Graduate Record Examinations

Graduate Record Examination (GRE ) is a standardized test for admission to U.S. graduate schools, which is carried out by the organization Educational Testing Service (ETS ). The test is the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT ) similar to one administered by Pearson VUE competition format. GMAT is aimed at potential students business management master degree programs, while the GRE is directed to prospective graduate students of various sciences.

In July 2009, decided the Wharton School, according to MIT and Stanford, introduce the GRE for the application process of their MBA programs.

Construction

The test consists of three parts -rated. In the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA ), which always takes place at the beginning of the test, the candidate must write two essays. The first, the so-called Independent Writing task, it requires to take on a subject position and to feed his opinion with arguments. For the examinee must choose between two topics and will have 45 minutes to plan the essay, structure and write. Then the argument task follows. In this a line of reasoning needs to be studied and criticized. For the examinee has 30 minutes of time.

Following the AWA is always followed by a ten-minute break. The after the break following parts of the test will appear in random order.

Each test includes a Verbal Section ( V). In this speech comprehension of the specimen to be tested. Are tested antonyms, analogies, use words and reading and summarizing. Here, the English vocabulary of the specimen is critical. To this end, published test preparation books often have vocabulary lists in the order of 200 to 500 words, Barron's vocabulary list is even 3,500 words long. All questions are multiple choice.

Also appears in each test a Quantitative Section ( Q). In this basic math concepts such as arithmetic, algebra and geometry are tested. The retrieved knowledge corresponds approximately to the curriculum of the secondary school secondary I.

In addition, each test section further Q or V included that is not identified, and is not evaluated. The assessment for the unit under test, which is the twice occurring Sections spurious, is hardly possible for them.

Furthermore, it is possible that at the end of the test, an identified Research section follows, which also does not count in the final score.

Assessment

The evaluation of the AWA on a scale from 0 to 6 in half points interval. The scale of Q and V range from 200 to 800 in a ten-point interval. The average score in the Q section is much higher than that of V.

Criticism

Critics argue that the test only tests the ability of how well a student can consist standardized tests. About an actual scholastic aptitude No statement is made.

In addition, it is described that the test only describes a small part of the factors on a scholastic aptitude. ETS recommends that the test should not be used as the sole basis for a recording.