>{{cite web|title=GRE Score Select |url=http://gre.learnhub.com/lesson/21133-gre-announces-scoreselect-option-july-2012-onwards |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525092734/http://gre.learnhub.com/lesson/21133-gre-announces-scoreselect-option-july-2012-onwards |archive-date=May 25, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> |
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====Argument task==== |
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The test taker will be given an "argument" and will be asked to write an essay that critiques the argument. Test takers are asked to consider the argument´s logic and to make suggestions about how to improve the logic of the argument. The time allotted for this essay is 30 minutes.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure GRE Test Content]</ref> |
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===Before October 2002=== |
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The earliest versions of the GRE tested only for verbal and quantitative ability. For a number of years before October 2002, the GRE had a separate Analytical Ability section which tested candidates on logical and analytical reasoning abilities. This section was replaced by the Analytical Writing Assessment.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2002-03-26|title=Essay now an option on GRE's|url=http://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/essay-now-option-gres/|access-date=2021-11-25|website=The Michigan Daily|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=E. Powers|first=Donald|url=https://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RR-86-40-Powers.pdf|title=TEST PREPARATION FOR THE GRE ANALYTICAL ABILITY MEASURE: DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS FOR SUBGROUPS OF GRE TEST TAKERS|publisher=Educational Testing Service|date=November 1986}}</ref> |
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==Structure== |
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The computer-based GRE General Test consists of six sections. The first section is always the analytical writing section involving separately timed issue and argument tasks. The next five sections consist of two [[English language|verbal reasoning]] sections, two [[quantitative property|quantitative reasoning]] sections, and either an experimental or research section. These five sections may occur in any order. The experimental section does not count towards the final score but is not distinguished from the scored sections. Unlike the computer adaptive test before August 2011, the GRE General Test is a [[Multistage testing|multistage test]], where the examinee's performance on earlier sections determines the difficulty of subsequent sections, using a technique known as [[computer-adaptive testing]]. This format allows the examined person to freely move back and forth between questions within each section, and the testing software allows the user to "mark" questions within each section for later review if time remains. The entire testing procedure lasts about 3 hours 45 minutes.<ref name="GRE Test Content">{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure|title=ETS Home|website=Ets.org|access-date=September 19, 2007|archive-date=May 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514074815/http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=GRE-scoring>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/how/|title=GRE Revised General Test: How the Test is Scored|website=Ets.org}}</ref> One-minute breaks are offered after each section and a 10-minute break after the third section. |
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The paper-based GRE General Test also consists of six sections. The analytical writing is split up into two sections, one section for each issue and argument task. The next four sections consist of two verbal and two quantitative sections in varying order. There is no experimental section on the paper-based test. |
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===Verbal section=== |
===Verbal section=== |
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The computer-based [[English language|verbal]] sections assess reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and vocabulary usage. The verbal test is scored on a scale of 130–170, in 1-point increments. (Before August 2011, the scale was 200–800, in 10-point increments.) In a typical examination, each verbal section consists of 20 questions to be completed in 30 minutes.<ref name="GRE Test Content"/> Each verbal section consists of about 6 text completion, 4 sentence equivalence, and 10 critical reading questions. The changes in 2011 include a reduced emphasis on rote vocabulary knowledge and the elimination of antonyms and analogies. Text completion items have replaced sentence completions and new reading question types allowing for the selection of multiple answers were added. |
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One graded multiple-choice section is always a [[English language|verbal]] section, consisting of [[analogies]], [[antonyms]], sentence completions, and [[Reading Comprehension|reading comprehension]] passages. Multiple-choice response sections are graded on a scale of 200-800, in 10-point increments. This section primarily tests vocabulary, and average scores in this section are substantially lower than those in the quantitative section.<ref>PowerScore GRE Preparation. Retrieved February 4, 2007, from [http://www.powerscore.com/gre/scoringscale.htm PowerScore GRE Preparation].</ref> In a typical examination, this section may consist of 30 questions, and 30 minutes may be allotted to complete the section.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure GRE Test Content]</ref> |
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===Quantitative section=== |
===Quantitative section=== |
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The computer-based [[mathematics|quantitative]] sections assess knowledge and reasoning skills taught in most [[Mathematics]] and [[Statistics]] courses in [[secondary school]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/content/quantitative-reasoning.html|title=Overview of the Quantitative Reasoning Measure|access-date=2024-08-23}}</ref> The quantitative test is scored on a scale of 130–170, in 1-point increments (Before August 2011 the scale was 200–800, in 10-point increments). In a typical examination, each quantitative section consists of 20 questions to be completed in 35 minutes.<ref name="GRE Test Content"/> Each quantitative section consists of about 8 quantitative comparisons, 9 problem solving items, and 3 data interpretation questions. The changes in 2011 include the addition of numeric entry items requiring the examinee to fill in the blank and multiple-choice items requiring the examinee to select multiple correct responses.<ref>{{citationm .,m /./.,|last=Weiner-Green|first=Sharon|last2=Wolf|first2=Ira K|title=Barron's How to Prepare for the GRE|edition= 17|year=2009|page=9|publisher=Barron's Educational Series|isbn=0-7641-7471-1}}</ref> |
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The [[mathematics|quantitative]] section, the other multiple-choice section, consists of problem solving and quantitative comparison questions that test high-school level mathematics. Multiple-choice response sections are graded on a scale of 200-800, in 10-point increments. In a typical examination, this section may consist of 28 questions, and test takers may be given 45 minutes to complete the section.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure GRE Test Content]</ref> |
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* [[Arithmetic]]: |
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** [[Integer]], [[Divisibility rule]], [[Integer factorization]], [[Prime number]], [[Remainder]], [[Parity (mathematics)|Parity]] |
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** [[Exponentiation]], [[nth root]] |
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** [[Estimation]], [[Percentage]], [[Ratio]], [[Rate (mathematics)|Rate]], [[Absolute value]], [[Number line]], [[Decimal representation]], [[Sequence]] |
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* [[Algebra]]: |
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** [[Operation (mathematics)|Operation]] |
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** [[Factorization]], [[Expression (mathematics)|Expression]] |
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** [[Relation (mathematics)|Relation]], [[Function (mathematics)|Function]], [[Equation]], [[Inequality (mathematics)|Inequality]] |
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** [[Equation solving]], [[Linear equation]], [[Quadratic equation]] |
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** [[System of linear equations]] |
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** [[Analytic geometry]], [[Graph of a function]], [[Zero of a function]], [[Y-intercept]], [[Slope]] |
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* [[Geometry]]: |
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** [[Parallel (geometry)|Parallel]], [[Perpendicular]] |
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** [[Circle]] |
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** [[Triangle]], [[Isosceles triangle]], [[Equilateral triangle]], [[Special right triangle]] |
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** [[Quadrilateral]], [[Polygon]] |
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** [[Congruence (geometry)|Congruence]], [[Similarity (geometry)|Similarity]] |
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** [[Polyhedron]] |
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** [[Area]], [[Perimeter]], [[Volume]] |
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** [[Pythagorean theorem]] |
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** [[Angle]], [[Degree (angle)|Degree]] |
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* [[Data analysis]]: |
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** [[Statistics]], [[Mean]], [[Median]], [[Mode (statistics)|Mode]], [[Range (statistics)|Range]], [[Standard deviation]], [[Interquartile range]], [[Quartile]], [[Percentile]] |
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** [[Line chart]], [[Bar chart]], [[Pie chart]], [[Box plot]], [[Scatter plot]], [[Frequency (statistics)|Frequency]] |
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** [[Probability]], [[Independence (probability theory)|Independence]] |
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** [[Conditional probability]] |
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** [[Random variable]], [[Probability distribution]], [[Normal distribution]] |
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** [[Counting method]], [[Combination]], [[Permutation]], [[Venn diagram]] |
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=== |
===Analytical writing section=== |
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The analytical writing section consists of two different essays, an "issue task" and an "argument task". The writing section is graded on a scale of 0–6, in half-point increments. The essays are written on a computer using a word processing program specifically designed by ETS. The program allows only basic computer functions and does not contain a spell-checker or other advanced features. Each essay is scored by at least two readers on a six-point [[Holistic grading|holist scale]]. If the two scores are within one point, the average of the scores is taken. If the two scores differ by more than a point, a third reader examines the response. |
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The experimental section, which can be either a verbal, quantitative, or analytical writing task, contains new questions that ETS is considering for future use. Although the experimental section does not count toward the test-taker's score, it is unidentified and appears identical to the real (scored) part of the test. As test takers have no clear way of knowing which section is experimental, they are forced to complete this section, or risk seriously damaging their final scores.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=0a51d2b54c0c5010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=6236e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD#Computer_Based_General_Test_Content_and_Structure GRE Test Content]</ref> |
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====Issue Task==== |
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If the experimental section appears as an analytical writing question (essay), if an "issue" type question is presented, a choice between two topics will not be given. This coupled with the fact that the true analytical writing section is the first test given can help the test-taker to deduce which is the experimental section and the taker can thus lower the importance of that section.{{fact|date=January 2009}} |
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The test taker is given 30 minutes to write an essay about a selected topic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing|title=GRE Revised General Test: Analytical Writing|website=Ets.org}}</ref> Issue topics are selected from a pool of questions, which the GRE Program has published in its entirety. Individuals preparing for the GRE may access the pool of tasks on the ETS website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/content/analytical-writing.html|title=GRE General Test: Analytical Writing "Issue" Task Topics|website=Ets.org}}</ref> |
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====Argument Task==== |
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==Scoring== |
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The test taker will be given an argument (i.e. a series of facts and considerations leading to a conclusion) and asked to write an essay that critiques the argument. Test takers are asked to consider the argument's logic and to make suggestions about how to improve the logic of the argument. Test takers are expected to address the logical flaws of the argument and not provide a personal opinion on the subject. The time allotted for this essay is 30 minutes.<ref name="GRE Test Content"/> The Arguments are selected from a pool of topics, which the GRE Program has published in its entirety. Individuals preparing for the GRE may access the pool of tasks on the ETS website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/test-takers/general-test/prepare/content/analytical-writing.html|title=GRE General Test: Analytical Writing "Argument" Task Topics|website=Ets.org}}</ref> |
