As you prepare to take the GRE test, you will likely have a lot of questions. Here at Heavy, we poured over many questions and came up with our top five FAQ.
1. Is The GRE Adaptive
The old GRE was question adaptive. The test would change its questions within the Verbal or Quantitative sections based on how well you did on previous questions. The test no longer adjusts its questions based on your performance within a section. It will now only adjust difficulty between entire sections. So your second section could be more or less difficult depending on how well you did on the previous section.
Within each section, the questions are of random difficulty, regardless of the overall level of difficulty of the section.
Education Testing Service (ETS), the organization which designs and administers the GRE, uses adaptive testing because it better allows the test-makers to determine how well you do on the GRE, by getting to questions which suit your aptitude quicker.
2. What’s The Format Of The GRE
The GRE General Test is a computer-based test that includes five scored sections: one Analytical Writing section, two Quantitative sections, and two Verbal sections. Your test will also include either an experimental section, called the Pretest section, or a research section. The section can appear anywhere on the exam and the research will always appear at the end. The answers on the Pretest and Research sections will not count toward your GRE score. The questions are meant to help the test writers at Educational Testing Service (ETS) refine their methods and try out new material that may be included in future GRE tests.
3.What Is A Good GRE Score
Although there is no single answer to this question, we all agree that a “good” GRE score is one that gets you accepted into the graduate program of your choice.
GRE scoring occurs on a 130–170 scale in each section. It’s a limited range of possible scores but also means that just a small increase in score can make a big difference. In fact, sometimes even a one-point increase in score can boost your percentile ranking by as much as five percentage points.
It’s also important to know that if you are admitted to a graduate program, that it’s not entirely based on your score. In addition to focusing on getting a good GRE score, you should also work on obtaining the best GPA possible, writing a great personal statement, getting strong letters of recommendation, and making your resume stand out.
4. Can I Cancel My GRE Score
ETS policy states that at the end of the test, you will be given the option to cancel your scores. You cannot cancel your score for one section of the test and have the scores for the remaining sections reported. Your scores will be reported to GRE score recipients only at your request. If you cancel your scores, they will NOT be reported to you or any score recipients and no refund will be made. Canceled scores are not added to your permanent record. If you wish to take the test again, you must reregister and submit another test payment.
Once you view your scores at a computer-delivered GRE revised General Test session, you cannot cancel them at a later date.
However you if had canceled your scores they can be reinstated if the request is received by ETS within 60 days after your test date for a fee of $50.
5. What Do I Bring To The GRE On Test Day
On test day, you certainly want to be as comfortable as possible. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and bring extra layers since test centers are often chilly.
Make sure you have directions to the test center and you’ve scoped out a coffee shop prior to test day. It’s even smart to drive there once before the actual test day to reduce the possibility of not finding the center and adding more stress to an already stressful day.
Make sure you have your driver’s license or passport. You’ll also want to bring snacks as you’ll have a 10-minute break during the test and you may not have had much of an appetite leading up to the exam.
If you did all the studying and practicing prior up to the exam, there’s not much more you can do. So bring a positive attitude to test day and you’ll do great!