GRE General FAQs

1. What is the GRE and who should give it?


GRE – Abbreviation for Graduate Record Examination. The GRE is a computerized exam conducted by ETS and it is required for admission to many graduate schools worldwide.

2. What is the format of the GRE?

The GRE has three sections - a Verbal Section, a Quantitative Section and an Analytical Writing Sections. For more details on GRE Sections do visit here.

3. How is the GRE Scored?

The GRE has three sections - a Verbal Section, a Quantitative Section and an Analytical Writing Sections. The Quantitative and Verbal Sections are each out of 800 points making the highest possible score on the GRE a 1600. The Analytical Writing Section is scored on an independent scale where a student gets a score from 0 to 6 (with a "6" being the highest. The Analytical Writing Score does not affect the overall score out of 1600 points.

4. When can I give GRE?

The GRE is given all around the year at various testing centers in different countries. A schedule can be obtained from the Official GRE website.

5. How much does it cost to take the test?

GRE General Test fees in US is 160US$ and in China, Korea and Taiwan is 250US$ whereas in all other locations it is 190US$. Do visit official website here for latest fees.

6. How does the CAT (Computer Adaptive Test) work?

It is very important to understand the computer-adaptive-test format to score well in GRE.

At the start of CAT, test questions are of moderate level. Every subsequent question is then determined by your responses to all previous questions. If you give the correct answer then next question will be more difficult. When you respond incorrectly, you will typically be given less difficult questions. Moreover, you are not allowed to change answers to previous questions as you proceed through the test, and you are not allowed to skip questions.

The Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GRE General Test are adaptive tests. On the Analytical Writing section, the two writing tasks are displayed on the computer, and you must type your essay responses.

To know more on test pattern do visit here.

7. Can GMAT scores be substituted for the GRE scores?

No.

8. How Long GRE score is valid?

It is valid up to five years.

9. How do I register for the GRE?

You can register online at their official web site i.e. http://www.ets.org/ or You can register by phone also by calling 1-800-473-2255.

10. What if I take the GRE and mess up?

The only chance you have to cancel your score is immediately after you finish the exam but before you see your scores. After they have been reported to you, they cannot be canceled. If you cancel your scores, they cannot be reinstated; you will not be eligible for a refund.

11. How many times can I take the GRE?

The test can be taken once in a calendar month, but no more than 5 times within any 12 month period. But it is better to take GRE once after full preparation as if you take the GRE multiple times, some graduate schools may average your scores. You should call the schools to which you are applying to find out their policy and then plan your strategy accordingly. If you repeat the test, your scores from the latest test date and the two most recent test administrations in the last five years will be reported to the institutions you designate as recipients.

12. What is a good score on the GRE?

It varies from school to school so it’s always better to check your school in which you are interested. However, the standard scores for the Verbal Section and Quantitative Sections are around 500. Scoring in Analytical Writing Assessment part is not predictable and there are no standard measures. Two readers will read each essay written by you, who will be authors or professors hired to judge your writing skills. Essays are judged for their overall impact.

More General FAQs - Visit Official website


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Free GRE Practice Tests

Here are your Free GRE Practice Tests.

It is free, full length GRE Practice Test with detailed explanation of every question. It will help you to check your preparation for GRE and familiarize with the actual pattern of GRE. By practicing this GRE Sample Test you can find your shortcomings and will give you an idea what to study to improve your score.

So what are you waiting for take the test and familiarize yourself with the GRE Pattern and structure.

Peterson's FREE GRE Practice Test


Practice Now


More on GRE

Introduction to GRE

GRE Guide & GRE Flash cards

GRE Links

GRE Material & GRE Simulation Software

GRE Test Preparation Books

GRE FAQ's

GRE Tips and Techniques

GRE Psychology Test

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GRE Subject Test: Psychology

There are around eight disciplines for Subject Tests in GRE depending on your area.

Usually conducted thrice in a year in October, November & April.