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====Computerized adaptive testing==== |
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The common (Verbal and Quantitative) multiple-choice portions of the exam currently use [[computer-adaptive testing]] (CAT) methods that automatically change the difficulty of questions as the test taker proceeds with the exam, depending on the number of correct or incorrect answers that are given. The test taker is not allowed to go back and change the answers to previous questions, and some type of answer must be given before the next question is presented. |
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===Experimental section=== |
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The first question that is given in a multiple-choice section is considered to be an "average level" question that half of the GRE test takers will answer correctly. If the question is answered correctly, then subsequent questions become more difficult. If the question is answered incorrectly, then subsequent questions become easier, until a question is answered correctly.<ref>[[Princeton Review]], ''Cracking the GRE, 2007 edition'' p. 19 # ISBN 0375765514, ISBN 978-0375765513. 2006 </ref> This approach to administration yields scores that are of similar accuracy while using approximately half as many items.<ref>Weiss, D.J., & Kingsbury, G.G.(1984). Application of computerized adaptive testing to educational problems. ''Journal of Educational Measurement, 21'', 361-375.</ref> However, this effect is moderated with the GRE because it has a fixed length; true CATs are variable length, where the test will stop itself once it has zeroed in on a candidate's ability level. |
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The experimental section, which can be either verbal or quantitative, contains new questions ETS is considering for future use. Although the experimental section does not count towards the test-taker's score, it is unidentified and appears identical to the scored sections. Because test takers have no definite way of knowing which section is experimental, it is typically advised that test takers try their best and be focused on every section. Sometimes an identified research section at the end of the test is given instead of the experimental section.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/content/|title=GRE General Test: Test Content and Structure|website=Ets.org|access-date=October 30, 2010|archive-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529204024/http://www.ets.org/gre/general/about/content/|url-status=dead}}</ref> There is no experimental section on the paper-based GRE.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The official guide to the GRE general test|publisher=McGraw-Hill Education|others=Educational Testing Service|year=2016|isbn=9781259862410|edition= 3rd|location=New York|oclc=966680085}}</ref> |
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==Scoring== |
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The actual scoring of the test is done with [[item response theory]] (IRT). While CAT is associated with IRT, IRT is actually used to score non-CAT exams. The GRE subject tests, which are administered in the traditional paper-and-pencil format, use the same IRT scoring algorithm. The difference that CAT provides is that items are dynamically selected so that the test taker only sees items of appropriate difficulty. Besides the [[psychometric]] benefits, this has the added benefit of not wasting the examinee's time by administering items that are far too hard or easy. This occurs in fixed-form testing. |
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An examinee can miss one or more questions on a multiple-choice section and still receive a perfect score of 170. Likewise, even if no question is answered correctly, 130 is the lowest possible score.<ref name="ets.org1"/> Verbal and quantative reasoning scores are given in one-point increments, and analytical writing scores are given in half-point increments on a scale of 0 to 6.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What is a Good GRE Score?|url=https://www.princetonreview.com/grad-school-advice/good-gre-scores|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.princetonreview.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=GRE Scores - What is a Good Score?|url=https://www.test-guide.com/what-is-a-good-gre-score.html|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.test-guide.com|language=en-GB}}</ref> |
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===Scaled score percentiles=== |
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An examinee can miss one or more questions on a multiple-choice section and still receive a perfect score of 800. Likewise, even if no question is answered correctly, 200 is the lowest score possible.<ref>http://www.eduers.com/gre/exam.htm</ref> |
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The percentiles for the current General test and the concordance with the prior format<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/concordance_information.pdf |title= Concordance Information |website= Ets.org |access-date= 29 May 2018 |archive-date= December 9, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201209120430/https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/concordance_information.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> are as follows. According to interpretive data published by ETS, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018 about 2 million people have taken the test. Based on performance of individuals the mean and standard deviation of verbal section were 150.24 and 8.44. Whereas, mean and standard deviation for quantitative section were 153.07 and 9.24. Analytical writing has a mean of 3.55 with a standard deviation of 0.86.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/understand/|title=Understanding Your GRE General Test Scores (For Test Takers)|website=www.ets.org|access-date=2019-10-11}}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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====Scaled score percentiles==== |
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! Scaled score !! Verbal reasoning percentile !! Verbal prior scale !! Quantitative reasoning percentile !! Quantitative prior scale |
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The percentiles of the current test are as follows:<ref>GRE: Guide to the Use of Scores 2007-08. Retrieved October 25, 2007, from [http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/994994.pdf Guide to the Use of Scores 2007-08].</ref> |
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|- |
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{| class="prettytable" |
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| 170 || 99 || 760–800 || 96 || 800 |
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! Scaled score !! Verbal Reasoning % !! Quantitative Reasoning % |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 169 || 99 || 740–750 || 94 || 800 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 168 || 98 || 720–730 || 92 || 800 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 167 || 98 || 710 || 89 || 800 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 166 || 97 || 700 || 87 || 800 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 165 || 96 || 680–690 || 85 || 790 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 164 || 94 || 660–670 || 83 || 790 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 163 || 92 || 650 || 80 || 780 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 162 || 90 || 630–640 || 78 || 770 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 161 || 88 || 620 || 75 || 770 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 160 || 85 || 600–610 || 72 || 760 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 159 || 82 || 590 || 69 || 750 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 158 || 79 || 570–580 || 65 || 740 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 157 || 75 || 560 || 62 || 730 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 156 || 72 || 540–550 || 59 || 720 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 155 || 67 || 530 || 55 || 700–710 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 154 || 63 || 510–520 || 51 || 690 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 153 || 59 || 500 || 48 || 680 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 152 || 53 || 480–490 || 44 || 660–670 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 151 || 50 || 460–470 || 40 || 640–650 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 150 || 45 || 450 || 36 || 630 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 149 || 40 || 430–440 || 33 || 610–620 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 148 || 36 || 420 || 29 || 590–600 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 147 || 32 || 410 || 25 || 570–580 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 146 || 28 || 390–400 || 22 || 550–560 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 145 || 25 || 380 || 18 || 530–540 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 144 || 22 || 370 || 15 || 500–520 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 143 || 19 || 350–360 || 13 || 480–490 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 142 || 16 || 340 || 11 || 460–470 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 141 || 14 || 330 || 9 || 430–450 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 140 || 11 || 320 || 7 || 400–420 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 139 || 9 || 310 || 6 || 380–390 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 138 || 8 || 300 || 4 || 350–370 |
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|- |
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| 137 || 6 || 290 || 3 || 330–340 |
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|- |
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| 136 || 5 || 280 || 3 || 300–320 |
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|- |
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| 135 || 4 || 280 || 2 || 280–290 |
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|- |
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| 134 || 3 || 270 || 1 || 260–270 |
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|- |
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| 133 || 2 || 260 || 1 || 240–250 |
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|- |
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| 132 || 2 || 250 || <1 || 220–230 |
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|- |
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| 131 || 1 || 240 || <1 || 200–210 |
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|- |
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| 130 || <1 || 200–230 || <1 || 200 |
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|} |
|} |
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[[File:GRE revised General Test - candidate distribution by field.png|thumb|450 px|Field-wise distribution of takers of GRE revised General Test.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide_table1a.pdf|title=GRE Guide Table|website=Ets.org|access-date=29 May 2018}}</ref>]] |
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{| class=" |
{| class="wikitable" |
||
! Analytical Writing score !! Writing % |
! Analytical Writing score !! Writing % Below |
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|- |
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| 6 || 96 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 6 || 99 |
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|- |
|- |
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| 5 || |
| 5.5 || 98 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 5 || 92 |
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|- |
|- |
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| 4 || |
| 4.5 || 81 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 4 || 57 |
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|- |
|- |
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| 3 || |
| 3.5 || 39 |
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|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 3 || 15 |
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|- |
|- |
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| 2 || |
| 2.5 || 7 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 2 || 2 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 1 || |
| 1.5 || 1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| 1 || <1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| 0.5 || <1 |
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|} |
|} |
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"Field-wise distribution" of test takers is "limited to those who earned their college degrees up to two years before the test date." ETS provides no score data for "non-traditional" students who have been out of school more than two years, although its own report "RR-99-16" indicated that 22% of all test takers in 1996 were over the age of 30. |
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==GRE Subject Tests== |
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In addition to the General Test, there are also three GRE Subject Tests testing knowledge in the specific areas of [[GRE Mathematics Test|Mathematics]], [[GRE Physics Test|Physics]], and [[GRE Psychology Test|Psychology]]. The length of each exam is 170 minutes. |
