Revised GRE: PBT or IBT?

[Waffle]

Hi,

I plan on taking the GRE in October. However one question remains: should I take the paper based test or the internet based test.

Let me explain. I'm an international student from Brussels, Belgium. And even though Brussels is quite a modern and central capital, ETS does not offer the IBT GRE over here. The only available option to take the IBT would be to travel to Paris or Amsterdam which induces travel costs, loss of time, etc. On the other hand, I can take the PBT in Brussels.

My questions are thus:

- Does one of the version outweighs the other one?

- A Fulbright adviser suggested that students perform better on the PBT, do you agree?

- ETS says that the second verbal and quant parts are adjusted to the results of the first ones, how do they manage to replicate the same framework with the PBT?

- And finally, do grad schools care? i.e. do they prefer the IBT over the PBT?

Thank you!

[crater21]

Hi Waffle,

From what I understand, ETS uses an algorithm to mark the paper-based tests, which takes into account the adaptive feature of the computer-based tests. I don't know how this works, but I think they are able to replicate the adaptive framework with the paper tests.

I'm not sure if grad schools would even know whether your scores were paper-based or computer based.

The only other difference I've heard is that if you take the computer test, you must wait at least 60 days before taking it again, whereas you can take the paper test as frequently as you want (although, the paper test is only offered a few times in the year, so the waiting period probably still amounts to the same).

Good luck!