For thousands of aspiring graduate collegiettes™ at campuses across the country, taking an entrance exam like the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is perhaps the single most important step towards continuing their higher education and advancing their careers.
But collegiettes™ should expect a longer, revised GRE. Starting this August, a revised exam will replace the current exam, as announced by Education Testing Services (ETS).
The exam will now take about four hours instead of three, an on-screen calculator will be permitted, and the scoring system will change, among some of the revisions expected to the exam.
Revisions you need to know
- A newly designed format: The new test allows you to skip back and forth between exam questions as well as edit answers within a section. It will be designed as a multi-stage test and allow test-takers to use an on-screen calculator.
- Grading scale: Traditionally, the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections have a score scale of 200 – 800, reported in 10-point increments. This will change as verbal reasoning quantitative reasoning scores will be reported on a new 130 – 170 score scale, in 1-point increments. Analytical writing scores will stay the same – reported on a scale of 0 – 6 score level, in half-point increments.
- New questions: Two sections in the GRE will be revised — verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning. Antonyms and Analogies will be replaced with additional reading-comprehension questions including “real-life scenarios that reflect the kind of thinking you’ll do in today’s demanding graduate and business school programs.”
- 50% discount on your test fee: Schedule your test-taking date between August 1 and September 30, 2011, and you can save 50% on your test fee when you take the GRE revised General Test.
- Score reporting schedule: If you take the revised GRE during the special discount period of August – September 2011, your scores will be sent by mid-November.
While you’re getting ready to hit the practice books, check out our tips on how to prepare for the GRE and other grad school entrance exams!