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In the past, subject tests were also offered in the areas of Computer Science, Economics, Revised Education, Engineering, English Literature, French, Geography, Geology, German, History, Music, Political Science, Sociology, Spanish, and [[GRE Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Test|Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1987.tb00208.x|title=The GRE Subject Test Performance of U.S. and Non-U.S. Examinees 1982–1984: A Comparative Analysis|first=Kenneth M. |last=Wilson|journal=ETS Research Report Series|volume=1987|issue=1|page=16}}</ref> In April 1998, the Revised Education and Political Science exams were discontinued. In April 2000, the History and Sociology exams were discontinued; with Economics, Engineering, Music, and Geology being discontinued in April 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.physicsgre.com/engineering-gre.shtml |title=Engineering GRE - Engineering Subject Test |access-date=2006-01-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060110144952/http://www.physicsgre.com/engineering-gre.shtml |archive-date=January 10, 2006 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The Computer Science exam was discontinued after April 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/computer_science |title=GRE: Computer Science Test |access-date=January 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102210256/http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/computer_science |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology was discontinued in December 2016. The [[GRE Biology Test]] and [[GRE Literature in English Test]] tests were discontinued in May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About the GRE Subject Tests (For Test Takers)|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/|access-date=2021-07-01|website=www.ets.org}}</ref> The [[GRE Chemistry Test]] was discontinued in May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GRE Subject Test to be Computer Delivered |url=https://www.ets.org/gre/score-users/subject-test-changes.html |access-date=2023-04-02 |website=www.ets.org}}</ref> |
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==Use in admissions== |
==Use in admissions== |
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Many graduate schools in English-speaking countries (especially in the United States) require GRE results as part of the admissions process. The GRE is a standardized test intended to measure the abilities of all graduates in tasks of general academic nature, regardless of their fields of specialization. The GRE is supposed to measure the extent to which [[undergraduate]] education has developed an individual's verbal and quantitative skills in [[abstract thinking]]. |
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Many graduate schools in the United States require GRE results as part of the admissions process. The GRE is a standardized test intended to measure all graduates' abilities in tasks of general academic nature (regardless of their fields of specialization) and the extent to which [[undergraduate]] education has developed their verbal skills, quantitative skills, and [[abstract thinking]]. |
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Unlike other standardized admissions tests (such as the [[SAT]], [[Law School Admission Test|LSAT]], and [[MCAT]]), the use and weight of GRE scores vary considerably not only from school to school, but from department to department, and from program to program too. Programs in liberal arts topics may only consider the applicant's verbal score to be of interest, while mathematics and science programs may only consider quantitative ability; however, since most applicants to mathematics, science, or engineering graduate programs all have high quantitative scores, the verbal score can become a deciding factor even in these programs. Admission to graduate schools depends on a complex mix of several different factors. Schools see letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, GPA, GRE score etc.<ref> Mission GRE'' Mission GRE offers GRE tests and admission prediction tool'' </ref> Some schools use the GRE in admissions decisions, but not in funding decisions; others use the GRE for the selection of scholarship and fellowship candidates, but not for admissions. In some cases, the GRE may be a general requirement for graduate admissions imposed by the university, while particular departments may not consider the scores at all. Graduate schools will typically provide information about how the GRE is considered in admissions and funding decisions, and the average scores of previously admitted students. The best way to find out how a particular school or program evaluates a GRE score in the admissions process is to contact the person in charge of graduate admissions for the specific program in question (and not the graduate school in general). |
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Programs that involve significant expository writing require the submission of a prepared writing sample that is considered more useful in determining writing ability than the analytical writing section; however, the writing scores of foreign students are sometimes given more scrutiny and are used as an indicator of overall comfort with and mastery of conversational English. |
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In addition to GRE scores, admission to graduate schools depends on several other factors, such as [[Grading in education|GPA]], letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gsas.harvard.edu/admissions/apply|title=Apply - Harvard University - The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences|website=Gsas.harvard.edu|access-date=May 29, 2018}}</ref> Furthermore, unlike other standardized admissions tests (such as the [[SAT]], [[Law School Admission Test|LSAT]], and [[MCAT]]), the use and weight of GRE scores vary considerably not only from school to school, but also from department to department and program to program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.howtogetintograduateschool.com/gre/grad-school-with-low-gre-scores/|title=You CAN Get Into Grad School With Low GRE Scores - academical.|date=June 19, 2016|website=Howtogetintograduateschool.com|access-date=May 29, 2018}}</ref> For instance, most business schools and economics programs require very high GRE or GMAT scores for entry, while engineering programs are known to allow more score variation. Liberal arts programs may only consider the applicant's verbal score, while mathematics and science programs may only consider quantitative ability. Some schools use the GRE in admissions decisions, but not in funding decisions; others use it for selection of scholarship and fellowship candidates, but not for admissions. In some cases, the GRE may be a general requirement for graduate admissions imposed by the university, while particular departments may not consider the scores at all.<ref>{{cite web|title=How Admission Committees Use GRE Scores|url=http://www.educaidtutoring.com/how-admission-committees-use-gre-scores|publisher=Educaid Tutoring|access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> Graduate schools will typically provide the average scores of previously admitted students and information about how the GRE is considered in admissions and funding decisions. In some cases, programs have hard cut off requirements for the GRE; for example, the Yale Economics PhD program requires a minimum quantitative score of 160 to apply.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://economics.yale.edu/graduate/application-info|title=Application Information : Department of Economics|website=economics.yale.edu|access-date=May 29, 2018}}</ref> The best way to ascertain how a particular school or program evaluates a GRE score in the admissions process is to contact the person in charge of graduate admissions for the specific program in question. |
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== GRE Subject Tests == |
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In addition to the General Test, there are also eight GRE Subject Tests testing knowledge in the specific areas of [[GRE Biochemistry Test|Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology]], [[GRE Biology Test|Biology]], [[GRE Chemistry Test|Chemistry]], [[GRE Computer Science Test|Computer Science]], [[GRE Literature in English Test|Literature in English]], [[GRE Mathematics Test|Mathematics]], [[GRE Physics Test|Physics]], and [[GRE Psychology Test|Psychology]]. In the past, subject tests were also offered in the areas of Economics, Revised Education, Engineering, Geology, History, Music, Political Science, and Sociology. In April 1998, the Revised Education and Political Science exams were discontinued. In April 2000, the History and Sociology exams were discontinued, and the other four were discontinued in April 2001.[http://www.physicsgre.com/engineering-gre.shtml] |
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In February 2016, the [[University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law]] became the first law school to accept either the GRE or the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) from all applicants.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://law.arizona.edu/arizona-law-school-gre|title=UA Becomes First Law School to Open Admissions to All GRE® Test Takers after Study Reveals Test Validity|date=2016-02-10|work=University of Arizona Law|access-date=2017-04-27|language=en|archive-date=April 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428052113/https://law.arizona.edu/arizona-law-school-gre|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/lsats-grip-on-law-school-admissions-loosens-1455964203|title=LSAT's Grip on Law-School Admissions Loosens|last=Randazzo|first=Sara|date=2016-02-22|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2017-04-27|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/business/dealbook/law-schools-acceptance-of-gre-test-scores-provokes-tussle.html|title=Law School's Acceptance of GRE Test Scores Provokes Tussle|last=Olson|first=Elizabeth|date=2016-05-05|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-04-27|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The college made the decision after conducting a study showing that the GRE is a valid and reliable predictor of students' first-term law school grades. |
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== GRE and GMAT == |
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[[GMAT]] (The Graduate Management Admission Test) is a computer adaptive standardized test in mathematics and the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate '''business''' studies. |
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'''Business schools''' commonly use the test as one of many selection criteria for admission into an MBA program. However, there are many business schools that also accept GRE scores. |
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In the spring of 2017, Harvard Law School announced it was joining University of Arizona Law in accepting the GRE in addition to the LSAT from applicants to its three-year J.D. program.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://today.law.harvard.edu/gre/|title=In pilot program, Harvard Law will accept GRE for admission - Harvard Law Today|work=Harvard Law Today|access-date=2017-03-10}}</ref> |
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The following are criteria of certain business schools: |
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After a trial cycle of GRE–free admissions for Fall 2021, [[University of California, Berkeley]] voted to drop the GRE requirement for most graduate program admissions for Fall 2022 as well.<ref name=ucb>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2021/09/30/most-graduate-programs-at-the-university-of-california-berkeley-will-not-require-the-gre-this-year |title=Most University Of California At Berkeley Graduate Programs Will Not Require The GRE This Year |date=30 September 2021 |work=[[Forbes]] |first=Michael |last=Nietzel}}</ref> [[University of Michigan, Ann Arbor]] shortly followed announcing that they would drop the GRE requirements for Ph.D. admissions beginning with the 2022–23 admissions cycle.<ref name=mich>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2022/02/25/university-of-michigan-to-drop-gre-for-phd-admissions |title=University Of Michigan To Drop GRE For Ph.D. Admissions |date=25 February 2022 |work=[[Forbes]] |first=Michael |last=Nietzel}}</ref> By late 2022, the trend had intensified.<ref name=drop-in-use/> |
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*U Penn-Wharton School: Official test scores for the GMAT or GRE tests. |
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*Stanford: Finance - The GRE is preferred, although the GMAT will be accepted. |
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*NYU-Stern School: The GMAT is strongly prefered, but scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will also be accepted. |
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*U Chicago: For Economics - the GRE is required. For Finance - the GRE is preferred; GMAT is acceptable. For all other areas - the GRE or the GMAT are accepted. |
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*Berkeley-Haas: Without exception, all applicants to the Haas Ph.D. Program must submit official scores of either the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Examination. |
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===MBA=== |
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In comparison with GMAT's emphasis on logic, GRE measures the test-takers' ability more in vocabulary. This difference is reflected in the structure of each test. Despite the Analytical Writing section in common, GRE has analogies, antonyms, sentence completions, and reading comprehension passages in Verbal section, while GMAT has sentence correction, critical reasoning and reading comprehension. |
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GRE score can be used for taking admission in MBA in foreign colleges. |
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Also, higher mathematical ability is required in GMAT to get a good score. |
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The GRE is more appealing to international MBA students and applicants from a non-traditional background.<ref> MBA Channel: [http://www.mba-channel.com/channel/article/gre-wharton/ "GRE: Wharton joins the club"] 31 July 2009</ref> |
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The [[GMAT]] (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a computer-adaptive standardized test in mathematics and the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. |
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==Preparation== |
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Business schools commonly use the test as one of many selection criteria for admission into an [[MBA]] program. Starting in 2009, many business schools began accepting the GRE in lieu of a GMAT score. Policies varied widely for several years. However, as of the 2014–2015 admissions season, most business schools accept both tests equally. Either a GMAT score or a GRE score can be submitted for an application to an MBA program. Business schools also accept either score for their other (non-MBA) Masters and Ph.D. programs. |
