Experimental Section - Kaplan vs. ETS

[toby42]

I've been busting tail with studying and doing practice tests and have a question about the experimental section. Two, now that I think of it...

First, Kaplan's practice tests starts you off w/ the two essays. Then it moves into 5 tests, two verbal, two quant and an experimental that could be either one. So you'll have either 3 Quantitaves and 2 Verbal or 3 Verbal and 2 Quant. Since this is an odd number and the tests alternate, whatever the first test after the essays are you know there will be three of - and thus which of the two (Q or V) has the experimental section. I know that this shouldn't really matter and that I should do my best on every test... but I just want to know if this is the way that it happens on the real (new) GRE test. Will I be able to tell if the experimental section is Verbal or Quantitave by the first type that comes up after the essays?

Second Question: does the experimental section affect your score in terms of setting the bar for the next test section. For instance, the first time through the verbal section, it's supposed to be about medium difficulty and the second verbal section will be either easier, about the same, or more difficult, depending on how you do on the first one. Well what if your first section is your experimental one... is the second (which is really the first, technically) bumped up in difficulty?

Thanks in advance; I hope this I made this fairly clear...

[Cerulean Warbler]

Knowing the answers to these questions won't help you strategize or perform better on the tests, so why bother? The fact of the matter is that you will never know which section is the experimental section (provided there isn't an identified research section instead) since it can even be Section 2, and knowing whether the experimental section is math or verbal won't help you out either. During the test any amount of time one spends trying to identify the experimental section is a waste and is better spent pondering the actual problems.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Cerulean Warbler

[vonLipwig]

Yes, I agree. Don't worry at all about the experimental section - just do your best to answer the questions.

[amlobo]

I don't think there is probably a "way" to find out which section is experimental on the real GRE because you never actually find out which particular section was experimental. Like, I know mine was a verbal because I had 3 verbals... but which of them was experimental... who knows! They all felt pretty evenly difficult to me. I just remember silently pleading for a third verbal section before my last screen came up because I didn't think my brain could compute another math section, lol.

[toby42]

I know mine was a verbal because I had 3 verbals...

Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for.

but which of them was experimental... who knows! They all felt pretty evenly difficult to me. I just remember silently pleading for a third verbal section before my last screen came up because I didn't think my brain could compute another math section, lol.

Yeah, I'm not looking to decipher WHICH section is experimental... I just want to know if you can tell whether the exp. section is Verbal or Quant. And it looks like you've answered that for me, but I hope others who have taken the new GRE chime in further.

And I know that 'it shouldn't matter' and 'I should do my best on it all' and what-not... I know this and I will do my best on EVERY section, believe you me. But the fact of the matter is that there is some sort of effect that this has on a person psychologically/subconsciously. And I can use it to my advantage. Myself, I would prefer to have only two verbals since that's where I need my highest score. But really, I just want to know if others have experienced the same thing on the GRE... Three sections = one is experimental. Two sections = both count.

Oh, and amlobo... did the five tests alternate w/ your verbal first? V-Q-V-Q-V?

[alf10087]

Hm, do you know for sure that the test alternates the sections?

On my online practice test from Princeton Review, I got a Verbal first and using the same logic you mention, I concluded the experimental section would be Verbal, only to find out that at the end I had 2 consecutive Quant sections.

[amlobo]

My test went: V, Q, V, Q, V

I did better on Verbal than Quant, percentile-wise... but got the same numerical score on both. My practice tests had put my Quant far above my Verbal. So, I don't really know if the experimental section does anything as far as affecting your score...?

[toby42]

Hm, do you know for sure that the test alternates the sections?

That's one of the things I'm trying to figure out... looking for all the info I can get from those who have taken the GRE already

On my online practice test from Princeton Review, I got a Verbal first and using the same logic you mention, I concluded the experimental section would be Verbal, only to find out that at the end I had 2 consecutive Quant sections.

Interesting.... Thanks for the info.

[toby42]

My test went: V, Q, V, Q, V

I did better on Verbal than Quant, percentile-wise... but got the same numerical score on both. My practice tests had put my Quant far above my Verbal. So, I don't really know if the experimental section does anything as far as affecting your score...?

Thanks for the extra info, I really appreciate it. And I don't know if anyone can know if the exp section does anything for the next tests but ETS... I would really lean toward thinking that they don't.