The Psychology test in GRE covers different fields or topics of Psychology. Few of them are:-

• Learning and motivation
• Cognition and human learning
• Physiological and Comparative Psychology
• Sensation and perception
• Developmental psychology
• Abnormal psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Psychopathology'
• Personality psychology
• Social psychology
• Applied psychology
• Methodology

Test Pattern:

It's a multiple choice format exam with around 200 questions

Exam Duration is 2 hrs & 50 min.

Official Webpage for Test Pattern

GRE Psychology Test Preparation Official Book

I hope this information will be usefull for you so all the best for exam.

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B Schools Scholarships

Criteria for Selecting B Schools: Searching B Schools Scholarship.

If you leave the Top 15-20 schools, lower down the order there are many chances for schools. They will range from a few thousand $ to full tution waiver. 

While searching B-schools with an eye on scholarship opportunities: 

1) One should also look at which place schools are located because if the school has a good reputation and placement(Rankings in short) and it is situated in a large city say Newyork or chicago. Then it has a big pool of applicants and hence a wider choice to select from. So even if they don't offer the carrot of scholarship (or say substantial schol) then also they can have a class of talented people. 

On the other hand if the school is situated in not so big place then they would try to attract meritorious applicants by giving substantial schools. Of course one has to factor in the amount of funds the college has. 

2) Second criteria: For people wishing to have full tuition waiver, they have to look at school's and State rules also. For eg. A school in Texas can at max. offer you In-state tuition. So even in best case you have to pay In-state tuition from your pocket. 

3) The third important criteria is to know the Class profile of the school. Say the Average GMAT is 640 and your GMAT score is 700+. And you have a decent to good Undergrad GPA then u are in the competition for schols. 

4) Apply Early : You would always get some advantage by applying early. Try to apply in Round1. 

5) Contact current students: Try to get school’s funding scenario from the current students

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Retaking GRE

Should I give GRE again?

Even though an “I could have done better” feeling is inevitable after any test, taking the GRE Test again may not be helpful. Sometimes it is necessary to take the GRE Test more than once, like when a management school asks you for more recent scores than what you have. However, unless your scores seem unusually low compared to your performance in the practice tests, or if you have not been able to perform well because of a sudden illness or similar exceptional circumstances, it’s advisable not to succumb to the temptation of repeating the test. This is so for given the nature of the test, it is unlikely that your scores can substantially improve, and in fact, your scores may decrease. 

If you repeat the test, your scores from the latest test date and the two most recent test administrations in the last five years will be reported to the institutions you designate as recipients. In any case, you cannot take the test more than once in the same calendar month, even if you have taken the test and cancelled your scores

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Scoring Pattern in GRE CAT

The GRE Test results comprise four different scores: a total score, and separate scores for Verbal, Quantitative,and Analytical Writing Assessment sections. The total score is reported out of 1600 and the sectional scores are out of 800. The Writing Assessment section is scored separately on 6.

In addition to these scores, the score report also contains percents (%) below. These “% below” indicate the percentage of examinees that scored below you, based on the scores of the entire GRE testing population for the most recent three-year period. These percentages are important in considering how an applicant for admission to a particular management school compares with everyone in the specified period, with all other applicants to the same school, and with students already enrolled at the school.


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All about GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment(AWA)

The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is the neglected part of the GMAT. No one (test-takers or business schools) considers it as important as the rest of the test, and it’s scored separately from the Quantitative and Verbal parts of the exam.

It’s true: there’s no reason to spend nearly as much time preparing for the AWA as you do for the rest of the test. It’s a mistake to forget about it entirely, though:

A small amount of effort can translate into a big difference in score.
The schools you apply too can see your actual essays.

What is the AWA?


The AWA consists of two 30-minute essay questions, the Analysis of Issue and the Analysis of Argument. The first gives you a general topic, and you are asked to write an essay arguing for one side or the other. The second gives you a prompt not unlike the passage in a Critical Reasoning question and asks you to–big surprise!–analyze the argument.

How is the AWA scored?

Your essays are scored on a scale from 0 to 6 in half-point increments. Each essay is initially graded by a human and a computer. If they disagree by more than a point, another human comes along, separates the brawling human and computer graders, and settles the dispute. The GMAC reports that the human and the computer differ in a relatively small number of cases, so it’s not something to lie awake worrying about.