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A variety of resources are available for those wishing to prepare for the GRE. Upon registration, ETS provides preparation software called PowerPrep, which contains two practice tests of retired questions, as well as further practice questions and review material. Since the software replicates both the test format and the questions used, it can be useful to predict the actual GRE scores. ETS does not license their past questions to any other company, making them the only source for official retired material. ETS used to publish the "BIG BOOK" which contained a number of actual GRE questions; however, this publishing was abandoned. Several companies provide courses, books and other unofficial preparation materials. |
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The primary issue on which business school test acceptance policies vary is in how old a GRE or GMAT score can be before it is no longer accepted. The standard is that scores cannot be more than 5 years old (e.g., [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton]],<ref>[http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/application-requirements.cfm#a6 "Application Requirements: The Wharton MBA Program"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703165630/http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/admissions/application-requirements.cfm#a6 |date=July 3, 2013 }} 9 May 2013</ref> [[MIT Sloan School of Management|MIT Sloan]],<ref>[http://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/apply-here/instructions/?admissions/applicationinstructions.php "MIT Sloan Application Instructions"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620212611/http://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/apply-here/instructions/?admissions%2Fapplicationinstructions.php |date=June 20, 2013 }} 9 May 2013</ref> [[Columbia Business School]]<ref>[https://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/applynow/apprequirements#GMAT "Columbia Business School MBA Program Application Requirements"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511012212/http://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/mba/admissions/applynow/apprequirements |date=May 11, 2013 }} 9 May 2013</ref>). |
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ETS has claimed that content of the GRE is "un-coachable"; however, many test preparation companies like Kaplan, Princeton Review, IMS Learning Resources, VISU etc |
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claim that the test format is so rigid that familiarizing oneself with the test's organization, timing, specific foci, and the use of [[process of elimination]] is the best way to increase a GRE score.<ref> [[Princeton Review]], ''Cracking the GRE, 2007 edition'' p. 19 # ISBN 0375765514, ISBN 978-0375765513. 2006 </ref> |
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=== Intellectual clubs === |
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==Testing locations== |
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Some GRE scores (usually pre-2002 ones) are accepted as qualifying evidence to [[High-IQ society|intellectual clubs]] such as [[Intertel]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Intertel - Join us|url=https://www.intertel-iq.org/join-us|access-date=2021-05-08|website=www.intertel-iq.org}}</ref> [[Mensa International|Mensa]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Qualifying test scores|url=https://www.us.mensa.org/join/testscores/qualifying-test-scores/|access-date=2021-05-08|website=American Mensa|language=en}}</ref> and the [[Triple Nine Society]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Test Scores|url=http://www.triplenine.org/HowtoJoin/TestScores.aspx|access-date=2021-05-08|website=www.triplenine.org}}</ref> the minimum passing score depending on the selectivity of the society and the time period when the test was taken. Intertel accepts scores in the 99th percentile{{How|date=July 2021|title=The GRE doesn't have a combined percentile - do they mean the verbal or quant? 170 maps to a percentile of 96 in quant...}} obtained after 2011, while Mensa and TNS do not accept any score post-September 2001. |
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While the general and subject tests are held at many undergraduate institutions, the computer-based general test is only held at test centers with appropriate technological accommodations. Students in major cities in the United States, or those attending large U.S. universities, will usually find a nearby test center, while those in more isolated areas may have to travel a few hours to an urban or university location. Many industrialized countries also have test centers, but at times test-takers must cross country borders. |
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== |
==Preparation== |
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A variety of resources are available for those wishing to prepare for the GRE. ETS provides preparation software called PowerPrep, which contains two practice tests of retired questions, as well as further practice questions and review material. Since the software replicates both the test format and the questions used, it can be useful to predict the actual GRE scores. ETS does not license their past questions to any other company, making them the only source for official retired material. ETS used to publish the "BIG BOOK" which contained a number of actual GRE questions; however, this publishing was abandoned. Several companies provide courses, books, and other unofficial preparation materials. |
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A meta-analysis of the GRE's validity in predicting graduate school success found a correlation of .3 to .4 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA. The correlation between GRE score and graduate school completion rates ranged from .11 (for the now defunct analytical section) to .39 (for the GRE subject test).<ref>http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/lindsay/teaching/499/readings/kuncel.pdf</ref> |
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Some students taking the GRE use a [[test preparation]] company. Students who do not use these courses often rely on material from university text books, GRE preparation books, sample tests, and free web resources. |
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However, a lack of correlation appears when the analysis is extended to review of the literature in the past, and such a review appeared in a 1985 issue of the journal Research in Higher Education. Over eighty pages in length, it is one of the most exhaustive literature reviews on the question of test validity. The author Leonard Baird focused on studies completed between 1966 and 1984, reported in any of nineteen highly regarded scholarly journals. In study after study many of the reported correlation coefficients were zero or near zero, and some studies even showed significant negative coefficients. Most striking, many of these negative correlations appear in the studies concerning the relationship between test scores and the number of publications and citations for graduates of PhD programs. For instance: "Clark and Centra studied two samples of doctoral recipients… The resulting sample consisted of 239 chemists, 142 historians, and 221 psychologists, all of whom had at least one GRE score. In chemistry, the correlation of number of articles and book chapters with GRE-verbal was -.02; with GRE-quantitative it was -.01; and with GRE-advanced it was .15… For all historians, these correlations were -.24, -.14, and .00. For all psychologists, the correlations were -.05, -.02, and .02. Clark and Centra also examined the distribution of number of publications by GRE scores. The distributions were essentially flat, with no particular trend. In fact, the largest number of publications was reported by the lowest scoring groups in all three fields." <ref>Leonard L. Baird, "Do Grades and Tests Predict Adult Accomplishment?" Research in Higher Education 23, no. 1, 1985, page 25.</ref> |
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==Testing locations== |
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However, it should be noted that the GRE has been substantially revised since the publication of this 1985 study. Moreover, the GRE does not claim to predict lifetime professional success. It is designed to correlate with graduate school factors, as mentioned previously. |
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While the general and subject tests are held at many undergraduate institutions, the computer-based general test can be held in over 1000 locations<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register|title=GRE General Test Registration (For Test Takers)}}</ref> with appropriate technological accommodations. In the United States, students in major cities or from large universities will usually find a nearby test center, while those in more isolated areas may have to travel a few hours to an urban or university location. Many industrialized countries also have test centers, but at times test-takers must cross country borders. |
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==Criticism== |
==Criticism== |
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Test takers complain about the strict test center rules. For instance, test takers may not use pens or bring their own scrap paper. Paper and pencils are provided at the testing center. Food and drink are prohibited in the test centers, as well as chewing gum. Personal items such as jackets and hats are subject to inspection. |
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===Bias=== |
===Bias=== |
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Critics have claimed that the computer-adaptive methodology may discourage some test takers, because the question difficulty changes with performance.{{Fact|date=January 2009}} For example, if the test-taker is presented with remarkably easy questions half way into the exam, they may infer that they are not performing well, which will influence their abilities as the exam continues, even though question difficulty is subjective. By contrast standard testing methods may discourage students by giving them more difficult items earlier on. |
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====Algorithmic bias==== |
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Critics have also stated that the computer-adaptive method of placing more weight on the first several questions is biased against test takers who typically perform poorly at the beginning of a test due to stress or confusion before becoming more comfortable as the exam continues.<ref>"[http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/4597/ Testing service cancels February GRE]"</ref> Of course standard fixed-form tests could equally be said to be "biased" against students with less testing stamina since they would need to be approximately twice the length of an equivalent computer adaptive test to obtain a similar level of precision.<ref>Weiss, D.J., & Kingsbury, G.G.(1984). Application of computerized adaptive testing to educational problems. ''Journal of Educational Measurement, 21'', 361-375.</ref> |
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Critics have claimed that the computer-adaptive methodology may discourage some test takers since the question difficulty changes with performance.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/faq/|title = GRE Revised General Test: Frequently Asked Questions}}</ref> For example, if the test-taker is presented with remarkably easy questions halfway into the exam, they may infer that they are not performing well, which will influence their abilities as the exam continues, even though question difficulty is subjective. By contrast, standard testing methods may discourage students by giving them more difficult items earlier on. |
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The GRE has also been subjected to the same racial bias criticisms that have been lodged against other admissions tests. In 1998, the ''Journal of Blacks in Higher Education'' noted that the mean score for black test-takers in 1996 was 389 on the verbal section, 409 on the quantitative section, and 423 on the analytic, while white test-takers averaged 496, 538, and 564, respectively.<ref>"Estimating the Effect a Ban on Racial Preferences Would Have on African- American Admissions to the Nation's Leading Graduate Schools." ''The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education'', No. 19. (Spring, 1998), pp. 80–82.</ref> Note that simple mean score differences do not constitute evidence of bias unless the populations are known to be equal in ability, and insisting that group score difference are direct evidence of a bad test is an extreme position.<ref>The Achievement Gap: Test |
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Bias or School Structures? National Association of Test Directors 2004 Symposia [http://natd.org/natddocs/2004Proceedings.pdf]</ref> A more effective, accepted, and empirical approach is the analysis of differential test functioning, which examines the differences in [[item response theory]] curves for subgroups; the best approach for this is the DFIT framework. <ref>Oshima, T. C., & Morris, S. B. (2008). Raju's Differential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT). ''Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice'', 27(3), 43-50.</ref> |
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Critics have also stated that the computer-adaptive method of placing more weight on the first several questions is biased against test takers who typically perform poorly at the beginning of a test due to stress or confusion before becoming more comfortable as the exam continues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/4597/ |title=Testing service cancels February GRE |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017112548/http://dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/4597/ |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> On the other hand, standard fixed-form tests could equally be said to be "biased" against students with less testing stamina since they would need to be approximately twice the length of an equivalent computer adaptive test to obtain a similar level of precision.<ref name="WeissKingsbury1984">{{cite journal |author1-link=David J. Weiss |last1=Weiss |first1=D. J. |last2=Kingsbury |first2=G. G. |year=1984 |title=Application of computerized adaptive testing to educational problems |journal=Journal of Educational Measurement |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=361–375 |doi=10.1111/j.1745-3984.1984.tb01040.x }}</ref> |
