The new GRE is coming. Like the dominant in-laws at Christmas, the new GRE is coming and there is nothing we can do to stop it. The best course of action is to learn all we can about it, so that we know what to expect. The following is a brief summary of the differences between the current GRE and the new (revised) GRE, which will be released on August 1, 2011.
happy
Current GRE
- The verbal reasoning section of the current GRE assesses your ability to analyze written material and understand the information presented (reading comprehension), identify the relationships between different parts of speech (complete the sentence), and understand the relationships between words and words. concepts (analogies / antonyms).
- The current GRE quantitative reasoning section assesses your ability to understand the basics of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis, reason quantitatively, and solve problems involving quantities.
- The writing section consists of two topics: a “problem” topic and an “argument” topic.
New GRE
The content of the new GRE is more or less the same as the current one; the main difference is that certain concepts are emphasized more than others.
- In the verbal reasoning section, there will be a significantly less focus on vocabulary out of context (no more analogies / antonyms) and more a focus on “higher level cognitive thinking”, which translates to critical reading.
- In the quantitative reasoning section, there is a greater emphasis on interpreting data and real-life problem scenarios.
- The writing section of the new GRE still consists of a “problem” topic and an “argument” topic.
Kind of questions
Current GRE
- There are four main types of questions in the current GRE Verbal Reasoning section: Sentence Completion, Analogies, Reading Comprehension, and Antonyms.
- The quantitative reasoning section has two types of questions: multiple choice and quantitative comparison.
- The “problem” topic in the writing section gives you two prompts to choose from; the topic “argument” only has one message.
New GRE
- The verbal reasoning section of the new GRE will have no analogies or antonyms. Instead, there will be more sentence completion questions and a new type of question called sentence equivalence, in which you need to identify which two answer options will give the sentence the same meaning. Reading comprehension questions will have two new types of questions. In addition to the traditional multiple-choice questions, there will be multiple-choice questions and sentence highlighting questions. Multiple choice questions are exactly what they sound like: of the three provided answer options, one, two, or all three options may be correct. Sentence highlighting questions will ask you to highlight the sentence in the passage where the answer is found.
- The new quantitative reasoning section will have two more question types, in addition to multiple-choice and quantitative comparisons. Multiple-choice questions are as in the verbal section: more than one answer can be correct and you must identify all the correct answers. Numeric entry questions are similar to numeric entry questions on the SAT – a box will be provided in which you must write your numerical answer along with the question.
- Each topic has only one message in the writing section of the new GRE.
Test procedure
Current GRE
The current GRE is a computer adaptive test (CAT). The CAT test is significantly different from a traditional pencil and paper test that most people are used to. On a CAT test, you must answer each question as it arises; it cannot go forward or backward. Once you answer a question, you are done with that question – there is no going back! The computer will select the next question based on a few criteria, including the accuracy of your answer, the level of difficulty of the problem, and the type of problem. Calculators are not allowed.
New GRE
The new GRE will be a computerized test, but not a CAT. In the new format, you will be able to skip a question or change it again later using a new “mark and review” feature. You are provided with a very basic on-screen calculator (four arithmetic functions and square root).
Punctuation
Current GRE
The highest achievable score on the current GRE is 1600. The scoring range for the verbal and quantitative reasoning sections is 200-800. Scores are given in increments of ten points. Scores are available immediately after the exam.
New GRE
The highest achievable score on the new GRE will be 340. The scoring range for the quantitative and verbal reasoning sections is 130-170. Scores are given in one-point increments. Scores are available immediately after the exam.