Why Do B-Schools Get to See My Essay?

Part of the reason the AWA is included on the GMAT is because some applicants might try to cheat. Plagiarized or ghost-written essays are a problem at every level of admissions, so if the person evaluating your application essays can also see how you wrote during the GMAT, they might notice if there’s a big difference.

They don’t expect your GMAT essays to be perfect–they know you only have half an hour for each one.

How Can I Prepare?

Write a practice essay or two, for starters. In the back of The GMAT Official Guide, there is a list of all possible essay prompts. (Yes, the actual prompts used on the test.) It would be a waste of time to write, or even outline, essays for each of them, but it is worth your time to scan through them, making sure you understand each one.

Focus on quality over quantity: a perfect 250-word essay is better (both for the AWA grader and for admissions officers) than a rough 400-word version. Allow yourself plenty of time (at least five minutes) at the end of the half-hour in order to carefully proofread your essay for grammar and punctuation. The little things aren’t going to affect your score much, but if you know how to use a comma, you might as well let the AWA grader know that.

Most all, don’t try to accomplish too much. The object of the AWA is to determine whether you can write a coherent sentence and an organized paragraph or two. Organize your thoughts before you start to write, and keep things simple. Don’t stress yourself out: you’ve got two and a half hours of testing left after you finish your second essay!



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What kinds of questions are asked in the GMAT?

GMAT has the following types of questions:

I. Verbal
- Sentence Correction questions test grammar and expression
- Critical Thinking questions typically test logical thinking
- Reading Comprehension questions test your ability to read critically



II. Quantitative
- Problem Solving questions test your quantitative reasoning ability
- Data Sufficiency questions test your quantitative reasoning ability using an unusual set of directions

III. Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) is the essay component. It consists of two 30 minute writing exercises:
- One "prompt" or topic asks you to analyze an issue.
- A second "prompt" or topic asks you to analyze an argument



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GMAT: Strategies for CAT

Strategies for GMAT CAT

CAT stands for Computer Adaptive Test. It differs from a traditional test in how it works and how it determines score. Therefor Plan the test-taking strategy with this thing in mind.

In CAT

-- The computer shows you only one question at a time and does not allow you to see the


next question until you've responded to the one at hand. You can't go back to change an answer once you've responded and gone onto the next question. So, Double-check your answers before moving on. If a question is taking a long time to complete, cut your losses. Eliminate answer choices you know are wrong, guess one of the remaining choices and move on. Don't get bogged down.

-- There is a penalty for unanswered questions: any questions at the end of a section that you do not reach will hurt your score. So, Make sure you answer every question on the test. If you have any questions left as time runs out, guess the answer to these questions rather than leave them unanswered. Getting them wrong will hurt your score less than not answering them at all.

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Tips and Strategies for GRE Sentence Completion Questions

1) Always work with the easier blank first. Often, you can eliminate one or two answer choices simply because the "easy" word in the pair doesn't fit.


2) If you can't predict an answer, quickly plug the five answer choices into the sentence. Many times, you can eliminate a few choices that don't "sound correct" in context.




3) Identify the crucial clues in the sentence. These sentences are never vague; each will include adjectives or descriptive terms that indicate the meaning of the missing word.


4) Look for what is directly implied or stated by the sentence. Each presents a complete thought and the missing words support that thought.


5.) Look for structural words that will help you find the right answer:


a) If the second part of the sentence supports or elaborates on the first part, it will invariably include words like: and, similarly, in addition, since, also, thus, because, likewise, consequently


b) If the second part of the sentece deviates or contradicts the first part, it will inevitably include words like: but, despite, yet, however, unless, rather, although, while, nevertheless


In statements with two blanks, these structural words help to determine whether the two words are synonyms or antonyms. Use the relationship between the two words ro help select the correct answer choice.

