Psychology GRE

[teds2]

Hi, everyone

I have written the GRE Psychology Subject Test back in Dec 2012 and I have just dug out my score.  I am planning to apply for the Clinical Psychology Program in Canada this year and I am not sure whether I can use the scores from 2012.  

My score was 690 (72nd percentile). Experimental subsection was 72th percentile, and social psychology subsection was 54th percentile. Not sure if my scores are good enough or if I should rewrite the exam this Fall.  Another thing is that my research interest is in clinical and social psychology and I am thinking if a higher percentile in the social psychology subsection is needed .

Any input would be appreciated!! 

[St0chastic]

GRE scores are valid for five years from test date (https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/scores/), so if you are applying this year you should be able to submit your scores.  That said, it might be worth retaking for a higher score if you have the time and means (but prioritize the general GRE if you haven't taken that yet).  72% isn't too shabby, but you can do significantly better if you study for it seriously.  

I wrote a brief guide on how to prepare for it in this thread: 

Edit: Just wanted to add that I agree with Anxiousapplicant01.  If your score is close to the listed average for your program, it may not be necessary to retake.  Taking a GRE subject test is expensive and time consuming, so you'll want to check with the directors of the programs you'll be applying to to see how much they care about it (if at all).  Also, definitely prioritize the general GRE as most programs weigh that much more heavily.

Good luck!

Edited July 13, 2016 by St0chastic

[Anxiousapplicant01]

I would look and see what each of your programs require and what are the average scores of people who are accepted. If you are close to that, you should be fine. Lots of programs use this test as  formality (I got a very similar score, if not the exact same...it's blurry at this point,  and my score was never mentioned and I got into programs with full funding and a competitive stipend) and many don't require at all. If you have a masters, there's even less to worry about. I would only worry about getting a very high score if I weren't a psych major ad only had completed undergrad.  Also, if you are only retaking it for the subscores, my advisors told me those were virtually meaningless. The way they define "social psychology" vs experimental  is very bizarre; I wouldn't worry about it. In general GRE scores of any kind are usable for 5 years, so unless a program specifies beyond that, that shouldn't be a problem. Definitely check to see what the requirements are for each program and you should be fine! 

Edited July 13, 2016 by Anxiousapplicant01

[Plasticity]

Many departments just view the psychology GRE as another hurdle and it helps cuts down on applications. For one program I interviewed for one prof mentioned that since they required the Psych GRE they went from ~350 apps a year to ~225.

Nothing wrong with 72%. I got into my top choice program (R1, fully funded clinical neuropsych) with the same score. Depends how strong other parts of your app are.

[teds2]

Thanks everyone for their advice!