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There is also a bias towards those students who have the financial resources to take privately owned test-taking classes. These classes do typically result in better scores;{{Fact|date=November 2008}} including many companies and tutors who focus on how to use the test's format to one's advantage. |
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====Implicit bias==== |
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===Weak predictor of graduate school performance=== |
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The GREs are criticized for not being a true measure of whether a student will be successful in graduate school. |
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The GRE has also been subjected to the same racial bias criticisms that have been lodged against other admissions tests. In 1998, ''[[The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education]]'' noted that the mean score for black test-takers in 1996 was 389 on the verbal section, 409 on the quantitative section, and 423 on the analytic, while white test-takers averaged 496, 538, and 564, respectively.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Estimating the Effect a Ban on Racial Preferences Would Have on African- American Admissions to the Nation's Leading Graduate Schools |journal=The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education |volume=19 |issue= 19|year=1998 |pages=80–82 |doi=10.2307/2998926 |jstor=2998926 }}</ref> The National Association of Test Directors Symposia in 2004 stated a belief that simple mean score differences may not constitute evidence of bias unless the populations are known to be equal in ability.<ref>The Achievement Gap: Test |
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While the verbal section tests vocabulary and verbal reasoning, the vocabulary employed is not specifically relevant to any particular area of study, and (in the case of [[analogy|analogies]] and [[antonym]]s) is presented without context. The quantitative portion of the test covers topics that are far too elementary for any program in the fields of mathematics or science, as well as being irrelevant for the study of most liberal arts topics. The Analytic Writing section (derived from ETS' unpopular Writing Assessment Test) may be less useful in assessing writing ability than a prepared writing sample, or than a "personal statement" or "[[statement of purpose]]" relevant to the appropriate field (which is also required for admissions by many programs). |
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Bias or School Structures? National Association of Test Directors 2004 Symposia {{cite web |url=http://natd.org/natddocs/2004Proceedings.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-11-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731133209/http://natd.org/natddocs/2004Proceedings.pdf |archive-date=July 31, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> A more effective, accepted, and empirical approach is the analysis of differential test functioning, which examines the differences in [[item response theory]] curves for subgroups; the best approach for this is the DFIT framework.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Oshima |first1=T. C. |last2=Morris |first2=S. B. |year=2008 |title=Raju's Differential Functioning of Items and Tests (DFIT) |journal=Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=43–50 |doi= 10.1111/j.1745-3992.2008.00127.x}}</ref><!-- And what does the DFIT say about the black-white differences in scores? --> |
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===Weak indicator of graduate school performance=== |
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Robert Sternberg of [[Tufts University]] found that the GRE general test was weakly predictive of success in graduate studies in psychology. The weak predictability may be related to the mathematics portion of the GRE general test because a good foundation of mathematics is important in understanding advanced statistics. However, in some branches of psychology, the application of statistics is only a small part. |
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The GREs are criticized for not being a true measure of whether a student will be successful in graduate school. [[Robert Sternberg]] (now of [[Cornell University]];<ref name="news.cornell.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/01/robert-sternberg-joins-human-ecology-faculty-feb-1|title=Robert Sternberg joins Human Ecology faculty Feb. 1 - Cornell Chronicle|website=www.news.cornell.edu}}</ref> working at [[Yale University]] at the time of the study), a long-time critic of modern intelligence testing in general, found the GRE general test was weakly predictive of success in graduate studies in psychology.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sternberg |first1=R. J. |last2=Williams |first2=W. M. |year=1997 |title=Does the Graduate Record Examination predict meaningful success in the graduate training of psychology? A case study |journal=American Psychologist |volume=52 |issue= 6|pages=630–641 |url=http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Aug97/GRE.study.ssl.html |doi=10.1037/0003-066x.52.6.630}}</ref> The strongest relationship was found for the now-defunct analytical portion of the exam. |
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The mathematical portion of the GRE general test is the only area of the GRE general test that may have predictive ability in the natural sciences. The natural sciences require a strong foundation in mathematics for success in both core courses and in statistical analysis related to research. However, it is not clear whether the GRE accurately assesses mathematical skills required for success in graduate school. |
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The ETS published a report ("What is the Value of the GRE?") that points out the predictive value of the GRE on a student's index of success at the graduate level.<ref>http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/ |
The ETS published a report ("What is the Value of the GRE?") that points out the predictive value of the GRE on a student's index of success at the graduate level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre_0809_value_of_gre.pdf|title=Value of GRE|website=Ets.org|access-date=29 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611000114/http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre_0809_value_of_gre.pdf|archive-date=June 11, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The problem with earlier studies is the statistical phenomenon of restriction of range. A [[correlation]] coefficient is sensitive to the range sampled for the test. Specifically, if only students accepted to graduate programs are studied (in Sternberg & Williams and other research), the relationship is occluded. Validity coefficients range from .30 to .45 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA in ETS' study.<ref name="Kuncel2001" /> |
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Kaplan and Saccuzzo state that the criterion that the GRE best predicts is first-year grades in graduate school. However, this correlation is only in the high tens to low twenties. "If the test correlates with a criterion at the .4 level, then it accounts for 16% of the variability in that criterion, with the other 84% resulting from unknown factors and errors"<ref>Kaplan, R. M. & Saccuzzo, D. P. (2009). Psychological testing: Principles, applications, and issues. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth</ref> (p. 303). Graduate schools may be placing too much importance on standardized tests rather than on factors that more fully account for graduate school success, such as a thesis-requiring [[Honours degree]], prior research experience, GPAs, or work experience. While graduate schools do consider these areas, many times schools will not consider applicants that score below a current score of roughly 314 (1301 prior score). Kaplan and Saccuzzo also state that "the GRE predict[s] neither clinical skill nor even the ability to solve real-world problems" (p. 303). |
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===Historical susceptibility to cheating=== |
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In May of 1994, [[Kaplan, Inc]] warned ETS, in hearings before a New York legislative committee, that the small question pool available to the computer-adaptive test made it vulnerable to cheating. ETS assured investigators that it was using multiple sets of questions and that the test was secure. This was later discovered to be incorrect.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/28/us/giant-of-exam-business-keeps-quiet-on-cheating.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all</ref> |
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In 2007, a study by a university found a correlation of .30 to .45 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA. The correlation between GRE score and graduate school completion rates ranged from .11 (for the now defunct analytical section) to .39 (for the GRE subject test). Correlations with faculty ratings ranged from .35 to .50.<ref name="Kuncel2001">{{cite journal |last1=Kuncel |first1=N. R. |last2=Hezlett |first2=S. A. |last3=Ones |first3=D. S. |year=2001 |title=A comprehensive meta-analysis of the predictive validity of the Graduate Record Examination: Implications for graduate student selection and performance |journal=Psychological Bulletin |volume=127 |issue=1 |pages=162–181 |url=http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/lindsay/teaching/499/readings/kuncel.pdf |doi=10.1037/0033-2909.127.1.162 |pmid=11271753 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927112933/http://web.uvic.ca/psyc/lindsay/teaching/499/readings/kuncel.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> |
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In December of 1994, prompted by student reports of recycled questions, former Director of GRE Programs for Kaplan, Inc and current CEO of [[Knewton]], Jose Ferreira led a team of 22 staff members deployed to 9 U.S. to cities to take the exam. Kaplan, Inc then presented ETS with 150 questions, representing 70-80% of the GRE.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/16/us/computer-admissions-test-found-to-be-ripe-for-abuse.html?scp=1&sq=Ripe%20for%20abuse&st=cse</ref> According to early news releases, ETS appeared grateful to Stanley H. Kaplan, Inc for identifying the security problem. However, on December 31, ETS sued Kaplan, Inc for violating a federal electronic communications privacy act, copyright laws, break of contract and fraud, and a confidentiality agreement signed by test-takers on test day. <ref>http://articles.latimes.com/1995-01-01/news/mn-15369_1_educational-testing-service</ref> On January 2, 1995, an agreement was reached out of court. |
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===Historical susceptibility to cheating=== |
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Additionally, in 1994, the scoring algorithm for the computer-adaptive form of the GRE was discovered to be insecure. ETS acknowledged that Kaplan, Inc employees, led by Jose Ferreira, reverse-engineered key features of the GRE scoring algorithms. The researchers found that a test taker’s performance on the first few questions of the exam had a disproportionate effect on the test taker’s final score. To preserve the integrity of scores, ETS revised its scoring and uses a more sophisticated scoring algorithm. |
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In May 1994, [[Kaplan, Inc]] warned ETS, in hearings before a New York legislative committee, that the small question pool available to the computer-adaptive test made it vulnerable to cheating. ETS assured investigators that it was using multiple sets of questions and that the test was secure. This was later discovered to be incorrect.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/28/us/giant-of-exam-business-keeps-quiet-on-cheating.html | work=The New York Times | title=Giant of Exam Business Keeps Quiet on Cheating | first1=Douglas | last1=Frantz | first2=Jon | last2=Nordheimer | date=September 28, 1997 | access-date=April 2, 2010}}</ref> |
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In December 1994, prompted by student reports of recycled questions, then Director of GRE Programs for Kaplan, Inc and current CEO of [[Knewton]], Jose Ferreira, led a team of 22 staff members deployed to 9 U.S. cities to take the exam. Kaplan, Inc then presented ETS with 150 questions, representing 70–80% of the GRE.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/16/us/computer-admissions-test-found-to-be-ripe-for-abuse.html | work=The New York Times | title=Computer Admissions Test Found to Be Ripe for Abuse | date=December 16, 1994 | access-date=April 2, 2010}}</ref> According to early news releases, ETS appeared grateful to Stanley H. Kaplan, Inc. for identifying the security problem. However, on December 31, ETS sued Kaplan, Inc. for violation of a federal electronic communications privacy act, copyright laws, breach of contract, fraud, and a confidentiality agreement signed by test-takers on test day.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-01-mn-15369-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Educational Testing Service Sues Exam-Coaching Firm | first=Bettina | last=Boxall | date=January 1, 1995 | access-date=May 4, 2010}}</ref> On January 2, 1995, an agreement was reached out of court. |
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==Plans for the revised GRE== |
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Additionally, in 1994, the scoring algorithm for the computer-adaptive form of the GRE was discovered to be insecure. ETS acknowledged that Kaplan, Inc employees, led by Jose Ferreira, reverse-engineered key features of the GRE scoring algorithms. The researchers found that a test taker's performance on the first few questions of the exam had a disproportionate effect on the test taker's final score. To preserve the integrity of scores, ETS adopted a more sophisticated scoring algorithm. |
