To get straight to the point, this article
intends to answer the question: What are the GRE and GMAT exams all about? To begin with, however, let's
look at the US education system and find out how the GRE helps in the process
of getting there.
The system
The US education system
consists of 12 years of schooling, four years of undergraduate study (such as a
BA or BS) and two years of graduate study. Most colleges or universities expect you to have four years of undergraduate
study, three years of undergraduate and a year's Masters.
Admission cycles
Most US colleges and
universities offer admissions twice a year. The first is in September, known as
the Fall semester. The second is in February -- the Spring semester. You have a
choice of joining a college in either semester.
The GRE
Individuals applying to
graduate schools in order to pursue a Masters in Arts (MA) or Science (MS) take
the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). The test helps schools by providing them
with common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants.
There are two types of
tests
. The General Test
measures verbal and quantitative ability, and analytical writing skills. Data
shows that scores on the GRE General Test consistently predict graduate school
students' grades and performance.
. The Subject Test
measures the achievement in a particular subject area or extensive background
in that discipline. These tests are in the following areas: Biochemistry, Cell
and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature
(English), Physics and Psychology.
Our emphasis will be on
the General Test, as that will be the eligibility criteria for most programs
you intend to pursue.
Why GRE?
In addition to being an
admission criterion, schools often use GRE scores to determine eligibility for
merit-based grants and fellowships, as well as teaching and research
assistantships programs. The large state schools establish cut-off points for GRE scores to limit the application pool, while
others use GRE scores to directly determine how much financial support you
receive. Investing time and effort in preparing for the GRE today can help you
get into the grad school of your choice and can greatly increase your chances
of getting financial aid.
The GRE is conducted by
the Education Testing Services group (ETS). For now, the test can be taken all
the year round. From coming year, however, there will be fixed dates. The fees
for the test are US$140 (Rs 7,000).
The exam in detail
The GRE consists of
three main sections: Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing. The Verbal
and Quantitative Scores are out of a scale of 200-800 each. The Analytical
Writing section is of a maximum of six points. The most important thing is the
test is Computer Adaptive, which means the next question that appears onscreen
depends on whether the previous question has been answered correctly or not.
The Analytical Writing
section tests your critical thinking and writing skills. It assesses your
ability to articulate and support complex ideas, analyse an argument, and
sustain a focused and coherent discussion. It does not assess specific content
knowledge.
The Verbal section
measures your ability to analyse and evaluate written material and synthesize
information obtained from it, to analyse relationships among component parts of
sentences, to recognize relationships between words and concepts, and to reason
with words in solving problems. There is a balance of passages across different
subject matter areas: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
The Quantitative section
measures your basic mathematical skills, your understanding of elementary mathematical
concepts, and your ability to reason quantitatively and solve problems in a
quantitative setting. There is a balance of questions requiring arithmetic,
algebra, geometry and data analysis.
* For the Issue task,
two essay topics will be presented and you will choose one. The Argument task
does not present a choice of topics; instead one topic will be presented.
** An unidentified
verbal or quantitative pre-test section may be included and may appear in any
order after the analytical writing section. It is not counted as part of your
score.
*** An identified
research section that is not scored may be included and will always be at the
end of the test.
Please note
There may be an
experimental section -- which could be Quantitative or English -- that is
actually not evaluated. As you will not be aware of what the experimental
section is, you will have to attempt both sections with equal seriousness. You
will get scores for the Verbal and Quantitative sections immediately, but the
Analytical Writing scores will reach you in one to two weeks.
Also remember that,
during the GRE, you could mention the names of some colleges where you want the
scores to be sent. Keep four to five relevant colleges or university names at
hand. Now that you know what the GRE looks like, we will soon look at how to
crack the test.
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