GRE Basic information

About GRE

Education in modern times has become an asset that an individual must always seek to embellish. In order to pursue higher studies in American universities, expatriate students undertake a common entrance test, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). It is conducted to ascertain candidates' eligibility for pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. programme in American universities, details of which are given below. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey, conducts this examination. Students seeking admission to Graduate Schools, Professional Colleges and Fellowship Competitions are required to succeed in this test. The GRE score, the candidate's undergraduate records and recommendations are used as the criteria for admission to graduate schools and sponsoring of fellowships.

The GRE Tests

The following tests are offered:

(i) General Test: Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Skills of the candidates are assessed through this test. These skills that are not related to any particular period of study and will have been developed over a long period of time.

The Verbal skill set is ascertained through Analogies, Antonyms, Sentence Completions and Reading Comprehension.

The Quantitative Ability is measured through Quantitative Comparison, Discrete Quantitative and Data Interpretation. The candidate's Analytical Ability is gauged through Analytical and Logical Reasoning. The General Test is offered in both a computer-based format.

(ii) Subject Tests: This is to find out the candidate's proficiency in a particular subject that could be an undergraduate major or an area in which the candidate has extensive knowledge. These tests are paper-based only and are given in 14 subject areas.

Computer-based Testing (General Test)

This computer-adaptive test has been developed to get precise information about the candidate's abilities. Fewer questions are asked in this modified test but the same content of the paper-based General Test is covered through same question-types. The test commences with questions of average difficulty. The computer chooses the next question based upon the candidate's score of the preceding answer. Therefore, the choice of the ensuing question depends upon the candidate's performance in the previous questions. It is mandatory that each question is answered before moving ahead and the answer once entered cannot be altered. The test requires basic computer skills. Two hours and fifteen minutes out of four hours and thirty minutes is allotted for the test, the remaining time is for the Tutorials, background questions etc.

What skills does the General Test measure?

Verbal Reasoning

What skills does the General Test measure?

Verbal Reasoning

• Analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it

• Analyze relationships among component parts of sentences

• Recognize relationships between words and concepts

Quantitative Reasoning

• Understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis

• Reason quantitatively

• Solve problems in a quantitative setting

Analytical Writing

• Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively

• Examine claims and accompanying evidence

• Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples

• Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion

• Control the elements of standard written English.

GRE Score Reports

General Test

Three scores are reported on the General Test:

1. an analytical writing score reported on a 0-6 score scale, in half-point increments
2. a verbal score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments
3. a quantitative score reported on a 200-800 score scale, in 10-point increments

The Scoring Process

The processes for calculating reported scores for adaptive tests and traditional paper-and-pencil tests are similar, in that the number of questions answered correctly is adjusted according to the difficulty level of the questions on the test form. Thus, the same number of correct responses on different test forms will not necessarily result in the same reported score.

In paper-and-pencil tests, the differences in difficulty among test forms are relatively small and are adjusted through a process known as score equating. The number of questions answered is also figured into the calculation of the reported score because it limits the number that can be answered correctly.

With adaptive testing, an examinee is administered a set of questions with a difficulty level that is specifically designed to match the examinee's ability level. The mathematical process for calculating a score in this situation incorporates the statistical properties of the questions, the examinee's performance on the questions, and the number of questions that are answered.

Analytical Writing Section

There are two analytical writing tasks involved, namely

Present your Perspective on an Issue - This 45-minute exercise requires the candidate to address a general issue from any perspective and present his / her views. The candidate may choose one out of two topics chosen by the computer from yet another huge collection of subjects.

Analyse an Argument - A different challenge altogether, the candidate has to present in 30 minutes a critique on an argument and provide supporting reasons. The two tasks are complementary, as one requires constructing an argument about an issue and the other entails presenting a critique on another's argument.

How the Sections Analytical Writing Section Scored

A single score is reported for the analytical writing section. Each essay receives a score from two trained readers, using a 6-point holistic scale. In holistic scoring, readers are trained to assign scores on the basis of the overall quality of an essay in response to the assigned task. If the two assigned scores differ by more than one point on the scale, the discrepancy is adjudicated by a third GRE reader. Otherwise, the scores from the two readings of an essay are averaged. The final scores on the two essays are then averaged and rounded up to the nearest half-point interval (e.g., 3.0, 3.5). If no essay response is given for either of the 2 tasks in this section, an NS (No Score) is reported for the section. If an essay response is provided for only one of the 2 writing tasks, the task for which no essay response is provided will receive a score of zero.

The primary emphasis in scoring the analytical writing section is on your critical thinking and analytical writing skills rather than on grammar and mechanics. (Read the scoring guides for each essay task)

During the scoring process, your essay responses on the analytical writing section will be reviewed by ETS essay-similarity-detection software and by experienced essay readers.

Independent Intellectual Activity. In light of the high value placed on independent intellectual activity within United States graduate schools and universities, ETS reserves the right to cancel test scores of any test taker when there is substantial evidence that an essay response includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

• text that is substantially similar to that found in one or more other GRE essay responses;
• quoting or paraphrasing, without attribution, language or ideas that appear in published or unpublished sources;
• unacknowledged use of work that has been produced through collaboration with others without citation of the contribution of others;
• essays that are submitted as work of the examinee when the ideas or words have, in fact, been borrowed from elsewhere or prepared by another person.

When one or more of the above circumstances occurs, your essay text, in ETS's professional judgment, does not reflect the independent, analytical writing skills that this test seeks to measure. Therefore, ETS must cancel the essay score as invalid and cannot report the GRE General Test scores of which the essay score is an indispensable part.

Test takers whose scores are cancelled will forfeit their test fees and must pay to take the entire GRE General Test again at a future administration. No record of the score cancellations, or the reason for cancellation, will appear on their future score reports sent to colleges and universities.

Academic Eligibility

The candidates must be graduates or be expecting results in time for the GRE test.

· The appointment for the computer-based General Test should be scheduled as soon as the candidate learns of the deadlines for the Graduate School applications in order to get a preferred test date and time.

Subject Tests will continue to be offered in the paper-based format.

GRE Registration

The fee to take the GRE is $115 within the United States, some U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico. The fee is $160 in all other locations.

Computer-Based Test Registration

There are three ways you can register for a General Test.

Web

· Online Registration through (credit card only) Use VISA, MasterCard, American Express,

· Call the test center directly or the Prometric Candidate Services Call Center Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm, EST, (excluding holidays), at 1-800-GRE-CALL (1-800-473-2255).

· A confirmation number, reporting time, and the test center address will be given to you when you call.

Mail

· Complete the Authorization Voucher Request Form found in the Bulletin.

· Mail the appropriate payment and voucher request form to the address printed on the voucher.

· Allow up to 4 weeks for processing and mail delivery.

· When you receive your voucher, call to schedule an appointment.

· An appointment to test must be made prior to the expiration date on the voucher.

Score Report Mailing Dates

—Score reports are mailed to you and up to 4 institutions, if you designate them on the day of the test, approximately 10 to 15 days after you test.

Information

The website http://www.gre.org also contains more details pertaining to this test. Online registration is also possible here for all the tests.