GRE Test

GRE Test continued

The latest feature of the test is that it is now CAT i.e. it is a computer adaptive test. By computer adaptive we mean that the test is taken on a computer and the computer adapts itself according to your specific needs. The GRE test is designed such that one question appears on the computer screen after the other. The sequence of questions is not fixed and a different set appears to each examinee. The first few questions are of medium difficulty level. If you answer a question correctly then the next question will be of a higher difficulty and if you answer it incorrectly then the next question will be of an easier level. This process is followed throughout the GRE test. As a result the computer changes the test according to your level and it is thus called computer adaptive. The benefits of the computer adaptive test lies in its basic structure. The computer adaptive format is examinee centered. You are given those questions which you are capable of answering. In this format there is lesser scope of not knowing the correct answer and this results in a higher score.

The GRE test is conducted in a large number of centers all around the world. And in most of the centers the computer adaptive format is available. You will have to check with the center you wish to take the test in for the availability of GRE computer adaptive format. In centers where this is available you can choose from a wide range of test dates, whereas in the centers where only the paper format is available you have only a few dates to choose from. You select the date available at the center first, then register for the test and then take it.

It is ideal to take the test a few months before the admissions start. There should be enough time for the scores to be out before admissions are over so that you don�t miss your chance of admission to a college of your choice. Also if you have to retake the test you should have enough time at hand. Start gathering information about the GRE test well in advance, something like a year before the college session starts.

The scoring procedure of the paper format and the computer adaptive format is different. In the paper format the questions are fixed and so the marking scheme is fixed. Whereas in the computer adaptive format the papers appearing to any two students are different. Here the questions are assigned a certain difficulty level and a related weightage. Hence the score depends on not only the questions answered correctly but also the difficulty level of the question. All the three sections of the GRE test are scored separately and also a percentile of each student is calculated. This gives the admission authorities an idea of where the student stands in the competition. The ETS also has provisions to send scores of GRE test directly to the colleges you have applied to.

The GRE test is said to be predictive of your score during graduation, hence colleges prefer to rely on its results. Other than the score of GRE test they consider other achievements like school representations, co-curricular record, participation in sports events, teacher recommendations, academic records, personal interview, college admission essays etc for scanning students. This criteria along with the GRE form the basis of admission in most of the colleges across US and thus the admission procedure becomes fair and unbiased. Though GRE faces a lot of criticism it is likely to overcome its shortcomings in the coming days and be the most efficient testing option for college admissions.

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