GRE to change format in Sept.

by Caleb Fort

Daily Lobo

In case taking a 2 1/2-hour test was too easy, the GRE will become almost two hours longer starting in September.

ETS, the company that makes the test, announced the change Feb. 8.

The test will also include different questions in the verbal and math sections.

"It is the biggest change in the GRE's 55-year history," said Jung Lee, the GRE program manager for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. "We have never seen it change so much."

ETS will stop offering the current form of the test July 31 and begin offering the new test Sept. 10.

"That's huge, because usually, August is one of the biggest test months," he said. "Students will study over the summer and then take it. Now, if you want to take the exam before it changes, you really need to think about studying and

registering now."

Most graduate programs require applicants to submit a GRE score.

Students should try to take the test before it changes, Lee said.

"Just the fact that it's getting so much longer is going to require a lot more stamina on the part of students," he said. "Students should be thinking, 'Maybe I want to take the short test.'"

Some questions will also become more difficult. Instead of being multiple choice, some math questions will require students to type in

their answers.

The English section will replace analogy and antonym questions with reading comprehension and sentence completion.

Test scores are good for five years, so students don't have to worry about old scores being obsolete,

he said.

Ezra Meier, graduate adviser in the English Department, said his department cares about writing samples more than test scores.

"The GRE is a kind of snapshot that helps professors cubbyhole students," he said. "But numbers - the GRE and GPAs - are by far the least important factor we consider."

The scoring scale will change from an 800-point scale to a 130- to 170-point scale.

The test will change from a format where the computer chooses questions based on students' performance to a format where all students who take the test on the same day will be given the same questions.

"It's basically nothing more than a paper test, but on a computer,"

Lee said.

The change is to prevent students from cheating, he said.

"In the current form, they have a huge pool of questions sitting around," he said. "It's great and efficient, but it also leaves room for the same questions to be used. There were problems with students taking the questions out and posting them on the Internet."

Graduate student Jennifer

Caswell, who took the test about two years ago, said the test is not a good indicator of how well students will do in graduate school.

"The math portion is all based on how fast you can do it," she said. "Not everybody can fire that fast, but I don't think that shows how well you'll do as a graduate student."

Colleges should still require applicants to take the test, she said.

"I think it weeds out some people who shouldn't be in graduate school," she said. "A lot of people are intimidated by it."

Lee said anyone thinking about going to graduate school should take the test.

"There are some schools out there who may not require it, but it's been a pretty good indicator of student success," he said. "Having a good score will help you get in where you want to get in, and it can also help with scholarships and funding. A good score can really play a large part in a good future."

Kaplan will offer a free GRE practice test Saturday in Dane Smith Hall.

To register, go to Kaptest.com/gre.

Changes in the

GRE include:

The test will change from 2 1/2 hours to four hours and 20 minutes.

All students who take the test on the same day will be given the same questions, instead of a computer choosing questions based on students' performance.

Not all questions will be multiple choice. For example, some math questions will require students to type in the correct answer.

The verbal section will replace analogy and antonym questions with sentence completion and reading comprehension.

The math section will have less geometry and more data interpretation.

The scoring system will change from an 800-point scale to a 130- to 170-point scale.

There will be two verbal sections and two math sections, instead of one of each.

The test will be offered about 30 times a year, instead of continuously.

Source: The ETS Web site and Jung Lee, GRE program manager for

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions