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Why
your GRE Score is Important
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Your
GRE score is reviewed by admissions departments and
even some future employers. It is a major factor in
the following areas:
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In
the admissions process:
At
most schools the GRE is one of the most important
factors in the admissions process since the test is
designed to measure the academic skills many schools
believe are the most important for academic success
in graduate school. Schools
also place a great emphasis on your score because
tests like the GRE are the only standard, or "objective"
measures for all applicants - GRE scores can be compared
directly as opposed to GPAs from different colleges.
In addition, some schools may require a minimum score.
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In
obtaining
academic scholarships and other financial aid:
Eligibility for financial aid is dependent on
your GRE score. Also your score can greatly boost
your chances of obtaining highly competitive and
limited academic scholarships which are usually
based in part on GRE scores. With soaring college
tuition, nothing is sweeter than money you don't
have to pay back.
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The
graduate school rankings process: Since
the average GRE of admitted applicants is one
of the factors in some college rankings processes,
many schools may view a higher average as a way
to increase their respective rankings.
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Landing
the best summer internships: Like grad
schools, some employers rely on the GRE in differentiating
among applicants. In some of the more competitive
summer internships, employers may only interview those
with a minimum GRE - in the 90th percentile, or higher,
for example.
See
GRE Instruction
for more information about how PrimeScore can help
you maximize your score on the GRE, or enroll
now.
The
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test is a standardized,
multiple-choice test used by graduate schools as one basis
for comparing and either admitting or rejecting applicants.
At most schools it is one of the most important factors
in the admissions process since the test is designed to
measure a given applicant's general academic skills. The
test is 3 hours long and contains two main sections: verbal
and math. Several years back the GRE was converted to
a computer-based test (Computer-Adaptive Test or CAT).
The Graduate Record Examinations Board sponsors the GRE
and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers
the test.
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.GRE
Format, Content, and Scoring
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The
GRE consists of three main sections:
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One
45-minute, 28-question Math section
(Quantitative), with a scoring range from 200 to 800,
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One
30-minute, 30-question Verbal section
(Verbal), with a scoring range from 200 to 800, and
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Two
Written essays (Analytical Writing),
one a 45-minute essay, and the other a 30-minute,
with a scoring range from 1 to 6.
See
GRE Instruction
for more information about how we can help you maximize
your score on the GRE, or enroll
now .
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.GRE
Question Types and Sample Questions
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Each of the three main sections of the GRE (math,
verbal, and writing) is measured using different types
of questions that have specific instructions for each.
Make sure to try some of the sample questions since
they will give you familiarity with the directions and
each type of question. The samples are real GRE
questions directly from the makers of the GRE. It is
important to practice with real GRE questions
so that you don't become an expert on the "artificial"
GRE questions provided by most test prep companies in
their courses and test prep books. PrimeScore uses only
real questions in our test prep instruction and we highly
recommend that you only use real questions in preparing
for the GRE.
Here are the question types that appear on the GRE:
Verbal
- Analogies
- Antonyms
- Sentence Completions
- Reading Comprehension |
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Math
- Quantitative Comparison
- Problem Solving
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Writing
- Issue Task
- Argument Task
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.The
CAT (Computer-Adaptive Test)
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The
CAT is a computer-based test that attempts to estimate
your score based on your response to previous questions.
In other words, it "adapts" as you either
answer a previous question correctly or incorrectly.
The questions are chosen from a very large pool of test
questions categorized by content and difficulty. Only
one question at a time is presented to you on the screen.
The first question is always of middle difficulty. The
selection of each question thereafter is determined
by your responses to all previous questions. In other
words, as the adaptive test adjusts to your ability
level, you will get few questions that are too easy
or too difficult. Once you answer a question and move
on to the next question, you may not return to the previous
question to change your answer.
Visit ETS, the actual test makers, to get more information
about the
CAT.
Example:
CAT Operation
Assume all questions on the test can be ranked in difficulty
from 1 to 10 where 1 is the easiest level question and
10 the most difficult. The test will begin by giving
you a few 5-level, or mid-level, questions. If you correctly
answer most of those questions, the computer will assume
that you may be able to answer higher-level questions
so it will start to give you some 6 or 7-level questions.
If you get most of those questions right it will start
to throw in some 8 or 9-level questions. But, if you
then start to get the higher level questions wrong it
will send you back to the 6 and 7 level questions, and
so on. Its kind of like a program designed to fine tune
your score based on your success with previous questions.
To see how the CAT actually works, try a CAT
Demo, from ETS, the actual test makers.
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.How
the CAT differs from the old "paper and pencil"
tests
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Because
of the adaptive nature of the GRE CAT, it will have
a different "feel" compared to traditional
"paper and pencil" tests. Usually when a person
is really prepared and understands the material on a
paper and pencil test, he or she will be able to answer
most questions with relative ease. Therefore the test
may "feel" easy. Not so on the CAT. On the
CAT, because the computer is constantly adjusting, or
adapting, you will be given harder and harder questions
the better you do, so even though you may be doing great
on the test, it will probably feel somewhat difficult.
The point is, don't despair if the test "feels"
hard because it is probably a good sign that you are
doing well since those who answer harder level questions
correctly do better on the GRE than those who answer
easier questions correctly.
Another
major difference, mentioned above, between the CAT and
traditional "paper and pencil" tests, is your
inability on the CAT to go back to review and change
answer choices on previously answered questions. This
amounts to a fairly significant strategic difference
for those of us who like to "save" questions
for later review, if time permits, so that we can go
on and spend time on other hopefully easier questions
before coming back to the difficult ones. As a result
we must learn to become comfortable with selecting the
best answer and moving on to the next question with
the knowledge that we cannot revisit it even though
we are not sure about our answer. Therefore, doing well
on the CAT involves developing effective strategies
for "educated" guessing and for knowing when
to move on to the next question. Helping you to develop
that kind of strategy is just one purpose of PrimeScore's
test prep courses and tutoring sessions. Our strategies
for "educated" guessing are particularly effective
because we have developed and designed them so that
we can identify and eliminate typical "wrong answer
choices" based on our extensive experience with
the GRE.
See GRE Instruction
for more information about how PrimeScore can help you
maximize your score on the GRE, or enroll
now .
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.Fees,
policies, registration, and other GRE information
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Listed
below is a summary of some key points about the GRE.
GRE
Fee: $115 (U.S., U.S. Territories, and Puerto
Rico ), $140 (all other locations)
Registration: By phone: Contact Educational
Testing Service ( ETS)
at (800)
GRE-CALL and
request a registration form; Online Registration:
http://www.gre.org/generalreg.html.
Canceling Your Scores: At the end of
the test, you will have the option to cancel your
scores. If you choose to cancel your scores, they
cannot be reinstated, and no refund will be made.
Repeating a test: You may take the computer-based
General Test once per calendar month up to 5 times
in a 12-month period. This applies even if you canceled
your scores on a test taken previously.
More information about the GRE: Contact
PrimeScore by calling (713)
977-TEST,
or contact Educational
Testing Service ( ETS)
at (800)
GRE-CALL or
on their web site: http://www.gre.org/.
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