The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, is required for admission to graduate programmes or business schools in the United States. The GRE is a computer-based, multiple-choice test held worldwide.
The duration of the GRE General Test used to be more than four hours. In the new format, it will be slightly less than two hours. The test will still assess verbal and quantitative skills as well as critical thinking and analytical writing abilities, but each component will be shorter.
The unscored segment as well as the scheduled break will no longer be there.
The official GRE scores will be issued in eight to 10 calendar days, as against the current norm of issuing them in 10-15 calendar days.
The adjustments have been made while maintaining the high validity and reliability schools need. There have also been announcements with regard to reducing the length of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or Toefl, beginning in July and switching the GRE Subject Test from paper to computer delivery this autumn. Shortening the duration of the test does not mean that candidates have less time to answer questions. The number of questions have also been reduced and the average time available to answer each question remains the same.
The shortened GRE will be administered to students who make a test appointment on or after September 22, 2023. This shortened version will be delivered at both test centres and at home. Graduate and professional programmes will continue to use GRE General Test scores as they always have.
Zoom in
Here’s a closer look at the new GRE General Test
In total, this new test takes 1 hour and 58 minutes to complete. The “Analyse an Issue” exercise will be part of the analytical writing portion. There will no longer be an “Analyse an Argument” component.
The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning tests are still adaptive at the sectional level. The candidates shall gain from this since it allows them to go between sections, mark questions they want to revisit and modify their responses as much as they wish.
The test will consist of two portions for verbal reasoning and two sections for quantitative reasoning, each with a total of 27 questions.
The shorter test will use the same scoring scales as the longer test. Since there are fewer questions and the score scale is not changing, each answer will count more toward the final score.
Since the standards for calculating scores are staying the same, schools are urged to treat all results equally, whether they come from the longer or shorter GRE.
Scheduled break
The shortened exam will not include a break. Those taking the test at a test centre may take unscheduled breaks, but the clock will not stop unless they have been approved for a test accommodation owing to a handicap or a health-related necessity. Unscheduled breaks are not permitted for individuals who are testing at home.
Preparation
Students can use the existing official GRE prep (at ets.org/gre/prepare) because the shortened exam includes all of the same parts and question types. Students need not change their study plan if they are prepared for the current GRE format, except they will not need to prepare for the “Analyse an Argument” activity.
In September, two Powerprep practice examinations will be offered. Powerprep Online, a free version, will deliver scores on the quantitative reasoning and verbal reasoning tests. Another version, Powerprep Plus Online, will cost $39.95 (approximately Rs 3,300) and will include results for all three measures. Sign up to be alerted when these resources become available. Meanwhile, the current products may be found at ets.org/gre/prepare.
The writer is a foreign education advisor based in Calcutta