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In 2006, ETS announced plans to enact significant changes in the format of the GRE. Planned changes for the revised GRE included a longer testing time, a departure from computer-adaptive testing, a new grading scale, and an enhanced focus on reasoning skills and critical thinking for both the quantitative and qualitative sections.<ref>[http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/testprep/testprep.asp?TPRPAGE=880&TYPE=GRE Comparison Chart of GRE Changes]</ref> |
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==See also== |
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On April 2, 2007, ETS announced the decision to cancel plans for revising the GRE.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=e9e8b524b40b1110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=dd2d253b164f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD Plans for the Revised GRE Cancelled]</ref> The announcement cited concerns over the ability to provide clear and equal access to the new test after the planned change as an explanation for the cancellation. They did state, however, that they do plan "to implement many of the planned test content improvements in the future", although exact details regarding those changes have not yet been announced. |
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* [[List of admissions tests]] |
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'''GRE Subject Tests:''' |
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Changes to the GRE took effect on November 1, 2007, as ETS started to include new types of questions in the exam. The changes mostly center on "fill in the blank" type answers for both the mathematics and vocabulary sections that require the test-taker to fill in the blank directly, without being able to choose from a multiple choice list of answers. ETS currently plans to introduce two of these new types of questions in each quantitative or vocabulary section, while the majority of questions will presented in the regular format.<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=8fc9a1d64ffd3110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD GRE General Test to Include New Question Types in November]</ref> |
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* [[GRE Mathematics Test]] |
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* [[GRE Physics Test]] |
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* [[GRE Psychology Test]] |
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'''Discontinued GRE Subject Tests:''' |
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On January 2008, the Reading Comprehension within the verbal sections has been reformatted, passages' "line numbers will be replaced with highlighting when necessary in order to focus the test taker on specific information in the passage" to "help students more easily find the pertinent information in reading passages."<ref>[http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.c988ba0e5dd572bada20bc47c3921509/?vgnextoid=fbf8d69b413f6110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=bf8146f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD Revisions to the Computer-based GRE General Test in 2008]</ref> |
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* [[GRE Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Test]] discontinued December 2016<ref name="discontinued">{{cite web | url=https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about | title=About the GRE Subject Tests (For Test Takers) }}</ref> |
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* [[GRE Biology Test]] discontinued May 2021<ref name="discontinued"/> |
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* [[GRE Chemistry Test]] discontinued May 2023<ref name="discontinued"/> |
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* [[GRE Economics Test]] discontinued April 2001<ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.studentprogress.org/gre/history/| title= History of GRE Test: When, Why and Who Created the GRE Exam| access-date=2023-12-17}}</ref> |
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* [[GRE Literature in English Test]] discontinued May 2021<ref name="discontinued"/> |
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'''Other tests:''' |
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==GRE prior to October 2002== |
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* [[Law School Admission Test]] (LSAT) |
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Prior to October 2002, the GRE had a separate Analytical Ability section which tested candidates on logical and analytical reasoning abilities. This section has now been replaced by the Analytical Writing portion. |
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* [[Medical College Admission Test]] (MCAT) |
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* [[Graduate Management Admission Test]] (GMAT) |
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* [[Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering]] (GATE) |
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* [[SAT]] |
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* [[ACT (test)]] |
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* [[Test of English as a Foreign Language]] (TOEFL) |
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* [[International English Language Testing System]] (IELTS) |
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== |
==References== |
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{{ |
{{Reflist}} |
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==See also== |
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* [[List of admissions tests]] |
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* [[Business School]] |
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* [[Graduate school]] |
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* [[Law School]] |
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* [[Medical School]] |
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* [[SAT]] |
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* [[ACT (test)]] |
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* [[LSAT]] |
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* [[MCAT]] |
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* [[GMAT]] |
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* [[TOEFL]] |
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* [[Licensure]] |
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* [[Master's degree]] |
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* [[Doctorate degree]] |
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* [[First professional degree]] |
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* [[Professional degree]] |
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* [[Terminal degree]] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* |
* {{Official website|http://www.ets.org/gre}} |
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* [https://gre.etest.net.cn/login.do?lang=en_US GRE information website for residents of Mainland China, English version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108205246/https://gre.etest.net.cn/login.do?lang=en_US |date=November 8, 2017 }} - by the Chinese [[National Education Examinations Authority]]<!--Not linked from the main ETS website - This website has test centers, dates, and signup for those living in Mainland China, while the main ETS site does not show any testing centers in Mainland China, nor has signup available for Mainland China--> |
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* [http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/philosophy/Undergraduate%20Resources/Honours/Postgrad_Applications/PGAppsUS.htm#_GRE What is GRE? Glasgow University Help Page] |
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[[Category:1936 establishments in the United States]] |
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* [http://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/01736_iclist.pdf Institution Code List] – List of institutions (with code numbers) that receive GRE scores |
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[[Category:Entrance examinations]] |
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* [http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/gre%20practice%20general%20test.pdf GRE Practice test] |
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[[Category:Educational assessment and evaluation]] |
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[[Category:Standardized tests in the United States]] |
[[Category:Standardized tests in the United States]] |
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[[Category:GRE standardized tests| ]] |
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[[Category:Standardized tests for English language]] |
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[[de:Graduate Record Examination]] |
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[[fr:Graduate Record Examination]] |
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[[ko:GRE]] |
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[[pt:Graduate Record Examination]] |
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Latest revision as of 04:55, 26 September 2024
Acronym | GRE |
---|---|
Type | Computer-based or paper-based standardized test |
Administrator | Educational Testing Service |
Skills tested | Analytical writing, quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning. |
Purpose | Admissions to master's and doctoral degree programs in various universities |
Year started | 1936 |
Duration | 1 hour and 58 minutes[1] |
Score range | Analytical writing: 0.0 to 6.0 (in 0.5-point increments), Verbal reasoning: 130 to 170 (in 1-point increments), Quantitative reasoning: 130 to 170 (in 1-point increments). |
Score validity | 5 years |
Offered | Computer-based test: Multiple times a year (depends on availability of the test center) Paper-based test: Up to 3 times a year in October, November and February[2] |
Restrictions on attempts | Computer-based test: Can be taken only once after 21 days from the day of exam in every year. Maximum of 5 times a year. (Applies even if candidate cancels scores on a test taken previously.)[3] Paper-based test: Can be taken as often as it is offered.[3] |
Regions | About 1,000 test centers in more than 160 countries[4] |
Languages | English |
Annual number of test takers | 319,101 (T.Y. 2021-22)[5] |
Prerequisites | No official prerequisite. Intended for bachelor's degree graduates and undergraduate students who are about to graduate. Fluency in English assumed. |
Fee | US$ 205[6] (Limited offers of "Fee Reduction Program" for U.S. citizens or resident aliens who demonstrate financial need, and for national programs in United States that work with underrepresented groups.[7]) |
Used by | Most graduate schools in USA, and in a few other countries |
Website | www |
The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that is part of the admissions process for many graduate schools[8] in the United States and Canada[9] and a few other countries. The GRE is owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS).[10] The test was established in 1936 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.[11]
According to ETS, the GRE aims to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills that have been acquired over a long period of learning. The content of the GRE consists of certain specific data analysis or interpretation, arguments and reasoning, algebra, geometry, arithmetic, and vocabulary sections. The GRE General Test is offered as a computer-based exam administered at testing centers and institution owned or authorized by Prometric. In the graduate school admissions process, the level of emphasis that is placed upon GRE scores varies widely among schools and departments. The importance of a GRE score can range from being a mere admission formality to an important selection factor.
The GRE was significantly overhauled in August 2011, resulting in an exam that is adaptive on a section-by-section basis, rather than question by question, so that the performance on the first verbal and math sections determines the difficulty of the second sections presented (excluding the experimental section). Overall, the test retained the sections and many of the question types from its predecessor, but the scoring scale was changed to a 130 to 170 scale (from a 200 to 800 scale).[12]
The cost to take the test is US$205,[6] although ETS will reduce the fee under certain circumstances.[7] It also provides financial aid to GRE applicants who prove economic hardship.[13] ETS does not release scores that are older than five years, although graduate program policies on the acceptance of scores older than five years will vary.
Once almost universally required for admission to Ph.D. science programs in the U.S., its use for that purpose has fallen precipitously.[14]
History
[edit]The Graduate Record Examinations was "initiated in 1936 as a joint experiment in higher education by the graduate school deans of four Ivy League universities and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching."[11]
The first universities to experiment with the test on their students were Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University and Columbia University.[15] The University of Wisconsin was the first public university to ask their students to take the test in 1938.[16] It was first given to students at the University of Iowa in 1940, where it was analyzed by psychologist Dewey Stuit.[15] It was first taken by students at Texas Tech University in 1942.[17] In 1943, it was taken by students at Michigan State University, where it was analyzed by Paul Dressel.[18] It was taken by over 45,000 students applying to 500 colleges in 1948.[11]
"Until the Educational Testing Service was established in January, 1948, the Graduate Record Examination remained a project of the Carnegie Foundation."[11]
2011 revision
[edit]In 2006, ETS announced plans to make significant changes in the format of the GRE. Planned changes for the revised GRE included a longer testing time, a departure from computer-adaptive testing, a new grading scale, and an enhanced focus on reasoning skills and critical thinking for both the quantitative and qualitative sections.[19]
On April 2, 2007, ETS announced the decision to cancel plans for revising the GRE.[20] The announcement cited concerns over the ability to provide clear and equal access to the new test after the planned changes as an explanation for the cancellation. The ETS stated, however, that they did plan "to implement many of the planned test content improvements in the future", although specific details regarding those changes were not initially announced.
