ETS, the creator of the GRE Test, will launch the new GRE Test in 2011. The changes are aimed to improve the test for both test takers and schools. There are key changes being made to the content, test design and format, and scoring so it is important for those looking to take the GRE test in the near future to be aware of these changes.
ETS have stated that the new test will be more closely aligned with the skills needed in today’s demanding graduate and business school programs. They have improved the test to make it more technically advanced, friendlier for both test taker and school, and collect more reliable results. The new test will be used from 1st August 2011, anyone who needs their score before the 1st November, 2011, should take the current GRE.
Here are the key changes ETS have announced:
Changes to the test content:
- The Verbal Reasoning measure: The new content in the verbal section will aim to have a higher emphasis on test takers cognitive skills, making a truer assessment on how they apply their reasoning skills. There will be more exercises on reading passages and less dependence on vocabulary knowledge alone.
- The Quantitative Reasoning Measure: This section will continue to test the same basic mathematical concepts but will include more real life scenarios and data interpretation to help measure a test takers Quantitative Reasoning skills. There will also be an onscreen calculator.
- The Analytical Writing Measure: This section will ask test takers to provide a more focused answer to questions, therefore allowing skills to be analysed in a more in-depth and realisable way.
Changes to the Test design:
- The new test will last approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. There are 6 sections within the test.
- The technology which is currently used in the GRE has been improved and will ETS will introduce the Multi-Stage Test (MST) design. This will allow test takers to change answers, skip around questions and have more flexibility throughout the test. The new test will be administered on a computer via the internet in the United States, United Kingdom and many other countries across the world. For those countries where the computer based test will be unavailable, paper based tests will be administered up to 3 times a year.
- There will also be new response formats, including computer-enabled tasks such as numeric entry answers and New preview and review capabilities within a section, making the test experience more test taker friendly.
Changes to the scoring:
- The new test will have a new score scale for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections. The score increment will decrease to a 1 point increment from a 10 point increment, therefore producing scores that will not exaggerate small performance differences.
Due to the new test launch, there will also be a delay in receiving score reports. Please see below some important dates.
| Date/Month |
| 1st August 2010 – First day of testing for revised test |
| August – September – For test administered in August – September, scores will be reported in early November |
| For tests administered in October, scores will be reported in mid-November |
| For tests administered in mid-November, scores will be reported in late November |
| Late November: score reporting returns to the regular reporting period (10-15 days after test date) |
For more information on all the new GRE Test changes, please visit the ETS website.
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