linggeek Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I just got done with this quarter and looking into the GRE again and I am deciding between taking the current GRE or the new GRE. I took the GRE in December and I did poorly (didn't do much preparation for it). I am thinking of taking the current GRE, but that wouldn't leave me much time to study. If I take the new one, I'd have more time to prepare. But I wouldn't be used to the format. Plus I'd have to buy a new prep book. Oh, and plus I heard there's a calculator on the new one? It would help people like me who aren't good at math. I have the option of taking 4-week preparation classes for both; but I can afford only one. What should I do? FWIW, I will be applying to linguistics programs. Neuronista 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunninlynguist Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 If you don't mind, what exactly were your scores the first time? Every program and school has different standards for minimum and median GRE scores - you may think you did poorly, but it might not detract from your application as much as you think. (You've probably already looked into this, but just in case). That being said, the new GRE might be the better choice. The format itself isn't going to be dramatically different - just a few notable modifications that you can easily prepare for. If you're weak with geometry and antonyms/analogies, I would absolutely recommend you take the new GRE; the extra study time wouldn't hurt, either! If you're gravitating towards the old format, make the decision immediately. You'd still have an adequate amount of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linggeek Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 If you don't mind, what exactly were your scores the first time? Every program and school has different standards for minimum and median GRE scores - you may think you did poorly, but it might not detract from your application as much as you think. (You've probably already looked into this, but just in case). That being said, the new GRE might be the better choice. The format itself isn't going to be dramatically different - just a few notable modifications that you can easily prepare for. If you're weak with geometry and antonyms/analogies, I would absolutely recommend you take the new GRE; the extra study time wouldn't hurt, either! If you're gravitating towards the old format, make the decision immediately. You'd still have an adequate amount of time. 420 Q and 400 V 3.5 on the analytic... Quite weird since I had taken the GRE practice program expecting higher V than Q. I'd also average around 550 each on the practice program. But I had gotten really sick the day before, so that played a part in my low score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunninlynguist Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 420 Q and 400 V 3.5 on the analytic... Quite weird since I had taken the GRE practice program expecting higher V than Q. I'd also average around 550 each on the practice program. But I had gotten really sick the day before, so that played a part in my low score. Well, technically you did much better on the verbal portion (35th percentile) relative to the quantitative (15th percentile). The numeric scores themselves are a bit misleading. It seems like you'd be able to do well on a re-take, now it's just a matter of assessing which test format suits your skills better. Maybe it'd be advisable to buckle down and get it over with before the new format kicks in. You already know what to expect, you'll study significantly more (and you said you still have the book), and (hopefully) you'll be feeling well. I can sort of relate - for some reason, I scheduled my exam literally during the middle of finals week. Not the smartest decision, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teelee Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 (edited) It really depends what you are good at. If you are good at memorizing word associations (antonyms, analogies) then the old format will give you an advantage. If have a strong reading comprehension skills, the new format will be easier since they will be replacing antonyms and analogies with sentence completions where you have 2 to 3 sentences with 2 to 4 blanks (all of this is available on the ETS website). If you are good at basic geometry problems the old format is better. Old format also uses small and simple number where you don't really need to do big math problems by hand. Edited June 11, 2011 by Teelee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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