Changes to the GRE took effect on November 1, 2007, as ETS started to include new types of questions in the exam. The changes mostly centered on "fill in the blank" type answers for the mathematics section that requires the test-taker to fill in the blank directly, without being able to choose from a multiple choice list of answers. ETS announced plans to introduce two of these new types of questions in each quantitative section, while the majority of questions would be presented in the regular format.[21]
Since January 2008, the Reading Comprehension within the verbal sections has been reformatted, passages' "line numbers will be replaced with highlighting when necessary in order to focus the test taker on specific information in the passage" to "help students more easily find the pertinent information in reading passages."[22]
In December 2009, ETS announced plans to move forward with significant revisions to the GRE in 2011.[23] Changes include a new 130–170 scoring scale, the elimination of certain question types such as antonyms and analogies, the addition of an online calculator, and the elimination of the CAT format of question-by-question adjustment, in favor of a section by section adjustment.[24]
On August 1, 2011, the Revised GRE General test replaced General GRE test. The revised GRE is said to be better by design and provides a better test taking experience. The new types of questions in the revised format are intended to test the skills needed in graduate and business schools programs.[25] From July 2012 onwards GRE announced an option for users to customize their scores called ScoreSelect.[26]
Before October 2002
[edit]The earliest versions of the GRE tested only for verbal and quantitative ability. For a number of years before October 2002, the GRE had a separate Analytical Ability section which tested candidates on logical and analytical reasoning abilities. This section was replaced by the Analytical Writing Assessment.[27][28]
Structure
[edit]The computer-based GRE General Test consists of six sections. The first section is always the analytical writing section involving separately timed issue and argument tasks. The next five sections consist of two verbal reasoning sections, two quantitative reasoning sections, and either an experimental or research section. These five sections may occur in any order. The experimental section does not count towards the final score but is not distinguished from the scored sections. Unlike the computer adaptive test before August 2011, the GRE General Test is a multistage test, where the examinee's performance on earlier sections determines the difficulty of subsequent sections, using a technique known as computer-adaptive testing. This format allows the examined person to freely move back and forth between questions within each section, and the testing software allows the user to "mark" questions within each section for later review if time remains. The entire testing procedure lasts about 3 hours 45 minutes.[29][30] One-minute breaks are offered after each section and a 10-minute break after the third section.
The paper-based GRE General Test also consists of six sections. The analytical writing is split up into two sections, one section for each issue and argument task. The next four sections consist of two verbal and two quantitative sections in varying order. There is no experimental section on the paper-based test.
Verbal section
[edit]The computer-based verbal sections assess reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and vocabulary usage. The verbal test is scored on a scale of 130–170, in 1-point increments. (Before August 2011, the scale was 200–800, in 10-point increments.) In a typical examination, each verbal section consists of 20 questions to be completed in 30 minutes.[29] Each verbal section consists of about 6 text completion, 4 sentence equivalence, and 10 critical reading questions. The changes in 2011 include a reduced emphasis on rote vocabulary knowledge and the elimination of antonyms and analogies. Text completion items have replaced sentence completions and new reading question types allowing for the selection of multiple answers were added.
Quantitative section
[edit]The computer-based quantitative sections assess knowledge and reasoning skills taught in most Mathematics and Statistics courses in secondary schools.[31] The quantitative test is scored on a scale of 130–170, in 1-point increments (Before August 2011 the scale was 200–800, in 10-point increments). In a typical examination, each quantitative section consists of 20 questions to be completed in 35 minutes.[29] Each quantitative section consists of about 8 quantitative comparisons, 9 problem solving items, and 3 data interpretation questions. The changes in 2011 include the addition of numeric entry items requiring the examinee to fill in the blank and multiple-choice items requiring the examinee to select multiple correct responses.[32]
- Arithmetic:
- Algebra:
- Geometry:
- Data analysis:
- Statistics, Mean, Median, Mode, Range, Standard deviation, Interquartile range, Quartile, Percentile
- Line chart, Bar chart, Pie chart, Box plot, Scatter plot, Frequency
- Probability, Independence
- Conditional probability
- Random variable, Probability distribution, Normal distribution
- Counting method, Combination, Permutation, Venn diagram
Analytical writing section
[edit]The analytical writing section consists of two different essays, an "issue task" and an "argument task". The writing section is graded on a scale of 0–6, in half-point increments. The essays are written on a computer using a word processing program specifically designed by ETS. The program allows only basic computer functions and does not contain a spell-checker or other advanced features. Each essay is scored by at least two readers on a six-point holist scale. If the two scores are within one point, the average of the scores is taken. If the two scores differ by more than a point, a third reader examines the response.
Issue Task
[edit]The test taker is given 30 minutes to write an essay about a selected topic.[33] Issue topics are selected from a pool of questions, which the GRE Program has published in its entirety. Individuals preparing for the GRE may access the pool of tasks on the ETS website.[34]
Argument Task
[edit]The test taker will be given an argument (i.e. a series of facts and considerations leading to a conclusion) and asked to write an essay that critiques the argument. Test takers are asked to consider the argument's logic and to make suggestions about how to improve the logic of the argument. Test takers are expected to address the logical flaws of the argument and not provide a personal opinion on the subject. The time allotted for this essay is 30 minutes.[29] The Arguments are selected from a pool of topics, which the GRE Program has published in its entirety. Individuals preparing for the GRE may access the pool of tasks on the ETS website.[35]
Experimental section
[edit]The experimental section, which can be either verbal or quantitative, contains new questions ETS is considering for future use. Although the experimental section does not count towards the test-taker's score, it is unidentified and appears identical to the scored sections. Because test takers have no definite way of knowing which section is experimental, it is typically advised that test takers try their best and be focused on every section. Sometimes an identified research section at the end of the test is given instead of the experimental section.[36] There is no experimental section on the paper-based GRE.[37]
Scoring
[edit]An examinee can miss one or more questions on a multiple-choice section and still receive a perfect score of 170. Likewise, even if no question is answered correctly, 130 is the lowest possible score.[12] Verbal and quantative reasoning scores are given in one-point increments, and analytical writing scores are given in half-point increments on a scale of 0 to 6.[38][39]
Scaled score percentiles
[edit]The percentiles for the current General test and the concordance with the prior format[40] are as follows. According to interpretive data published by ETS, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018 about 2 million people have taken the test. Based on performance of individuals the mean and standard deviation of verbal section were 150.24 and 8.44. Whereas, mean and standard deviation for quantitative section were 153.07 and 9.24. Analytical writing has a mean of 3.55 with a standard deviation of 0.86.[41]
Scaled score | Verbal reasoning percentile | Verbal prior scale | Quantitative reasoning percentile | Quantitative prior scale |
---|---|---|---|---|
170 | 99 | 760–800 | 96 | 800 |
169 | 99 | 740–750 | 94 | 800 |
168 | 98 | 720–730 | 92 | 800 |
167 | 98 | 710 | 89 | 800 |
166 | 97 | 700 | 87 | 800 |
165 | 96 | 680–690 | 85 | 790 |
164 | 94 | 660–670 | 83 | 790 |
163 | 92 | 650 | 80 | 780 |
162 | 90 | 630–640 | 78 | 770 |
161 | 88 | 620 | 75 | 770 |
160 | 85 | 600–610 | 72 | 760 |
159 | 82 | 590 | 69 | 750 |
158 | 79 | 570–580 | 65 | 740 |
157 | 75 | 560 | 62 | 730 |
156 | 72 | 540–550 | 59 | 720 |
155 | 67 | 530 | 55 | 700–710 |
154 | 63 | 510–520 | 51 | 690 |
153 | 59 | 500 | 48 | 680 |
152 | 53 | 480–490 | 44 | 660–670 |
151 | 50 | 460–470 | 40 | 640–650 |
150 | 45 | 450 | 36 | 630 |
149 | 40 | 430–440 | 33 | 610–620 |
148 | 36 | 420 | 29 | 590–600 |
147 | 32 | 410 | 25 | 570–580 |
146 | 28 | 390–400 | 22 | 550–560 |
145 | 25 | 380 | 18 | 530–540 |
144 | 22 | 370 | 15 | 500–520 |
143 | 19 | 350–360 | 13 | 480–490 |
142 | 16 | 340 | 11 | 460–470 |
141 | 14 | 330 | 9 | 430–450 |
140 | 11 | 320 | 7 | 400–420 |
139 | 9 | 310 | 6 | 380–390 |
138 | 8 | 300 | 4 | 350–370 |
137 | 6 | 290 | 3 | 330–340 |
136 | 5 | 280 | 3 | 300–320 |
135 | 4 | 280 | 2 | 280–290 |
134 | 3 | 270 | 1 | 260–270 |
133 | 2 | 260 | 1 | 240–250 |
132 | 2 | 250 | <1 | 220–230 |
131 | 1 | 240 | <1 | 200–210 |
130 | <1 | 200–230 | <1 | 200 |
Analytical Writing score | Writing % Below |
---|---|
6 | 99 |
5.5 | 98 |
5 | 92 |
4.5 | 81 |
4 | 57 |
3.5 | 39 |
3 | 15 |
2.5 | 7 |
2 | 2 |
1.5 | 1 |
1 | <1 |
0.5 | <1 |
"Field-wise distribution" of test takers is "limited to those who earned their college degrees up to two years before the test date." ETS provides no score data for "non-traditional" students who have been out of school more than two years, although its own report "RR-99-16" indicated that 22% of all test takers in 1996 were over the age of 30.
GRE Subject Tests
[edit]In addition to the General Test, there are also three GRE Subject Tests testing knowledge in the specific areas of Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. The length of each exam is 170 minutes.
