Many students studying for the Graduate Record Exam may be surprised to learn that the test format will be undergoing yet another change. The Educational Testing Service, the creator of the GRE, has announced a new set of changes to the test that will integrate more challenging and time-consuming questions into the exam.
Earlier this year the ETS had planned to lengthen the exam as well as reduce the number of times it was offered. These plans were canceled, however, in April after it was discovered that too many students would lose access to the test as a result.
This summer, the ETS announced that they will instead be making gradual revisions to the test over time. These changes will involve a complete re-formatting of both the math and verbal sections.
While all answers to math questions had been multiple choice, some answers will now be entered numerically.
Similarly, students working on the verbal section will have to fill in the blanks of a sentence with the appropriate word. While students will be provided with a word bank, no partial credit will be awarded. If a student incorrectly fills in one blank in a sentence, the entire question will be marked wrong.
The GRE usually takes at least two to three months to prepare for, said Jennifer Kedrowski, GRE program manager at Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. This leaves just enough time for students to take the test before it changes to the new format, as long as they have prepared, she added.
‘The changes are really going to make a difference to what students experience on test day,’ she said.
Test takers can expect to see these new types of questions in November. Initially, these new sections will not be scored until the ETS has gathered sufficient data on the effect of the changes, which will most likely occur within a year.
Kedrowski advises, however, that students treat each question as if it will be scored, as ETS will give no warning when they decide to validate the new questions.
According to Nancy Stamp, vice provost and dean of the Binghamton University Graduate School, the ETS is initiating these changes in order to more sufficiently predict students’ performance in graduate school.
She said that while the current test accurately predicts performance in the first year of graduate school ‘ a time when students take standardized content courses ‘ the test is imprecise in predicting actual graduation rates from graduate school because it does not measure traits like reasoning and creativity.
Students who are worried that the new testing format may poorly affect their chances of getting to graduate school shouldn’t worry too much, she said.
‘Overall GPA, grades in the major, courses taken, research experience, work experience, internships, aspirations, focus, motivation, perseverance and strong letters of recommendation from people who can evaluate the student’s abilities for graduate work are just as important, and can make up for average GRE scores,’ Stamp said.