GRE Test

Answer 1

The GRE is also known as the Graduate Record Examinations standardized test. This test is an admissions requirement to most graduate schools in the United States, similar to undergraduate colleges requiring a submitted SAT score. The GRE is not specific to any course of study. Rather, the test examines the quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and verbal reasoning skills acquired by a student during the course of their undergraduate studies. The weight of a student's score in relation to their acceptance into graduate school depends on the institutions. While a higher GRE score is necessary for some programs, others look upon it as a formality.

In 1949, the Educational Testing Service first created the GRE. It was traditionally offered as a paper-based exam and that option is still available. However, the majority of students take the GRE on the computer.

The quantitative section of the GRE measures the test-taker's reasoning skills and mathematical knowledge. Next, the analytical writing section issues two different essays known as the "issue task" and the "argument task." The Educational Testing Service provides a special word processing program for these essays to discourage cheating. The verbal section of the GRE, like most standardized tests, measures the student's vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

The Educational Testing Service provides many materials and supplies for use in preparation for the GRE. Since much of the test was reformatted and rewritten in 2011, study guides from previous years are no longer official or up to date. Scoring for the GRE is unique. The process drastically changed in 2011 as well. The verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections are scored from 130 to 170 points in one-point increments. The analytical writing section is scored from 0 to 6 points with half-point increments.

Taking the GRE requires a fee, which may be waived or reduced in cases of economic hardship. Depending on where the GRE is taken, this fee can cost anywhere from $130 to $210. ID verification is typically necessary on the day of testing. Smartphones, cell phones and PDAs are never allowed in the test room. The same policy applies to food. The GRE is four hours long and administered three times per year in the United States.