6) Don't be intimidated by odd or unusal words. The sentence completion questions aren't designed to test vocabulary, yet they will often contain somewhat difficult words. Rely on the content of the sentence to determine their meaning. In nearly all problems, the definition of the word is given or strongly implied in the sentence. In sentences with two blanks, you will usually know the meaning of at least one of the two words in each answer choice. This is usually enough to help you accept or reject the answer choice.


7) If a sentence is long, meandering or otherwise complex, paraphrase it to get the gist. Consider the author's tone or attitude. Then, search the answer choices for the correct words.


8) Always read your choice back into the original sentence to verify that it makes sense.


9) Quickly eliminate choices that are not grammatically correct.


10) Always check all five answer choices. Sometimes more than one choice will theoretically "fit" the sentence, but one fits better than the others. Your job is to identify the BEST choice.





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GRE: Tips for Sentence Completion

1. Look for key words and phrases in the sentence that tell you where the sentence is going. Is it continuing along one line of thought? If so, you’re looking for a word that supports that thought. Is it changing direction in midstream? If so, you’re looking for a word that sets up a contrast between the thoughts in the sentence.



Words signal blanks that go with the flow: and, also, consequently, as a result, thus, hence, so Words signal blanks that shift gears:but, yet, although, on the other hand, in contrast, however, nevertheless

2. To get your mental wheels turning and help you to “get into” the question, first think of your own words that complete the sentence at hand. Although you shouldn’t expect to find your words verbatim among the answer choices (most GRE Sentence Completion questions aren’t that easy), determining up front what sort of words you’re looking for will help you zero in on the best answer choice.

3. Don’t choose an answer to a dual-blank question just because one of the words is a perfect fit. As often as not, one word that fits perfectly is paired with another word that doesn’t fit well at all. This is the test-makers’ most common Sentence Completion ploy; don’t fall for it!

4. Check for usage and idiom problems if you’re having trouble homing in on the best answer. Sentence Completion questions cover not just overall sentence sense but also word usage and idiom (how ideas are expressed as phrases). So eliminate any answer choice that makes any part of the sentence confusing, awkward, or sound wrong to your ear.

5. In dual-blank questions, if you can eliminate just one of the words, the whole choice won’t work, so you can toss it out and go on.
Don’t confirm your response until you’ve considered each and every one of the five answer choices. Remember: The qualitative difference between the best and second-best answer choice can be subtle.

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Introduction to GRE

Introduction  to GRE

The GRE is short for Graduate Record Examination. It is administered by ETS and GRE is a test for admissions. It’s a Standardised Requirement for Many graduate schools worldwide specially in the United States. This test helps universities or colleges to measure the ability of applicants for advanced education.

The exam is primarily focused on testing abstract thinking skills in the areas of math, vocabulary, and analytical writing.

The GRE is typically a computer-based exam. However, paper-based exams are offered in areas of the world that lack the technological requirements.

GRE is divided into three major sections.

Verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a period of time.

It is necessary for students who plan to pursue their Masters in the US, UK, Australia or Canada. It also provide a common measure for comparing the qualifications of applicants and also serve as a measure to evaluate grades and recommendations.

GRE Sections

Verbal Reasoning section

This section comprised of 30 multiple-choice questions of the following types: antonyms, analogies, sentence completions, and reading comprehension questions to check your ability to:-

- Analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it

- Analyze relationships among component parts of sentences

- Recognize relationships between words and concepts.

Quantitative Reasoning section

This section comprised of 28 Multiple choice questions out of which half includes quantitative comparisons and half are data interpretation and problem-solving questions. This checks the capability to:-

- Understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis

- Reason quantitatively

- Solve problems in a quantitative setting.

Analytical Writing section

This section comprised of two essays, one of 45 mins and other one is of 35 mins. This is designed is a way to measure your ability to:-

- Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively

- Examine claims and accompanying evidence

- Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples

- Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion

- Control the elements of standard written English.

 More Information on GRE: -

• GRE Guide & GRE Flash cards
• GRE Links
  
• GRE Material & GRE Simulation Software
  
• GRE Test Preparation Books
  
• GRE FAQ's
  
• GRE Tips and Techniques
  
• GRE Psychology Test

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