The New GRE: Coming August 2011

[coffeekid]

For those of us in the applying Fall 2011 for Fall 2012 admission, we are in a bit of unique situation. ETS is doing a pretty substantial revision of the GRE starting August 2011. Some of the changes include...

- A new scoring scale (130 to 170 for verbal and math sections, with one point increments)

- Revised verbal section (no antonyms or analogies, more emphasis on reading comprehension)

- Revised math section (online calculator included, more emphasis on data analysis than mental math)

There are some obvious advantages of the new format. The revised math section (not that it matters for religion applications) is a better assessment of quantitative problem solving skills in a normal environment; the new verbal format, I feel, will be a more appropriate judgment of linguistic skills because of the revolutionary discovery (cough) that language acquires its meaning from context. Most importantly, the single point increment scale will more realistically portray the difference between scores.

The question is, do we stake our applications on the traditional GRE that we all love to hate, or do we risk it and take the new GRE late in the application season, perhaps without enough time for a retake, and not even really knowing how to gauge the numbers we get?

Obviously, some of us will do better on one or the other, but the real issue is how schools are going to read these scores, especially for those of us who will be submitting a history of old and new GRE scores. I've heard department heads say that the most recent score is the only one that matters, but will they take the new scores less seriously out of unfamiliarity? Will the new GRE and its incremental scoring make the GRE any more or less of an influence in applications?

[11Q13]

Well, I for one plan to capitalize on it. Given that the new format will have little relative data, it might allow me to skate by into a program that would have weeded me out otherwise.

[khida]

hi guys !! i will take the new gre on octuber because i wanna to begin a master in US.... do you know where i can find free material ?..... it will be so useful for me !!!....

[sacklunch]

hi guys !! i will take the new gre on octuber because i wanna to begin a master in US.... do you know where i can find free material ?..... it will be so useful for me !!!....

Go to the ETS website. They have free stuff on there that can help.

[myfishpajamas]

My GRE scores are one of the main things that held me back from getting into PhD programs (currently in a terminal Master's program). I got a 5.5 on the writing but rather dismal scores in verbal/math. From the sound of it, the new GRE is going to be better suited to my abilities. Anyway, I don't need to reapply until next year for Fall 2013, so unless I take the GRE again this month (which I had already planned to take it again before hearing about the new one), I will have to take the new one. It is unfortunate that they won't have data to utilize the scores effectively, and I fear they will rely on my old, terrible scores, but, at the same time, it does not seem ethical to penalize new applicants for something outside of their control. It is not as though everyone applying for 2012 or 2013 and beyond called up ETS and asked them to change it just in time for their admission year.

I plan to take it again in August to get the 50% off rate since, no matter when I take it before reapplying, I'll have to take the new one. Might as well get half off the price.

[Red Bull]

To me all this means is that I will have to buy more of those awful expensive kaplan and princeton review books when it comes time to enter my PhD program. Ugh.