GRE TEST

The Education Testing Service (ETS) directs The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) on behalf of the Graduate Record Examinations Board and the Council of Graduate Schools. It is chiefly a multiple-choice test. The GRE test scores have to be submitted by students aspiring for admission in international graduate school for Graduate program. Apart from the general GRE test there are about 12 subject test offered by the program to help determine a students success in specific fields.

The advantage in the CAT format of GRE is that, instead of all the students answering to the same set of questions, the test adapts itself according to the performance leave of the student. This is achieved through a set of practical rules that the CAT follows. The Student is put forth with the easiest of the questions at the beginning of the test. Based on the answer that is chosen, i.e. whether it is the correct or the wrong answer the next question gets chosen. If the student selects the wrong answer, the next question presented would be of the same level as the first question. This same pattern is followed through out the test. If the student answers the question correctly the difficulty level of the next question would increase. With the difficulty of the questions the score level too increases. Hence, the number of difficult questions the student answers the more score he gains. Since the first few questions play a crucial role in the progress of the test level, the students have to be more careful at the beginning of the test.

There are two versions of the GRE, the first is the General Test and the second is the Subject Test in psychology.

The General Test consists of three parts--verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing. Both the verbal and the quantitative test each yield a score between 200-800 points. Scores on the analytical writing test are measured on a scale of 0 to 6 and is awarded in ½ points. Since only some of the graduate programs require the scores of The Subject Test, students availing such course need only appear for it. The score on the Subject test too ranges between 200 to 800 points. For details on the schools that need the GRE score and the minimum score that is required for admission can be found in the book, Graduate Study in Psychology,

The General Test (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical Writing)

The General test consists of 3 sections, the Verbal, Quantitative and the Analytical writing sections. The Analytical writing section is the latest addition. The student is given the choice of taking this section on paper or on the computer. This section helps to determine the students writing and analyzing skills. There are two parts in this section that needs to be answered by the student. The first part has to be finished in 45 minute time limit. The student has to write an essay on the issue of a give topic. The second part deals with analysis of an argument and needs to be completed within 30 minutes. Of the 3 sections the writing test is the first to be taken. Examples on topics of the Analytical section are available online on the GRE-Online webpage. The student is allowed to take the test only once in a month and a total of 5 times in one year period. The unofficial scores of the tests are available to the student as soon as the test is completed. The official scores are sent to the student and to the institutions to which the student would be applying within 10 to 15 days after the test. The student can register on-line in the www.gre.org website or by calling the 800 number given in the Information and Registration Bulletin.

Taking the Subject Test

The Subject Test is available only in the paper-and-pencil version. Students planning to take this test are advice to do so during the month of November. To appear for this test the student has to register himself 6 weeks before the exam date. It would be another 6 weeks before the test results are made available. The advantage of appearing for the test in November is that the scores will be available to the student before the deadline of the admission dates. By appearing for the testing November the student has the option of re-taking the tests in December and April in case of bad performance or to improve scores.