GRE

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The Graduate Record Examination or the GRE, is a standardized test taken in order to get into graduate school in the United States. In many ways, it is similar to the SAT. Both are administered by the Educational Testing Service and have similar question formats, though the latter is designed by the College Board and is intended for a different level of education.

Contents

1 Overview 2 Score Breakdown 3 See also 4 External links

Overview

Many graduate schools in English-speaking countries (especially in the USA) require GRE test results as part of the application procedure. The GRE test is a standardised test designed to measure the abilities of all graduates in tasks of general academic nature, regardless of their fields of specialization. It is not an intelligence test per-se but GRE results, especially on the verbal section, do correlate with intelligence test results. The GRE is supposed to measure the extent to which undergraduate education has developed an individual's verbal and quantitative skills in abstract thinking. It tests for argumentation skills in topics of general interest.

Currently, the GRE is primarily computer-based, unlike the SAT. It is a computer-adaptive test: the questions a testee is presented are affected by the answers he gave to preceding problems. The general test has sections testing verbal, quantitative (mathematical), and analytical writing abilities. The verbal and quantitative sections consist of multiple choice questions. Like the SAT, these sections are scored on a 200-800 point scale in increments of 10. The analytical writing section requires the testee to write two short essays: one presenting their perspective on a statement, and the other analyzing and pointing out flaws in an argument. Each essay is scored by at least two readers on a six-point holistic scale, and the average of the scores is taken.

There are also eight GRE Subject Tests testing knowledge in the specific areas of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature in English, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. Subject tests typically have 70-100 multiple choice questions that must be answered in 170 minutes.

While the subject tests are held at many undergraduate institutions, the general test is only held at test centers (due to the computer-based format). Students in major cities in the US, or those attending large US universities, will usually find a test center easily accessible, while those in more isolated areas may have to drive a few hours to an urban location. Many industrialized countries also have test centers, but not all do and at times test-takers must cross country borders (see GRE website for details).

There has been wide speculation on whether or not GRE scores constitute an honest display of a potential graduate student's knowledge or capability for success. Many schools and universities have eschewed Subject Test requirements, and the GRE General Test has been considered at times irrelevant. Recent reports and questionnaires may show that the GRE General Test is not as significant in determining graduate admissions as once believed.

Score Breakdown

(Source: REA test guide. ISBN 0-87891-446-3)

Raw Score	Verbal Score	Percentile	Quantitative Score	Percentile
72-76	800	99
71	790	99
70	780	99
69	760	99
68	750	98
67	740	98
66	720	96
65	710	96
64	700	95
63	690	94
62	680	93
61	660	91
60	650	89	800	98
59	640	88	800	98
58	630	86	790	98
57	620	85	780	97
56	610	84	770	95
55	600	82	750	92
54	590	80	740	90
53	580	78	730	89
52	570	75	720	87
51	560	73	700	83
50	550	71	690	81
49	540	68	680	79
48	530	65	670	77
47	520	63	650	72
46	510	60	640	71
45	500	57	630	68
44	490	55	620	65
43	480	52	600	61
42	470	49	590	59
41	460	45	580	56
40	450	43	560	52
39	440	40	550	49
38	430	37	540	46
37	420	34	530	44
36	420	34	510	39
35	410	31	500	37
34	400	28	490	34
33	390	26	480	32
32	380	24	460	27
31	370	22	450	26
30	360	18	440	23
29	360	18	430	21
28	350	17	410	18
27	340	15	400	16
26	330	13	390	14
25	330	13	380	13
24	320	11	360	10
23	310	10	350	9
22	300	8	340	8
21	290	7	330	7
20	280	6	310	5
19	270	4	300	4
18	260	3	290	3
17	250	3	280	3
16	240	2	260	2
15	230	1	250	1
14	220	1	240	1
13	210	1	230	1
12	200	0	210	0
0-11	200	0	200	0

See also

• List of admissions tests
• Graduate school
• GRE Physics test

External links

• Educational Testing Service (http://www.ets.org/)
• Graduate Record Examination (http://www.gre.org/)
• What is GRE? Glasgow University Help Page (http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/philosophy/Undergraduate%20Resources/Honours/Postgrad_Applications/PGAppsUS.htm#_GRE)
• List of international computer-based test centres (http://www.prometric.com)
• Institution Code List (http://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/01736_iclist.pdf) – List of institutions (with code numbers) that receive GRE scores
• Free GRE Help Site (http://www.powerscore.com/gre/help/index.htm) - Diverse GRE and gradaute school information
• GRE Forum (http://www.testmagic.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=85) - Interactive bulletin board to communicate with other GRE test takersde:Graduate Record Examination