The New GRE: What It Means for Graduate

School Applicants

The Most Sweeping Changes in the GRE’s History

The New GRE

Why is the GRE changing?

The official word:

“Starting August 1, 2011, the GRE® revised General Test will replace the current GRE General Test, giving you the advantage of a better test experience — and new types of questions that help show your readiness for graduate-level work.”

- ETS (the GRE Testmaker)

Why is the GRE changing?

Reading between the lines (the unofficial word)

Question types?Business school?Scoring scale?

Big Change #1: Test Type

CURRENT GRE The GRE is currently a

computer adaptive test—a “CAT” Adapts question by

question Each time you answer a

question correctly, you’re given a harder question. Each time you answer a question incorrectly, you’ve given an easier question

NEW GREThe Revised GRE will be a

Multi-Stage Test—an “MST”Test does not adapt within

a section, but rather, performance in the first section determines level of difficulty you’ll see in the next section

Big Change #2: Test Interface & Functionality

Unlike the current test, users will be able to move freely within a section

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

Big Change #2: Test Interface & Functionality

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

• Four-function calculator with memory, square root and “Transfer Display” options. Calculates up to hundred millions

Big Change #2: Test Interface & Functionality

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

Big Change #3: Length of the Test

Current GRESection Number of

QuestionsAllotted Time

Analytical Writing (One section, Two timed tasks)

One Issue Task, One Argument Task

Issue-45 Minutes, Argument 30 Minutes

Verbal Reasoning (One section)

30 questions 30 minutes

Quantitative Reasoning (One section)

28 questions 45 minutes

Unscored Varies Varies

Research Varies Varies

Total Testing Time: About 3 Hours

Revised GRESection Number of Questions Allotted

Time

Analytical Writing (One section, Two timed tasks)

One Analyze an Issue task and One Analyze an Argument task

30 minutes per task

Verbal Reasoning (Two sections)

Approximately 20 questions per section

30 minutes per section

Quantitative Reasoning (Two sections)

Approximately 20 questions per section

35 minutes per section

Unscored Varies Varies

Research Varies Varies

Total Testing Time: About 4 hours

Big Change #4: Scoring Scale

CURRENT GRE Scoring for Verbal and

Quantitative Sections: 200-800 in ten point increments

Verbal and Quant Scores Available immediately after test

Official scores available 2-3 weeks from test date

NEW GREScoring for Verbal and

Quantitative Sections: 130-170 in one point increments

From August 1, 2011 through the fall: test takers will not receive official scores until late November 2011

Big Change #5 Rules Around Re-Taking the GRE

CURRENT GRE You can test every 30

days—once per calendar month, up to six times per year

NEW GRE

You can test every 60 days—up to five times per year

Big Change #6: Question Types

NEW GREAnalytical WritingVerbal ReasoningQuantitative Reasoning

Reading Comp

About half of the Verbal Reasoning questions on the GRE will be based on passages

Majority of passages are one paragraph in length

One to six questions per passage

Reading Comp: Single Selection

On single answer multiple choice there are five choices

From GRE PowerPrep II, www.ets.org/gre

Reading Comp: Multiple Selection

On multiple answer multiple choice there are three choices: one, two or all three of which may be correct.

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

Text Completion

Cousin of old Sentence Completion questions

Composed of one to five sentencesCan have one, two or three blanksEach blank functions independentlyNo credit for partially correct answers

Text Completion Example – Single Blank

From GRE PowerPrep II, www.ets.org/gre

Text Completion Example – Multiple Blanks

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

Sentence Equivalence

A cousin of the Sentence Completion question type that also tests your knowledge of synonyms

Big difference: six choices; exactly two mean nearly the same thing and lead to a complete coherent sentence

Sentence Equivalence Example

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

Quantitative Reasoning

Four Question Types

1. Quantitative Comparison (same as current GRE)

2. Multiple Choice-Select One Answer (same as current GRE)

3. Multiple Choice-Select One or More Answers

4. Numeric Entry

QC Example

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

MC Select One Answer Example

• Questions have ovals when a single choice is necessary to solve

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

MC Select One or More Example

Questions have boxes when one or more correct choices are possible

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

Numeric Entry Example

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

The Six Big Changes

1. Test type2. Test interface & functionality 3. Length of test4. Scoring scale5. Rules around re-taking the GRE6. Question types

Some specifics

New GRE test launched August 1, 2011Registration was discounted 50% for August and

September dates onlyFor test takers from August through October/

November 2011, scores will not be available until late-November 2011

By early December, current reporting practices will resume (ie: unofficial Q and V scores day of test, full report ~two weeks later)

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Follow the test maker: www/ets.org/gre

Questions and Answers about the New GRE

Q & A