In the past, subject tests were also offered in the areas of Computer Science, Economics, Revised Education, Engineering, English Literature, French, Geography, Geology, German, History, Music, Political Science, Sociology, Spanish, and Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology.[43] In April 1998, the Revised Education and Political Science exams were discontinued. In April 2000, the History and Sociology exams were discontinued; with Economics, Engineering, Music, and Geology being discontinued in April 2001.[44] The Computer Science exam was discontinued after April 2013.[45] Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology was discontinued in December 2016. The GRE Biology Test and GRE Literature in English Test tests were discontinued in May 2021.[46] The GRE Chemistry Test was discontinued in May 2023.[47]
Use in admissions
[edit]Many graduate schools in the United States require GRE results as part of the admissions process. The GRE is a standardized test intended to measure all graduates' abilities in tasks of general academic nature (regardless of their fields of specialization) and the extent to which undergraduate education has developed their verbal skills, quantitative skills, and abstract thinking.
In addition to GRE scores, admission to graduate schools depends on several other factors, such as GPA, letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose.[48] Furthermore, unlike other standardized admissions tests (such as the SAT, LSAT, and MCAT), the use and weight of GRE scores vary considerably not only from school to school, but also from department to department and program to program.[49] For instance, most business schools and economics programs require very high GRE or GMAT scores for entry, while engineering programs are known to allow more score variation. Liberal arts programs may only consider the applicant's verbal score, while mathematics and science programs may only consider quantitative ability. Some schools use the GRE in admissions decisions, but not in funding decisions; others use it for selection of scholarship and fellowship candidates, but not for admissions. In some cases, the GRE may be a general requirement for graduate admissions imposed by the university, while particular departments may not consider the scores at all.[50] Graduate schools will typically provide the average scores of previously admitted students and information about how the GRE is considered in admissions and funding decisions. In some cases, programs have hard cut off requirements for the GRE; for example, the Yale Economics PhD program requires a minimum quantitative score of 160 to apply.[51] The best way to ascertain how a particular school or program evaluates a GRE score in the admissions process is to contact the person in charge of graduate admissions for the specific program in question.
In February 2016, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law became the first law school to accept either the GRE or the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) from all applicants.[52][53][54] The college made the decision after conducting a study showing that the GRE is a valid and reliable predictor of students' first-term law school grades.
In the spring of 2017, Harvard Law School announced it was joining University of Arizona Law in accepting the GRE in addition to the LSAT from applicants to its three-year J.D. program.[55]
After a trial cycle of GRE–free admissions for Fall 2021, University of California, Berkeley voted to drop the GRE requirement for most graduate program admissions for Fall 2022 as well.[56] University of Michigan, Ann Arbor shortly followed announcing that they would drop the GRE requirements for Ph.D. admissions beginning with the 2022–23 admissions cycle.[57] By late 2022, the trend had intensified.[14]
MBA
[edit]GRE score can be used for taking admission in MBA in foreign colleges.
The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is a computer-adaptive standardized test in mathematics and the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. Business schools commonly use the test as one of many selection criteria for admission into an MBA program. Starting in 2009, many business schools began accepting the GRE in lieu of a GMAT score. Policies varied widely for several years. However, as of the 2014–2015 admissions season, most business schools accept both tests equally. Either a GMAT score or a GRE score can be submitted for an application to an MBA program. Business schools also accept either score for their other (non-MBA) Masters and Ph.D. programs.
The primary issue on which business school test acceptance policies vary is in how old a GRE or GMAT score can be before it is no longer accepted. The standard is that scores cannot be more than 5 years old (e.g., Wharton,[58] MIT Sloan,[59] Columbia Business School[60]).
Intellectual clubs
[edit]Some GRE scores (usually pre-2002 ones) are accepted as qualifying evidence to intellectual clubs such as Intertel,[61] Mensa[62] and the Triple Nine Society,[63] the minimum passing score depending on the selectivity of the society and the time period when the test was taken. Intertel accepts scores in the 99th percentile[how?] obtained after 2011, while Mensa and TNS do not accept any score post-September 2001.
Preparation
[edit]A variety of resources are available for those wishing to prepare for the GRE. ETS provides preparation software called PowerPrep, which contains two practice tests of retired questions, as well as further practice questions and review material. Since the software replicates both the test format and the questions used, it can be useful to predict the actual GRE scores. ETS does not license their past questions to any other company, making them the only source for official retired material. ETS used to publish the "BIG BOOK" which contained a number of actual GRE questions; however, this publishing was abandoned. Several companies provide courses, books, and other unofficial preparation materials.
Some students taking the GRE use a test preparation company. Students who do not use these courses often rely on material from university text books, GRE preparation books, sample tests, and free web resources.
Testing locations
[edit]While the general and subject tests are held at many undergraduate institutions, the computer-based general test can be held in over 1000 locations[64] with appropriate technological accommodations. In the United States, students in major cities or from large universities will usually find a nearby test center, while those in more isolated areas may have to travel a few hours to an urban or university location. Many industrialized countries also have test centers, but at times test-takers must cross country borders.
Criticism
[edit]Bias
[edit]Algorithmic bias
[edit]Critics have claimed that the computer-adaptive methodology may discourage some test takers since the question difficulty changes with performance.[65] For example, if the test-taker is presented with remarkably easy questions halfway into the exam, they may infer that they are not performing well, which will influence their abilities as the exam continues, even though question difficulty is subjective. By contrast, standard testing methods may discourage students by giving them more difficult items earlier on.
Critics have also stated that the computer-adaptive method of placing more weight on the first several questions is biased against test takers who typically perform poorly at the beginning of a test due to stress or confusion before becoming more comfortable as the exam continues.[66] On the other hand, standard fixed-form tests could equally be said to be "biased" against students with less testing stamina since they would need to be approximately twice the length of an equivalent computer adaptive test to obtain a similar level of precision.[67]
Implicit bias
[edit]The GRE has also been subjected to the same racial bias criticisms that have been lodged against other admissions tests. In 1998, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education noted that the mean score for black test-takers in 1996 was 389 on the verbal section, 409 on the quantitative section, and 423 on the analytic, while white test-takers averaged 496, 538, and 564, respectively.[68] The National Association of Test Directors Symposia in 2004 stated a belief that simple mean score differences may not constitute evidence of bias unless the populations are known to be equal in ability.[69] A more effective, accepted, and empirical approach is the analysis of differential test functioning, which examines the differences in item response theory curves for subgroups; the best approach for this is the DFIT framework.[70]
Weak indicator of graduate school performance
[edit]The GREs are criticized for not being a true measure of whether a student will be successful in graduate school. Robert Sternberg (now of Cornell University;[71] working at Yale University at the time of the study), a long-time critic of modern intelligence testing in general, found the GRE general test was weakly predictive of success in graduate studies in psychology.[72] The strongest relationship was found for the now-defunct analytical portion of the exam.
The ETS published a report ("What is the Value of the GRE?") that points out the predictive value of the GRE on a student's index of success at the graduate level.[73] The problem with earlier studies is the statistical phenomenon of restriction of range. A correlation coefficient is sensitive to the range sampled for the test. Specifically, if only students accepted to graduate programs are studied (in Sternberg & Williams and other research), the relationship is occluded. Validity coefficients range from .30 to .45 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA in ETS' study.[74]
Kaplan and Saccuzzo state that the criterion that the GRE best predicts is first-year grades in graduate school. However, this correlation is only in the high tens to low twenties. "If the test correlates with a criterion at the .4 level, then it accounts for 16% of the variability in that criterion, with the other 84% resulting from unknown factors and errors"[75] (p. 303). Graduate schools may be placing too much importance on standardized tests rather than on factors that more fully account for graduate school success, such as a thesis-requiring Honours degree, prior research experience, GPAs, or work experience. While graduate schools do consider these areas, many times schools will not consider applicants that score below a current score of roughly 314 (1301 prior score). Kaplan and Saccuzzo also state that "the GRE predict[s] neither clinical skill nor even the ability to solve real-world problems" (p. 303).
In 2007, a study by a university found a correlation of .30 to .45 between the GRE and both first year and overall graduate GPA. The correlation between GRE score and graduate school completion rates ranged from .11 (for the now defunct analytical section) to .39 (for the GRE subject test). Correlations with faculty ratings ranged from .35 to .50.[74]
Historical susceptibility to cheating
[edit]In May 1994, Kaplan, Inc warned ETS, in hearings before a New York legislative committee, that the small question pool available to the computer-adaptive test made it vulnerable to cheating. ETS assured investigators that it was using multiple sets of questions and that the test was secure. This was later discovered to be incorrect.[76]
In December 1994, prompted by student reports of recycled questions, then Director of GRE Programs for Kaplan, Inc and current CEO of Knewton, Jose Ferreira, led a team of 22 staff members deployed to 9 U.S. cities to take the exam. Kaplan, Inc then presented ETS with 150 questions, representing 70–80% of the GRE.[77] According to early news releases, ETS appeared grateful to Stanley H. Kaplan, Inc. for identifying the security problem. However, on December 31, ETS sued Kaplan, Inc. for violation of a federal electronic communications privacy act, copyright laws, breach of contract, fraud, and a confidentiality agreement signed by test-takers on test day.[78] On January 2, 1995, an agreement was reached out of court.
Additionally, in 1994, the scoring algorithm for the computer-adaptive form of the GRE was discovered to be insecure. ETS acknowledged that Kaplan, Inc employees, led by Jose Ferreira, reverse-engineered key features of the GRE scoring algorithms. The researchers found that a test taker's performance on the first few questions of the exam had a disproportionate effect on the test taker's final score. To preserve the integrity of scores, ETS adopted a more sophisticated scoring algorithm.
See also
[edit]GRE Subject Tests:
Discontinued GRE Subject Tests:
- GRE Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Test discontinued December 2016[79]
- GRE Biology Test discontinued May 2021[79]
- GRE Chemistry Test discontinued May 2023[79]
- GRE Economics Test discontinued April 2001[80]
- GRE Literature in English Test discontinued May 2021[79]
Other tests:
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
- Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
- Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE)
- SAT
- ACT (test)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
References
[edit]- ^ "GRE General Test Structure".
- ^ "GRE Revised General Test: About the GRE revised General Test". Ets.org.
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External links
[edit]- Official website
- GRE information website for residents of Mainland China, English version Archived November 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine - by the Chinese National Education Examinations Authority